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SOLD - WS Tempest 180 Prokayak,

N

NWimport

Paddler
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
29
Location
Seattle Wa
Like new WS Tempest 180 fiberglass. For the larger paddlers 210 pounds and up.
18’ length-23” beam-13” desk- 36x20 cockpit. Compass and glass keel strip added. Very efficient touring boat with lots of storage space. Dry hatches with Kajaksport covers. Thr seating is among the most adjustable on the market.
A joy to paddle especially in the lumpy water. It bounces one way then back the other. Hardly any corrective strokes needed. Skeg works great but you won’t need it as it has an extended keel hull that tracks so well. The boat just goes where you’re looking. I live on a lake so a test paddle is possible. Another excuse for me to get on the water!
Asking $1850
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For what it's worth, the WS Tempest 180 Pro is a good kayak. I teach lessons and I can stick any new paddler who is feeling a bit nervous into this kayak and it'll feel rock solid for them. Yet I can carve a nice edged turn, it does a decent job in rougher water, and I have zero issues rolling her. It has a huge carrying capacity, a couple years ago I packed for 10 days and carried a dutch oven with me. I've had mine everywhere from Lake Superior to Surge Narrows to Reindeer Lake. There's no doubt that it's a big kayak, but for anyone over 200 lbs or so, &/or who is packing for an expedition, this is a very good option. I've never had trouble keeping up to anyone else in my kayak, while I'm certain it's not the fastest kayak, it seems to do OK.

Unfortunately Wilderness Systems stopped making fiberglass kayaks this year so get this kayak while you can! I own the 180 and 165 in fiberglass, and the 170 plastic. The fiberglass Tempests are great; the plastic kayak is a bit of a beast weight-wise. WS did have some quality control issues when they moved their manufacturing around several years ago, so check that the bottom of the hull isn't overly flexible for your liking. If the kayak has QC issues, it'll probably show it by now.

Cheers,
Bryan
 
Hi Bryan. You have 3 Tempests so I guess you like them. As to quality control issues. Yes, they were a mixed bag for a while when they were built in China but this one was the new manufacturing in Estonia and it's flawless. I bought it from George at Kayak Acadamy here in Seattle.

He said on his website that he quit selling the glass boats because of poor quality but then brought them back after they moved. He told me these new ones were rock solid and he's been correct. I know him to be an honest man because I had wanted to buy another brand that was quite a bit more money. He told me he thought I would be a better fit for the Tempest and it would suit me better which it did.
I had taken lessons from him and he had put me in a Tempest. Coming from an 11 foot rec boat it felt like a beast when I first got it on the water! But by the end of the day, I had gotten to like it.

Boat purchase #1.

I never did go on any camping or multiday trips so decided I now needed a play boat. At least that's what I told myself after seeing an NDK Romany at the paddlefest in Port Angelus. As luck would have it a storm blew in overnight and the water was churned up the next morning, just the ticket to put the NDK through its paces.
It was love at first paddle.

Boat purchase #2.

Then I decided I needed an easy to handle plastic boat to practice rescues, to introduce friends to kayaking and to herd grandkids who were now paddling. I saw a Dagger Stratos 14.5L at George's and it fit like a glove.

Boat purchase #3.

Most recently I made the mistake of browsing Sterling's website just to see what he had. I had met him at a paddlefest here in the Seattle area a few years ago. He told me a little about his boats and invited me to come up to see his shop in Bellingham. I knew his boats were a lot of coin so didn't pursue the idea.
Lately, I had noticed more and more of the better-known area paddlers posting videos on YouTube extolling the virtues of Sterlings so I started looking into them more closely.

I saw a demo Grand Illusion on sale so went up and paddled it and loved it. I really loved the 47-pound weight and how easy it was to car top. It cut water and tracked as well as my Tempest, and it maneuvered almost as well as the Romany. And it weighs less than my Stratos. So I told the Bride if I could have it I'd sell the Tempest and the Romany. The only downside is it costs almost what the first two boats together did!

Boat purchase #4.

Now I have to reluctantly keep my word.
 
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