Whistler

This is a good intermediate boat that will do most things well but no one thing exceptionally well.

At 14'6" it is too short to be an all-day touring kayak, but it tracks really well even without a rudder, has reasonably good speed for being 24" wide, and is very stable. It will do well on flat water, choppy conditions or even on moving rivers and streams. I like the hard hatch covers which allow for a lot of gear to be kept in the front and rear hatches. Very easy adjusting of foot pegs and seat.

It squarely fits into the category of "good all-around boat."

We have 2 2008 Whistlers, one for my wife and one for myself. This has been an ideal kayak for us. We often paddle in Eastern TN and Western NC. We paddle class I-III rivers and many lakes. We also travel extensively and have had the kayaks all over the East Coast, Florida, Minnesota, Montana, California, and Lake Powell (AZ and UT).

The Whistler was selected because we wanted a kayak that could be maneuvered on class III rivers and had plenty of speed (normal cruise is 3.2 to 4 mph when we paddle together) and handling capability for lake and ocean paddling. The Whistler has performed exactly as intended. The length is just right for tracking control but not too long for making turns in a rapid. The 24" width provides plenty of stability in rough water and surf. We do not have the optional rudder so edging and paddle strokes are used in high cross winds. The double covers on the forward hatch sheds water and keeps everything dry. Both hatches provide plenty of room for multiday kayak camping.

The Whistler was selected over competitors due to the extra design details (extra front hatch cover, acorn nuts over screws, molded in recessed deck fittings, etc.).

The rotomolded polyethylene has held up well with only "character" scratches on the bottom. Like all rotomolded boats the back hatch needs sealing every few years as the hull flex weakens the seal.

Current Design's customer service was excellent to work with. After a few years the black trim tape started to come off and they sent us a couple of rolls of tape at no charge.

The Whistler has performed exactly as we wanted, stability, maneuverability, tracking, good speed, reliability, quality construction, and load capacity. It's a pleasure to paddle.

I've had the boat for one season and it's a decent boat with good quality construction. I bought the boat to be used by my son so who had been using my rec/fishing kayak that is pretty slow in comparison to my other boats. It works well and has good speed.

The back hatch is not water tight so I may need to do something different with that, but my main reason for giving the boat an 8 is because the seat in just not that great. Keep in mind I am comparing it to my Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 that is very very comfortable for me so its a mater of perspective.

Overall the Whistler is a great boat and will serve me well for many years to come.

I'm in love with my Whistler! I use it as my all round go to boat. It does everything well. I had it on the Sakonnet River this past weekend. It rides the swell and handles chop beautifully. I fish from it and use it for wildlife photography. It is stable and easy for all to use. I let my teenage niece, her mother and my brother in law all use it this past weekend. Everybody had a blast in it. I also get many compliments on how nice looking it is.

I have the older version. I believe they have made the cockpit opening a bit larger and maybe raised the front deck. I prefer mine! If you want a great boat this is one that should always be on your list of 14-15 foot boats. The hull is tough as nails and the outfitting is perfect.

I had bought this boat as a two boat package from a friend who was moving away. Although I am not the primary user of this boat, I keep it for all my friends and first time paddlers when going out on the water. I cannot say enough good things about this boat. Mine has the rudder which definitely helps keep the boat on course (definitely recommended). Otherwise everyone I have put in it loves how stable it feels and that they can keep up to me in my Tempest. Great boat!

Purchased 2 CD Whistlers in January of 2008, for my wife and myself. After 2 paddling seasons we are extremely pleased with the Whistlers and Current Designs. My wife was a novice paddler when we started and now is an excellent paddler.

When looking for kayaks we wanted a boat that would track well for lakes and flat water and have enough maneuverability to handle class II/III rivers. The decision came down to the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 or the CD Whistler. We purchased the Whistlers because most things were similar but the Whistler construction and design was nicer. The Whistlers have molded recessed holders for the deck lines. This eliminates the bolts and nuts that extend into the underside of the deck. I liked this because it eliminated getting dry bags caught and ripped not to mention the possibility of snagging clothing on a wet exit. The Whistlers have met these requirements without a problem.

