Is a Sekat (Now Cobra Tourer) any good for newbies

[Rodt68]

G'Day All,

Haven't yet managed to get into a yak (just missed out on a couple ) but have been continuing to search / research etc. Have come across a Cobra Tourer that appears to be a pretty good price < $500 and having done a bit of research on here and elsewhere they appear to have pretty good reviews. They also seem to be very capable of handling us 'larger' gentleman

My questions are the same as previous in that are they any good for newbies and are there any things i should be wary of other than signs of visible damage?

Cheers

Rod

[Seasherpa]

Have come across a Cobra Tourer that appears to be a pretty good price < $500 and having done a bit of research on here and elsewhere they appear to have pretty good reviews. They also seem to be very capable of handling us 'larger' gentleman
My questions are the same as previous in that are they any good for newbies and are there any things i should be wary of other than signs of visible damage?

Cobra's are well made yaks I've had one and so has Kieran. I'm not sure I'd agree that the tourer is made to handle larger gentlemen. It probably depends on how large large is. Out of the cobra range it is sleek and quick not really designed for load carrying. It is slightly wider than say the expedition moodel, which is essentially a plastic surf ski but not a yak big on primary by any means. out of the Cobra models, the fishndive is probably more what you are after, not for the fishing but for the footprint. Much wider and not much shorter.

[Rodt68]

Thanks for the reply. Interesting, the guy who is looking to sell has told me up to 230kg and that he has two people on it in the past.
I managed to find specs on here and elsewhere that put it at
Specs:
Cobra Tourer:
Length: 4.6m
Width: 711mm
Weight: 23kgs
Capacity 216kgs.

Would I be looking at a different one or are there more than one Tourer?

By larger I am at 130kgs and this seemed to fit the bill. Read somewhere that it can also depend on where the person's size is also and the rear end is not the problem so thought this may suit.

A bit confused now on if i should proceed. It is located about 4 hours drive away so can't just go for a quick look and would like to be fairly confident it is a good option before I decide to go and look.

Cheers

Rod

[laneends]

Carrying capacity is a function of enclosed hull volume. The long length gives it the capacity. The width will affect the "tippy" feeling. The width of this is between a hobie quest13 and the revo 16. A 16 would be thought of as tippy for a novice, the quest would be classified as stable, even for a biggish bloke.

The dimensions of the one you are talking about would depend on your confidence in balancing, especially being bigger. You may not be able to get used to it. On the other hand you could love it as a true yakking feel to it. As a first yak it is probably a bit of a gamble.

Keep in mind a yak used simply for yakking is different to one to fish from where you are often distracted and move about on more. Not forgetting the consequence of tipping is more than just getting wet.

[Seasherpa]

Thanks for the reply. Interesting, the guy who is looking to sell has told me up to 230kg and that he has two people on it in the past.
I managed to find specs on here and elsewhere that put it at
Width: 711mm
Capacity 216kgs.

By larger I am at 130kgs and this seemed to fit the bill. Read somewhere that it can also depend on where the person's size is also and the rear end is not the problem so thought this may suit.

A bit confused now on if i should proceed. It is located about 4 hours drive away so can't just go for a quick look and would like to be fairly confident it is a good option before I decide to go and look.

Sorry to make it harder for you Rod but there is more to feeling comfortable in your boat than just the payload figure, and even those are calculated in different ways depending on the manufacturer. It can mean the load weight that the kayak will still perform acceptably at or it can mean the 'still floating' figure.
To oversimplify things, this is what you should be considering:
-length of kayak gives you speed
-width of kayak gives you (primary) stability
Starting out most people want a good combination of the two.
The other consideration is secondary stability (the ability to roll side to side without going over) Most beginners don't like this in a boat and will describe it as the boat feeling 'tippy'. The reason I was suggesting that the tourer may not suit you is that it is a skinny boat for someone of your build to start out in and if you are top heavy the boat might feel tippy. Not to say it can't be done but it will be a learning curve and you will need to get used to it. I'm around 100kg and paddle a 67cm wide boat but have worked my way in from boats 90cm wide with high primary stability. If you are top heavy and want the boat to feel very stable you will need more width, while still keeping some length so that you can paddle around and cover ground.

By comparison if you were looking at a pedal kayak, at your build most people would probably tell you that you would feel more comfortable in a Hobie PA 14 over say a Hobie Revo 13. If you Google pictures of them both you'll see what I mean. Essentially I think you are looking for the same considerations but unfortunately extra width makes kayaks harder to paddle which is probably why you are finding it difficult to find a good paddle yak that fits the bill perfectly.

At the end of the day a cobra for less than $500 is a bargain, if you go for a look and find it isnt for you then keep an eye out for these two on the second hand market:
Malibu Pro Explorer
Cobra FnD
A Jackson would also fit the bill but would be well above your intended budget.

[Rodt68]

Thanks Guys appreciate all the wisdom .

Don't apologise as everytime I ask a question I am learning something additional and new which is great for me. He is keen to sell it and has indicated that he would let it go for $400 (may even have more negotiation).

As I have no intention at this stage going anywhere that is rough or remote it may still be an option and as you say I will have to learn to get used to it. Now that I understand the issue of primary stability I can confine myself to shallow easy water until I do. I will keep searching for the models you have indicated (in the event that this one doesn't work out) and i will eventually get something that is not basic rubbish that appears to be prevalent in the market nowadays. I will then be able to introduce myself properly in the intro section

Cheers

Rod

[Hvalross]

I'm going to throw another spanner the works. Look at the original sell price of a target Kayak, its a very good indicator of quality in addition to all of the above. Approach ANY second hand yak with this uppermost in your mind : why is it for sale .....why is it cheap, and how long has it been advertised for.
Crap yaks take longer to sell, at this time of the year most of the Summer joy rider mugs are out of the race so selling rubbish takes longer.
If you buy an unsuitable yak, how long will it take to resell and how much will you get for it.

Finally DO NOT buy a yak that you can't try out, unless you have already had a paddle in one and KNOW how it performs. A good keel or excellent rudder is essential when you start, if you need to learn balance with a tippy yak and then have to learn to paddle in a straight line at the same time you are NOT going to have much fun with it from the start.

I think most folks here would rather see you get into the sport safely in a yak that is forgiving from the start so you can learn in safety.

[Rodt68]

Thanks Mate good advice .

Pretty much the basis of my whole potential purchase is that if it is something that doesn't suit me then i haven't gone into it for a lot of $$$$. Trying to line that up with not getting rubbish is proving to be the difficult / challenging part.

Will see how it all goes.

Cheers

Rod

[laneends]

Thanks Mate good advice .

Pretty much the basis of my whole potential purchase is that if it is something that doesn't suit me then i haven't gone into it for a lot of $$$$. Trying to line that up with not getting rubbish is proving to be the difficult / challenging part.

Will see how it all goes.

Cheers

Rod

At $500 as long as it is sound you wont be wasting your money if its not what you want. You dont normally get a lot for $500.

[Rodt68]

G'Day again, Still on the hunt as haven't yet been able to complete a good enough deal on the Tourer. Have come across a Scrambler XT not too far from home (asking $220). Most reviews seem to be from the US so am wondering if these are absolute rubbish or if they have merit. Apparently due to holes (scuppers ??) and low centre of gravity you get a wet rear end everytime you hop in them.

Thoughts? and thanks in advance

Rod