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Dave,
This will sound weird, but hey, I've been accused of that before. Anyway I just joined this site for the sole purpose of asking you a question. My son, having sold his old Kayak is in search of a new one. The search seems to be narrowed down to the Ride 115 and Tarpon 100. Lo and behold I found your tag line showing that you have experience with both boats!
He has already paddled the Ride 115 and liked its stability. He hasn't tried out a Tarpon 100 yet, because we can't find anyplace to Demo one. (He tried the Tarpon 140, but that's really different)
He's a novice paddler and his skills tend to progress very slowly. He paddles small class I streams, (like the Gunpowder river or parts of the Potomac) and lakes (like Lake Roland, Redman, Conowingo Lake) but may eventually venture to protected areas of the Chesapeake Bay. His last boat was inexpensive and tippy. He would flip 3 to 5 times on a trip in the gunpowder and occasionally in flat water. This time around I want him to feel more confident in his boat.
So here's the question. It seems like the Ride is super stable, and a great boat. If it wasn't for the fact that we sometimes paddle moving water, I would absolutely buy the Ride 115. My reservation is that it seems to track straight, which might be a negative for him, because I question its manoeuvrability in moving streams, when he may react slowly and get pushed by the current into an obstacle or a bad situation, such as a strainer(downed tree or the like) or shoved into the rocks or river bank. I also have read that the Ride is harder/slower to paddle. But the stability is worth more than the fact that it's harder to paddle.
The Tarpon 100 also seems like a great boat. It seems stable, though not as much as the Ride 115. It's main advantage seems to be that it's lighter, more maanoeuvrable, and easier to turn. It also seems less affected by cross currents in streams and rivers It's only downside is that it's not as stable as the Ride. By the way, he won't be standing or fishing from the kayak.
Well, if you read this post I'd really like to hear your thoughts, since you're the likely expert on the two boats. I told him I'd buy him half a kayak for his birthday and he's about saved up enough for a used boat and is on his way to enough for a new boat. Price is not the issue. Successful paddling is the only issue. Do you have any thoughts to guide the decision?
THANKS,
mrock
This will sound weird, but hey, I've been accused of that before. Anyway I just joined this site for the sole purpose of asking you a question. My son, having sold his old Kayak is in search of a new one. The search seems to be narrowed down to the Ride 115 and Tarpon 100. Lo and behold I found your tag line showing that you have experience with both boats!
He has already paddled the Ride 115 and liked its stability. He hasn't tried out a Tarpon 100 yet, because we can't find anyplace to Demo one. (He tried the Tarpon 140, but that's really different)
He's a novice paddler and his skills tend to progress very slowly. He paddles small class I streams, (like the Gunpowder river or parts of the Potomac) and lakes (like Lake Roland, Redman, Conowingo Lake) but may eventually venture to protected areas of the Chesapeake Bay. His last boat was inexpensive and tippy. He would flip 3 to 5 times on a trip in the gunpowder and occasionally in flat water. This time around I want him to feel more confident in his boat.
So here's the question. It seems like the Ride is super stable, and a great boat. If it wasn't for the fact that we sometimes paddle moving water, I would absolutely buy the Ride 115. My reservation is that it seems to track straight, which might be a negative for him, because I question its manoeuvrability in moving streams, when he may react slowly and get pushed by the current into an obstacle or a bad situation, such as a strainer(downed tree or the like) or shoved into the rocks or river bank. I also have read that the Ride is harder/slower to paddle. But the stability is worth more than the fact that it's harder to paddle.
The Tarpon 100 also seems like a great boat. It seems stable, though not as much as the Ride 115. It's main advantage seems to be that it's lighter, more maanoeuvrable, and easier to turn. It also seems less affected by cross currents in streams and rivers It's only downside is that it's not as stable as the Ride. By the way, he won't be standing or fishing from the kayak.
Well, if you read this post I'd really like to hear your thoughts, since you're the likely expert on the two boats. I told him I'd buy him half a kayak for his birthday and he's about saved up enough for a used boat and is on his way to enough for a new boat. Price is not the issue. Successful paddling is the only issue. Do you have any thoughts to guide the decision?
THANKS,
mrock
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