Tsunami 165

I am new to sea kayaking, though I have used recreational kayaks for several years. I have owned the 165 for about 6 months. I have not yet used the boat in high surf, but I have used her in cold weather with high winds and in light surf on perfect days. Using a spray skirt, the boat stays very dry. I have continued to kayak on lakes through December in New England with no discomfort. I have been on the lake with floating ice around me and the durability of the boat allowed me to survive some errors in judgement.

The incredible stability and dry cockpit makes winter kayaking practical. I am not confident enough in my skills to kayak the open sea in winter, but I think that the boat is capable.

She tracks very well and does not weathercock as bad as you would expect without a skeg. I have a rudder, but usually I do not deploy it. By edging and paddling, I can turn very well and I can edge to counteract weather cocking.

I have also used a WS Tempest 165 and 170. I like the 170 for its agility over the Tsunami and the cockpit is big enough. The Tempest 165 was too tight for me. I learned with experience that a tight fit is a good thing in a sea kayak, so if I had to choose today I may select a Tempest 170. The Tempest fits me like a glove and is very playful. If you plan on a lot of rolling, maybe a Tempest is your choice.

The Tsunami is a great choice for most people, it is the SUV of kayaks. You can use it for the day or for an expedition. It fits my body well enough and has superior primary stability. You can keep yourself dry in all but the roughest conditions and it is a great choice for winter.

One disadvantage of the Tsunami is its weight. However, that comes with a durability advantage. I was lifting the boat up to the rack on top of my car when a high wind caught it and it flew out of my hands and landed 10 feet away on the pavement. I inspected it and found no damage at all. That sort of durability is really great for a novice who may run into rocks, ice, or other hazards.

As a larger framed person I have come to really appreciate my Tsunami 165. I'm 6', 230 lbs and have ample room and flexibility with this kayak. She's not the fastest boat but my main use for it is paddle in backcountry camping for up to ten days at a time. For this purpose the 165 Tsunami is perfectly suited. It is the definition of a touring kayak.
I hope this is useful to anyone looking for this type of use.

I am amending my review of the WS Tsunami 165 /rudder, made 2009-02-03.
I gave this boat a 10 out of 10 before and I still feel that way. After adding the WS back band along with the hip kit and will add the Keepers XL foot brace this coming summer. She will truly be The Fleetwood of the river as I have always thought of her. For me, it's the perfect kayak which has gotten better in the last 7 years.

I just bought a Tsunami 165 after trying out Necky, Current Designs and Akula kayaks. I am a day tripper, moderately experienced, upgrading from my old 10' plastic beast. I have a place on a West Coast Island off Vancouver, and while our bay is somewhat protected there is significant chop when we get out into the Sound and lots of boat wake from ignorant powerboaters along with swells from the wind and large ships like the ferries, tugs, and cruise ships, so i wanted something both stable and able to use for longer distances that could also handle our rocky shorelines.

I love this boat. It's heavy - but it's a 16'6" plastic kayak, so i don't notice an essential difference between it and the other similar length plastic kayaks I've used. I find that it tracks really well, and only use the rudder when i am fighting a combination of tides, winds and a following sea. It is certainly not the most nimble thing I have ever paddled (I think the Akula took that) but it is more than manageable with proper lean and sweep in moderately choppy seas without the rudder.

It's also exceptionally comfortable - I actually went for the touring seat that is normally in the 145 with the adjustable back, and i love it. I manage a good day trip in this easily without straining back or thighs. It just takes a little adjustment when getting the spray skirt on.

All in all, i am delighted with the purchase and look forward to many days of exploring our West Coast waters with it.

I'm an expert whitewater canoeist (former slalom racer) who has been wanting to get a sea kayak for years — both for fitness paddling on a local river, and for longer journeys. Though I'm familiar with the advantages of composite boats, I decided plastic was best for me as I planned to store the boat outside at a local marina (because I'll paddle it 3-4x/week).

After doing some research, I found a great deal on a second-hand Wilderness Systems Tsunami 165. The boat is about 5 years old but has been garage-kept and is in mint condition.

My first impression on picking up the boat is that it's HEAVY. But that wasn't really a surprise. I knew it weighed around 65lbs, and knew that's just a characteristic of large plastic boats.

This particular year model (a 2008 or 2009) doesn't have a backband, but does have the Phase 3 seating (with the seat back that can be raised a good 6 inches). I kept the seat back all the way down and tightened the back strap considerably to cant the seatback forward, giving me plenty of lower back support. Between the Phase 3 seat and the adjustable padded knee braces, I found the cockpit to be very comfortable for someone my size: 5'11" and around 225lbs.

After dropping the kayak in the water for the first time, my next impression is that it is---as advertised---an extremely stable boat. I'm accustomed to tippier boats, and I could take a nap in this one, LOL. The multi-chined hull is rock-stable when leaned up on edge.

On my first paddle---on a flat, wide river with a slow current---I was able to easily get the boat up to a cruising speed of 4.7-5.0mph (according to my GPS). Paddling harder, I could get my speed up to 5.5mph without killing myself... but that's where the "speed curve" flattened out. I'm a strong paddler in good shape, and I found it *very* difficult to get the boat up to 6mph. So I'd say 4.5mph is an accurate "easy cruising speed" for this boat, with 5.0-5.5mph being the "pushing hard" max speed one could reasonably sustain over time. I'm not sure how this compares to other touring kayaks, but it's fine with me.

I should also add that I'm an aggressive, high-angle paddler. I tend to lean forward in the cockpit and smoothly link strokes, with a higher paddle angle than most.

