Tropic II
discontinued
This Product Has Been Discontinued
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Tropic II Description
The Tropic II is a kayak brought to you by Mainstream Kayaks. Read Tropic II reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!
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Tropic II Reviews
Read reviews for the Tropic II by Mainstream Kayaks as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!
5
Bought this kayak used and…
Bought this kayak used and have used it on the James River through Richmond several times, (class 3-4), and it did great. VERY stable but turns easily when you want it to. Was curious as to how it would do in the ocean, so brought it along for a week in Hatteras NC and it did really well in the waves; we surfed with 2 of us in the boat and you could make turns on the wavesand really surf to a point. We could handle 5-6' mushy waves and ride them in from the end of the Frisco Pier, but once the waves started getting hollowed out from an offshore breeze, the length and lack of rocker made for some serious pearling, end-over-end catapults. Tried it solo in those conditions, but still couldn't lean far back enough to keep the nose up. Great fun in smaller waves though, and a seriously stable boat; you can stand up on it with no problem!
5
A great all-around boat. My…
A great all-around boat. My son and I took it down the upper section of the James in Richmond VA, (class 2-3 rapids), and it was both very stable and easy to maneuver through the very bony summertime water-level. Taking it to Hatteras in a couple of weeks to see how it handles the surf.
5
Bought the tropic ii (sold as…
Bought the tropic ii (sold as a islander boat at costco) for $420 plus tax. Also, picking up an ocean kayak aegian (for myself, wife and children) from local kayak company here in south florida. Will use the tropic ii for guests, neices and nephews. So far, great boat for two and not too bad paddling solo. You just can beat the price for boat, okay paddles, car kit and two mid-back seats for $420. Already used in ocean for skin diving platform, surfing solo couple of foot waves and paddling up and down south florida beaches. It's very stable and with my seaclude 240 and 230 paddles fairly fast. Great beginner boat!
4
I strongly agree with JPL.…
I strongly agree with JPL. The Tropic II is a very good value. It's a good riding boat and with two people onboard it sit well in the water. Paddling solo from the rear seat tends to raise the bow up a bit high, but if you seat in the middle seat it cruises quite level. The only ill affect from paddling solo from the middle seat is that you sit a little high, raising the center of gravity, thus providing a less stable ride. Regardless, it's a great tandem for beginners and great value and lots of fun. For value I give a 10, for performance I give a 7, overall I give an 8.
4
This is a great kayak for…
This is a great kayak for beginners and those who don't have a lot of money to spend. It's fairly easy to transport, and the bow and stern toggles are very useful. The best aspect is the price...boat, paddles and very supportive seats for less than $430 at Costco. I've used mine in the marsh and ocean - it could use more "kick" in the bow for riding waves, and it would be nice to have dry storage, but those are about the only negatives. The seats have a large zip pocket on the back for storage of items sealed in baggies, and this has worked fine for me. There's also an area at the stern for securing a collapsible cooler. I have to say that the Ocean Kayak Malibu II is a better boat, but it's $250 - $300 more similarly equipped. For the money, the Tropic II can't be beat.
Tropic II