Nelo 510 Questions

Hey everyone!

I am looking into buying my very first kayak. I will use it at a lake / big river + some ocean paddles now and then. So I will most of the time paddle on flatwater.

I have spent the entire week or so researching kayaks and what choice would be the best (Its hard )

I just came across the Nelo 510. Which seems perfect for my usage. (Covering distances as fast as possible / exercise) However, I don't want to lock myself out the option of having a one day sleepover trip.

Will this be possible in a Nelo 510?

Sea / Touring kayaks seems to be a good choice too, but they will be so hard to handle / lift multiple times a week. Now the Zegul Velocity is also a good option but its a little too expensive for my first kayak..

I would love to hear more of the pros / cons of both sea kayaks and a surfski on flatwater.

Did your research include this thread?

www.surfski.info/forum/19-boats/18873-closer-look-nelo-510.html

Given that you want the option to take some camping kit with you, this might be the answer. A competitor is the Epic V7 which came onto the market before the Nelo. It also has hatches and is also a plastic fantastic.

If you google "epic v7 site:surfski.info" you'll find a boat-load (hahaha) of threads discussing the V7.

For a beginner on mostly flat water, I would recommend a kayak over a ski. The 14-16' boats from Stellar and Epic will be drier, more stable, more comfortable and plenty fast. They are also much lighter than the plastic skis. Do yourself a huge favor and find a quality dealer in your area who will let you demo a number of boats. They can help you choose a boat that best fits your body and your paddling location.

Drier and comfortable sounds very good but holy smokes those price points are above what I can invest right now The Epic 16x sure looks nice, seems similar to the Zegul Velocity. Also would it not be better if I got myself a PE / Plastic kayak at first or is it worth investing into composite right away?

To answer your question: yes, the 510 has a hatch in which you can fit quite some gear, but less than into a touring kayak. I would get the "solid" rubber hatch cover, though.

In terms of comfort, I would pay attention to what mcnye1 said. A sit-on-top (surfski) is awesome in waves, much better than a sit-inside kayak. On a lake, not sure about the benefits. I now love the wing paddle and rotation so it would be hard for me to switch to a kayak, but that's just personal.

I have gone with my 510 on small (up to 4hrs) outings with kayakers in the ocean. For leisure paddling the touring kayak is much better because you'll sit more comfortably and remain practically dry. In the surfski there's really no back support and the bailer will always let some water in unless you're going at some speed. The upshot is that when I'm sitting around on the water watching wildlife or just dipping the paddle in the water to make a little forward progress I look with envy at the kayakers. When we're moving and specially when there are waves they look with envy at me.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for your replies. I think I have come to the conclusion that I will invest into a Nelo 510 to begin with, and later on purchase a medium priced touring kayak for the longer overnight trips. But wow the Epic 16x looks amazing However I think plastic would be the best option right now for me.