Tsunami 145

This is an amazing kayak! It is very stable, comfortable, lots of leg room in the cockpit and great seat! The most incredible thing about this kayak is is it's speed!I just finished a 112 mile sojourn and this kayak kept with the front ,with the fast 17 feet boats!I got several compliments on this beast strongly recommend it to everyone!!!

This 59 year old has had her 2006 Tsunami for 15 years, paddling in lakes and in the mudflats, oyster beds and open water of the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of rural Florida. It is outfitted with a rudder. It has taken a beating over and over, easily staying upright in choppy Gulf waters, boat wakes, storms, low water with my butt dragging it down over sharp shells, outracing alligators (once, for real...he was just curious, I don't think I could have really outraced him if he was serious), playing with dolphins, whoop! The keel allows my light 5'4" frame to almost keep up with my partner in long straight runs especially in windy conditions where his keel-less boat flops all over the place. It's a great straight tracking boat, very comfortable seat. It's typical that I go out for 4-6 hours at a stretch and I rarely tire in it. Now that I'm a little older, the narrow cockpit is a bit more challenging to get in and out of. The only 2 times I've tipped have been getting out at shore. Sacrifice the beer, folks... you're going to lose it anyway! :)

The Tsunami 145 is a great all-around touring kayak with good gear stowage, straight tracking, and comfortable seating. It's great for a 2-4 day trip on lakes or ocean. The rudder is very helpful for windy conditions. The weight is average but at about 50 pounds it's still a chore to lift above the head onto an SUV. My only complaint is the very low cockpit opening at the rear. Even small boat wake or waves can spill over into the boat, necessitating a sprayskirt even on more casual paddles.

I'm relatively new to kayaking, but my Tsunami has been a great boat. It is moderately heavy at 56 pounds, but I've been able to get it on my SUV by sliding it up on the roof from the rear without any trouble. Once on the water it has been a delight. It is very comfortable to sit in, and it seems extremely stable on the water. I'm learning to edge the boat to increase my control, and it feels very stable on edge.

Beginner, here. In reading kayak reviews, I got caught up in the idea of a kayak that was not only a good start but also had chest thumping performance potential to satisfy intermediates. And I tried those kayaks first. The Dagger Stratos 12.5L didn't have enough leg room (6'2" 225 lbs.). The 14.5L was a much better overall fit except the thigh braces would have to be moved and were already at the end of their adjustment range. The Stratos maneuvered nicely. Not so great primary stability and didn't track very well without the skeg. With the skeg, I had to paddle hard to keep up with my wife putt-putting in a Tsunami 145. So like Goldilocks, I tried the Tsunami 145 and... It was just right. Once the pedals were adjusted, the seat and pads were perfect. This made the dynamics of paddling and energy transfer intuitive. Great primary stability meant I could relax, crane around, sightsee without any wobbles. The kayak tracks straight. The optional rudder is unnecessary, in my opinion. This kayak makes good speed forward against tide and into headwind. Handy to paddle out of approaching weather in a hurry. Couple caveats... A barge might turn quicker. If a tall seat back is preferred, the 145 will deliver, but make sure to get a high back pfd to go along with it. Finally, I barked my shin on the lip of the water bottle holder. Hopefully, I will only do that once... Wife and I both got the Tsunami 145. These kayaks have been used in rivers, wetlands, wildlife preserves, ocean bays. Very satisfying.

This thing is a tank. It can hold everything you need + more. On smooth water its actually quite quick. I've noticed many people on here saying this is more suited for a larger person. I'm a 168cm (5'7) & 150 lbs guy and this thing fits very well. Had to move the seat up to reach the rudder pedals properly, but once you do this thing is super easy to control. I regularly take friends gear in my boat, because I have the capacity/weight rating. Buy one.

