Submitted: 10-05-2010 by ayyguy
It is 19.6' long and 20" wide. This is the first Sit-in kayak that I have ever paddled, graduating up from a 14' X 26" sit on top. I took it out in some rough waters at night when I first purchased it and I'm really surprised that I haven't fallen out yet! This is a pretty fast kayak and using my GPS and my Werner Ikelos paddle all out I have briefly hit 8.3mph for a second or two without assist from current or wind. Paddling it in a small swell from a boat I reached 12.3mph but quit paddling because the water was shallow(2.5ft?) and I didn't want to roll it as I was new to this kayak. I would be interested in paddling a QCC 700X for a speed and stability comparison.
The reason I bought the Looksha is to make a trip from Key Largo to Marco Island on the west coast of Florida. roughly a 120 mile trip around the everglades. After I purchased the Looksha I came across a "Northwest Discover". Same length kayak but 22" wide, what a difference. Nowhere near the speed but the cargo capacity and stability is amazing. Now I have to choose which one to take, Hmmm...
I used this kayak in rolling class and succeeded in uprighting it, sometimes going having to do a second roll because I went too far! The kayak pro recognized this kayak from a distance and asked if I paddled it without the rudder. I told him "I can't" and he laughed. He told me the kayak is "rudder-dependent" and can't be paddled without it. It would really suck if the rudder broke on a trip!
The hard plastic seat has been removed in favor of an Immersion Research "Loungeband" and It's a very simple modification as you can see in the video. The backband is very comfortable and I will be installing the Black Dog seat base soon. The original seat is a good seat too but at 6' and 235 my legs would eventually get cramps.
Here is a YouTube video of this kayak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58g-mivpiuA |