Steve W

Thanks for that. I've never used stoppers before and the fit took me by surprise. I guess there is some leeway in sizing if you are using mediums since the smalls seem to fit and also to be listed online for the Pro. I only want stoppers for river paddling, especially since the Scupper Pro has a permanently wet seat, I would never use them at sea. The tank one will help to keep my lunch dry! Cheers, Steve W

I need to keep the seat and tank of my Scupper Pro dry when on the river. OK don't list stopper sizes for the Scupper Pro anymore but I found some mention online that the tank uses Extra Small and the cockpit Small. Nucleus sent me some Small stoppers which seem to be OKay for the tank but poke out of the bottom of the boat rather alarmingly when used in the cockpit. What size are other Scupper Pro paddlers using and do they normally stick out so far below the hull? Thanks in anticipation, Steve W

Hi Folks, I haven't been on here for ages, not since I confessed to enjoying the paddling more than the fishing in fact. I've had a lovely time with my Caper but I'm thinking about a bit more speed for touring this year and I really like the look of the Scupper Pro. I have been a kayaker for donkey's years but appreciated the stability of the Caper which has allowed me to go solo in some quite challenging conditions. Do you think I would notice a big decrease in stability if I switched to the Scupper? Does it ride over waves cleanly without slapping down on them from a great height? I live in Suffolk and always buy from Nucleus Watersports. Before I ring them, does anyone know if they do part exchange? Does anyone in East Anglia have a Scupper I could try? Bit cheeky I know but you guys are the experts! Cheers, Steve

Hi Folks, I haven't been on here for ages. I bought the OK Caper in the end but loved it so much I haven't actually been fishing for over a year. My paddling is usually done at the end of a long portage over concrete or tarmac so I needed a basic trolley. I used wood (because that's all I can work with) 14cm diameter lawnmower wheels and a length of studding as an axle. Dowels go through the scuppers and hooks on the dowel ends allow a piece of shock-cord to link across once it is in place. Fortunately, it fits in the forward hatch. Now to try to attach some photos, this was always a baffling ordeal in the old days. Steve

Sorry guys, finger trouble!

Thanks Newt. If I ever catch a fish I'll do just that!

Hi Folks. I finally got my Caper wet at Felixstowe this morning - just getting to know how it handles and doing some self-rescues. It was rather breezier than I had expected with the wind straight along the beach and giving some surf, white caps and swell. I must say I was very impressed with the way it handled, even beam-on to the sea. I wouldn’t have dared to do that in my conventional sea kayak. I wanted to anchor for the rescues but obviously haven’t drilled any holes yet. So I took my dinghy anchor and chain and attached my reel of 4mm line to it. I put the anchor over the side and let out enough line then I pushed a loop of the line through one of the attachment eyelets on the gunwale and pulled a big enough loop through to fit the line reel into. As the line went taut it gripped the reel and held the line firm. To keep the boat’s bow into the sea I undid the forward hatch retaining buckle and then re-did it over the line so routeing it forward. It worked like a charm and, if I had got into trouble, it would have been very quick to release. As Newt suggests, I will attach a float to the reel and make sure the end of the line is secured to it. I will use a quick-release clip attached to a rear securing point if I want to route it aft and can use any of the central attachment loops to secure it amidships. I’m not sure I will bother with any special rigging on the boat. I hope this makes sense, as with so many on this forum I haven’t the faintest idea how to attach photos! P.S. At the risk of an Emporer's New Clothes moment, what is the car in Artfulfisher's post all about?

I collected my shiny new Caper from Nucleus Watersports (Clacton) today - being a member of the British Canoe Union I got a 10% discount, very handy! Now I need to locate a suitable box or crate for the rear storage well. Does anyone have any suggestions?

My Fladen vest arrived this morning due to excellent service from UK Fishing Tackle. It looks great and the waist belt is good for adjusting the size depending on whether you are over or under-dressed. It might be a bit long in the body for use as a kayak touring buoyancy aid but I reckon it's perfect for fishing. One thing though, I will replace the free whistle with one with a bit more ooomph.

Thanks Ian. Would you order me an orange XL vest please? Cheers.

I thought that was the Ocean Kayaks Comfort Pro backrest used for the Caper. But I've been wrong before!

Thanks Ian. I had planned to get an orange one for conspicuity and long exposure to UV.

Thanks Prowler. How much buoyancy does it have? Also, any clues on sizing? By bare chest is 40in but 42in when I gasp as I hit the cold water! Would the Large do for me do you think? Cheers. Steve W

Does anyone have experience of the Fladen flotation vest? When kayaking I want as many pockets on my buoyancy aid as I can get and that comes very expensive. The photos of these vests look ideal and the price is about half of what I would normally pay. Steve W

Interesting thread on clothing. I have never even sat on a sit-on-top but I have done a lot of sea kayaking. I never wore a wetsuit unless I was alone on the basis that I only needed it if in the water for a prolonged period. Wetsuits were always 2-piece shorts and vest because a full day bent forward and paddling in a 1-piece was too much like hard work. Self rescue seems to be straight forward in these craft so I would tend to go for layers of quick drying and windproof clothing. One guy I paddled with in Devon always had a pair of diving fins on his rear deck, if he was alone and capsized he just swam to shore with the boat in tow. Cheers Steve W

Fantastic feedback yet again chaps. You're absolutely right, I've just got to try them out. Cheers Steve W

Thanks guys. I'm off to Bradwell in Essex for a couple of days in the morning so I'll keep mulling it over. I suppose actually seeing some boats will help. Cheers Steve W

Having found that there are no Capers local to me to try out, imagine my surprise sitting at traffic lights in my truck today when a brand new yellow one went by on someone's roof! It looked rather short and fat to me (compared to my expedition kayak) and got me wondering which OK model to go for. I still hope to get to see Starvin's boats this summer but in the meantime: I weigh 13 and a half stone, intend fishing with only one rod, not too far offshore in relatively benign conditions. I won't take a passenger and don't need the option of camping trips because of my other boats. Storing the Caper would be less of a problem but I see you all going for the Prowler which looks fantastic. I also note some comments about flexing and leaks. So, any thoughts on what I should go for? Can someone measure a Caper for me, if I stored it on edge between my shed and the wall, how wide would that gap need to be? Cheers, Steve W.

Thanks for the feedback chaps, I think there will be many questions to come. It seems that there are dealers locally who can help me but they are not keen on demo boats so I may have to take you up on your offer Starvin. How about I contact you off-forum and build a trip south into one of my 'adventures of the month?' Thanks again, Steve W.

Hi folks. New boy here in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. I am a 46 year old kayaker and all-round outdoor type who was thinking about trying sea angling again after a 30 year lay-off when I stumbled upon your sport. What a well-organised crowd you are, I've already learned a ton of info in one day's surfing. Are any of you located in East Anglia? I would love to see a rigged-out boat and discuss the potential of the Suffolk coast. I also get the impression that the sellers of Ocean Kayaks are some distance away and I would want to try some demo boats before buying. Thanks for listening and looking forward to a fruitful relationship. Steve W.