Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 | Sit Inside Touring Kayak

I own a collection of lake kayaks and stand up boards but am not an expert. This kayak is the fastest of anything I own. It’s fun. Primary and secondary stability are not an issue. I can just float along and feel very stable. You do need to insert yourself into it. I am 5 ft 10 in and 180 lbs. I fit snugly / comfortably. The skeg works great too, when it’s down even 50% the kayak runs true. It’s long so transportation needs to be thought through. I only need to go 300 ft so I opened the tailgate and put the kayak in the back of my Outback and held it with my hand. So, this isn’t a lake kayak for weekends, it’s a distance kayak and does a good job of it.

Not for heavy use. Fine for most paddlers.I had Tempest before and liked it. I traded it out for a Valley Nordkap rotomold and glad I did. I decided to repurchase a Tempest because I found the hull speed faster and want to use it on future longer paddles.The trade off between my two boats, Nordkap and Tempest, is mainly about speed for durability, in my opinion.Nordkap RM is a heavy plastic that is more durable and perhaps stiffer than the thinner plastic Tempest. On the other hand the lighter Tempest is easier to truck top.Outfitting of the Tempest seems ergonomic, but again not so durable for the kind of kayaking and rolling that I like to do. I roll a lot and get out and reenter sometimes. Outfitting is more suitable for in the boat distance paddling. On first day, fabric covered thigh brace screw support came out and it is not obvious how to get it back in. I’d like to replace the whole seat and supports with something more simple and sturdy and durable if I could, although the ergonomic seat may prove its value in longer paddles. Maybe I will remove the thigh supports and cement glue some foam ones in in there place.The skeg seems to come out too far and I need to make the cord a little shorter. This is a possible QC matter.I think of the Tempest as A standard in sea kayaks and think the issues I have with it more relevant to the kind of rough paddling I do. The kayak and outfitting should be fine, if not really good, for most paddlers.

Do not know if product was gouged and indented during shipping or if it was already like that. Don’t know if this will affect performance of Kayak when used. Will find out this coming weekend. I would not have expected product to be blemished from shipping; especially, for the price.

Comfortable, tracks well with retractable skeg, manageable weight, good secondary stability. Works well for 65+ male in gulf and bay waters, handles wind and chop well, I have never been on rivers with strong current or waves over a couple of feet.

The straps that hold the seat forward we’re not attached and when I attempted to do so the screws that held that in place were not long enough to accommodate the extra thickness of the strap and so a trip to the hardware store was in order .