Post by Izzetafox on Apr 9, 2013 20:35:40 GMT
For years the Scupper Pro has been heralded as the 'paddlers' sit-on-top and for some reason OK have decided to drop it from their portfolio 
Never fear though RTM Europe's largest manufacturer of SOT's is proudly continuing to produce the Tempo. ;D
The SPro has always had a devoted following of commited kayak anglers who proudly boasted that it was the best plastic sit-on-top on the market Why?
Well this week I was lucky enough to have the chance to paddle the RTM Tempo. With it's well known pedigree I was looking forward to what promised to be an interesting paddle.
The first thing I was pleased with was the fact that she only weighs 24kg. Now that made me a very happy old paddler, this is the lightest kayak I have handled and it felt great.
A couple of mile from home is the Grand Union Canal an ideal place to put a few miles in, I had heard that the SPro was a 'snug' boat, being 6 ft and 15 stone before the paddling gear I was wondering if I would fit.
For the upstream leg I thought I would try a high backed seat just for support.
But before I get her wet I thought I would show you around. The rear tankwell is covered with elasticated cargo netting. It is not designed for crate storage but I guess guys that paddle this lean boat don't overload their kayak anyway. There is still plenty of room for secure storage.
Just in front of the tankwell is a pair of the now obligatory capped tube rod holders. These are great quality and have a neat little extra of a loop for clipping a leash to.
Then there is the seat. 'suited to the slimmer paddler' they say. We will soon find out. You will notice there are no scupper holes in the seat area which is set slightly higher than the footwell area.
Then we come to something SPro owners have wanted as standard. .... a pair of carrying handles.
And of course the paddle keeper, just the one on the right hand side.
Now the footwells, footpegs and of course the drinks holder.
There are a couple of flat areas on the centre console suitable for mounting accessories.
The front well is covered with a solid cover held in place by two buckle straps. The seals on the lid are soft rubber beadling top and bottom which should ensure a watertight seal.
Then comes the question so often asked. 'Will a C-Tug fit in?' Well look for yourselves.
The supports were left on just the wheels removed and there is loads of room.
Then at the front end we have the carry handle which is matched on the stern along with a useful towing eye offering an option for the forward fixing of an anchor trolley.
There are loads of D rings around the boat for clipping to, there is the standard grab rope all around the hull too.
So I dropped the Tempo into the water and she looks good time for a few profile pictures.
So onto the boat. The very first thing you feel is : Oh no this doesn't feel stable!' Now let me explain the Tempo is a narrow boat much like a lot of sit in kayaks. Those of you who paddle a sink will know that first nervous tippiness.
The Tempo is indeed tippy especially when you have been paddling a couple of very stable sot's for the last 6 months.
Now I have an Easky 15' and I had the same first sensation with that I also knew that within minutes you sense of balance kicks in and you will be ok.
This is exactly what happened and I quickly realised what all the fuss had been about.
The Tempo is a very sleek boat a fraction over 26ins wide and as soon as you start to paddle you see her pedigree. This is a fast boat I was beginning to see why this hull had so many fans.
With the seat in I was slightly forward and my legs ( 33" inside leg) used all the footwell but I was comfy.
The just over two mile paddle literally flew by I forgot my GPS so could not get my paddle speed but it was definitely quicker than previous trips. I was impressed.
Tracking was superb the Tempo paddled straight and true but was easy to get on edge and that is when you feel the secondary stability cut in. It does not take long for a paddler to feel very secure in this boat.
On the return paddle I decide to go bareback and take the seat out. I was pleasantly surprised at just how well my nether regions fitted into th seat bowl. More than that I felt the support from the back edge was great very comfy indeed.
Taking the seat out meant that my feet were now one peg short of the full length of the well and I felt fine.
They return paddle was into a head wind but apart fro cold fingers you would not notice any significant loss of speed. I have really enjoyed this paddle.
So how did the Tempo cope with my weight? The footwells did have a small amount of water in them.
Thinking about it though other than by the scupper I think most of the other water probably came with me lifting my feet in. From the rear peg you can see how the floor rises to the seat area, it would take a lot of water ingress before it would wet your bum.
The seat well itself was bone dry.
So overall what did I think?
The Tempo is a very nice boat. Despite the reservations previous comments had given me it coped well with my size. I am 6' 1" and fully kitted with a trolley on board the total load would have been about 100kgs.
Having said that, if you are bigger than me make sure you have a try for fit first,but suddenly the potential number of paddlers suited to this boat has dramatically increased.
So come on lads we can have this baby and not have to look on in envy.
The initial tippiness may make the inexperienced paddler wary but stick with it for a few minutes it will be time well spent. The secondary stability will soon give you confidence.
I would hazard a guess that this is the fastest plastic sit-on-top kayak on the market, mind you it's little sister the Disco is an inch narrower and may just be faster.
The only plastic kayak I have paddled that can compare with the Tempo is my Venture sink and to be honest when it comes to speed and tracking there is not a lot between them. This is a nice kayak I should never have doubted it with the pedigree it has.
