Scupper 14

I have owned numerous sit-on-tops and a couple sit inside boats. This is my favorite. I am 6-3 and 240 pounds and I paddle in the lakes and rivers of NH and VT and do a couple several day trips each year to the Adirondacks and the Maine Island Trail. I have had the scupper 14 all summer now and love it. My requirements were a sit-on-top that is fast and stable enough for taking out fully loaded in most conditions. I would say this boat meets this criteria in 90% of the paddling conditions I encounter. I just sold my 17.5', 24" wide sea kayak last week and now use the scupper 14. The scupper 14 in most conditions can keep up with my friends in their greenland style 17 foot sea kayaks. The seating position is quite comfortable for a multi-hour paddle.

Just got back from a two night trip to Jewell Island in Maine. Paddled from north of Portland, 8 miles to the island weaving thru several other islands to get there. After we started, conditions immediately worsened to a 14 knot tail wind with gusts to 25 with choppy chaotic seas. The boat was loaded with I would estimate 60 pounds of gear (and firewood). The boat paddles fine with this load, however as other reviewers state, the boat does take on water in these conditions in the cockpit. If the cockpit filled with water to the level of the front scuppers (about 4 inches), then the boat got pretty squirrely and hard to handle (probably added another 30 pounds). Once I realized we were going downwind at a good clip, I deployed the scuppers and it took care of the water influx nicely and the boat stabilized. My boat does not have a rudder and it was hard to handle if you were heading off the wind much in these conditions. As my legs are long and I removed the foot pegs and used foam blocks instead, a rudder would not work for me, so I think I will install a skeg on the rear of the boat where the rudder attaches. I do carry bilge pump on deck so I can get water out of the cockpit during upwind legs where the scuppers will not function if you can't go fast enough. Return trip had much calmer seas and was a joy.

Most people who are lighter than me would not have the above issues. The stability due to the lower seating and leg position far outweighs the disadvantages.

No boat is perfect and Swell is still working out some kinks. My main criticisms are the carry handles are too long for the cutouts and screws loosen up. My solution was to shorten the length of the webbing by doubling over the ends of the webbing, poke a hole thru the webbing and reattaching the now shortened handles with a washer. The center oval hatch leaks badly. I would prefer a rear hatch rather than a well, but that is just me.

The hull design and seating position far outweigh any issues this boat has. I invested in this company!

Similarly to another reviewer, I bought the Scupper 14 after searching the internet for the "fastest sit-on-top kayak" and ruling out those ultra-long fiberglass boats I sometimes see. I read a bunch of reviews, checked out all the information on the Swell Watercraft website, and pulled the trigger. I went with the basic package since I wear water shoes (so didn't feel like I needed the padding under the feet) and didn't need the extra hatch access from the adventure package. I also paddle a couple of other kayaks without rudders and, after noting that I could add a rudder pretty easily on my own, thought I'd test the kayak to see how it handled without a rudder. Jim over at Swell was really helpful and I got the boat delivered to me in Northern California very fast.

I have a couple of sit-inside kayaks, both of which I love paddling. They are both good sea kayaks - one skin on frame and incredibly light (Cape Falcon F1 - 14 feet long I think - a total joy to paddle!) and one older model plastic 16.5 foot sit-inside (P&H Capella 166) with a skeg. However, I wanted a boat I could keep on the dock at a local boat club where I could, spur of the moment, take it out for an hour or two before my workday starts. I wanted to be able, in those circumstances, to skip putting on a wetsuit (I paddle in the SF Bay Area, so the water is cold and sit-inside kayaks are higher risk for tipping unexpectedly in chop - and having to bail out and climb back in takes time if you are not able to execute a roll like me!) and spray deck, inflating flotation bags for my skin on frame boat, bringing along my pump and paddle float, etc. With the stability of the SOT boat, I felt comfortable just rolling on down to the club, putting on some appropriate fast-drying clothing and spray jacket if necessary (along with PFD, paddle and small dry bag for VHF radio, keys, phone, wallet, etc.), and heading out. Staying near the shore on relatively calm days, I feel safe enough with this arrangement - at least in the cozy confines of the bay near Alameda/Oakland.

The boat is hard to tip by accident for a paddler with some experience (even with significant chop coming at you from the side - nice low center of gravity), goes surprisingly fast with moderate paddling effort (averaged about 3.7 mph on my last paddle including a couple of brief breaks, which, in my experience, is a good clip for a SOT in particular), has great day hatch access, tons of storage for a longer journey, and is easy to turn without a rudder just by carving. I did have to compensate for currents and wind, generally having to sit to one side of the seat to keep the boat from wanting to turn in that direction, so will probably end up getting the rudder at some point.

