T16.0 Description

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T16.0 Reviews

Read reviews for the T16.0 by Enlightened Kayaks 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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3

The Enlightened T16.0…

Submitted by: paddler232371 on 11/2/2007
The Enlightened T16.0 performs extremely well on the water. John Winters' reputation is well deserved if the T16 is typical of his abilities. I can't say I'm at all pleased with the finish of the kayak. The wavy surface suggests that the manufacturing process is sloppy, at best. Too bad for Winters as the kayak is far better than it looks. Could do without the cheesy coaming as well. But I'll keep my boat and enjoy it, despite being a little embarrassed by its unfinished look.
4

This is a good recreational…

Submitted by: pentothal on 10/15/2007
This is a good recreational kayak for a really large paddler. With a light load it behaves more like a canoe in a crosswind. The rudder system is flimsy. It would be much better if it was equipped with a skeg or a Smart-Trac rudder that doesn't interfere with bracing. The seat is very comfortable, but it is so large and flat it doesn't translate hip motion. The seat location close to rear of the hatch makes skirt attachment easy. The built in paddle braces make re-entry easier. As a recreational kayak it's a 10. As a touring kayak it's high deck and rudder system will be a challenge. Not the kayak for anyone less than 6' tall and 250 lbs.
5

I've only had the T16 for two…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/16/2007
I've only had the T16 for two weeks, but I am so pleased with it, I had to write this. I previously owned three sit on tops, and had been a customer of Mike's when he manufactured Tribalance Kayaks.

I am a fisherman and free diver, and the Tribalance had fit the bill for a couple of years. I always felt like the odd man out, with real touring or cruising kayaks, although the Tribalance was pretty fast due to its narrow beam. The limitation existed in the fact that you had to have the outriggers in place at all times. I wanted to be a real kayaker too, so I went for the T16.

I am a large paddler 5'10 and 223 lbs., former college athlete, but at the tender age of 65, I had some doubts about balancing one of these sit ins without outriggers. I have the outrigger and fishing package, and now have had the opportunity to use both. I practiced in my pool here in Jupiter, FL to get the feel for the boat. The initial stability surprised me! Next I taught myself to do a wet entry with a paddle float after intentionally dumping the boat. No problems exiting the cockpit in a roll and with Mike's rescue paddle slot, I soon mastered the re-entry.

Today, I did my first sea trial without the outriggers, in the intracoastal waterway, its very wide and beautiful green water from the proximity of the inlet. Lots of boat traffic in the channel provided lots of wake practice. Secondary stability seemed even better than my wide sit on tops. I never felt out of control regardless of my tack angle in the wakes as they rolled into the shallows. Even did a little wake surfing, and had a very nice 5 mile paddle. I can't wait to get this boat to the keys for touring, fishing and diving. I have to thank Mike for giving me an entire new venue to pursue. My only negative thought on the boat concerns the seat acting as a giant sponge if you roll the boat, but it is the first seat that has allowed me to paddle in comfort with no numbness, sciatica, or leg pain. I have to give Enlightened a big thumbs up.

5

I've managed a half-dozen…

Submitted by: jboggs on 5/21/2007
I've managed a half-dozen outings in the month I've owned my T16. I'm convinced that Mike Steines (owner of Enlightened) and designer John Winter have put together one of the best general purpose kayaks on the market, especially when you factor in price. I've just completed the annual Support Strokes event, a 15.5-mile paddle around Alameda Island in SF Bay — third time I've done it, each time in a different kayak. The T16 provided, by far, the most comfortable, least fatiguing, most enjoyable ride. Long waterline provides a very respectable cruising pace. Light weight and good design result in less effort required to get where you're going. Initial and secondary stability are excellent—good platform for photography, fishing, etc., as well as straight out paddling. Doesn't weathercock — I've yet to use the rudder. Responds readily to leans, carves well, just a very easy boat to enjoy. Also a responsive and responsible company . All in all — a very good product at an excellent price.
4