Drove 4 hours to kayak demo in NC. Paddled several as I am transitioning from a recreational yak to a touring yak. My expensive recreational yak tracks like a cork in all but the calmest conditions. I was initially concerned about giving up some stability. All my concerns we answered by the 145. I am a bigger guy (6'1'',225) and this yak fit perfectly. Easy in and out, terrific seat, with multiple adjustments. Very stable and it tracked like it was on rails, even in the moderate wind at the time. Do not see the need for a rudder for me. Storage is cavernous. Deck storage bags are a neat feature as is the under deck water bottle holder. After demo, got out drove to store and bought one. Smart move.

After getting started kayaking in an Sundolphin 12' Aruba ( and falling in love with the sport); I started researching and trying out different makes of touring kayaks. My wife and I love to go camping with our 'yaks', and so gear storage and paddling characteristics while loaded were important to me. In the end; we ended up going with the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 w/ rudder for me and a 14' for her. I find the boat effortless to paddle and very stable in swells and cross winds. Comfortable to paddle for long hauls between campsites due to the adjustable seat positions. Accessibility to stored gear is good (front hatch could be a little bigger but still good). The price range of these boats is also very affordable and doesn't break the bank! All in all; a great kayak and can't wait for the adventures to come!!

Very comfortable, stable boat for novice paddler

I have been paddling a Wilderness Systems Pamlico 145T for the last 6 years and wanted to get a solo boat. I had been eyeing up the Wilderness Systems Tsunami for several years and was able to take one out for a test drive last summer...I was sold. I take a lot of photographs and video while paddling and was looking for a stable boat. The Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 was perfect. It has great stability and storage capacity for my gear. It is very stable and tracks well. I have been out in several conditions on lakes, rivers, bays and canals and enjoyed every minute paddling the Tsunami. If you are looking for a fun stable boat the Tsunami is a great choice.

I am 68 years old, 190 pounds, and 5'11" tall and it is still fairly easy for me to get into and out of and sit comfortably. My wife is smaller and has the 140. I don't have enough knee room in the 140 but the 145 is perfect as it is a bit higher over the knees. Since we got it last year we have not used any of our 5 smaller kayaks and we may end up selling them. Only difficulty is that we have a small Subaru Impressa sedan and when both kayaks are on the roof, they hang over on both ends. Kind of comical looking. I did have one of the knee brace screws pull out of the pad this summer but a little shoe-goo took care of that. We bought them at the Appomattox River Kayak Company in Virginia after trying several others out for size.

Overall we are very pleased with our kayaks and would recommend them without hesitation.

She handles well; I mostly paddle on a very large lake but we get waves, currents, and wind like coastal paddling so I'm sure she would handle those conditions well. She handles like a 16+ footer but I like the shorter size for exploring the creeks and bogs that enter our lake. The rigging is great besides the seat, but I would rather have had the small day hatch in front of my cockpit than in the rear, but the current configuration probably allows more cockpit room.

Overall, you can't go wrong with the Tsunami and that's probably why you rarely if ever see them for sale used!

I have paddled for many years in Florida, when my son wanted a kayak for Christmas the door opened to purchase a boats for both of us. I choose the Tsunami 14.5. Since we are involved in Boy Scouts and we enjoy camping being able to transport gear and a stable platform were placed high on the list. Also was the type paddling we would be doing is mainly creeks, rivers, lakes and very limited open water. After several trips the Tsunami has proven to meet every all of my needs.

The cockpit- All of the factory installed thigh braces and foot pegs and seat are of quality, easily adjustable even when under way. Mu back really appreciates the multiple adjust points on the seat, as does my legs and rump. The cockpit is roomy yet you can still use your thighs to control the boat. I can stash a day pack/ dry bag behind the seat for my snacks and gear I want handy.

Hatches- this boat has three , a bow , stern and day hatch. I have not had a problem with the hatches leaking and have had water over the bow and the stern. I do check and recheck before launching that the hatches are secured property before launching, I have opened the day hatch while underway and resealed and did not have nay water get in, my only complaint is that they do not manufacture an access for the day hatch for stashing stuff and have easy access to it , it is just another opening into the stern stowage area. When the boat is loaded you can position a small bag under the opening and it can be retrieved, but if you are not loaded it is not very useful.

