Epic

I've had an Epic for years. I'm about 6'1" and I find this boat just a little low in the deck, more room for knees, and feet would be nice. On longer trips I found myself looking for an Island to jump out onto to stretch the legs. That said, you could power your way to that Island in no time, I was always running circles around a friend who had a current designs Storm... But HE was much more comfortable.

I had fun in the surf with this boat, Lean forward and paddle like Hell, making major corrective strokes, because getting sideways usually meant a wet exit and watching the kayak barrel roll away on top of the next wave! I called it the yellow submarine, the whole front end submerged as I powered it in to the beach. The extra volume at the bow kept it from pegging the sand on the bottom as I was shooting in to the beach...

I purchased my Epic used from a dealer; As it waqs my first kayak, I didn't know what to expect. Instantly I became hooked on kayaking... The speed of it! I love the ease of paddling this thing... It may be long, but it has the tracking and speed that make it all worthwhile. The boat also stands up to the abuse inflicted upon it from all sorts of water environments.

My search for the smallest volume, narrow, as traditional as possible looking rotomolded sea canoe that I could fit my 6'2",230lb.,size 13 foot deminsions into ended with the Epic. I'dd like better tracking without the rudder but it certainly solves that. I also detest spongy footbraces but retro-fitting Seaward Lockout butterfly style models addressed this problem. This boat is nice in strong winds. With 60lbs. of gear aboard and the boats low profile I was impressed with its headway on a return trip from False Cape Landing in southeast VA. this past Feb. 25 knots and gusting and still I made decent progress against the wind. Rolls with either my Cricket Inuit or Werner Camano are easy. Be prepared to seal the day-hatch with Lexan. It has leaked on my boat,a friends,and the demo boat I first tried. I consider it a nusince. Just another hole for water to come in. If your interested in this one, start shopping, my latest visit to the Wildsys. website didn't list it as a offering anymore.

The EPIC is my second kayak and a very comfortable boat for larger paddlers (6'1"- 210) with large feet. The deck height and cockpit opening provide ample room while providing enough support for a variety of conventional and traditional rolls and braces. At 59lbs it is not the lightest, but its clean lines good secondary stability and wet area makes this an excellent kayak with traditional styling. Can be paddled easily with either a European or Traditional paddle.