My Tarpon 160 double hatch....my review so far....

So, I finally made the decision to get a "buddy boat"....I chose the Tarpon 160 double hatch. I was fortunate enough to be tipped off by Rick / fendente about one that was for sale at craigslist. So, I called the gentleman (from Morro Bay) and made arrangements to meet at Santa Cruz to make the deal. I've paddled this yak in the past - mainly from Demos done by REI and the Bay area Paddlefest and I was clearly impressed with one thing = the speed and the glide 

As soon as I paid the money, I suited up and met  Tim and Rich on the water just inside the SC Harbor. Got on the Tarpon and away I went  First thing I did not like about the T-160 is that there are no scupper holes on the seat - which means I'll definitely be sitting on water as soon as the waves come over the bow Sure enough, as soon as we paddled past the Harbor mouth, my butt was sitting in a pool  Oh well, coming from a Prowler 15 - I can get used to this  My second complaint was the foot pegs....not as comfortable as the footwells that I had on my P15. I find that having the heel of my foot resting on a footwell is far more comfortable....maybe I can get used to this as well....but I doubt it. If possible, I plan to switch the entire foot bracket with the Hobie Quest kind - it's wider and longer...more comfy for the foot to rest on. Other then the pool of water that my butt    marinates in  and the tiny foot pegs for my hobbit feet .....this yak has potential  As soon as I paddled it (without the use of the rudder at first) it felt light and fast - similar to a Cobra Tourer (which I had paddled in the past) but better when going through the swells. A few paddle strokes on this particular yak goes a looooong way - vey nice . But now it was time for the real test...can uncle Joel side saddle this yak, in open water conditions, unbuckle the rear hatch and grab his 8 ft. rod (fishing rod that is ) without dumping into the water and calling "mayday!" mayday!"  "dumbass overboard!"  ......one minute drum roll and survey says: YEESSSS!!!  Very cool  This is what sold me on this yak - besides the speed of this bad boy  Now, I will no longer stress about not being to stow my stuff. I can simply do it  myself- before doing a suicide landing at Linda Mar, Bean Hollow and Big Sur  I'm sure Capt. Alan Tani will be happy to hear that my Culcutta will no longer see the bottom of the surf 

Part two review with pics coming soon......

Good review.... Joel.  I can totally identify with the pros and cons considering we both own P15's.

Another cool thing about the T-160 DH (double hatch)....

You can easily fit the roleez tires & frame in the front and rear hatch - and still have plenty of room to stow rods, tackle, fish  and more importantly, a rice cooker

I'm also a big fan of this kayaks hatch system - truly water tight. Just like the Prowler 15. While paddling in from the mile bouy at SC, I had swells come over the hatch repeatedly...I opened the hatch at the end of the trip and found no trace of water inside the hull  Not bad for an old second hand kayak (the previous owner was a competitive paddler from Morro bay).

Here is the snap shot of Joel in the T160

Hey Joel,

To tell you the truth, I've never even noticed the watery butt syndrome.  I'll have to pay attention next time out.  Also, I use the foot pegs on the very last setting... the only time they've been uncomfortable was my second trip out on SP Bay.  I left my Teva's on over my waders... that extra inch of overall leg "length" was just enought to KILL my ankles by the end of the day... I've never forgotton to remove them since then.

Anyway, that is one sweeeet ride (salmon trolling machine)... and the color rocks.  As JTF would say, "IMHO, the baddest kayak on the water!"

Backslider

Good job, Joel!  Looks like it's in great shape, too!

Rick

Mooch, you gotta love that storage! I also used the last peg setting on my WS Ride.The thing tracked so well I rarely used the rudder.Any ideas on how your gonna pimp it?

Mooch, you gotta love that storage! I also used the last peg setting on my WS Ride.The thing tracked so well I rarely used the rudder.Any ideas on how your gonna pimp it?

gotta few ideas on paper already - I'll be installing rod holders first and a FF later on...when the money tree starts to grow some leaves again 

...I'll be installing rod holders first and a FF later on...when the money tree starts to grow some leaves again

Does the pimping ever end? After the Lake Sonoma trip, I'm going to make a few refinements to my boat, too. But, wow, you've got a blank slate to work with now. Isn't it fun??? I look forward to seeing your new boat, Mooch--and maybe test paddling it, if your Sugar Mama has those privileges!

Janice aka "Big J"

I like the color of your new ride Joel, seriously, look at this one above.  I love that big ole rod holder in front.  I could run my crab trap ropes through there like a crane!!!

Thats a 160i, in my opinion, an easier yak to pimp, if i had to do mine again, I would put my ff down in the footwell.  Also, some ideas, I want to install a tackle hatch between my legs in my kayak.  a flush mount in front but angled back with a safety line attached to my rod.



Its kind of a trippy idea I have, but I want to be able to watch my rod as I paddle, but have more angle with it pointed straight back, I was thinking that if I had some sort of flush mount, or bazooka tube in that are between the front hatch and the footwell it would be out of the way of my paddle stroke.  I will definately be droppin my ff down to my left footwell area soon.  For those who dont know, theres a little ledge in there in 4" away from the foot. jtf..

blank slate to work with now.

Exactly - it's one of the reasons why I wanted to get this particular yak.

I like the color of your new ride

Thanks! Another reason why this yak was so appealing.

As for pimping:

I plan to get a couple of scotty rod mounts like this instead of installing flush mounts behind the seat. This way. I can angle the rod and have 'em pointed to where I can clearly see the tips of my rod while I'm trolling or simply drifting. When landing on a big surf day, I can simply pull the rod holders out and stuff 'em in the tank well (because I can ).

.....this will be the 2 rod holders that goes behind the seat and into the mounts (excluding the base)

Nice boat Mooch! I think I saw it on craigslist too. Did the guy have two of them on a rack?

Wet butt? yep
If I get wet once, I sit in the rest of the day. I have been thinking of buying an inflatable cushion, if only to raise me an inch out of the seat.

I just mounted this behind the seat. It is so dang adjustable

Hey Alex, regarding your rod holder, does it hold up a rod up even with a 1 pound ball on a sinker release - for salmon trolling? I think it was Kevin that had the same rod holder and he said it wouldn't hold that much weight.....

Hey Alex, regarding your rod holder, does it hold up a rod up even with a 1 pound ball on a sinker release - for salmon trolling? I think it was Kevin that had the same rod holder and he said it wouldn't hold that much weight.....

Good question... besides the weight of the ball... can it handle being hit by a big salmon on the troll.  I wouldn't want my rocket launcher to bend over and have my rod get pulled out.