Used Solo Kayaks for Sale: Tempest 165 & Tempest 170

The best high performance solo kayak made in America! (We may have the last US batch made before production moved to China.) The Tempest series from Wilderness Systems is the kayak we waited many, many years for. Several high performance kayaks were being made in the UK but all suffered from abysmal quality standards. So we held back until a solid member of this genre appeared on the kayaking scene - the Tempest is it!

Tempest 170 & Tempest 165 by Wilderness Systems

We currently have one used Tempest 165 in stock that is selling for $1399 - this kayak is red and has only been used for guide training and a few demos - its barely been wet! The same kayak in the color mango is available for $1499. We also have two Tempest 170's in our sale inventory. Both sell for $1399; one is mango and the other is yellow. The 170's have been used by our guides during tours for less than 1 month at the end of last summer. All of our Tempest colors are selected for excellent visibility and safety on the water so we are only stocking red, yellow and mango boats.

The Tempest kayak series has taken the Greenland Inuit design philosophy to its utmost. These kayaks are much smaller in volume than the Discover and lend themselves most favorably for paddling in extreme conditions by persons with well developed bracing skills. The Tempest 165, being the shortest, narrowest, and having the most pronounced rocker is particularly well suited for playing in surf and rock gardens. Both are great for paddling in high winds, rips, and tidal races.

Adding to their ruggedness is construction from high-density, extremely rigid polyethylene plastic. They are a few pounds heavier than fiberglass kayaks of a similar size, but much lighter, stiffer, and smoother than earlier types of plastic kayaks you may have known in the past. You can crash land in the surf onto rocky shores, or accidentally drop your Tempest from your roof rack without damaging it beyond a few shallow scratches.

Used Kayaks for Sale: Solo Kayaks for Sale on San Juan Island, Washington

Rather than being outfitted with rudders, the Tempest series is outfitted with a retractable skeg that can be adjusted for any type of wind or sea conditions. A few other notable differences from our other solo kayaks include an extra bulk-headed compartment aft, with an additional "day hatch" for access. The cockpit outfitting provided by Wilderness Systems is beyond compare with any other manufacturer - the patented Phase3 system. The comfort, adjustability, and control provided by the cockpit fitting system is unparalleled in the world of kayak design and has set the bar for all other manufacturers to aspire towards.

Both of the Tempest kayaks for sale are fantastic for paddling on camping trips with full loads, but their capacity is more limited than our Discover kayaks, especially the Tempest 165. The Tempests really excel when taken on day paddles or weekend trips as these lighter payloads allow them to be used to their full potential. Like our other solo boats, they can handle open ocean, outer coast, calm inland lakes, and Class 2 rivers, but you can also add surf zones, tidal races and rips, and rock gardens.

Normally, these boats retail for $1600 when new so our prices are quite a bargain, especially for the last of the US manufactured batch! For another $229 we can add a paddle, life jacket, and neoprene spray skirt that are all of top quality and in excellent condition and used only for a few demos. See our Used Kayaking Equipment for Sale page for more details. Remember, our current bunch of used Tempests have been paddled for only 2 months and are in fantastic condition Our solo kayaks are always used exclusively by our guides and therefore have never been abused or damaged. Common carrier shipping is available anywhere in the US if you are not able to pick the boat up in Washington State and usually costs from $150-$300 (for an exact quote call the trucking company of your choice).

Used Sea Kayaks for Sale near Seattle, Washington

We invite you to read our introductory page on used kayaks for sale as it discusses, among other topics, why our kayaks are in such great condition compared to other kayak outfitters!