Looksha Sport LV
This Product Has Been Discontinued
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Looksha Sport LV Description
The Looksha Sport LV is a kayak brought to you by Necky Kayak. Read Looksha Sport LV 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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Looksha Sport LV Reviews
Read reviews for the Looksha Sport LV by Necky Kayak 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!
I’ve owned two of these…
Great boat for inland and mild oceangoing conditions
I bought a used boat in 2011 for $425 with spray skirt and werner paddle. I'm still using it, but might change that up soon to gain the ability to do more oceangoing paddling.
This is a very nice boat for a short paddler, and I have to say that I love that my sons no longer fit in it and my husband could never paddle it! She's MINE! That said, my size 14-16 hips barely fit and the thigh braces are tight (but that comes in handy when I need my body to maneuver it). If you like to use your body to steer, this boat is good for that. Mine has a rudder. You need a rudder in this boat. I only use it about 10% of the time but then I need it! The boat weathercocks in windy conditions like nobody's business.
On inland waterways, I have won the women's 9 mile and the Iron Herring (12 mile with portage) Herring Run and Paddle in this boat. It can be quick if you are.
I paddled between the harbor islands in Boston Harbor and it felt rather tippy. It didn't roll over, but the boat relies on secondary stability to stay "upright" more than primary. If that unnerves you, this isn't your boat for day touring in salt water bays or, say, on Lake Champlain or lakes that think they are oceans.
TL/DR: Great boat for a short paddler plying inland waters extending to rougher conditions and bay/ocean near shore paddles with the rudder. Relies on secondary stability and needs the rudder to track straight in windy conditions.
I use this boat as a day…
It moves along well for it's length, turns on a dime with the rudder up and tracks fairly well with the rudder down. For this reason it can get in and out of smaller slower moving rivers and wetlands fairly easily. I've also had it out on the lake MI shore and while it doesn't perofmr like a 17' sea kayak it is pretty seaworthy for short paddles.
I like having a poly boat for durability, having said that I think Necky could make a thicker poly similar to Vally or P&H.
I bought this boat as my…
The Necky construction is fabulous -- the firm plastic stands up to a beating, the hatch was secure, and the rudder worked well. The seat in this boat is horrible. The back is too high and is held to the seat bottom by a bungee cord that runs through a hook (not a loop). The bungee cord unhooks when rolling, wet exiting, and some entries, which causes the seat back to fall out of the boat. The seat may have been replaced in newer models.
The boat is quite maneuverable due to its short length and hard chines. However, it is really difficult to keep this boat going straight. It acts like many whitewater boats I have paddled. Errant paddle strokes really have an impact on tracking. I found myself sweeping on each stroke to compensate for the previous stroke.
I would rate the speed as slow to average. This is mainly due to the length of the boat. The hull shape is great and slices through the water nicely, but can't compensate for the length of the boat.Initial and secondary stability are fabulous.
Overall, I would say this is a good boat if you want a small, maneuverable boat for playing in the surf or on slow to moderate moving rivers. This boat is not designed for touring or flatwater paddling where you need to keep up with a group of faster paddlers (around 3.5 - 4 mph). I ended up selling this boat and getting a longer low-volume boat (Current Designs Squamish). The Squamish tracks better and is faster than the Looksha Sport LV on flatwater.
I'd like to end this review by saying that rating this boat is quite difficult. If you want a boat that is playful, I'd rate this boat a 10. If you want a fast boat that tracks well, I'd rate this boat a 6.
I want to qualify this review…
I got my LV sport about 3 years ago. I am male, 5'9" and 180#. This boat is a close fit but fairly comfortable. Quality seems very good overall; I thouhgt the poly was fairly stiff but did experience temporary oilcanning while cartopping. The hatch was not waterproof, nor did I expect it to be. It would have been nice to have a front hatch but this boat is not for extended trips. I found the cockpit and knee braces fit me well and the boat becomes an extension of my body.
Regarding performance, I used this boat mainly in flatwater but also some paddling on the great lakes. It has decent speed for it's length, especially in flatwater, and while it carves a turn nicely with edging, the length and rocker allow you to turn this boat while flat. Tracking was decent in calm conditions but was greatly impacted in wind. Having said that, this fall was the first time I used the rudder, choosing instead to work on correcting with paddle strokes. Once I used the rudder I found it very effective. Primary stability is good and secondary is very good; I personally prefer the indexed lean that comes with a hard chined boat.
It was in rough water where this boat surprised me. While it is not a speedy boat, it is fun and inspires confidence in choppy water, surfs well if you paddle fast enough, and can handle smaller swift rivers very well.
I have been happy with my LV and would recommend this boat to paddlers my size and smaller for the same kind of work - playing in surf and chop, swift rivers, and flatwater.