We elected not to add the rudder and so far haven't missed it even though we often paddle on large lakes and have been in some strong cross winds and whitecap waves. A rudder would have been nice in these conditions but a little edging and a sweep stroke keeps it tracking.

The seat is comfortable for even with long paddles of 4 hours or more. The thigh pads aren't adjustable and mine fit just right. I modified them on my wife's by repositioning and drilling new holes in the thigh bracket. CD has since added a different seat back that is more ridged and adjustable. I like the adjustable band system we have because it doesn’t extend above the rear deck (easier to get in and out) and provides support to the lower back (sit up straight). The seat is an important consideration when selecting and test paddling a boat. Make sure it is adjusted for you. The cockpit opening is larger than most touring kayaks so you can pull your knees up and adjust your resting or leisure paddling position. With the skirt on water will puddle a little in it but this has not been an issue.

The top deck bungees are well designed and I like the perimeter grab lines. Not all kayaks in this class have these. They are handy for grabbing another kayak while on the water or holding the kayak after a wet exit. I use the line as a paddle holder when stopped by slipping the blade under it near the bow. The Whistler has a unique rough matt finish over the top of the decks. This grips whatever is under the bungees and gives it a little different look. I do like the height and angle of the front deck especially in front of the cockpit. This provides plenty of leg room and sheds waves nicely. Also the front hatch has a molded cover with 2 tie down straps over the rubber hatch cover, unusual for this class of kayak. This adds additional wave shedding protection and helps to keep the front hatch secure and dry.

I have contacted Current Designs on 2 occasions and their customer service people have been great to work with. One time I requested the specifications for the trim accent tape, a few days later 2 rolls of tape showed up. The second time the rear hatch cover developed a small tear and between our dealer, Quest Outdoors in Louisville KY and CD they replaced it. I also like the thought of working with a smaller "family" type company that excels in kayak design and production.

I've had my Whistler for a few months now and have paddled open water, flat and slow moving rivers so I feel compelled to write up something in hopes to help a would be buyer with their decision. I've paddled recreational type boats for about 10 years now and have no need for a long skinny composite touring sea kayak. For me paddling is a means to an end, like fishing or camping so stability takes precedence over speed/efficiency. My criteria for a new boat was a polyethylene hull to be able to handle oyster bars without complaint. A cockpit big enough to fish from but small enough to keep the ocean out if need be. A high enough volume to be able to pack a week's worth of gear into. A rudder to provide a little hands free control while fishing. And stable enough to stare straight up at the sky without tipping over. The Whistler fits the bill pretty nicely.

It handles like a '74 Buick Electra 225. Heavy as heck but glides forever once you get it moving. Maneuvers well enough for small creeks, and seaworthy in open water. Hard to control in a following sea but manageable considering the wide beam that's carried far forward. That's where it gets its high volume so everything's a trade-off. You can really pack a lot of gear in the hatches and it stays dry if you keep water out of the cockpit. Hatches don't leak, bulkheads do.

I have to consciously try not to drive it too hard because one of my previous boats had accelleration instead of glide. This boat has glide and once moving only takes minimal energy to keep it going. Overall considering my needs, I feel good about my decision. This will be my primary boat for slow rivers, salt water estuaries, large lakes, ponds and open water sounds. Oh yeah, the seat though unpadded is quite comfortable even over long periods. Rating scale, 10 is perfect and doesn't exist. 9 cannot be improved upon. 8 means very happy with decision, haven't found better considering my needs.

This is Pacific Northwest styled plastic kayak with a rudder. This boat is designed for the medium to small paddler; my wife uses it and loves it. She’s 5’5” and can get in it cowboy style. This boat has a huge cockpit opening so skirts were a little tuff to find. She now has a snapdragon neoprene size XL.

This boat has good outfitting and kajaksport hatches. We have not experienced any oil canning.