Though my boat has a rudder, I literally haven't used it yet...mainly because the boat tracks pretty well and I haven't felt the need for the rudder. It does tend to pull to the right a bit (even in no wind)...but I'm starting to think that this is more a result of my paddling: being a lifelong canoeist who paddles on the left, my left side is obviously stronger than my right. So I think the rightward pull I've noticed will diminish as my right side catches up to my left!

As far as turning goes, this kayak is like most others: it won't turn on a dime (no long touring kayak will), but its excellent stability makes it easy to lean it up on edge, where it will carve a nice turn with multiple strokes on one side (and sweep strokes will turn it more quickly).

Regarding fit and finish, it seems fine. The thick rubber hatch covers go on and come off easily---I had no trouble with them. All the other hardware, safety lines, etc. seems well-crafted and solid. There's nothing shoddy about the construction I've noticed.

I haven't paddled the boat loaded with gear yet, no have I paddled it in rough water or open ocean. I do intend to do that eventually, so will add to my review then!

Overall, I'm very happy with this boat---and it certainly makes an excellent first sea kayak for my purposes.

After making the transition from white water to sea paddling, the Tsunami 165 was my first sea boat. I bought it without demoing it which could have ended up being a big mistake.

Thankfully, the Tsunami does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. It is broad and therefore has good primary stability but has surprisingly good secondary. Loads of space, making it a good multi-day boat and plenty of room for the larger paddlers.

What I didn't like: It doesn't have a skeg and unless you have a rudder fitted, behaves like a dog in a following sea. Because of the high volume it has a tendency to weathercock (a lot). For those that like a tight fit there is a lot of room in the cockpit. Quite a predictable paddle, not the most manouraveble boat out there.

Having said that, this is a decent boat for a beginner, it doesn't throw any surprises at you and has given me some excellent trips in the 3 years I owned one.

I am 6' 210lbs, bought the 165 as a pack mule for longer trips. With nearly 100lbs of cargo aboard this boat is stable and tracks beautifully, is very responsive to edging, I did not roll it fully loaded but I believe it is very do-able. I have been out in 4' swells and 30plus mph winds and it takes things very easily without a lot of fuss. A good skirt is essential as water will broach when waves come from the sides or rear, waves head on are cleanly sliced. Empty the boat can be a handful, it weathercocks when winds are quartering from the rear pretty badly, but can be corrected with edging and sweeps. Quartering waves from the rear require sweeps and braces to correct the course. If you have plans on using the boat empty I would suggest the rudder option that is available. The boat is about average speed for a boat of this length, glide is not great. With a little practice surfing is good but again breaking waves will wash up and attempt to clear the deck. Seats and outfitting are typical of WS boats, good and functional. This is a boat I will keep, it is a work horse.

I give this boat the rating 8 of 10 due to weight.

Purchased Tsunami 165 for its carrying capacity as a pack mule on trips. I loaded it up for a test trip on the worst day possible, 30 mph winds on a busy lake the weekend before the 4th of July (loaded with power boats). The boat did not disappoint me.

I did not order a rudder, and the boat tracked like it was on rails, edging and paddling pointed it with very little effort. I un-balasted the boat with just me (210lbs) and went out again, still very little wind cocking in this high volume boat. Overall very controllable.

It does not turn on a dime but is pretty nimble for a mid length boat. Its speed was pretty average for a boat of this length, with a decent glide. I decided to throw caution to the winds and see if I could self rescue and did a wet exit, I was able to easily do a cowboy rescue (due to the large hatch), it is a wide boat, and very stable, I did not attempt a roll as I was without a skirt.

The back band style seat may not suit some people as you cannot rely on it to rest back on during a restful paddle, you do have to maintain your own posture, but it does allow full rotation and movement and is very adjustable for comfort.

Not a boat for a 3 hour trip, but a good boat for an 8 hour trip with a lot of stuff.

I bought my Tsunami 165 after trying a lot of boats. All the others required KY to get into and a overhead crane to get out of (I am 5'10" 260 lbs. with 30" thighs). This boat really fit and the outfitting is stupid comfortable.

Most manufacturers think that big guys are too busy drinking beer, eatin chicken and killing deer to ever do anything like paddle, which is frustrating. Not all paddlers are 5'8" and a buck-fifty.

This boat fit me, and provided me with the right combo of load capacity, stability/maneuverability, and speed. I have a big engine and good paddling technique, and the thigh braces fit correctly, so a lot of people are surprised at how fast my "poly rec. boat" cruises, which is very satisfying. It wouldn't be a fast boat for the wrong paddler, though...

It also handles rough water and wind surprisingly well. If you are a big guy and have designs on taking a trip that requires packing some gear, the Tsunami is a good choice.

Now the bad: Rubber hatches are a pain to get to seat, and the day hatch is handy, but the lid is the stiffest and toughest of all to get closed. Lube may be required. No compass mount recess, (which is unusual for this type of boat, but I want one anyway.) Rudder is functional, but drags the boat down a lot more than other rudders I have tried. If you don't have to, do not completely deploy it. If you raise the seatback too high, forget about getting your sprayskirt on the coaming. Raise the seatback after seating the sprayskirt, but be aware if you snap it out of it's seat.

I don't have enough experience with Kayaks to choose a precise rating however, but I'd think 9 would be quite fair. I have paddled a few boats and finally bought this girl after only sitting in it on the showroom floor. (Had to bite the bullet) I'm 210, 6', beginner/novice. I had always come off the lake or ocean with a sore back before trying the Tsunami 165. The first day out I noticed a quantum leap with this Kayak. I spent 3 hours paddling and before even thinking about the seat until I landed and realized how comfortable I found it. And so many "easy" adjustments. I found it very stable and easy to paddle. For a long boat such as this, I felt it was quite easy to turn once I had the rudder peddles set right. Only Con I can think of is the hatch covers are a little tricky to get back on. Something I could easily live with as it only takes a little more effort to ensure they are on tight.