I visited San Diego Kayak Adventures new shop for the grand opening today, enjoyed some fish tacos from Uni Goop’s Tommy Gomes, and got a tour of the newly revamped Tarpon 140 by Eric; Wilderness System’s California Sales Rep.

While I have always been partial to the Tarpon’s paddling abilities (it is the fastest SOT in the water), the outfitting has left something to be desired. The new boats have addressed most of what has been lacking in the outfitting department. The old style tupperware hatches have been replaced with integrated hinged plastic hatches with cam locks for a good seal. The old miniature hatch in front of the seat has been replaced with a larger hatch hinged, and the rear hatch has been removed in favor of a larger tankwell.

Wilderness Systems has redesigned the lines of the boat, adding volume to the bow, cutting down on the current models tendency to knife through waves and chop. The added volume has raised the weight capacity of the boat to 400 lbs. They added the Phase 3 outfitting (the same system that is in their sit-inside yaks) to the Tarpon line. This raises the seating a bit above the newly integrated scupper holes in the bottom of the seat. I am curious how it affects the initial stability of the boat. Under the seat is a molded tray, that looks perfect to hold a small tackle box. This new seating system appears incredibly comfortable. The rails have an aluminum channel molded into them, allowing d-rings and other accessories to be mounted and slid along the rail. The front center features a long awaited cup holder, and flat panel are molded into the riser that used to be shaped to hold a bilge pump. This will allow for more mounting options. Eric also let me know that they were developing a raised crossbar that will slide into the channel and allow for a myriad of mounting options.

While I did not have the opportunity to paddle the boat, but I was assured that it paddled as well as the current boats. The lines are still sleek, and have that sea kayak pedigree that make the Tarpon a padlder’s Sit-On-Top. They are expecting to start shipping the new models in September, with stock arriving at San Diego Kayak Adventures sometime in October.

Acouple of places on the web with images of the new boat:

Confluence Watersport’s website

Austin Kayak