My wife has used this boat on ocean swells and lake wind chop and she has only praise for her Whistler. She never uses the rudder and I am actually proud of her for that but the other day it was so windy that I was concerned because she was weather-cocking. I convinced her to use the rudder, she did. I couldn’t believe the smile on her face. She likes it even more now.

She could easily use a much narrower boat but she prefers that rock solid initial stability of the CD Whistler’s 25” beam.

I would consider getting her a Pachena DX but she likes to run her boat aground. So as long as she keeps doing that we’ll stick with the rotomold Whistler.

I purchased a new Whistler to replace an Advanced Elements inflatable. We had purchased the inflatables anticipating only occasional use. We soon found that we wanted to paddle often, so we wanted hard kayaks with greater range and seaworthiness (along with less maintenance). I paddled a Necky Manitou, Current Designs Kestrel, Dagger Catalyst, Current Designs Breeze, Whistler and Necky Zoar Sport LV.

I am 6'0", 170#, shoe size 11. Of all those kayaks, the Whistler and Zoar Sport LV are in an entirely different class. The Breeze is nothing like the Whistler. Although similar, the Whistler tracks MUCH better, faster, no loss in stability, etc. - no downside. The Zoar Sport LV is actually similar to the Whistler and will also fit guys my size and larger.

Fit wise, my only complaint is the Whistler isn't very comfortable for my feet. With its high foredeck, it seems odd. I'll keep working on the foot comfort problem, but, it seems to be a matter of hull shape and peg placement. Peddle adjusters similar to Necky would be nice. Pivoting foot pedals would be much better,

Performance wise, the Whistler is everything it should be. We paddle in lakes, bays, estuaries and sloughs. I wanted a kayak I could develop my skills in and be happy for a few years. The dry compartments fore and aft and hull design seem to provide a margin of safety when the water gets rough. I always feel comfortable in the boat. I also like the handling. I don't use the rudder much. Open water with wind and/or current makes it nice to have though.

We also bought a Zoar Sport LV which my wife is using. I know she likes it a lot. We'll post on that later.

I first paddled the Whistler last July as a rental. I was immediately impressed with it. This boat offered everything I'd been looking for. Its length (14' 6") and width (25") suit me perfectly, both for my size and the type of paddling I do. I am 6' tall, and rather "broad" (i.e. the nice way of saying I weigh 250 lbs). I typically paddle on lakes and on slow moving rivers. I like a stable boat that allows me to stop and take pictures without worrying about stability. However, just because this boat is very stable (one shop owner I know referred to it as "a rock on the water"), don't assume it's a dog. It tracks very well, and turns with no trouble. I first paddled it on a very choppy Susquehana River, and it proved plenty sea-worthy. I've since had it on lakes and rivers where I had to contend with the wake from large motorboats; again, I had no problems in the Whistler. I'd been shopping around for a new boat all summer, and had settled on the Dagger Charleston 14.0. Although the Charleston is every bit as pleasant to paddle, and priced the same, the Current Designs construction just seamed better. I believe this "better construction" is mainly due to thicker plastic, and this does add a few pounds. I am still able to car-top it by myself though. Although it is equipped to handle a rudder, I do not believe you need one for this boat. I reccomend purchasing it without the rudder; you can easily add one later. I did have to remove the thigh braces, and outfit the cockpit to my liking. I simply added strips of foam padding to where my thighs make contact. I am also considering adding foam to the seat (molded plastic, and very hard). I do think that all of these boat makers could learn something from Wildernes Systems when it comes to seat design. I was able to pick-up this boat for $725 during an end-of-season clearance sale last year. I felt I got a lot of boat for the money, considering the length, two bulkheads, and great outfitting including a "hurricane cover" for the front hatch, and extensive deck rigging. Even at the list price of $845, you'll be hard-pressed to find better value. If you are a big guy/girl, and you're looking for a solid day-touring kayak at a reasonable price - check out the Whistler.

