Submitted: 07-11-2012 by greenway 
My wife and I thoroughly enjoy our new Whisper CL. A tandem touring kayak hasn't proven to be the "divorce boat" warned of on many websites. She and I both owned solo kayaks previously (her - recreational; me - touring) when we decided to sell those and purchase a tandem. We purchased it through a website. We received it ahead of schedule even though it was shipped directly from the factory.
The Whisper CL rides smoothly in the water. So far we have done a number of day paddles + one overnighter on fresh water. That includes one really rough windstorm on a Tennessee lake. It steers very well for a boat with such a long keel. There's enough space in the compartments for a two- or three day summer trip. Cargo space is a sacrifice when moving to the tandem boat. The hull appears to take minor bumps and scrapes in stride. We did add KeelEazy, and believe that KE was a great investment.
My wife required very little adjustment or minicel in the bow cockpit to make her very comfortable. I took a little more work because the hull beam in the stern cockpit is pretty wide. We have since added a perimeter line to the full length of the hull, as well as a spare paddle holders and a kayak flag on the stern.
Paddling has been smooth so far. We have not had an issue in coordinating our paddle strokes. It is sometimes a challenge for me to explain something from the stern to her in the bow. The seats are close enough for us to hear; however, a lot gets lost in translation if the bow paddler can't turn to see the hand- or facial expressions of the stern paddler.
Things that I wish were better were the hatches - soft rubber - and the addition of a perimeter line. |