If you fancy a try get up to Stonefish's shop at Hornsea on Saturday 13 April when the Tempo, K-Largo and Abaco will be available to try.
www.kayakfishingshack.co.uk/
Terry
Specification:
List Price £589.99
Length : 450cm 14ft 10ins
Width : 67cm 26 ins
Depth : 33cm 10 ins
Weight : 24kg
Max. Capacity (kg): 170
Never fear though RTM Europe's largest manufacturer of SOT's is proudly continuing to produce the Tempo. ;D
The SPro has always had a devoted following of commited kayak anglers who proudly boasted that it was the best plastic sit-on-top on the market Why?
Well this week I was lucky enough to have the chance to paddle the RTM Tempo. With it's well known pedigree I was looking forward to what promised to be an interesting paddle.
The first thing I was pleased with was the fact that she only weighs 24kg. Now that made me a very happy old paddler, this is the lightest kayak I have handled and it felt great.
A couple of mile from home is the Grand Union Canal an ideal place to put a few miles in, I had heard that the SPro was a 'snug' boat, being 6 ft and 15 stone before the paddling gear I was wondering if I would fit.
For the upstream leg I thought I would try a high backed seat just for support.
But before I get her wet I thought I would show you around. The rear tankwell is covered with elasticated cargo netting. It is not designed for crate storage but I guess guys that paddle this lean boat don't overload their kayak anyway. There is still plenty of room for secure storage.
Just in front of the tankwell is a pair of the now obligatory capped tube rod holders. These are great quality and have a neat little extra of a loop for clipping a leash to.
Then there is the seat. 'suited to the slimmer paddler' they say. We will soon find out. You will notice there are no scupper holes in the seat area which is set slightly higher than the footwell area.
Then we come to something SPro owners have wanted as standard. .... a pair of carrying handles.
And of course the paddle keeper, just the one on the right hand side.
Now the footwells, footpegs and of course the drinks holder.
There are a couple of flat areas on the centre console suitable for mounting accessories.
The front well is covered with a solid cover held in place by two buckle straps. The seals on the lid are soft rubber beadling top and bottom which should ensure a watertight seal.
Then comes the question so often asked. 'Will a C-Tug fit in?' Well look for yourselves.
The supports were left on just the wheels removed and there is loads of room.
Then at the front end we have the carry handle which is matched on the stern along with a useful towing eye offering an option for the forward fixing of an anchor trolley.
There are loads of D rings around the boat for clipping to, there is the standard grab rope all around the hull too.
So I dropped the Tempo into the water and she looks good time for a few profile pictures.
So onto the boat. The very first thing you feel is : Oh no this doesn't feel stable!' Now let me explain the Tempo is a narrow boat much like a lot of sit in kayaks. Those of you who paddle a sink will know that first nervous tippiness.
The Tempo is indeed tippy especially when you have been paddling a couple of very stable sot's for the last 6 months.
Now I have an Easky 15' and I had the same first sensation with that I also knew that within minutes you sense of balance kicks in and you will be ok.
This is exactly what happened and I quickly realised what all the fuss had been about.
The Tempo is a very sleek boat a fraction over 26ins wide and as soon as you start to paddle you see her pedigree. This is a fast boat I was beginning to see why this hull had so many fans.
With the seat in I was slightly forward and my legs ( 33" inside leg) used all the footwell but I was comfy.
The just over two mile paddle literally flew by I forgot my GPS so could not get my paddle speed but it was definitely quicker than previous trips. I was impressed.
Tracking was superb the Tempo paddled straight and true but was easy to get on edge and that is when you feel the secondary stability cut in. It does not take long for a paddler to feel very secure in this boat.
On the return paddle I decide to go bareback and take the seat out. I was pleasantly surprised at just how well my nether regions fitted into th seat bowl. More than that I felt the support from the back edge was great very comfy indeed.
Taking the seat out meant that my feet were now one peg short of the full length of the well and I felt fine.
They return paddle was into a head wind but apart fro cold fingers you would not notice any significant loss of speed. I have really enjoyed this paddle.
So how did the Tempo cope with my weight? The footwells did have a small amount of water in them.
Thinking about it though other than by the scupper I think most of the other water probably came with me lifting my feet in. From the rear peg you can see how the floor rises to the seat area, it would take a lot of water ingress before it would wet your bum.
The seat well itself was bone dry.
So overall what did I think?
The Tempo is a very nice boat. Despite the reservations previous comments had given me it coped well with my size. I am 6' 1" and fully kitted with a trolley on board the total load would have been about 100kgs.
Having said that, if you are bigger than me make sure you have a try for fit first,but suddenly the potential number of paddlers suited to this boat has dramatically increased.
So come on lads we can have this baby and not have to look on in envy.
The initial tippiness may make the inexperienced paddler wary but stick with it for a few minutes it will be time well spent. The secondary stability will soon give you confidence.
I would hazard a guess that this is the fastest plastic sit-on-top kayak on the market, mind you it's little sister the Disco is an inch narrower and may just be faster.
The only plastic kayak I have paddled that can compare with the Tempo is my Venture sink and to be honest when it comes to speed and tracking there is not a lot between them. This is a nice kayak I should never have doubted it with the pedigree it has.
If you fancy a try get up to Stonefish's shop at Hornsea on Saturday 13 April when the Tempo, K-Largo and Abaco will be available to try.
www.kayakfishingshack.co.uk/
Terry
Specification:
List Price £589.99
Length : 450cm 14ft 10ins
Width : 67cm 26 ins
Depth : 33cm 10 ins
Weight : 24kg
Max. Capacity (kg): 170
