*Day 58 - Delsyk Design 'Nifty 430'

Surf's up. That's why I got up at 5:00 this morning in order to get to the beach for a sunrise session before work. A relatively low tide allowed me to get in to one of my favorite spots where glassy smooth waist to head high waves kept me and one other guy on a long board entertained for over an hour. Having so many waves to share with only one other person gave me quite a work out and I finally had to leave when I started feeling a bit tired and sloppy on the waves. I happened to be in my Mega "Air Force" surf kayak but that's not important because that's not the boat I reviewed today.

We still have the truck full of kayaks left here by one of our friends to try out so I had every intention to get back on the water after work tonight to give another one of them a go. That was until I rolled in to the parking lot at Aqua Adventures this morning and found my friend Greg hanging out with his boat on top of his truck. Apparently Greg was so excited about the coastal tour Jane has scheduled with the San Diego Kayak Club on June 20th that he decided to show up, ready to go, a full week early. Not wanting to leave Greg all dressed up with no place to go I figured it was the perfect excuse to squeeze in another hour paddle before I had to be to work.

This time I grabbed the 'Nifty 430' from the truck and we paddled out the jetty and around the OB Pier and back. Mercifully Greg slowed down a bit in his Ikkuma so I could keep up in the 14 foot long boat, but even then we still held a comfortable 4 mph pace. The Nifty 430 is designed by Mike Neckar who is the founder of Necky kayaks and operated the business before it was bought out by Johnson Outdoors. To look at the boat it's not hard to see the familiar lines and multi chine hull so common on Necky boats. This boat has ample rocker making it quite maneuverable, add plenty of width and you get a lot of confidence-inspiring initial stability. With the multi chine hull edging is smooth and easy to hold resulting in easy turning. I didn't have trouble keeping the boat going straight without the rudder but anybody who does need it will appreciate the Sea Dog rudder system that comes with the boat. These easy to adjust 'gas pedal' style rudder controls offer a solid base to push on and excellent control of the rudder with a tip of the toe.

This boat is somewhat simple in its no frills trimmings as compared to the tricked out fancy outfitting that come with the kayaks manufactured by the big name companies today. But anybody that can appreciate a good handling boat, and can pass on luxurious bells and whistles, should consider this kayak.

Nifty 430 Review

Manufacturer = Delsyk Design
Brand = Delsyk Design
Model = Nifty 430
Type = Touring
Material = Plastic
Length = 14'-0"
Width = 24"
Weight = 58 lbs.

Location = Ocean Beach Pier loop
Time = 7:20 AM
Distance = 4.58 miles
Duration = 1:03
Avg Speed = 4.3 mph
Conditions = Partly cloudy and nice