Post by philpot on Oct 18, 2012 13:53:58 GMT
It has come to light during several conversations how some people struggle with transport and storage of their kayaks so after a phone chat with Alby Hall at Surf Sales, the importer of the Swedish kayak manufacturer, Point 65n they kindly agreed to let me have a Tequila modular kayak to see if we could make it into a fishing kayak.
The Tequila is available as a two piece kayak or a three piece tandem kayak and if you so wished keep adding an extra centre section to produce a multi seat craft.
When the kayak arrived, you could see from the outset that this is no gimmick idea and the concept has major attractions in a number of applications.
Firstly, you could easily store two 13' 8'' kayaks in a 6' x 4' shed so you can see the storage advantages. Anyone who has a caravan would find it easy to keep inside the caravan while travelling or storage.
The weight of each section averages out at 10-11kg so again an easy task to move around. I know that there are people out there that would like a family tandem but also want a single kayak or to be able to use the tandem for fishing but are concerned because most tandems are heavy and wide making them slow and hard work.
The Tequila is somewhat different to the norm, yes it is in sections but a 13' 8'' kayak with a width of 29.5'' makes this kayak quite fast. In fact I took my wife,Trish, out on her the other weekend and with only me paddling at times, it was very easy to get a move on.
The locking system is both robust and quick to use, it is said that joining can be done in 10secs, well not by me but certainly only a minute or two and it is done.
Stored in my garage
In single mode
Tandem mode
The locking system
I also got a pair of the rigid seat backs to try which simply pop into the tubes already in the molding. Now you could use a normal clip on kayak seat but these seat backs do offer a very comfortable alternative and they just sit below the pfd so it is not being pushed up all the time. We found that it was extremely comfortable without any seat base but I think fishing for a number of hours could require a bit of cushioning so Next time out, I will try a Skwoosh pad to sit on.
The centre section has some superb recessed pockets down the sides which will hold all manner of things, ideal for bait or tackle.
I have two centre sections taking this up to a 3 person kayak at 18' in length if ever I wish to do so.
Taking it to the beach was easy as I was able to get it in the car
I was not able to get photos of Trish and I tandem style but here are a few other shots on the water.
I should say that the kayak gives no flexing while on the water and feels just like any other kayak. As you can see from the photos, I paddled the Tequila from the front and rear seats but my 16.5st did show some imbalance although I must say that I would be quite happy to fish from her in tandem format with me at the rear.
The hull shape is responsible for the speed of this kayak with hard chines and a shallow 'V' format. She feels very stable during paddling and at rest so in summary, a very interesting kayak with bags of features. I do not propose to suggest that this kayak is in direct competition to a Trident Ultra 4.3 but it offers different things to different people who have various issues to contend with. I can only say that we have really enjoyed using the Tequila and are able to see the benefits a kayak like this offers.
The next job will be to fit ff, rod holders, tankwell box, 2x anchor trolley and a hatch or two. The forward hatch is not so easy at the bow due to the curvature of the hull but I have to get my thinking cap on for that one.
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Her are a few more details about the Tequila.
Length solo 9' 8''
Length tandem 13' 8''
Width 29.5''
Weight solo 22kgs
Weight tandem 35kgs
Capacity solo 120kgs
Capacity tandem 240kgs
Bow section length 5' 5''
Mid section length 5' 4''
Rear section length 5' 7''
The seat backs are optional extras
Phil
The Tequila is available as a two piece kayak or a three piece tandem kayak and if you so wished keep adding an extra centre section to produce a multi seat craft.
When the kayak arrived, you could see from the outset that this is no gimmick idea and the concept has major attractions in a number of applications.
Firstly, you could easily store two 13' 8'' kayaks in a 6' x 4' shed so you can see the storage advantages. Anyone who has a caravan would find it easy to keep inside the caravan while travelling or storage.
The weight of each section averages out at 10-11kg so again an easy task to move around. I know that there are people out there that would like a family tandem but also want a single kayak or to be able to use the tandem for fishing but are concerned because most tandems are heavy and wide making them slow and hard work.
The Tequila is somewhat different to the norm, yes it is in sections but a 13' 8'' kayak with a width of 29.5'' makes this kayak quite fast. In fact I took my wife,Trish, out on her the other weekend and with only me paddling at times, it was very easy to get a move on.
The locking system is both robust and quick to use, it is said that joining can be done in 10secs, well not by me but certainly only a minute or two and it is done.
Stored in my garage
In single mode
Tandem mode
The locking system
I also got a pair of the rigid seat backs to try which simply pop into the tubes already in the molding. Now you could use a normal clip on kayak seat but these seat backs do offer a very comfortable alternative and they just sit below the pfd so it is not being pushed up all the time. We found that it was extremely comfortable without any seat base but I think fishing for a number of hours could require a bit of cushioning so Next time out, I will try a Skwoosh pad to sit on.
The centre section has some superb recessed pockets down the sides which will hold all manner of things, ideal for bait or tackle.
I have two centre sections taking this up to a 3 person kayak at 18' in length if ever I wish to do so.
Taking it to the beach was easy as I was able to get it in the car
I was not able to get photos of Trish and I tandem style but here are a few other shots on the water.
I should say that the kayak gives no flexing while on the water and feels just like any other kayak. As you can see from the photos, I paddled the Tequila from the front and rear seats but my 16.5st did show some imbalance although I must say that I would be quite happy to fish from her in tandem format with me at the rear.
The hull shape is responsible for the speed of this kayak with hard chines and a shallow 'V' format. She feels very stable during paddling and at rest so in summary, a very interesting kayak with bags of features. I do not propose to suggest that this kayak is in direct competition to a Trident Ultra 4.3 but it offers different things to different people who have various issues to contend with. I can only say that we have really enjoyed using the Tequila and are able to see the benefits a kayak like this offers.
The next job will be to fit ff, rod holders, tankwell box, 2x anchor trolley and a hatch or two. The forward hatch is not so easy at the bow due to the curvature of the hull but I have to get my thinking cap on for that one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Her are a few more details about the Tequila.
Length solo 9' 8''
Length tandem 13' 8''
Width 29.5''
Weight solo 22kgs
Weight tandem 35kgs
Capacity solo 120kgs
Capacity tandem 240kgs
Bow section length 5' 5''
Mid section length 5' 4''
Rear section length 5' 7''
The seat backs are optional extras
Phil
....trouble is the more i think about it the more i feel that freshwater kayak fishing is my thing....and i dont have to worry about sea sickness 