The boat is very comfortable to paddle. Lots of room, a good seat, nice adjustable foot pegs, sturdy construction, easy access to your day hatch, good place to store a water bottle, etc.. Paddling is a breeze with the cutaways in the front (no bumping knuckles or holding the paddle up high to clear the sides). The scupper plugs take a little elbow grease at first, but using my heel I was able to push them down to drain the footwell areas. It's not light compared to my other boats, but it's pretty light for a full-featured plastic SOT of this length - about 64 lbs I think.

In any extended paddle, you will probably, as with all SOTs, get a little wet. Your legs will get a little damp just from water dripping off your paddle. If there's any significant chop, it will come in to the boat through the unplugged scupper holes up front and flow into the footwells (by design). If you like to carve your turns, water can come in over the sides in windy or choppy conditions. The boat is fine after taking on water - floats nice and high and remains maneuverable - even if the unsealed concave areas are filled with water. And the scupper plugs do work to drain the water slowly if you are paddling forward at a decent clip. This is inherently part of a SOT kayak; in this department, the Scupper 14 performs better than the others SOTs I've tried. On colder, windy days, I will probably wear wetsuit pants in addition to my warmer water shoes.

All in all, I heartily recommend this boat for anyone who wants a faster SOT kayak that is versatile enough for longer journeys, fast and nimble enough to be fun for experienced paddlers, and a convenient size for storage.

Bought a used Scupper Pro for my wife several years ago. It was her first boat. What a great way to start! Excellent speed, tracking and stability. We would still have it if not for the weight. Still, if this reimagined boat mimics that, it is a stellar kayak.

Have been using the Scupper 14 for over a year now. Very stable and swift in the water. The kayak has you sitting below the waterline with a haul very much like a sea kayak but with an open seating area like a SOT. Rotomold makes it very sturdy built. Much quicker in the water than any typical SOT that I have tried over the years.

Len

I’ve owned many different styles of kayaks in my life and I have to say the scupper is my favorite. They’ve Lowe’s the seating area to make it feel more like a sit-in and it gives you more control over the boat. It has a narrower body for a much faster paddle than your average sit on. Good tracking. Excellent amount of storage and great deck rigging. It has a great sized day hatch right in the cockpit which I love. All around great bot for day tripping or even some kayak camping. I definitely recommend.

I took my Swell Scupper 14 out for the first time since i received it. This kayak is like no other kayak I have ever paddled. It glides through the water like a hot knife through butter. I am a fisherman from my kayak and most fishing kayaks are flat bottom and feel like your paddling a barge and when you stop paddling they stop. That was not the case with the Swell Scupper 14, when you take an break from paddling it just continues to coast right along. As for stability, When I first got in it it felt a little different then what I was used to, but after 1-2 minutes and a few paddle strokes I was amazed, It is very stable. I would highly recommend the Swell Scupper 14 both for recreation and fishing. :-)

Picked one up on New Year’s directly from Jim. I had demoed one before and really liked it.

It’s 68 pounds which makes it somewhat heavier than some of the sit insides I’ve seen, but much lighter than the other SOT’s I’ve looked at. I can car top it on or Ford Escape easy enough. Was a little awkward putting in at the Seabeck Marina, but that is because there are no steps and there is a 4’ drop from the pavement to the water/beach, depending on the tide.

Jim warned me that the initial stability is not super great, and I thought I was going to swim for 1/10th of a second when situating myself in the boat initially, but the great secondary stability kicked in and I was cruising nicely straight away.

I chose a beautiful PNW rainy day for the initial paddle. I now know that this boat can make misery enjoyable. My goal was to paddle to Little Beef Creek. I knew I was pushing my time allotment given by the Mrs., but the speed at which I was able to cruise along at bought back much of the time I had lost filling up the vehicle.

The scupper Venturi valve deployed easily and as I cruised along, any water would be sucked down the hole via the Venturi effect. When I stopped, the occluder ball floated to the top of the plug and prevented further water entry. The only downside is forgetting to pull them up when hauling out. Tore off a piece of the flange on the pavement. Won’t affect function or aesthetics (its on the bottom of the boat), but my pride suffered a bit. I had actually convinced myself I’d remember, but t rain drops falling on my head had become a not so happy tune by then — I was cold and wet, not fault of the kayak.

https://youtu.be/liRvkTMvgug

So far so good.

I replaced an Old Town Dirigo Plus tandem kayak which was about a foot longer and 14 lbs heavier. My daughter didn't want to go kayaking anymore and the extra weight was a lot to lift onto my SUV. I also knew I wanted a sit on top kayak because my sit inside always concerned me a bit paddling on the SF Bay or coastal ocean areas.

