– Submitted By Gary Ribet
I own Froggy Waters Outdoors, a Kayak Fishing Guide Service based in Concord, NC. We take people out fishing to find the kayak that best suits their needs. I have been asked about the NuCanoe line recently, so I decided to look into it myself. At first glance, the Pursuit looked great. And the Frontier looked very capable. We decided to start with the Pursuit. I finally got it out on the water for a go, and I can say it was an excellent choice. We are very happy with it so far.
Everyone has read the same reviews and watched the same video. A lot of times it is someone who is Pro Staff or a company rep. Or a new guy so it is always the best kayak ever made. Fortunately for you guys, I am not that guy. Froggy Waters is completely independent and we only use our association with the companies to be able to provide clients with the products, and to show and explain the features of the units to those interested. So here is my take on the Pursuit:
My ratings (out of 5)
Layout – 5
Comfort – 5
Stability – 4
Weight – 3
Value – 5
The kayak is stable very stable. Not barge stable, but very comfortable to move around on . It is dry and well laid-out. A lot of kayaks get wet in the floor as you paddle – this did not. For the first trip we went outside the box. Everyone knows that this is built for flat water so that is a no Brainer. But how does it do in a river? Well? It did very well. I paddled 1.5 miles upstream and through a rapid against a 300 cfs current and 10~15 mph head wind. Now I set no records but it did do it quicker than I imagined. It also drafted shallower than I expected.
The rod tubes seemed to be a dream in the over hangs as my rods were out of the trees. Not the best place to set them when you are using them; in between casts laying in the lap works better. Another huge thing I was impressed with was when I positioned the kayak it held that position. If I pointed the kayak at 3 o’clock headed down river it maintained that drift. Even in the wind – which is awesome in helping newbies in boat control.
Now for the real deal – the downfalls. She is a lake boat, she does not turn on a dime or with minimal effort. You earn it. Like I said, this was a test in an out-of-place scenario but this may or may not apply to where you plan on using yours. It is just a fact. She is heavy. You feel it when you paddle, the nose rides lower than I am accustomed to. I thought I could shift my weight to the rear and bring the bow up. So far I have had minimum chances to try it, so that may change with trial and error. And at low 80’s for the weight it is hard to handle without side handles. I have a solution but I have some more research to do before we go to drilling holes. But I feel confident we have it resolved.