Storage- Lack of space for my gear has not been an issue, Since I back pack regularly , my gear is light weight and packs down. When camping with the kayak I have been bringing some "extras" like a larger sleeping pad and a regular sized chair. I did practice loading my gear in the boat for trimming purpose in the neighborhood pool....

Tracking - The boat tracks straight, when paddling i t wants to run. When in smaller creeks with down trees and other obstacles I have to watch not to get going or I am constancy back paddling and slowing as much as forward. It is a wide boat so others that have slightly narrower boats will be faster I enjoy the paddle not looking to race. But I can get moving when I want to.

Outfitting - I will be adding a rudder in the near future. my sons boat came with a rudder and that really makes the boat track much better and navigating in tight spaces easier.

I really enjoy paddling in the Tsunami and would recommend the boat to anybody that has similar needs and size.

Last year I was very happy simply paddling with little maneuvering and using the rudder in rougher water in the ocean. I wish the cable to deploy rudder was heavier because you need to pull quite hard to drop the rudder. On my first pull the line separated from the round disc and I had to re-tie. The tsunami tracks very well and designed to travel straight, which is good for trips.

I have been taking sea kayaking classes and am a little disappointed in the responsiveness of the boat. Because it is designed to track straight, tight turns are very difficult compared to the other sea kayaks I've seen in class. My instructor explained the Tsunami is a fine touring boat but you will have a harder time turning with the rest of us. I am now taking rolling class and find the cockpit too large to properly hip snap. I will probably have to outfit the cockpit with extra padding to make rolling easier. That suggestion comes from my instructor.

I am still please with the boat but have to rate it a 7 because of my recent classes and the need for a more responsive boat, however when padding in the open water, this boat is great and I would rate a 9. One thing to remember is if you are going to use in water where a spray skirt is needed you will find swapping the backrest for a back band makes it much easier to fit the skirt.

I have the rudder assembly and frankly I like using it. It's nice to get into a rhythm paddling and when needed, I correct steering with my feet. It does track well but wind, shifting weight does tend to cause me to turn. However, that said, my rudder has given me a few problems. The line used for lowering and raising the rudder has gotten off the pulley leaving the rudder in a fixed position and unable to fix while solo paddling until I can exit the boat. Steering cables have been known to come unattached and steering is not functional. All are very easily fixed when out of the boat or if a second person is available but very frustrating when paddling solo.

Overall, I love the size of this boat, how it handles, storage capacity, and the new adventures it provides me. Granted, a bigger boat might be better suited for longer trips and open water but I feel I selected well for a single option to provide the most opportunity.

The only reason I gave it a 9 was I haven't got the seat right yet (maybe just adjusting needed) plus I got caught in really bad weather (wind 35 kl) didn't have a skirt on as I was paddling through 2 foot swell in the lake if I paddled to hard over first wave I would go under the next wave and take in water in the cockpit, once I stopped going hard over the first wave problem was solved but I was in a hurry to get home and out of the weather before it got worse which I had a good 3 hour paddle into the wind.

All in all I would recommend this kayak and I love using it.

It is a pretty fast boat for its size and compared to my Current Designs Whistler its pretty comparable in speed. My girl friend had a Dagger Alchemy 14L and hers is a little bit faster but it's also a tighter fit for me and so is the Whistler for that matter. Out of the three boats the Tsunami wins in the comfort category hands down.

The Tsunami boats do pop up on CL from time to time and if you can find a seller that's not too proud of their boat you can get them for a decent price, you can also find them for a discount from retailers selling off their inventory at the end of the season in the Midwest anyway but for the most part they do not discount the Tsunami model. This is a very popular boat and after enjoying mine for two seasons I know why.

The only reason I gave this boat a 9 in lieu a 10 is that as on paddles more frequently a slightly narrower boat may be desired, but this boat will serve me well for several years to come.

