Delta Description

The Delta is a kayak brought to you by West Side Boat Shop. Read Delta 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!

West Side Boat Shop
Delta Reviews

Read reviews for the Delta by West Side Boat Shop 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!

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5

The West Side Boat Shop…

Submitted by: DaveTheKayaker on 9/12/2022

The West Side Boat Shop Delta kayak is the perfect entry point for those paddlers who wish to get into fitness paddling or racing. At 13'10" long and 23-5/8" wide at its widest point, it provides enough stability to allow you to progress your skills as a paddler without constantly fearing flipping over.

This boat zips along and glides much better than you ever imagined a boat this length could. In the modern, full-Kevlar build with fore and aft bulkheads, the boat still comes in at an amazingly light 23lbs.

The cockpit is a bit tight by today's standards and by the average American's expanding waistline, but it is still quite manageable and helps keeps the water out through mild rapids.

An amazingly light, fast, responsive kayak. No rudder needed. The side-mounted, adjustable SmartTrack footpegs and sliding K1-style seat allow you to adjust and trim the boat to fit just about any size paddler.

https://davethekayaker.com/202...

5

I bought my WSB Delta in…

Submitted by: paddler235262 on 8/6/2013
I bought my WSB Delta in October of last year and have paddled it twice a week since then, except when the waters were frozen. It's an awesome boat. I've raced it several times in the Under 14' class here in Ohio, and have placed in it all but once.

Primary stability is about a 7, but Secondary is higher. Is very light and responsive at 26 Lbs. for the Kevlar build. Came with float bags and a cockpit cover, a real bargain for the price, and made in the USA by Doug Bushnell, who has been building and racing. Kayaks since the 1970's. this is a great light touring or fitness boat.
By the way, the review that follows must be about some other craft, because nothing makes sense or applies to this Delta...

4

This boat was my first and…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 12/27/2005
This boat was my first and last purchase for the past 4 years. I learned to kayak on Old Town Otter rentals at a canoe livery but finally tired of rent after 15 rentals in one year. I decided that that was justification for purchase...and today I can say I have gotten my money's worth by far with this lightly priced kayak. It was economical-- I bought it on clearance since the model is not manufactured anymore.

The first thing I noted was the cockpit space. It is a very wide 48" and the width was I would guess 28" to 30". I needed the extra width because I weighed 278 lbs at the time (Now 235). I also liked the access to storage (though it is not dry storage) and the ability to store stuff anywhere behind the back seat as well as the rear storage compartment with flap access. It is very convenient for mask, snorkel, fins to go behind the seat whereas, I like my 6 pack cooler up front (between my knees) for easy access. This cockpit gives one plenty of room to do this.

The second notable trait is the stability of this boat. After learning to paddle it, I removed everything out of the boat to test the stability. I am able to stand up and paddle...tell me a kayak that you can do that in??? The tracking is pretty good too.

I also allowed a man who weighted over 400lbs to paddle it around a spring to see if it would handle his weight (I think 375 is the limit) To my shock, he was able to do so...not for a long trip but paddle around a spring area much like a lake. I was super amazed in the past at how much cargo I could stow aboard.

I love the maneuverability of the boat. I once took it on a trip with a club where the first part of the trip consisted of weaving through 4' narrow bayous. This boat turned on a dime. I was very impressed with its maneuverability…However, later in the day when we went out on the bay, with a slight chop and head wind, I was outclassed by the long sleek neeky boats. I learned a lesson in touring vs. rec boats that afternoon and why not having a skeg can be a disadvantage.

A couple of drawbacks of the boat are the need for a drain plug in the front of the boat. Also the 53 lbs might be a little heavy for some but for a boat this versatile you will be hard pressed to do better.

I love my Delta and will continue to use it for years. I've probably exceeded 150 trips and think this is the best boat in the rec arena. I've even done class III white water but can not give it a fair rating since I didn't have a spray squirt. It did well but took on tons of water--which I didn't mind that hot summer day. Other than that once occurrence it stays dry as a bone.

I would recommend this boat to every beginner until they see what kind of paddling they really are interested in. With the delta, you can try a variety of paddling adventures and still keep pace with all of the others.

5

At only 13'10" the Delta is…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/7/2004
At only 13'10" the Delta is much quicker than you might expect and for such a short boat tracks like it's on a rail, yet turns well when leaned. I got mine for racing in a 14'6" and under class in Montana and couldn't be more pleased. Craftmanship is better than excellent (like all Doug Bushnell boats). One very pleasant side effect is that unlike many short kayaks, you can take a complete novice out without the usual learning curve of 10-12 miles before being able to run straight. My wife says it looks like a pregnant little downriver boat. It has a neat clipper bow and the V hull rides well through haystacks unlike my last short boat that lifted and slammed down on waves so hard, I wondered if it might break. Mine came with a great neoprine/nylon skirt and after racing it for 2 1/2 hours on the Yellowstone, I could hardly find a drop of water inside. The "Delta" was originally designed for a 13'10" marathon class on the West Coast. It's a fantastic little trainer and there's something pretty cool about going so fast in such a little guy.

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