The Enlightened Kayaks T-16…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/21/2007
The Enlightened Kayaks T-16 replaced my Old Town Adventure 139, a solid boat I put hundreds of miles on. I was looking for a reasonably priced boat that was faster, lighter, and more comfortable than the 139 that could still handle my 6'2", 215 lb frame and size 11 shoes. T-16 is designed by naval architect John Winters, and it shows. It's water line is longer than many 17' boats, so it cruises significantly faster than the 139, is plenty stable, and tracks and steers very well. The cockpit is quite roomy with a lot of adjustment, and the thigh pads and simple, very comfortable seat finish it out nicely. I've not rolled the boat yet, so can't say how dry the hatches are, but they are fully gasketed and cinched tightly down, so I suspect they stay dry. The plastic hull holds it's shape well in the water and is very rigid. At only 49 lbs., it is 7 lbs. lighter than the 139, despite being 27" longer. Unfortunately, I can't rate it's finish work as highly. The hull and deck have a number of minor waves and blemishes that give it an unrefined look up close compared to the 139. The hull/deck joint is similarly uneven, albiet sealed. Standing back, however, it's gloss looks impressive, and it's lines are very nice. Mike at EK told me these irregularities are par for the T-16, a result of his less expensive molding process.

In summary, if you are willing to sacrifice a little cosmetic refinement, this boat is hard to beat at any price.

4

Before purchasing this boat,…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/16/2005
Before purchasing this boat, I was using two SOT’s to fulfill my two primary kayaking missions: fishing and exploration day trips. I had been looking for a new fishing kayak and if it had not been for Paddling.net and their T16.0 contest, I probably would have bought either a Malibu Kayak X-Factor or a WS Tarpon 14. However, after reviewing the Enlightened Kayaks website, corresponding directly with Enlightened Kayaks and after acknowledging that this kayak offers the ultimate in flexibility, I took the plunge and ordered one. The T16.0 I purchased included the outriggers, the fishing kit, thigh braces, and the pivoting foot pedals. I’ve been kayaking over three years on oceans and marshes with winds up to 25 knots and have never seen a need for a rudder so I felt this was unnecessary. I’m 5’ 11” and weigh about 210 pounds.

The big day arrived when the kayak arrived in a huge box. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the main boat. The thermoform plastic results in a gloss finish that looks great. Enlightened Kayaks boasts a 49 lb basic weight and while I didn’t get out the scales it was clearly a noticeable difference from my couple of 60-65 lb SOT’s. During my initial walk around of the boat, I was not as impressed with the outrigger assembly, which is comprised of two pontoons connected together with three outer tubes and two inner splicing tubes. The tube cuts on the original assembly were poorly aligned and the push pin holes were elongated resulting in a sloppy / loose feel. To Enlightened Kayaks credit, I made note of this to them and they immediately sent out a replacement tube assembly that met my expectations.

My boat arrived just before I was leaving on a trip and wanted to take the kayak for a paddle before departing so despite some rather foul weather, I took the new boat out to try out the various “options”. First launch was with the outriggers in place and sitting in the cockpit. As advertised, the stability with the outriggers is outstanding. Even with the outriggers on, this kayak gets up to speed quickly and is fast. The next attempt was using the SOT seat and sitting on deck behind the cockpit. This mode is the “fishing” mode with the ability to sit high or stand for casting. The wind was extremely strong and I found in this configuration the bow of the boat was riding out of the water and acting like a weather vane. I literally could not get the boat to change direction and broad sweeps of the paddle could not be used because of the outriggers. I ultimately had to climb in the cockpit to regain control. In these kinds of conditions, my conclusion is that ballast in the bow is required. Since this initial run, I’ve found that a 2.5 gallon container of water works great in the forward hatch and I’ve not had control problems since. The final run of the day was with the outriggers off and sitting back in the cockpit. I was immediately impressed with how stable this boat is even without the outriggers. Its large cockpit allowed me to straddle the boat and then plop down in the seat. Then I brought in one leg at a time without even coming close to tipping. While this is not a conventional way to get in it works great here in Savannah where most of my launches are from concrete ramps so being able to saddle up in 1-2 ft water is great. Again the boat accelerated nicely, tracking was a breeze even with the wind and current. After my trip I made another short run in the T16.0 with the outriggers in place and sitting in the cockpit. This trip was to try out a new sail. The T16.0 and sail combination work great with no issues.

