The Vision 150 Sit-in kayak is produced by Current Designs, a company who’s roots are on the West Coast of British Columbia but now along with it’s parent company Wenonah Canoe calls Winona, Minnesota it’s home. Current Designs has been manufacturing kayaks since 1982 and has built it’s reputation from a tradition of creating innovative boats with superior design, performance and construction. It is available it two colors: Red/Smoke (white) and Yellow/Smoke (white) and is sold through finer kayak retailers at a price point of $2455.00.
At First Glance:
“Striking” is the first word that comes to mind when you see this boat. It’s streamlined design and vivid color scheme make it look more like a piece of art than a recreational watercraft. The Vision is 15 feet of glossy swede form (widest behind the cockpit) composite construction that is visually stunning. Its hull transitions from soft chines on the sides into a shallow a V giving it incredible tracking. It is 24 inches at its widest point with a weigh of only 48 lbs. Dry storage can be found both fore and aft. The rear storage measures 16.5 x 11 inches with a 25 gallon capacity and the front measures 10 x 10 inches with a capacity of 14 gallons giving the vision an impressive capacity of 375 lbs. Bungee straps come standard both on the fore and aft decks and the keyhole cockpit sports adjustable thigh braces allowing you to get a custom fit and also solid connectivity to the boat. Inside the cockpit which measures 17.2 inches wide by 35.2 long is a padded adjustable seat that features air channels to keep you cool while you are paddling.
On the Water:
Initial stability in the Vision is excellent, but as soon as you put it in motion it become even more stable. This boat gets up to speed quickly and tracks straighter than an arrow. The boat that we tested was equipped with a retractable skeg, (it is available with a rudder) with it up, the Vision tracks straight, with it down, the Vision tracks like it is on rails.
Even in the wind, the Vision held its track due to the skeg and the low decks incorporated into its design. Maneuvering the Vision was easy, with the skeg up, it turns faster than you would expect a kayak of this length to turn, with it down, it takes a little more effort but the Vision does not dissapoint. This boat was a pleasure to paddle. With the efficient hull design and comfortable seat, you could spend hours in this boat and wonder where the time went. Though efficient and fast, the hull is very forgiving allowing you to increase your skills and expand your envelope.
Pros:
- Excellent hull design
- lightweight
- large capacity
- comfortable seat
- available with skeg or rudder
- Beautiful
- Fast
- Stable
- Maneuvers well
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not for use in white water or rocky areas
Conclusion:
This boat is excellent! For the intermediate paddler who is looking to increase their skills or the experienced paddler who wants a day touring boat that could also take them through a multi-day trip, you would be hard pressed to find a better kayak than the Vision 150. Though it is an expensive boat, if you only paddled smooth or slow flowing water or coastal areas, this is the only boat you would ever need. This is one of the few boats out there that will help provide a lifetime of memories and will most likely last you a lifetime in the process.
Find your headwaters,
Jaucque
The Casual Outdoorsman 