Do You Remember The Sevylor Tahiti Classic, It Has Been A Very Popular Inflatable Kayak For Years
The Sevylor Tahiti Classic is what comes to most peoples minds when they think Sevylor. This original trend setter of inflatable kayaks is made of special PVC and is the oldest model of all Sevylor boats. This Kayak has traversed the entire length of the Amazon twice. produced since 1963 the Tahiti Classic is a rugged two-person inflatable canoe for hunting and fishing expeditions or just floating down a river.
How Does Its Handle
Now with the Sevylor Tahiti classic you have to first start off knowing up front, that this inflatable kayak does not handle like a hard body kayak. It is close but really it is just a pointy rubber raft, when you really break it down. It can be easily paddled by one or two people to float just like the real thing. Plus an added bonus is learning to work together with your spouse on keeping the kayak straight, this can be an excellent relationship builder.
This Sevylor Tahiti classic should not be taken through anything greater than a class 4 rapid, it is normally stable in this situation, depending upon the skill of the paddler. It rides like a typical rubber raft through crests and holes. It might be fun to play with solo in standing waves, but it would be hard to brace into because there are no foot or heel rests. There is no way to stay in it in a rollover, You’ll just get dumped out.
What Are The Benefits To Owning A Tahiti
On the practical side, it only weighs about 23 pounds and you can own one for around $146.99. It easily makes its way through rough waters, it is made from some very tough PVC and floats high on the water. This boat is very puncture resistant but not puncture proof none of them usually occur on the water, all holes are usually made when transporting it. The Tahiti classic is comfortable to sit in for several hours, is easy to dump water out of, cleans off quickly with just a hose and deflates in a heartbeat to be folded back into the size of a medium suitcase. If you have to carry it any long distance its not a bad idea to look into a folding upright trolley for it. The Tahiti Classic comfortably seats two people, with room for storage in the front and rear of the boat. This space can be filled with a tackle box or a cooler of just a couple of things.
What Are The Pros to Owning A Tahiti Classic
They are rather comfortable and actually make rowing easier. The kayak also has an easy to open and close drain for letting water out of the boat. They have a bright yellow coloring, two specially designed inflatable seats with back support which can be moved around or removed, and it has a tubular I-beam floor. The bow and stern maximum weight capacity is 400 pounds. This boat comes in at a price around $146.99 US which is a steal for this kind of quality. The size of the Tahiti makes it so easy to use and transport it.
With both seats in the boat, there is sufficient room and storage space for two adults and gear. This inflatable kayak is best used for mostly fishing on small lakes, generally if you carry two fishing rods, a gear box, bottled water and other related items you should be fine. In the boat, with the seats in place you have plenty of support and elbow room for paddling.
What Are The Cons Of Owning A Tahiti Classic
There is not to much bad to say about the Sevylor Tahiti classic. It fulfills it’s specific purpose, which is that of a inexpensive quality beginner boat. But the downfall for some is the small size. You can get the Tahiti in a slightly longer model if it is too small which is the K109, it is about 12′8″ but otherwise identical to the Sevylor K79 Tahiti, the most common. If the Tahiti is not enough space to suit your needs the best raft for large size groups would be the Sevylor Super Caravelle. The Tahiti does not include paddles, so you will want to purchase them as well.It doesn’t track well, but nor is it supposed to it’s a white water boat that is intended to be able to turn on a dime, which it does.
Can You Customize And Modify The Tahiti
Tahiti with shown with optional skeg
When the optional skeg is installed, it makes a big difference. Something you might want to try is make a 75cm long by 20cm deep skeg fin to strap to the underside of the hull. After doing the necessary adjustments, the Tahiti will track excellent. You could even go as far to say that it tracks better than a hard shell Kayak, if you build a homemade fin.
If the seats are giving you a hard time you can try to kneel to paddle, as if you sit on the floor, you will sink into it and find that your legs are a few inches higher than your hips. So you are basically trying to paddle while holding a crunch, it can be not fun to say the least. Kneeling can be a very comfortable alternative though.
One thing to consider if you are going to take your Sevylor Tahiti Classic in direct sunlight a lot, the PVC will expand and you will lose air pressure in the side chambers. Don’t try to add more air when this happens, you will stretch the PVC and weaken it. The reason for the yellow Tahiti color is that color reflects more sunlight than the green one, so it is slightly less susceptible to this little problem. It can’t be stated enough that the Sevylor Tahiti Classic is a great deal for the price you pay.