I've had it loaded down with camping gear, including firewood on a 5 day trip without coming close to submarining the thing. I've used it on small lakes, large lakes (Lake Powell) and the ocean and it has handled everything well. I find it to be very comfortable as well. I've put in a 26 mile day in this boat without any more discomfort than one would expect just sitting for that long. I now have 4 kayaks and this remains my favorite.

The Tsunami 145 is so much more than my Carolina 14 was. Waves would pick up the stern of my Carolina 14 and stick the bow under water. Not to say that it still doesn't happen but I feel much more stable with the Tsunami hull design. I owned a Boreal Ellsmere 17' fiberglass kayak last year, what a Cadillac, but it was a little too tipsy for me. I also have a Hobie Revolution 13 that is fun if you are in the mood to paddle, peddle or sail. If you buy a Revolution 13 get the optional Turbo Fins, the Sailing Rudder and the Sail. You really will have a blast.

Two problems: first this not a fast boat, second the aft hatch leaks as does almost every other 145 I know of. I have tried several new and used hatch covers and am now working on modifying mine to include a strap around the circumference. I still like the boat and I knew the hatch would probably leak when I bought it. The boat is that good otherwise.

We love the boats, very durable, excellent stability, great storage capacity. Have nothing but praise for the boats, we find them easy to use, maneuverable, efficient and tons of fun. We note our ability to paddle past most other recreational boats we encounter and far more comfortable. The adjustable seats are superb. Great choice.

Anyway, my new 2008 model has been fantastic, and I have had no issues with the hatch covers at all. Since this is my first touring kayak I don't have much to compare it to, but I love this boat. Initial and secondary stability are great, and I can still effective edge turns. I am 6'1" and 200 lbs. and this boat fits me perfectly. The Phase 3 seat is very adjustable and comfortable for long paddling outings. The boat does weathercock into the wind somewhat, but it can be overcome by corrective paddling and edging. I do, however, plan to buy and install the optional rudder system in the near future to minimize corrective paddling. I have taken the boat out into to small surf and choppy conditions and it performs very well. The high front deck provides a sense of security, and I am confident this boat can handle anything I might get into in my local area. Finally, the storage capacity is very large, and I can easily fit all my wilderness camping gear and ample food/water into it. I plan to do several extended day trips this fall and winter.

In summary, although I had some issues with my initial purchase, WS and my local dealer made it right without any hassles. The WS 145 is a solid, well designed, touring kayak suitable for beginner and intermediate kayakers. I am an intermediate paddler and don't plan on needing to learn how to roll this kayak. It is perfect for my needs.

I have no trouble maintaining 4-4.5mph in the 145 for long stretches, although the power required to go any faster is logarithmic in scale. I can reach 6mpg but only at the risk of cardiac arrest! I use a Greenland style paddle.

I absolutely love the boat. I've only been paddling for two years but I've tried several other types of boats (17' fiberglass boats, and one skin - on frame) and none are anywhere near as comfortable and versatile. I love the amount of gear I can put in it. An 8 day trip down the Suwanee river was no problem. I don't have to worry about scraping it on rocks or oyster beds.

Mine has the rudder which I recommend. Once I got used to it my feet almost subconsciously steer the boat while I concentrate on padding most efficiently. Very effective also in windy conditions as well as side currents in winding rivers.

You cannot beat the seat in this kayak. No other boat (except the Tusnami 140) I've tried approaches the same level of comfort and this makes being in the boat for hours a non-issue. The boat is also very stable. I have not even attempted to learn to roll in this boat. It is so stable I don't think it would roll well and unless I put myself in a very stupid situation, I don't think it would ever be necessary.

I have not had any rear hatch problems with my 145, although we had 2 140s and had trouble with the rear hatches on both. One thing I do not like is that the seat does not move close enough to the rear of the cockpit opening making attaching the spray skirt quite difficult. I find it almost impossible when attempted solo in rough conditions.

