Viking Espri Kayak Review - Best recreational kayak

[@2ndchanceinlife]

Awesome review! Makes me happy that I got mine. I love me kayak too.

[@Drostvideo]

Looks like a great kayak..love the shots on the ocean..I thought you would use ocean kayaks for that ..don't see any Vikings in Dicks Sporting Goods (USA)

[@Arnaudhu]

Hi, thanks for the review, this will be my first and future kayak for me here in French Polynesia! :)

[@PaddleGuy1]

your welcome and awesome - how do you get one into your country?

[@Arnaudhu]

@@PaddleGuy1 hi! A store called Nautisport sell them, they have many models, ozzy, lagoon, profish, 2+1... and prices are goods (rare in Tahiti lol). I just picked mine this afternoon, unfortunately it's a raining day today, hope ther is good weather saturday for my first session. At this time I will train to well use it in and out of lagoon, next step fishing! I'm watching your fishing sessions, I'm novice in that, but it seems very exciting. I will go step by step. One more time, thanks for your videos.

[@Georgeconna32]

out with a dude who had this Kayak, Very impressed with it TBH.

[@PaddleGuy1]

good little yak that one

[@Felixkoifish]

Looking brand new grey colour in Sydney . But most of the dealer they don’t have the colour .

[@PaddleGuy1]

sorry I missed this message - try contacting the sunshine coast store

[@maldrury8313]

Good explanation regarding ease of paddling different kayaks. I have a Profish GT which is the same length but wider and it is not the easiest kayak to paddle. The advantage is that it is very stable. Anyone wanting to paddle long distances should go for a long narrow Yak. I enjoy your reviews.

[@PaddleGuy1]

thanks - yes it was once said to me about the GT "if I have to paddle far to get to the fish then I have launched at the wrong spot" - its no racehorse but def comfortable to fish from

[@goodtimestightlines7713]

Uploaded 3 hours ago!? Oh man 😅 ..this is another great review.. I doubt there are any better!! 🔝🔝

[@PaddleGuy1]

Thanks buddy 🤘

[@rapidsplash9339]

Thanks a bunch! This is definitely an awesome video.

[@PaddleGuy1]

Thanks mate

[@lostmysoultoday9005]

Good review. Do Viking make quality kayaks. Is the weight for Espri correct, 22kg.

[@Dennis-ew1xs]

getting mine tomorrow :)

[@denisvincent3249]

Hey mate great video thanks for sharing, I got recommended the same kayak at the shop , but I was wondering if you have tried / review the hurricane skimmer 116 or your thoughts . Thanks

[@PaddleGuy1]

thanks - never seen one but just googled images and looks like a nice ride and would be super light being vacuum-formed.. love to try one - Hurrican boats are pretty sweet so could only imagine its a nice ride

[@denisvincent3249]

@@PaddleGuy1 also with the Viking espri I’m really interested in doing distance ( straight line stuff) would you recommend a kayak with a rudder or the espri will do just fine

[@tikmuzika]

Thanks Jason, nice review, you didn't mention how is the fishing , speed and stability with Espri, how many holes for fishing rods

[@PaddleGuy1]

tikmuzika thanks hope it helped - this review was all about performance really and stability was shown pretty well i thought in the surf etc and yes I did talk about how it performs, quite a bit actually when talking about the shape of the hull and length etc...let me know specifically what you need to know? (Speed is all relative so whats fast or slow for one persons ability can be totally different for another whence I cover the design features for you to then make an educated decision for your needs) stability is all relative to be fair so i would need to know more about your size, ability/experience and where your thinking of using it (offshore with surf or protected waters). As far as basics like rod holders mine has more than the basic but there are also 2 options ex factory so thats info you can get from a dealer or website as its easy to make mods to suit you with this kayak. So let me know a bit more about you as per questions above and i can help you decide of this is a good option for you. Cheers

[@robertstonestreet6079]

Hi. I'm looking to do a bit of touring. 2 or 3 nights in reasonably calm waters. Need a bit of storage for tent and 'stuff'. Maybe a rod or 2. How do you think this would suit me? Is it easy enough to paddle? I'm very inexperienced, but very keen. NZ is surrounded by beautiful places to paddle. With covid, now is the time to see some of it I think. I want to explore. Not interested in seeing at racing speed. Do you think the espri would do what I want from it, or would you recommend some other kayak

[@lonepineX]

Yep, great kayak.

