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What are some of the advantages of a high profile kayak ? 

What are some of the disadvantages of a high profile kayak ? 

 

What are some of the advantages of a low profile kayak ?

What are some of the disadvantages of a low profile kayak ? 

 

I was looking at the Viking kayak profish reload video. It is considered a low profile kayak .

Does this mean that it sits lower in the water?  It looks like it sits pretty low in the center. 

Would I be correct in assuming  that it could be more stable since you sit lower to the water ?

I guess this means that your seating area could be a bit wet ? 

Does these mean that it would also be slower because if it sits lower in the water it would have

more resistance from  the water when you paddle ?  

 

When I talked to viking kayak today they said the height of the kayak is 13 inches for the profish reload model?

 

 

Thanks for your replies. 

 

If anyone who  has paddled  the viking kayak profish reload I would be glad to hear from you. 

I am curious what all the small hatches are for ? I can't imagine I would use them for something ? 

 

 

 

Edited by dbjpb
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The 18" high sounds like a typo. I can't see how any kayak is that high. In general, the lower you sit the more stable you are, regardless of how high the highest point of the boat is. By lowering the seat, you can narrow the hull and gain speed without losing stability. This is the idea behind the Dorado and the Scupper, I think both are narrower than the Vikings. A SIK has the seat literally an inch or so above the hull. I'm old school,  and a wet ass is part of kayaking IMO. I'm dying to try a new Swell Scupper. There's a Scupper Pro Classic in the BST but with a hatch instead of tank well I'd find it hard to fish.

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30" is very wide.

 

The advantage of high profile is more hull volume, and greater weight capacity. The disadvantage is it catches more wind. Low profile is splashier, but catches less wind. The height of the kayak has nothing to do with the height of the seat.  

 

If you are looking for a really nice paddling kayak, don't look at one less than 14 feet, or wider than 26".  

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Hey Ross (that is correct?) What do you make of why the new Scupper has such a bulky bow? Seems like it would catch unnecessary wind. Is it just to keep from perling surfing and in heavy seas?

 

I have never paddled a boat 14' long and 25" wide, I'm dying to see what it's like. My first whitewater boat was 12 by 24 but more rockered than any of these boats.

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47 mins ago, gellfex said:

Hey Ross (that is correct?) What do you make of why the new Scupper has such a bulky bow? Seems like it would catch unnecessary wind. Is it just to keep from perling surfing and in heavy seas?

 

I have never paddled a boat 14' long and 25" wide, I'm dying to see what it's like. My first whitewater boat was 12 by 24 but more rockered than any of these boats.

My understanding is that the old and new Scupper Pro have a "fish form" hull shape, being wider ahead of the cockpit. Theoretically this should give the boat better performance in surf and in heavy seas.  The Scupper is second rate in paddling performance to the Stealth and Kaskazi kayaks, which do not have this shape, at least, in my experience. But it is better in surf.  Personally, I like some rocker. A flat hull is faster, yet less good in chop and surf.  

 

As far as wind, the Scupper is overall a low profile yak. I never had wind as a problem. 

Edited by kross57
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Perhaps you should look at the Swell Scupper images on their site http://www.swellwatercraft.com/gear , looks damn symmetrical to me. It also appears to have a tri-hull design with the outer sections rockered but the center flat.

 

Do you consider the C-14 hi or low profile? It does do some odd things in cross wind but I'm not certain that that isn't due to the waves.

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17 mins ago, gellfex said:

Perhaps you should look at the Swell Scupper images on their site http://www.swellwatercraft.com/gear , looks damn symmetrical to me. It also appears to have a tri-hull design with the outer sections rockered but the center flat.

 

Do you consider the C-14 hi or low profile? It does do some odd things in cross wind but I'm not certain that that isn't due to the waves.

Yes, apparently they changed it. The old Scupper was fish form. Really hard to guess how that hull would perform. I would think the bigger bow would be good in chop and surf, but honestly, you need several months in any kayak to determine that. Handsome is as handsome does. There are always surprises. 

 

I was in a C-14 once. High or low does change with the weight of the occupant.The seat felt extremely high to me and awkward. I didn't like it.  

 

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Huh. That Scupper Pro has none of that big bow of the Swell's version. Wonder what he's thinking? Both those boats look nice to be honest. I do wish the C-14 seat were lower but I've gotten used to it, and I don't go out front, so harbor chop and wakes is most of what I get into. If I didn't have a paddle in my lap to grab and brace I might be less tolerant of it. The hull IS fast! If I had the nerve I'd cut out the back half of the cockpit, carve a new lower seat of foam and glass it in.

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1 hour ago, gellfex said:

Huh. That Scupper Pro has none of that big bow of the Swell's version. Wonder what he's thinking? Both those boats look nice to be honest. I do wish the C-14 seat were lower but I've gotten used to it, and I don't go out front, so harbor chop and wakes is most of what I get into. If I didn't have a paddle in my lap to grab and brace I might be less tolerant of it. The hull IS fast! If I had the nerve I'd cut out the back half of the cockpit, carve a new lower seat of foam and glass it in.

Oh, it does. Heres another pic. Bow is way wider and deeper than the stern.

 

The C-14 has a fine entry bow and a smooth hull. But if you ever got in a Kaskazi, by comparison it would seem slow.  

P1020151.JPG

Edited by kross57
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15 mins ago, kross57 said:

if you ever got in a Kaskazi, by comparison it would seem slow.

I wish I could give that a go! No Kashkazi dealers here. But I don't think I could get myself to take it to my favorite launch, which is nothing but a rocky slope. It's bad enough for the C-14, but a composite boat would suffer. It's one reason I'm jonesing for that poly Swell Scupper.

 

How does fishing a 16' go? I think I'd need rods longer than 7' to work a fish across the bow. 

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