Another thing I would change is that the cockpit is too wide for me. I need the extra length in the 145 but I have trouble becoming "one with the boat" due to the wide cockpit. This is exaggerated by the fact that one has to have space for the legs to move to work the rudder rather than have the knees firmly wedged against the sides of the cockpit. I still think the rudder is worth it for the environments I typically paddle. This is not a problem with the boat itself, just things that are challenges for me.

If you like to paddle for extended lengths of time and/or kayak camp the Wilderness Systems Tsunami is hard to beat. I recommend the 140 for normal size paddlers and the 145 for large or tall paddlers.

Now onto the Review
I love this boat for my novice usage. I don't feel a rudder on this boat is all that helpful since it tracks straight as an arrow and turns fine.

The seat is very comfortable and easy to adjust on the go. This boat is also easy to wet exit, yes I have had it upside down goofing off now that the water has warmed up. The boat is seriously stable I felt comfortable the first time out. The hatches are ok the front never leaks; the rear leaks a little but nothing major, and I believe the leak is around the rudder cables where they enter the boat. I am working on sealing them but you know it's not enough of a leak to really bother with more like condensation at the end of the day.

Over all this is a very functional yak and very easy to paddle. I have no complaints for a step up away from dedicated rec yaks this yak is perfect.

I found the Tsunami 145 to track very well but turn nicely if you leaned it properly. It also had great stability and never made me feel like it was going to flip over on me. It's not the fastest boat on the water (I managed about 4.7 to 5.1 mph on my GPS) but it's fast enough and a lot faster than my friend's SOT's. It also has a ton of leg room, fully adjustable, Phase 3 seat (I can't say enough good things about that seat), and TONS of dry storage space.

All in all it was a really nice boat and I should have kept it .

What I can share with you is something I learned about the 145, something Wilderness Systems won’t tell us, its dry storage capacity. I wanted to know how much the bow and stern compartments would hold so I calculated their volume.

First I weighed the kayak on a doctor's office quality balance beam scale. My 145 weighed 59 lbs (ouch) without a rudder which I have on order. Next, I blocked one end of the kayak so one hatch was over the scale with the boat level and weighed it again. Then I filled the compartment with water and recorded the weight. I subtracted the empty balanced weight of the kayak from the water filled weight to obtain the weight of the water in the compartment. I did this for both ends of the boat.

Water weighs 8.34 lbs/gallon so I divided the water weight by 8.34 to determine the number of gallons per compartment. Then I converted gallons to liters, and gallons to cubic inches. The results are as follows:

Front compartment: 155 lbs of water, 18.61 gallons of water, 70.4 liters, 4299 cubic inches

Stern compartment: 210 lbs of water, 25.21 gallons of water, 95.4 liters, 5824 cubic inches

Total dry storage:, 166 liters, 10,123 cubic inches

That's the equivalent of two 5000 cubic inch backpacks worth of dry storage, more than enough space for a week's worth of camping gear and food using backpacking equipment. I sleep better just knowing my 145 holds 10,000 cubic inches of stuff and keeps it safe and dry.

Let me start by saying that I still consider myself as being new to the sport/activity, so what I'm writing is still pretty basic. As to my opinion about the Tsunami 145, I've had enough experience with it and some others to write an "update."

First, I agree with many others who have written that this boat is slow. When I first bought it I wasn't concerned and/or didn't realize the difference between paddling this kayak and some others out there over a few hours' timespan because I didn't paddle with a group or actually take a three or four hour demo day. But my son recently bought a Tsunami 140 and the difference in speed and effort required to paddle that boat compared to the 145 is significant.

Out of the water, the 145 also feels considerably heavier (even though it's not), and more ungainly to handle when loading and unloading than the 140. (Both boats in the family are the basic roto-molded plastic ones.) Once you get it going, you can move at a good clip, but if you slow down or lose your momentum for any reason, getting back up to speed takes a good effort.