Most of the sit on top options we either really short recreational kayaks which I knew would drive me nuts with their lack of tracking, or really slender ocean goers that might be less stable than I like. Then there are these other really wide and stable but extremely heavy types.

After some research I found that the Scupper design was modified by new owners Swell, and this kayak seemed to have everything I wanted. Lighter weight, stable, fast, and with room to bring cargo like a backpack (once waterproofed for transit).

Ordered one from the manufacturer and there was damage in shipping. They were extremely accommodating sending me a replacement immediately, and everything was good with that one.

The guys at Swell were also very responsive in offering me a suggestion for a rolling cart for their kayak design, and get a C Tug if you buy this kayak because it fits great into the front hatch, just as they suggested.

I've taken it out a few time in the bay and estuary near our home, and really enjoy it. It is indeed very stable, can get going plenty quick, glides easily when I'm not paddling very hard, and isn't too heavy to lift. I do struggle a bit dead lifting it into the new kayak rack I bought that takes the boat on its side on my SUV's roof, but that's the price of that rack not an issue with the kayak. Everything is very durable and well made. And I appreciated the areas on the either side the updated Scupper design cut off which make it less likely to bang your paddle against the side when paddling hard.

My only minor gripe is that the foot rests could be a little wider, and my feet in Tevas sort of bend around the edges of the foot rests. So I might jerry rig some sort of wider platforms.

I got my Swell Scupper a couple of months ago. I waited to post my review until I had a chance to take it out multiple times. Previously my kayaks were an ocean kayak trident 13 and a 13 Necky vector.

I kayak on flat water so can only address how the Scupper handles boat wakes and wind swells, etc. I am impressed with the stability of this boat as it handles wakes with ease. It does weather cock in high wind, so I'm glad I got mine with a rudder.

I was concerned that the narrower width would be an issue as I am not a small person. Since I purchased online without being able to demo, I was concerned that my wide hips would not fit in the cockpit (I weigh 300 lbs and the diameter of my hips is 60" if you want to compare how you might fit.) There is no issue at all and the ride is very comfortable. I was also able to move to a shorter paddle due to the narrower width.

The boat maneuvers well and I have no problems turning quickly using a combination of a sweep stroke and bow rudder stroke. As others have said, the Scupper tracks well and glides through the water. It takes noticeably less power to start the boat moving, and less energy to keep it moving. In my Necky, I could maintain 3 miles an hour without tiring, but in the Scupper I can maintain 4 mph for long periods.

I am thrilled with my purchase and highly recommend this kayak.

Scupper 14 is the answer of all my needs, stable , great acceleration , running waves is great lots of room, for all my camping gear , the. Scupper it's an eye catcher,,, I'm in the Caribbean so you know this kayak is on the water almost every week, definitely , they took time creating this kayak , is everything ready , if you are interested in fishing scuba , this kayak got fishing accessories and especially design to accommodate your scuba tank in the back . Great mashine . Definitely love this kayak , and proudly own one ..

Best kayak I ever had! Size and weight are on point. I have used it in the ocean and rivers. It is very stable, easy to get in and out of, tracks great in wide and narrow areas and plenty of room for your kayak gear and other outdoor accessories. It is perfectly designed for all types of uses. Use it for recreational kayaking and fishing. I can get good speed with this kayak while it's design cuts right through the surface. I am very happy to have it and look forward to many more adventures.

I love this kayak! Having owned 5 prior sit on top kayaks this is by far the best. It is very comfortable, fast, seaworthy and lighter than the competition. My prior favorite was the Scupper Pro TW but at5'10 and over 200 pounds the bucket was too tight especially with a wetsuit on. My other SoT boat is a composite surf ski so I was amazed how light and lively the Swell felt when on the water. Most plastic boats have a very sluggish feel. My last boat was a WS Tarpon 16 with rudder. The swell even though shorter is more responsive, has better glide, accelerates better and is faster. I really appreciate the way they tucked in the hull to allow for a comfortable and efficient stroke. No boat is perfect but my complaints are minor. The midship handles are better used as finger holds. If you wrap your hand around the handle the hull digs into your fingers. There is a sacrificial skid plate which is replaceable and prevents wear on the hull when dragging the boat. Because it concentrates all the weight on a small area it makes the boat hard to drag on sand or gravel. This is not a complaint because it is well worth the trade off but a caution because it gave a few friends the impression the swell was heavy when in fact it's 15 pounds lighter than their boats. My hull is a very early version and has the original scupper plugs. At times they would allow water to weep in. When I notice this it is easy enough to reach under the hull and push them flush while in the seat. Not sure if this is still an issue now that they have updated the scuppers but no big deal anyway.
Having owned over 20 paddle craft and currently owning 6 this has quickly become my go too boat! It is just low hassle fun so I strongly recommend it!