I had been thinking about purchasing another kayak, so friends and family can join me. Here is a link to some of the research that I have done:
Kayak Comparison Discussion (West Coast Paddler Discussion Forum)
In the end, a used P&H Scorpio came on the Kijiji at a good deal, so I purchased it.
I was doing some quick comparisons between the two ships. Even after I moved the seat back a bit the cockpit of the Scorpio seems more confined compared to the Tempest. I like the cockpit of the Tempest, it seems roomy and comfortable. The stern hull is deeper on the Tempest, so the storage difference might be a wash since the Scorpio is wider in the stern. I find the choice of geometry on the boats intriguing. The Scorpio being overall wider and shallower while the Tempest is narrower and deeper. The position of the thigh braces seem at an odd angle in the Scorpio - even after taking those apart and adjusting the position (lengthwise) I couldn't change the angle and those seem to dig into my thighs rather flow around the thigh. The better foot-peg system goes to the Scorpio for its ingenious locking mechanism. On my Tempest when I roll, the foot pegs have come out and moved out of position because those are kept in place by gravity - a poor design. I note the 2015 Tempests have a new foot peg system that locks in place - I will have to rig a locking mechanism for my Tempest.
I took the Scorpio out for a test paddle this morning and here is my experience based on a comparison to the Tempest:
The Scorpio has about the same initial stability as the Tempest - maybe just a bit more. Secondary stability is similar to the Tempest. The one noticeable difference is that it is easier to turn the Scorpio. I am very pleased with how the ship paddles. At first I was worried that the the cockpit of the Scorpio would be too tight but it is about right for me - 5'11" 150 lbs (68 kg, 180 cm). I also worried about tracking but the skeg doesn't fully retract into the skeg box which is probably a good thing and keeps the ship tracking straight. In that configuration,tracking was pretty much the same as the Tempest. Speed wise very close to being the same but maybe the edge goes to the Scorpio (or was that just a burst of energy I had this morning).
The one downside was that I could not get the rear hatch on - tried for 10 minutes, it was just too tight. Perhaps it needs to be warmer outside but that is worrisome.
Addendum: I have tried rolling the Scorpio and it is difficult - much harder than the Tempest. The flat contour of the hull makes it difficult to roll.
Kayak Comparison Discussion (West Coast Paddler Discussion Forum)
In the end, a used P&H Scorpio came on the Kijiji at a good deal, so I purchased it.
I was doing some quick comparisons between the two ships. Even after I moved the seat back a bit the cockpit of the Scorpio seems more confined compared to the Tempest. I like the cockpit of the Tempest, it seems roomy and comfortable. The stern hull is deeper on the Tempest, so the storage difference might be a wash since the Scorpio is wider in the stern. I find the choice of geometry on the boats intriguing. The Scorpio being overall wider and shallower while the Tempest is narrower and deeper. The position of the thigh braces seem at an odd angle in the Scorpio - even after taking those apart and adjusting the position (lengthwise) I couldn't change the angle and those seem to dig into my thighs rather flow around the thigh. The better foot-peg system goes to the Scorpio for its ingenious locking mechanism. On my Tempest when I roll, the foot pegs have come out and moved out of position because those are kept in place by gravity - a poor design. I note the 2015 Tempests have a new foot peg system that locks in place - I will have to rig a locking mechanism for my Tempest.
I took the Scorpio out for a test paddle this morning and here is my experience based on a comparison to the Tempest:
The Scorpio has about the same initial stability as the Tempest - maybe just a bit more. Secondary stability is similar to the Tempest. The one noticeable difference is that it is easier to turn the Scorpio. I am very pleased with how the ship paddles. At first I was worried that the the cockpit of the Scorpio would be too tight but it is about right for me - 5'11" 150 lbs (68 kg, 180 cm). I also worried about tracking but the skeg doesn't fully retract into the skeg box which is probably a good thing and keeps the ship tracking straight. In that configuration,tracking was pretty much the same as the Tempest. Speed wise very close to being the same but maybe the edge goes to the Scorpio (or was that just a burst of energy I had this morning).
The one downside was that I could not get the rear hatch on - tried for 10 minutes, it was just too tight. Perhaps it needs to be warmer outside but that is worrisome.
Addendum: I have tried rolling the Scorpio and it is difficult - much harder than the Tempest. The flat contour of the hull makes it difficult to roll.