Day 4 - Wilderness Systems "Tempest 170" plastic

The luck of the draw put me in the Tempest 170 this morning. I didn't get my fill of the surf yesterday so I grabbed a helmet and headed out to Dog Beach to play in the waves. Most of the waves were small which gave me a chance to practice bracing and maneuvering in the soup. A couple bigger sets did sneak in which provided a little extra excitement as went almost entirely airborne off the back sides of a few very steep waves. The Tempest 170 is a pretty quick boat even in the plastic version I was able to easily cruise at over 5mph this morning. On edge the kayak is very stable and maneuverable. I prefer the fit of the smaller Tempest 165 for rough water paddling but the 170's slightly looser feel is more comfortable for a long haul. I had the same boat on LA Bay in Baja last February guiding a high school group from New Hampshire. While on the five day trip the boat handled all of my gear (and a fair amount of the kid's gear) with ease. I was impressed how well it handled fully loaded as well. If someone is looking for a boat that would perform well as a playful day tripper and still pull off a longer camping trip from time to time I think the Tempest 170 would be a great boat to consider.

Note: I re-visited the Tempest 170 later today when I did a quick after work paddle with a friend Mike Franklin who is a professional photographer that does amazing work. He has a couple cool ideas for slide/video clips that will be fun include so watch for those. We did a quick paddle out around the buoy enjoying the sunset. He snapped a few quick photos one of which is my profile picture.


Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tempest 170
Material = Plastic
Length = 17'-0"
Width = 22"
Weight = 56 lbs.
Capacity = 325 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay channel to Dog Beach
Time = 7:00 AM
Duration = 1:01
Distance = 4.54 miles
Avg. Speed = 4.5 mph*
Conditions = 1' surf with occasional 3-4'
Activity = Surf zone practice**

* Avg. speed reflects time spent playing in waves my average cruising speed was about 5 mph and top speed on a wave 12.8 mph.
** Please get professional instruction in surf zone dynamics and kayak handling before taking kayaks in the surf.

*Day 55 - Wilderness Systems 'Tempest 165'

At Aqua Adventures the plastic Tempest 165 has begun to be refereed to as "Otto's Boat". This is the boat of choice for the 15 year old budding Greenland skills aficionado for most of his paddling and rolling practice. It's also the boat Otto used to viciously attack my Anas Acuta a couple weeks ago. You can tell that Otto is the one who usually uses the boat by the fact that the hip pads are firmly attached in the cockpit to keep his skinny rear from sliding all over the seat. It was the luck of the draw that put me in the Tempest for the Wednesday Morning Paddle and I squeezed my (not as skinny) rear into the seat being a bit too lazy to remove the hip pads. The trip went off without any big surprises and when we arrived back at the dock Tim, from my home state of Wisconsin, was already there anxiously awaiting the private lesson we had scheduled at 9:00.

The Tempest 165 edges turns very well which is one of the things I wanted to work on with Tim so I stayed with it for the lesson. Good edge turns and respectable speed are two of the things that make the Tempest 165 worth considering. It also comes with the famously comfortable seat and outfitting system that Wilderness boats are becoming known for. Like I've said about Tempests before, it's hard to beat one of these boats for out-of-the-box fit and comfort.

Tempest 165 Review

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tempest 165
Material = Plastic
Length = 16'-6"
Width = 21.5"
Weight = 56 lbs.
Capacity = 300 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - Wed AM Paddle and Private lesson in Quivira Basin
Time = 7:00 AM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 1:30 then 2:00
Avg Speed = N/A
Conditions = Mostly cloudy and nice

*Day 46 - Wilderness Systems 'Tempest 165 Pro'

Today I had the pleasure of going on the water for a private lesson with 12 year old Jeremiah who just finished up his 5th grade year and came down from the Lake Tahoe area to spend the month of June visiting his grandparents here in San Diego. By the end of our hour and a half lesson Jeremiah had mastered all of the basic strokes and a few capsize recovery techniques as well. The way he picked things up I almost didn't believe him when he told me that he had never paddled a thing before today. Like so many kids, he didn't need instruction so much as a boat, a paddle and someone to look after him. Gotta love working with kids. Today Jeremiah paddled the kid sized Tsunami SP while I followed along in the Tempest 165 Pro.

When I'm looking for an easy handling boat but want a little more speed the Tempest 165 is the boat I often go for. Once again the seat, hip pad, and thigh brace systems are hard to beat for 'out of the box' fit and comfort. The 165 is the smaller version of the Tempest 180 and 170 I reviewed earlier and, unlike the other two, this kayak fits me quite well. Because of that good fit, for me, the 165 is the best handling boat of the three. Anybody larger than me at 5'-10" may start to feel cramped in the 165 but any smaller paddler looking for a swift and nimble ride should certainly give it a try.

Tempest 165 Pro Review

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tempest 165 Pro
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 16'-6"
Width = 21.5"
Weight = 56 lbs.
Capacity = 300 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - Private lesson in Quivira Basin
Time = 2:00 PM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 1:30
Avg Speed = N/A
Conditions = Mostly cloudy and breezy

Day 10 - Wilderness Systems 'Tempest 180 Pro'

Whew... this is a big boat! Certainly designed for someone with a bigger frame than me, but it fit me well enough for a quick cruise around the bay. I've yet to find a series of boats that has a more comfortable "out-of-the-box" fit than the Tempests. The upholstered seat pad with adjustable under leg thigh support and padded thigh pads under the deck make this a very comfortable ride. It seems like many 'brit boat' purists turn up their noses at this American designed kayak but after trying one out they have to admit that it is nice to paddle. Putting this 18 foot giant on edge is all it took to weave gracefully under the dock pilings in the marina. With it's length and extra free board with my light weight in it I did experience weather cocking with quartering winds, but rather than drop the skeg, all it took was a little edging and the boat stayed on track with ease. A comfortable cruising speed of five mph. allowed me to explore the far north end of the bay at the Catamaran Resort before returning to open the doors at Aqua Adventures this morning. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this boat any person in the 6'plus 180lb or more size range that is interested in an easy handling sporty boat.

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tempest 180 Pro
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 18'
Width = 23"
Weight = 64 lbs.
Capacity = 400 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - To the Catamaran Resort and back
Time = 6:00 AM
Distance = 6.33 miles
Duration = 1:16
Avg Speed = 4.99 mph
Conditions = Partly cloudy and breezy