Submitted: 08-02-2005 by bryanpsims
After reading the other reviews and recently demoing a WS Tarpon 140 myself, I thought I would add a few comments. Over the last several weeks I've been shopping around and I've tried quite a few comparable models (Perception Bimini and Caster, Ocean Scupper Pro and Prowler 15). As for my perspective, I'm a fairly new paddler with a modest amount of experience (male, 5'8", 200lbs).
The Tarpon 140 is slightly heavier than some of the other models I tried but it gets moving quickly and tracks very well. I was paddling with a 230 cm composite paddle, around 24 ounces as I recall. A WS rudder kit can be added for roughly $200. I tested it near a marina in a commercial area where there was quite a bit of traffic. It was extremely stable and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it handled the wake from a large passing cabin cruiser and a tug boat. The floor of the cockpit is flat and roomy and any water that I took on quickly drained off. The standard molded seat and seat-back were comfortable even without any sort of padding. The front hatch was roomy and easy to access and the oversized rear well could handle multiple crates or a large cooler.
After testing it, I happened to run into another customer that was trading his old 140 in for a 160i. He had nothing but good comments on his old 140...he was only trading up to the 160i as he does quite a bit of fishing off shore and wanted the additional speed, stability and security that he felt the 16 foot model offered on the open sea. A great boat...I think my search may be over! |