[Heno]

I,ve been looking for something to go Island hoping offshore from townsville for 2/3 days at a time and was hoping someone may have an opinion on my craft of choice at the moment. A wilderness Systems 145 Tsunami SIK.
Specs:
length-14'5'' ...4.42m
width-24'5'' ...62cm
depth-16' ...41cm
weight-56lbs ...25kg
max capacity-325lbs ...147kg
Any & all opinions welcomed.

 

[Daveyak]

Heno, have a look at this. Currently on sale, would go towards paying for freight. I have no connection to this business, just got their sale notice via e-mail last week.

http://www.mainpeak.com.au/product.aspx?productID=14884

 

[bazzoo]

Hi Shaun , mate that boat should go alright, dont know how much they cost, but if you are going island hopping a sit in is a good idea from the point of view of comfort and speed and storage , i have a sit in sea kayak which i LOVE to paddle, however if i were to buy a new sit in , it would DEFINATELY be a mirage 5.8, they are a fantastic boat and have done many bass straight crossings and are arguably the fastest sea kayak on the water and very stable as well as being the sexiest looking yak i have seen, i have no connection at all with them , but would love one , if you can afford it mate , i think its the go

 

[Scott]

I have to agree with bigbazoo. I own a half share in a Mirage 580 and she is a paddling weapon. I think the only real way to improve on one is to get a Kevlar one instead of a glass. Mind you for your usage, you will have her loaded up with camping gear so the weight saving of a few kilos by going the Kevlar model would be nullified to a degree by the camping gear ect.

Catch ya Scott

 

[hairymick]

G'day Heno.

Looks a little like a Perception Contour. (Slightly different bottom)

Should be OK as a day paddler or for short camping trips. Won't be as fast as a bigger boat but still pretty good. the 16 foot WS might be a better option especially if you find yourself punching a headwind.

The Mirage, as mentioned, is a superb expedition sea kayak but overpriced in my humble opinion.

A much cheaper option with comparable performance and build quality is this.
http://www.natureline.com.au/Mermaid1.htm
Or, a slightly smaller (but faster) boat
http://www.natureline.com.au/osprey.htm

I own and paddle both of these very good sea kayaks and can attest to their quality and performance. Either one, would be a far superior option than the boat you mentioned.

for the record, I have no commercial interest in Natureline but am merely a customer who is very satisfied with the product.

 

[Heno]

sorry guys forgot to mention that I'm restricted to a length of 5m for storage.
Mick, the Naturelines are a nice looking ride.Just had a look at their site and the osprey and the marlin both look good. How far off the highway is their store ( cant find a map online ).

 

[hairymick]

G'day heno,

How far off the highway is their store ( cant find a map online ).

About 5 minutes.

The Osprey or the marlin would suit your needs very well I think. I haven't paddled a Marlin but have heard some pretty good things about them.