Feeling comfortable with the boat, I then decided to try a trip of 17.5 miles. This was the first chance to get a real sense of speed of the boat. I was able to average 4.4 mph in this boat (this was going with and then against the current). A similar trip in my WS Freedom would not likely exceed 3.5 mph average at best so it was a noticeable speed difference. I did not stop to get out throughout this trip and found as advertised the seat in the T16.0 to be outstanding. I did not have any back ache or other problems which a trip of this length would normally entail for me with the SOTs. I felt so good after this trip I went out the next day and completed another 7.5 miles on rough water. I’ve installed a GPS on the forward deck to track my speed and every time I take the boat out I am amazed at how fast the boat moves.

As noted above, I originally bought this kayak for fishing. I’ve had the opportunity to go fishing four times now and the configuration works great. The ability to sit on the back deck just aft of the cockpit works perfect for fishing (now that I use my 2.5 gallon water ballast). My water bottles, cooler, tackle box and other stuff all fit nicely in the forward portion of the cockpit and are easily accessible. For fishing I remove the main seat and use a different SOT seat which was provided as part of the fishing package. While sitting on the rear deck, the rear hatch is also accessible. I’ve found a good place for the stringer, holding all those fish of course, is around the outrigger tubing and an aft perimeter line. It took a little while to get used to standing but now that I’ve done it a few times it’s not so bad.

The T16.0 truly has delivered the flexibility I was looking for in a kayak. The fact that it’s a great looking boat, built tough, has great speed, and well thought out features doesn’t hurt either.

5

I am the president of a large…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/9/2005
I am the president of a large kayaking club here in Charleston, SC. I just recently purchased the T16.0 Enlightened kayak and have had more compliments and interest in this kayak than I have seen in any other kayak of it's class. I am a large paddler (6'1" 220 lbs) and have no problem entering or exiting the cockpit. The boat is very stable and tracks very well and is very maneuverable in tight spaces. I recently paddled it in a swamp area and have so called "christened" it by running over a couple of submerged cypress knee stumps of which I cringed a little but noted no damage what-so-ever. Not only is the duralite thermomolded plastic light and durable, it looks like the more expensive glass boats that you would pay considerably alot more for. Mike had thoroughly thought out the design of the kayak's deck, in that it has everything that you would want or need from deck rigging to outrigger and paddle placement molds. My overall impression of the T16.0 Enlightened kayak is... OUTSTANDING!
5

I have found the T16 to be…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/5/2005
I have found the T16 to be very stable. I paddle in northern LA in varying conditions. It is easy to load and unload. I'm 230lbs and find it easy to get in and out of, I would highly recommend this kayak to paddlers that are my weight, It paddles great and is every thing that mike told me it was. I'm very satisfied with my purchase. This kayak is worth looking into.
5

Enlightened Kayaks has a very…

Submitted by: paddler231041 on 4/20/2005
Enlightened Kayaks has a very attractive entry in the 16 foot touring category. Made from Duralight, looking like a finely finished fiberglass craft, this sleek touring boat turns heads. The "fit and finish" are exceptional. Initial stability is good, secondary is excellent. I am 6'4" 205 lbs and find the craft more than adequate for my tall frame. The foot pedals that are for stability and also control steering for the optional rudder system have slots that would accommodate a person even taller than me. Size 12 feet are also not a problem on the pedals or inside. Storage is plentiful (and very dry) in latched forward and aft compartments. The seat is NASA-style foam that conforms to your anatomy which you will find more than comfy, and the seatback is highly adjustable. The deck rigging is well thought out and plentiful fore and aft. I have several yaks and use this one on inland lakes and rivers (Cuyahoga) and look forward to some trips on Lake Erie when the weather kicks up. It is responsive, quick and easy to maneuver. My skill level is not expert, but I am beyond a beginner.

The boat is capable of adding an outrigger system, which I do not have, but can see how it would not only fit perfectly into the deck design but would also be fun.

After having looked at just about all the available entries in the 16' touring category I chose Enlightened and am delighted that i did! The company owner, Mike, is extremely helpful and a true Gentleman. Look around as I did, then buy Enlightened.

For Northeastern Ohio buyers you can pick up your craft 45 minutes east of Cleveland at the manufacturing location. Oh yes, you can't beat the price of this fine craft!

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