Zephyr 160

Very nimble boat. Not very roomy.

This is an excellent skills development boat and ocean play boat, it has great primary and secondary stability, it accelerates quickly and is easy to shoulder to and from the water. It is defined as a day tourer/weekend tourer, with careful packing you could do much longer trips.

Pros: Full rocker, round hull with slight vee and aggressive soft chines make it very manuverable. Lightweight. Most comfortable and adjustable seat on the market IMO.

Cons: Plastic foot pegs with gravity hold design, very easy to adjust so could be a pro but foot position can be lost while performing rolls.

Video overview/review: https://youtu.be/xuywGO1AE-4

The bad thing is I don't think the plastic is nearly as tough as the Tempest. My Tempest was pretty gnarly, but seemed to take rocks and barnacles in stride, but the Z seems to scratch a lot easier. Still it's fun to play with.

On the water I have done long distance open water, surf and some flat water paddling. Open water was better than I thought it would be due to the amount of keel rocker. It tracks nice and straight and I seldom use the skeg at all. The seat system is very adjustable. Don't forget the play with the under thigh seat bottom which really adds to the comfort on long trips and while practicing rolls. In the surf it is really in its element. Turns and edges very easily.

My only complaint is the foam bulkhead between the cockpit and the dayhatch. This thing leaks and is going to take considerable work to seal up. I did see that this years model has a new adhesive tape seal for the bulkheads. Hopefully they have solved the leak issues.

Overall this is a great boat that seems to do everything sea kayakers like well. Many kayak stores use this boat for rentals due to its reasonable price so go test one out!

As a retired WW paddler of 20 years (shoulder injury/surgery) I like rougher conditions... And the Zephyr fits the bill perfectly. I paddle an average of 3 days a week on the Chesapeake Bay; at times in 4 foot swells and breaking waves and it handles great. This boat loves rough water. At 16 ft and lots of rocker it is very nimble with only slight edging. It also responds almost instinctively to light corrective sweeps/strokes. I also agree with the previous poster who stated despite being so nimble it is also quite stable, yet also tracks very well.... Even in rough water I have yet to drop the skeg. The Zephyr rolls very easily as well and is moderately fast. I've paddled faster boats but have no trouble keeping up with composite boats in the groups I paddle with.

Now for a few complaints.... I also agree with the previous poster about the foot braces.... They are flimsy plastic and tend to slip out of place easily....
The other complaint I have is with the bulkhead sealant. Every one of my bulkhead seals has bubbles in them... around the entire seal... and while I have not had any leaks yet (it is a surprisingly dry boat), I'm expecting to have to do extensive re-seals of all of the bulkheads in the not-so-distant future...

Other than that I think the Zephyr is a winner for Wilderness System. It is a great day paddler as well as a rough water play boat...
Oh... I would like to see Wilderness System add security loops to their boats; most other kayaks have them.

I was immediately impressed by the boat... great looking design and color pattern(swirled yellow and orange) ... the plastic seemed pretty stiff and tough.... and that is coming from someone who has owned two prijon boats over the years.

The conditions on the bay that day days were "choppy" in Annapolis.... once I cleared the Annapolis Harbor boat traffic I was able to get out a bit more into the open bay.... The chop was coming from all directions.... What I was initially struck by was how stable the initial stability was..... Despite being hit by waves and chop from every which way.... it felt like I couldn't flip this boat if I tried..... I didn't really edge the boat too much or push the secondary stability because of the number of jellyfish in the bay... but based on what others have posted... I'm sure it is good.... The boat tracked surprising well without using the skeg.... which surprised me given the amount of rocker the boat has.... My weight may have had some affect though on the stability and tracking....

One big difference I did notice from my kodiak is that this boat really rides up and down the waves and it a rougher ride.... where my Kodiak slices through just about anything and is not affected much by wind or waves... again the trade-off of having more rocker.... Speaking of rocker the boat turned on a dime.... with only slight corrective stroking; didn't really have to edge it..... Surf waves were minimal that day but I did manage to catch a couple and the Sephyr did fine... I sure this boat would be a blast on bigger water and rougher conditions.... The outfitting on the boat was basic but very good.... Only wish new kayaks who pick up on prijons lead and start putting their day hatch in bow( right in front of the paddler in a neoprene bag) rather than behind...

Not sure if I would replace my kodiak with the Zephyr for general paddling but I am strongly considering getting the Zephyr as a play boat for rough days on the bay or for surfing at the beach....

I think Wilderness system has a winner with the Zephyr..... a great playboat; particularly for a larger paddler.

This boat is great for touring, but acts like it has the soul of a playboat waiting to come out. due to the increased rocker compared to the Tempest, the Zephyr paddles with much more play in the hull. This could be a positive or a negative, but being someone who likes to play in surf, I took this as a positive. The primary stability was average, and secondary stability was very good. I could place it on edge and turn very easily. The hull was also quite quick.

The outfitting inside the cockpit was typical of Wilderness Systems - enough adjustability to make anyone feel comfortable. This kayak had the Phase 3xp outfitting, which was very easy to dial in. The foot pegs are adjusted with their usual lift up - pull or push - lock down bar that is easy to reach from the seat. The thigh pads were also adjustable, if I recall correctly, via screwdriver. However, after reviewing the picture on Wilderness Systems' site, it is hard to confirm.

Storage was appropriate for this kayak. A round bow hatch, oval stern hatch, and round day hatch all worked well. There is enough deck rigging to suit my needs. Also, a compass recess is located just fore of the bow hatch. It felt an appropriate distance from the cockpit.

The kayak is also equipped with a skeg. I noticed the usual increase in resistance when it was deployed. Unfortunately, there were no crosswinds on that day, so I was unable to determine how badly the kayak weathercocks. The skeg did lock the kayak down pretty well in terms of tracking - it removed all the play out of the hull. The one thing I noticed during paddling is that the skeg clicked back and forth within its recess when deployed. I'm sure a plastic washer or two, or perhaps some soft side of velcro would probably fix this problem.

Overall, I am currently torn between the Zephyr 16.0 and the Tempest 170 for my next purchase. For some perspective, I am looking for a kayak that I can toss around in the surf and rock gardens without worrying about cracking the hull, but still possessing good hull speed and capacity for week-long camping trips.

I would give this kayak a 10, but due to slight imperfections, I have brought it down a point. This is also the first year for this kayak, and has not been in production for more than three months. I can't wait to have another opportunity to paddle it again!