On the plus side, however, the overall stability, interior volume, and seating comfort--my main reasons for buying the 145--of this boat is excellent! I would also wish that the foot pedals/pegs for the rudder controls had more travel, though. (When shopping/demoing I found the footpegs on the rudderless boats had more forward travel adjustment than boats with rudders.)

Finally, my hatch covers have not given me any problems. The front hatches have NEVER leaked; and the rear has allowed a little bit of water in only a couple of times when I didn't realize I hadn't replaced the cover completely from the previous trip.

Overall, I'm still very satisfied with my purchase and know I'll still get a lot of use out of this boat before I'd "need" to move up to something longer and leaner (although I might "want" to do so sooner than later.)

Pros: extremely comfortable, stable in rough water, and great for easy touring and camping. I think the seating and thigh braces are excellent.

Cons: It's very hard to keep up to speed with others. That's the only drawback. Otherwise, I give it an excellent score.

The problem is this: it is really S L O W ! My wife has a smaller Tsunami and all of us can easily paddle that much faster than this 145. We've done some experimenting by loading it up and, sure enough, when we have lots of cargo in the compartments, especially up front, the 145 definitely picks up some cruising speed, though still pretty pokey in comparison to other kayaks.

My thought is that this is really a kayak for a very large or heavy person... not average or smaller people. For an average sized paddler, I think the 140 or the 160 would be a much faster and more appropriate boat. The difference is striking. So if you are a big guy, take a look. Otherwise think smaller... or longer.

Physically, I'm 6 ft. tall, weigh 190 lbs., and in my late 50's. I had rented several different recreational and "light/touring" boats and kept coming back to this one mainly because of it's interior space, great comfortable seat; and for it's overall stability that really instills confidence in a beginner.

I had rented and paddled Tsunamis without rudders, but when it came time to actually make a purchase, the two closest dealers only had ruddered boats in stock. I am happy I got the rudder, though, as it's been useful in the tidal water I paddle in. (The salt water rivers and bays near the ocean in NJ usually are choppy and/or full of power boat wakes.)

I must agree with the previous reviewer's statement that this kayak is on the slow slide and really takes some extra effort to keep up with people in faster boats, but the comfort level afforded by it partially makes up for the lack of speed. (My wife bought a Hobie pedal-drive that really flies across the water, so trying to keep up with that one can be a real effort!)

To sum up, at this point, I'm very happy with the Tsunami overall, and would recommend it to a beginner or mid-level skilled paddler who wants a stable, comfortable kayak with room to spare for a paddler and his/her stuff. I think this boat is a much smarter buy for a beginner than something like a Pungo, for example, because there's room to "grow" into the boat as your paddling skills improve and you want to use the boat for longer trips, etc.

While I may grow out of this boat in the future--though I doubt I would ever want to do anything I couldn't do in this kayak--it would not be as soon as I would outgrow a so-called recreational boat, so therefore I feel you get more bang for your buck out of the Tsunami.

After paddling it hundreds of miles in lakes, rivers, and choppy bays, as well as in the Texas Water Safari, I think I've go a pretty good feel for what this boat is all about.

Speed - I was still hoping it would be faster, but the flat water hull limit is around 5mph. I can get it going faster with a lot of effort, but since figuring out that the Tsunami doesn't really want to go any faster, I've learned to paddle just hard enough to keep it at 5mph and conserve energy over long distances. 5mph isn't bad for a recreational kayak.

Stability - very good. I was able to take a more aggressive line through some junky parts of the river, and even run a few rapids that other boats had to portage. The stability gives you confidence in big water too. Haven't had it out on the open ocean, but it handled fine in a choppy bay, and in the wakes of all the ski boats when paddling in the local lake.

Manueverability - It wasn't just a first impression, this boat prefers to go straight. My big concern was whether I could manuever in current. I was relieved to find that I could stay out of trouble fairly easily, even without a rudder. I was able to 'thread the needle' in some pretty nasty spots.

