Wilderness Systems Tempest Pro Opinions please

[steveT]

Hi folks,

does anyone here own or have experience of paddling a wilderness systems tempest pro? (the fibreglass one). If so, what are your thoughts? Good and bad please!

Cheers

Steve

[immunogirl]

Have you paddled a plastic tempest? It behaves much like the plastic tempest, but fixes several of the problems with the plastic ones - the hatches don't leak and the boat doesn't flex in waves. It depends on what you want the boat for & what you're interested in - but the tempests are very well behaved boats all around.

I keep a plastic tempest to beat up on the rocks, but I'd be very tempted if I ever found a 165 pro for sale at a good price.

[Taran Tyla]

The Tempest kinda got me in to kayaking about 6 years ago now, I saw an add in a magazine of someone paddling one in a rough sea & knew I had to get one. The twist was the guy at the shop suggested a 15 foot sit on top instead as I was a novice & living on the Bristol Channel.
It got me started though & I'd still love to try a tempest one day, see if its as good as my Nordy ;D

[steveT]

Cheers for the input folks. I have ended up with a northshore atlantic hv instead, the thing fitted like a glove, oh and it looks the business too! Very impressed with the build quality.

Steve

[wilsoj2]

Though I know you've bought a boat, I thought I'd weigh in as an owner of a number of Brit boats who has paddled both Tempest 165s and 170s. These boats feel more like NDK boats than any other. I've often recommended the T165 as a great all round boat. It is not as much fun as a Romany but is wholly capable, reassuring, and a decent schooling boat. To me it feels somewhere between a Romany and an Explorer. The T170 feels closer to an Explorer.

Maybe if I didn't have a Romany, I might consider a T165, however my current quiver of sea kayaks (Romany, Aquanaut, Nordkapp LV, Elaho DS) does not leave me desiring another boat... except maybe a Pintail ;-)

[Palm]

We'll be taking the demo fleet of Wildy sea boats to the following UK events this summer.

Weymouth and Portland sailing show - 31/03
Surflines demo day - 28/04
Whitewater The Canoe Centre demo day - 16/06
Family Adventure store demo day - 30/06
Woodmill sea symposium - 14,15/07
South West canoe show- 06/10

We've currently got the 165,170 and 180 Pro models as well as 165,170 roto on demo. Stockists can arrange to loan from the demo fleet if you are keen to try outside of demo events.