Looksha III

Third time out in it was today. Destroyed my sea kayak PRs set in my Current Designs Extreme, though it would be difficult to compare the two kayaks as they have very different characteristics and are both in a class of their own.

Rudder dependent? Absolutely. Only way to race though. And this rudder along with a bit of lean will turn this 20' kayak on a dime at speed. If you're willing, this kayak would really benefit from one of the newer rudder setups with toe controls, the nylon adjustment straps are tough to adjust exactly right. Note that the footpeg holes are set at 20" so conversion kits would have to be customized.

Build quality is excellent. Not a rough spot on this inside or out, and Necky uses a quality gelcoat. This is the most comfortable kayak to portage – fits right on the shoulder and is perfectly balanced, very light for its size. It is a bit snug for me (6'1" with size 12 shoes and a very lean 200 lbs). I'm probably at the upper end of being able to fit in the cockpit, though it does fit me very comfortably. Finding one in pristine condition is difficult though, I looked for a while before I found one without major damage. Not a lot of them produced, and the light weight, length, and stereotypical user seems to make them more susceptible to be damaged.

For a beginner I would recommend the Current Designs Extreme over this. Much more stable, wider range of fit, excellent rough water performance, straight tracking.
For an experienced fitness paddler, hands down the Looksha 3 – faster (about 3%) and provides much sharper turns. Of course, both is always better!

First of all it is not as heavy as one would think for the length of the boat. Stability I would rate a 7 out of 10 with 10 being the most stable. You should feel comfortable within the first 30mins to an hour in this boat.

Using the GPS the top max speed I could get with my paddling ability was 7.9mph but I could not hold it there for very long. Cruising speed I would say is between 5.5 to 6.5 mph depending on the person paddling. This is without much effort.

I give it an 8 out of 10 for the reason of having to use the rudder to hold a straight line. With a 19ft boat this is understandable. Overall I am a happy owner of the Looksha III.