Posted by Seakarp on September 18, 2002 at 00:07:08:
In Reply to: COBRA TOURER VS SCUPPER posted by STUART on September 17, 2002 at 17:59:13:
: IM THINKING ON BUYING ONE OF THESES KAYAKS CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE COBRA TOURER VS THE OCEAN SCUPPER.SO FAR I LIKE THEM BOTH?
I just compared those two boats with the Tarpon and bought the Tarpon, and I love it. It is faster than either of the those boats and more stable than either of them. It costs a bit more than the scupper and much less than the tourer. It turns fairly well for a large boat(without the rudder), though not as well as the scupper and better than the tourer. It tracks very straight and glides for days. My average day on it is about six miles and when on the move I can paddle it easily at over 4 knots and very easily below that speed. It is heavy at over sixty pounds,(the new ones are lighter),but the issue of wieght is one that is more complex than pounds, it has more to do with how the boat is being moved. It is long (16') and very narrow at the end of the stern, hence when you grab the bow handle and stand up it moves quite easily through the sand, even as compared to two lighter but shorter and wider boats I have owned. When loading and unloading from a car a long boat makes it easier to leave one end on the ground when loading the other end and then lifting the back end, this is because the angle is less steep. It also has good side handles built in which makes it easier to pick up and carry than a boat that is a bit lighter, but that does not have handles.
The seat is not very good so I put a few eyelets on the boat and now use my high back seat with a lumbar support and an open cell foam 2 inch pad below the seat for a very comfortable 1st class seating situation.
The other draw back is that it does not have a tankwell, but I just tie a 20 quart square plastic tub(pick and save $2-$3) over the rear hatch and add a bubbler (about $15 from West Marine)when I want live bait. Then I just scoop 2-3 scoops of water out of the tank and add the same scoops every 15-20min. with a half gallon plastic pitcher. This keeps bait fish alive for hours. I keep about 3 gallons of water in the tank.I also heard that there will be an insert comming from the company that will make the rear hatch into a tankwell.
Well there you go, my 2cents, I love my new boat and think you should consider it. It is a fast smooth ride and quite stable, also you don't sit in a puddle, though water may come over the side a bit more readily as it sits close to the water.
Fish On,
Seakarp