I have paddled for many years always in rental boats. Usually would end up with some form of Solstice/Storm. When it came time to figure out which one to buy, I started renting the lower priced boats so to not get in too deep right away so to speak. I rented the Breeze many times and was almost settled on that. Then once, the rental place didn't have a Breeze and put me in a Whistler instead. I knew they had this boat available but I had not really even noticed it before because it really is identical to the Breeze in all respects hull-wise with the exception of a one foot longer waterline. Wow! What a tremendous difference. It is amazing how that one foot extra improved tracking. The Breeze needs babysitting to maintain a straight line while the Whistler seems to go straight even if your paddles aren't identical strength! As I have a bad habit of breaking my concentration to look at landing floatplanes above me, I wanted a boat that could handle itself when I wanted to focus attention on something else. Very stable boat. Still a short boat though at 14'6" it fits perfectly across two parking spaces for storage at the apartment too! It is also the exact same length as the Jetta so I just match the bow with the hood and know I can fit anywhere the car can go normally.

The only qualm I have is that I guess because the bow doesn't curve up like the longer ones, it does tend to be a little wet. This is only when paddling into a faily strong wind though... maybe 1 out of 10 paddles I would get splashed a bit. Well so much for my "budget" though. I liked this boat so much I boat another Whistler to take friends and family out in as it is an easy boat to get comfortable in right away. Fit me like a glove. Now to be fair to other people who like their different similar boats, I didn't try too much outside of current designs. But you know what? I felt like I found the girl you want to marry... why keep looking when you are completely satisfied and excited that you have something I am happy with now and know I will be in the future.

The Current Design Whistler ended up being my second choice for my first kayak. I bought the Current Design Breeze instead after much research and trials at various paddlefests. Both Current Design boats seem to be a cut above the competition in hardness of plastic, speed, comfort, looks, and maneuverability in this price range and boat length. I read SteveM’s excellent analysis below and found him to be on the mark. The Whistler was the best of the 14 footers I tested and I concur with his comparisons. I am 50 years old, 5’ 10’’, 200 lbs., with thick, strong, short legs and wanted a stable boat for exercise on a slow river system, the Petaluma River in California, where I could bird watch, cruise, etc. on a regular basis (90% of my expected water time) and still have enough boat for intermediate paddling situations such as the SF Bay and overnight camping (5-10% of trips). I particularly liked the keel system with the solid, easy-in rest and large beads for raising and lowering the keel. I also liked the larger cockpit with an extra inch of room for my toes, knees, and thighs. I found all the other brands a tad tight and slightly less comfortable. I had to make adjustments on other brands, but I fit right into this one. The greater amount of webbing on both the front and back decks are more convenient and hold more gear than the other brands. The Whistler had great stability and tracking with an adequate cruise speed and is a great all around hybrid boat that is not that much more expensive than recreations boats and can be taken into higher levels of paddling.

So why did I buy the Breeze instead of the Whistler, especially since it has less cargo space with only one hatch in the rear, and 1 foot shorter? I will be day tripping over 90% of the time, so I felt the added space was not essential or even necessary. For the few longer trips I can use water proof bags stowed in the front. The $100 savings was not a critical factor since my total cost for an all gear package was in the range of $1700. Being a few pounds lighter did not seem to be much different for loading and unloading. The cruise speeds did not seem that different.

The main factors for going with the Breeze were: 1) greater comfort and 2) greater maneuverability. Even though the Breeze has less depth than the Whistler, it feels like it has more room for toes and knees and just seemed to fit my body better. The Petaluma River system has marshes with sloughs that are narrow so maneuverability became a major factor, especially after I saw a 17 foot racer get stuck trying to turn around. I decided short was better. The cruise speed is similar, but I gave up a lot on tracking and have to constantly correct and consciously maintain good paddling style or tend to drift off course. However, I can turn on a dime and move the kayak in a new direction with a single stroke without having to tip much.

I recommend trying the Breeze before buying the Whistler, but both are excellent boats, superior to the competition in their size and price range. If it weren’t for my slough passage, I would go with the Whistler.