Comfort - lots of adjustability, and easy to change foot rest positions and seat height/tilt, even as you're paddling along. Definitely made the miles go by easier. I've gotten a lot better and jumping in and out, but the cockpit is still a bit tight for someone 6', 180lbs.

Toughness - I have a Duralite, which definitely helps the weight, but does make the sides feel flimsier. That said, I bounced my Tsunami off of every log and rock in central Texas, and it is holding up nicely. If I had been paddling fiberglass or kevlar in this recent race, I'd be looking at some expensive repairs right now.

Gripes - The hatch covers could be a bit tighter, and the strap that controls seatback angle keeps slipping. The plastic buckle needs some teeth. I'm holding it in position with a safety pin (which defeats the point of having adjustability). One of the seat straps also ripped from its attach point when I leaned back hard against the seat. I was able to fix it, but I think they should have had a tough connect point, maybe with a grommet.

I moved up from an Old Town Loon 138 to a Tsunami 145 in Duralite. I like the Tsunami, particularly the light weight of the Duralite. It is 13lbs less than the Loon, despite being a bit longer. There are a few reasons I'm giving it a 7 (so far).

1. I thought it would be faster. My first time out on an 11 mile flat water course , I matched my previous best time in the Loon. My second time out, I knocked 5min off. I was hoping to be 15-20min faster. Maybe my paddling style is still dialed in for the Loon, but after a few trips out, it is clear I'm not getting an automatic speed up over the wider, shorter, heavier Loon.

2. I thought it would be more comfortable. The phase 3 seat is really nice, but between the narrower cockpit of the Tsunami, and the 'traction' the phase 3 cushion has on my posterior, there is less opportunity to shift and change position. For anyone moving up from a Loon, Pungo, or equivalent rec kayak, it might not be as comfortable as you'd expect. I'm sure it is way more comfortable than the plastic bucket seats with no back rest of many touring kayaks.

3. I thought it would turn easier. The Tsunami tracks nicely, but it doesn't turn willingly. I test paddled one with a rudder, but decided I could live without it. I'll have to see what happens when I get on a river, but my impression from the lakes is the rudder might not have been a bad idea.

4. Ease of entry. This isn't a tippy boat, but the cockpit is small enough that if you're 6', you won't be able to just jump in and out. If you paddle in places with a lot of low water than requires walking the boat over a gravel bar or shoal, you'll need to practice your mount/dismount. Might not be the best choice if your primary use is fishing.

Positives: stability is good, even coming from a 30" wide Loon. Storage hatches are really nice. Good space behind the seat for water jugs, etc. Easy adjustment of the foot braces, seat back height, seat tilt, etc. Cockpit is small enough to keep out paddle drip and cut back on some of the sun, large enough to provide ventillation. I don't think I'll need a full or half skirt unless I start taking it out into the Gulf.

I'm going to use the Tsunami in the Texas Water Safari in June (260 miles, rivers, small lakes behind the dams, and a crossing of San Antonio Bay). Will add more comments after that.

They seem to be fairly quick and track real well even without using the rudder. We've been out in heavy wind conditions that kicked up 1-2 foot swells and white caps. The Tsunamis were very stable and nimble. They have great initial and secondary stability.

The Tsunami's 14.5' length makes it easier to navigate the smaller streams we like to go on as well.

The deck rigging is real handy. I really like the paddle bungee on the left side of the cockpit. The hatch covers seem to do their job well. But I've had a little water get into my rear hatch. A little of the right kind of caulk applied to the bulkhead should take care of that. I wish WS would separate the day hatch from the main hatch / storage in the stern. Maybe they'll make a retro-fit kit for that at some point. Even so, there is room behind the seat for water bottles etc and plenty of room in the bow and stern hatches for gear and food for multi day trips and an overall weight capacity of around 500lbs according to WS.

We love the Phase3 seating - had to mention that. Hours in the seat and no complaints.

Living near Chattanooga, TN, we have a lot of choices of places to paddle. We are planning on paddling the 40/50 mile Tennessee River’s BlueWay soon.