Winner of Sea Kayaker Magazine Reader's choice Award For "Best Day and Weekend Touring Kayak"
Named "Best Beginners Sea Kayak" - Outside Magazine
Check out the description at our local Kayak Academy, where they use them as part of their rental fleet — pretty high praise.
https://www.kayakacademy.com/products/wilderness-systems-tempest-rm?variant=1099008943
"the Tempest is an outstanding all around, state-of-the-art, sea kayak with enough storage for multi-week trips yet playful enough to make day trips fun too."
The people I got it from had only taken it on one day trip in the San Juan before COVID hit. I’ve taken it on a few overnighters and day trips, in the San Juan and on Lake Washington & lake Kachess, before I found a Pygmy that I’ve been using for the past couple years, and the Tempest has been benched since. So, fairly low mileage, and stores in a cover out of UV reach.
The hull sports the usual scratches from landing on and launching off of iffy beaches, but nothing deep nor structural, it’s solid.
Nice boat for touring, with lots of storage, as well for day paddling - forgiving, stable hull while still being decently fast, with a rounded deck that stays fairly dry. Quite confortable with its "Phase 3 AirPro XP" seat, which Wilderness Systems claim to be the most comfortable seat on the market.
Not the fastest, not the most nimble, but a pleasant all-rounder. Plastic hull means less concern when facing our typical PNW rocky landings, or going rock gardening. Confortable adjustable seat, adjustable knee braces, footpegs adjustable when sitting. Skeg for better tracking in the wind. Full set of safety deck lines, storage bungies, standard recessed spot for a compass if needed.
2 big storage compartments, plus 1 spacious day hatch. Rated total capacity is 325 lbs (147 kg), tight snap-on rubber hatch covers with safety leashes, that have proved watertight (so far. :-) Skeg takes up some space in the rear compartment, but I’ve learned to stash skinny cargo there, like tent poles, tent body, seat, tarps, etc., and there’s hardly any wasted space.
Not the lightest boat, but not bad for a plastic boat: it’s only 57 lbs (26 kg), it is allegedly "well designed to balance on your shoulder" and I was able to carry it and load/unload by myself. Construction is standard rotomolded high-density polyethylene - not the sexiest nor lightest material, but durable, and stiff enough for all purposes short of racing.
"The Tempest 170 is best suited for paddlers 5' 6" to 6' 3", 170 - 225 lbs". Most descriptions talk about "mid-size paddlers" — glad to hear that I’m mid-size at 5’10 / 200 lbs, with a 32 in. inseam, and the boat fits me very well. I’ve paddled it fully loaded for multi-day overnighters in the San Juans, in rough water, with no problems. I’ve also done a "Playing in currents" clinic at Deception pass with it, where it felt quite secure and nimble enough to play with rips, tidelines and standing waves with zero issues (I’m a low-intermediate paddler.) Keyhole cockpit is 34x18 in., long enough to let me get in and out without drama even with many creaky joints.
I really enjoyed this boat, but I fallen in love with traditional wood and skin-on-frame kayaks, and never use the Tempest anymore.
New is $1,989.00 plus tax. Asking $950, no tax. :-) Comes with a basic spray skirt, no paddle (unless you want an old one cracked at the ferrule, fixed with duct tape….) Cash or Paypal only, no shipping.
[SMS to 2O6-nine five three-0357, or email to nuitsblanches at gmail dot com]
Specs
Length (in) 204/17 ft
Length (cm) 518
Width (in) 22
Width (cm) 56
Height (in) 13.5
Height (cm) 34
Weight (lb) 57
Weight (kg) 26
Load Capacity (lb) 325
Load Capacity (kg) 147
Cockpit length (in) 34
Cockpit length (cm) 86
Cockpit width (in) 18
Cockpit type sit inside
Cockpit width (cm) 46