[@danielscherwitzel3697]

I have a child that is nearly five, I intend to use the kayak sometimes solo and sometimes with her, would this be suitable as she grows or would a Tempo 2 be better?

[@PaddleGuy1]

This will be perfect mate - tempo 2 is a whole lot of kayak compared - loads of room but espri will certainly cover your needs for years as she grows - my girl amelia is 10 and can still jump in the back of the espri with me

[@marcomaidens]

Hi, would this Espri kayak be any good for offshore saltwater fishing, and tackling through a few waves?.

[@PaddleGuy1]

@@marcomaidens it’s offshore / surf capability is covered in detail in the video - many use it for exactly that reason

[@clevertrevor1549]

Hey Jason, this Espri has foot pegs. On Viking site pegs don’t appear on either of the Espri models. What’s the hap’s?

[@PaddleGuy1]

no does not come with- you need to add them if you feel the need - I prefer better purchase to brace against with leg drive for more efficient paddle technique and power for surf so I added them as the standard molded ridges are pretty small - fine for recreational river paddling but if you want to paddle correctly and get more power then add them

[@clevertrevor1549]

@@PaddleGuy1 I expected as much. Thanks Jason.

[@nickwilliams1953]

Yes I sat in one at a shop today, really wanted to love it and own it (buy NZ made) but those moulded ridges are almost non existent and I couldn't get my feet comfortable at all, they just kept slipping around. Maybe if I didn't have my trainers on it would be better). It's a really nice kayak, I can't understand why Viking haven't redesigned this. The ridges in the slightly smaller Nemo are acceptable (just) so why not these? Is it hard to add the foot pegs? I would be reluctant to try this as there would be no reinforcing where you would need to screw it into the kayak. How have your footpegs held up? What's the Nemo like compared to the Espri in a river or calm water? Would be great to see a review comparing them in calm water (not just the surf). At the same time I feel the Nemo could do with a little development, it's missing some of the nice features of the Espri, such as the full line round the hull and the extra storage in the front. It's almost like Viking have ignored their small kayaks in favour of the more lucrative fishing kayak market.

[@PaddleGuy1]

​@@nickwilliams1953 - redesigning the deck is a major overhaul and this one is even more complicated in ways I want bother to go into - not an option, a totally new design would be a better financial decision. Nemo and Espri are totally different kayaks, they have nothing to compare really as far as paddling performance ..which I cover in this review as to the strengths of the espri hull over ther shorter kayaks. As far as strength goes i have used 14gauge self tappers installing the foot tracks for many years and never had an issue with strength - I use mine in th esurf which puts a lot of pressure on the tracks given I use leg drive as a source of power for each stroke.

[@nickwilliams1953]

@@PaddleGuy1 Oh bother, just Googled Viking kayaks, looks like they might be in short supply for a while as the news says massive fire at the factory. Also thanks heaps for the reply. Still can't decide if a Nemo is going to work better as I just want something light and simple to explore rivers, small lakes and hug the coastline. Also the weight and extra length of the Espri to load on a car etc. Anyway, depends what is still available to buy :(

[@LouisianaHookNShoot]

How is it to stand in? How would you rate it against the GT?

[@PaddleGuy1]

Chalk and cheese - espri is a bitch to stand in as its really not designed for that - footwells make it tricky to get balanced foothold and the tri-hull shape does not lend itself well to the center of gravity being up so high..if standing is a priority def the GT is king!

[@LouisianaHookNShoot]

Paddle Guy thanks for the feedback!

[@brentonculpitt8128]

Looking at a secondhand one about 5/6 years old, is there anything I should be looking for at that age? Looking purely for some fitness, possible yak fishing at some stage if it evolves that way. Also abit of fun for the kids to muck around on.

[@dentray]

Price please! :)

[@PaddleGuy1]

depends where you live - they are $799 here in Australia

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

New friend Ruthie here