I recently purchased my first kayak; a Whistler by Current Designs and I feel like I should write something about this boat since I see no one else has. Having only recently taken up kayaking I’m certainly not qualified to write any kind of serious in depth review but I would like to throw out a few comments about why I chose this model and what I like about it. After spending only one day last summer on Lake Keuka in the finger Lakes region of New York State, paddling a rented Old Town, Loon 138, I fell in love with kayaking. Since then I spent a lot of time studying these long skinny boats trying to figure out exactly what it is I like about them and what I’m looking for in a kayak.

At my age, (40 something), I’m no longer looking for thrills and spills when it comes to outdoor activities but rather something just the opposite, freedom and relaxation. I live at the Jersey Shore and have always been around water but I’ve never had any real fascination with boats. What does appeal to me it the idea of paddling over a quiet lake or pond, cruising the shoreline of a bay or spending a day exploring a salt marsh. So when it came time to choose a kayak to fit my needs I was able to narrow my search to type, size and fit. I first considered a recreational boat. Something that would give me plenty of stability and room to stretch out, such as the Loon I had rented last summer. The problem with that was I didn’t want to tie myself down to a boat that I might soon find too slow and sluggish just for the sake of stability. I also knew I was not ready to take on one of those long pencil thin boats built for speed knowing I would not feel comfortable if things got rough.

After spending a day at a local paddlefest climbing in and out of kayaks and talking to a number of manufacture’s product reps I was able to narrow my choices to four boats I felt would give me what I was looking for. Here are the boats I picked out: The Carolina 14.5 by Perception, The Cape Lookout 145 by Wilderness Systems, the Charleston 14 by Dagger and The Whistler by Current Designs. All four were similar in size, weight, and price. All four claimed to offer a combination of stability, maneuverability, comfort and quality. A few weeks later I looked them over again at a store and ended up eliminating the Wilderness System. Although it had the most comfortable seat of the four, I couldn’t help but to think the plastic they use looked and felt a little cheap. It might not seem like any big deal to some but after only a few minutes I felt like I was sitting with my legs inside a Rubbermaid trashcan.

When the weather finally warmed up a bit I went back and took a test paddle of the remaining three at a near by pond. This is where the differences really showed themselves. As I said, I’m still very much a novice so keep in mind this is only my humble opinion. Right from the beginning there was something about the way the CD Whistler looked and felt that attracted me to it. Its basic construction had a certain significance that appealed to me .The boat felt sturdy and somewhat more rigid then the Perception. The plastics used seemed a little better then most and the overall quality was good. I know Current Designs makes about 20 different kayaks, mostly higher end and this model was one of their entry-level boats but that didn’t bother me. Up until this point I had been leaning toward the much popular Carolina by Perception, which I also think was very well built and a good value.

Out on the water the Carolina was a breeze to paddle and I had no trouble with tracking or turning. It handled well and was fairly easy to maneuver. However, after only a short while I was starting to feel a little bit uncomfortable. The deck seemed a little to low for my knees and for some reason no mater what I did I could not get the seat back to adjust right. Of course this might have just been a little thing but I was feeling something just wasn’t right for me. I then took the Dagger, Charleston for a while which I was also prepared to like. It was fairly stable and paddled easily but almost from the start I had trouble keeping it straight. The drop down skeg seemed to help but the boat still felt like it had a will of it’s own. I’m sure this had more to do with my lack of experience then any defect in the kayak’s design. When I pushed off in the whistler it felt a bit more tipsy then the other two but after only ten minutes I felt comfortable. It paddled as well as the Perception and was the easiest to turn once I got the feel of it. At 25 inches wide and just over fourteen and a half feet it’ generally referred to as a light touring kayak. The two hatches (bow and stern) are large enough to carry a day’s worth of gear including a small cooler if you can get it through the round opening. The seat back was easy to adjust and gave me good lower back support. Even after two and half-hours I never once felt cramped or uncomfortable. My whistler came with a rudder system, which didn’t interest me much at first but I managed to get it for the same price as without. After using a few times I’m glad now I got it, although I do feel like I’m cheating a little when using it to turn. I have to say that over all this boat fits my needed perfectly and I’m very happy I took the time to compare before going right out and buying the first one I found. I can’t say this will be the last kayak I ever own but for now I could not be happier.