Product Reviews > Kayaks > Ocean Kayak > Scupper Classic

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07-11-2006
Submitted by: cuptegraff - Rating: 8 of 10
     For just plain fun, it is hard to beat this kayak. I was off for a few days over the July 4th holiday and spent it bobbing around on Lake Huron. The boat is easily paddled and takes next to nothing to get ready to use. It is too bad they no longer make them.

02-21-2005
Submitted by: jn - Rating: 9 of 10
     Overall a great kayak. Not super fast. Workmanship is what you would expect for the price, very good. People complain that the cockpit is too narrow but I'd guess THEY are just too wide. At 6'0" 170 lbs, 33 inch inseam, it fits me like a glove. This cockpit can easily handle a 6' person (legs fully extended), maybe even up to 6'3". Very comfortable. I can see how the hatches might leak even though I just do lakes. VERY stable, they could easily make it an inch or two skinnier. My only complaint is that it should track straighter if they are going to promote it as a touring kayak. IMO, almost all kayaks need a more distinct keel line. I couldn't care less about turning on a dime. If this boat were 16-17 feet long and an inch or two skinnier it would really be a touring SOT. In any case it was definitely worth what I paid for it. Comfortable, attractive, stable and fairly light.

07-08-2003
Submitted by: L.R. - Rating: 10 of 10
     I've had my OK Scupper Classic for 3 years. I use it on a very large lake where there are often strong winds and huge waves from motor boat traffic. It tracks well and is extremely easy to paddle. It's a great kayak. However, it is too long for kids, and the seat is narrow, making it unsuitable for someone needing more seating space. I highly recommend the Scupper Classic.

03-20-2003
Submitted by: Bonneville - Rating: 9 of 10
     I'd go find one now because they broke the mold and won't be make anymore (no, literally, the mold broke). This is a great multipurpose boat and aptly named. It comes equipped with pad eyes for seat and straps, adequate grab handles at the ends, a molded-in bottle holder and two large hatches capable of swallowing tents, camping stoves, etc. The threaded drain plug is at the tip of the bow, so you'll get all the water out and can also run a keeper string to the grab loop. In open water, it's not the fastest stallion in the stable, but it's adequate. The bow deflects waves well if you're heading into them. Any other direction and they wash right over the low freeboard. That low freeboard and narrow beam (for an SOT) make the low weight possible. The low profile also refuses to catch the wind. Even though it's skinny by SOT standards, it's quite stable. It tracks okay unless you get a following sea. But, let's not forget it's a 14' boat. The hatches leak, which can be dangerous offshore. Some pipe insulation easily seals them up. If you leave the boat, intended or not, it's very easy to scramble aboard. With the wet ride, I hear people complaining about the seat puddle, and some of them plug the scuppers. I use the extra thick foam seat available through the manufacturer and it keeps my butt out of the water. Better yet, it's got grooves underneath, allowing the scuppers to do their job. It's also a good boat on the river. While not a spinner, it does respond to a sweep. It'll also draw and ferry well. You're okay for eddy turns and peelouts. I've used it up to Class III without a problem, but I wouldn't push it beyond that.

03-17-2003
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 7 of 10
     I just purchased a 2003 Scrupper Classic in ice blue. I wanted a fast sit-on-top fishing boat (is there such a thing?) But after my first run in the water on the Gulf of Mexico bay, I found it to be much less stable than what I have been used to. I have been spoiled by having a Malibu II (mother of all kayaks) and the Pungo 120, which are all very stable.

The Scrupper Classic cockpit was too short for my legs (6'2"). I could not stretch my legs out flat totally. Also it was very narrow on the seat width. I actually fell into the pool on my demo test ride before I purchased this kayak. It is not to be lean into the sides too much if you are very tall, the center of gravity shifts and you will find yourself shifting among water.

The pluses are that it is a very fast touring class boat!! Every boat has compromise, if you want fast, then you have to give up stability. I had no problem pushing this thing into the ocean in a mere few seconds and bye bye to the shore. It is also not too bad at only 48lbs, much lighter than any other models/makers in the length and touring class.

The negatives is it is too small for anyone over 6' tall! It is also very cramped and somewhat unstable at that height. I am afraid to take on too many waves with it, so it will remain a lake/river kayak from now on. I was hoping to do saltwater fishing with it, but every kayak has its give and takes. Trying to cast a huge 7' heavy action rod from the Scrupper Classic is like praying for uprightness each time. If you swing your arm too much while casting your bait or lure, you will probably find yourself unstabilized and perhaps meet the water for a date. This is all, if you are, over 6' tall and around 200LBS. My girlfriend had a hoot with it, but she is only 5'4" and 120lbs.

12-05-2000
Submitted by: Ken Moore - Rating: 8 of 10
     I have access to three different brands of Kayaks, plus my own 18' fiberglass fast touring Twogood, and I must say, here in choppy Kaneohe bay, the Scupper Classic is the best fit. Plus points - 1. suprisingly fast for a 14' boat - my 18' Twogood is not much faster unless I really work at it. 2. It's stable. We regularly have a nasty 1 - 2' chop in the bay, and the scupper will work right through it without threating to spill you. 3. It's surfable. The outlying islands in the bay have 2 - 4 foot waves, sometimes breaking, and most of the time, it's surfable. But not much. The long keel and plumb bow and stern make surfing turns difficult - you must be set up properly before you start. 5. It's strong. The darn thing is nearly indestructable. We frequently run scuppers up on rocky beaches, and they simply take what a fiberglass kayak would shatter on. The Minuses? Well, the hatches Do leak. and the poprivets will corrode and break on you, so make sure to replace them with stainless ones.... All in all, a remarkable boat.

05-04-2000
Submitted by: T. LaBlanc - Rating: 10 of 10
     This boat was my first kayak. I previously had raced canoes and wasn't sure I'd like kayaking. This was a beautiful boat to paddle. It went where you pointed it and was very forgiving and stable. Weathercocking was minimal and it was fairly fast. Storage was immense although the hatches leak. The boat is at home on rivers or in the middle of the gulf of Mexico with 5 foot seas coming over the bow. Very stable, surfs good with slight tendency to broach because of the rocker. Classic best describes this this boat, the one all the rest try and copy. The best sit-on-top.

03-25-2000
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     We live in Coconut Grove, a Miami neighborhood close to the water. We had an Ocean Kayak Malibu II, but it walked, along with its lock and chain, at just about the same time our house was tented for termites –and- our next door neighbors, renters, left for parts unknown. Hmmm… Out of kayaking for a couple of years, the urge resurfaced. We decided to get two boats, and went to a kayak expo to test any of literally dozens of models. The Aquaterra/Perception Prism, the Wilderness Systems Freedom and Ride, the Necky , and the Hobie Pursuit were pitted against each other. It came down to the Freedom vs. the Scupper Classic, and the classic won on the strength of cost and hatches.

The Ocean Kayak Scupper Classic is a fairly quick, well-tracking sit-on-top. It has two sizable hatches fore and aft, and a convenient cup holder between the paddlers knees. It handles well in a constant chop of 1-2 foot seas though in a quartering rear sea it needs to be herded on a straight track. My wife enjoyed it only slightly less than the Freedom, whereas I thought it was a little more stable. And while it tracks quite well, it does take just a wee a bit of work to turn without a rudder. I’m 6 feet tall and a very fit 205# with something of a wide beam (the family hipbones just CANNOT be narrowed!), and it fits me very nicely, and it fits my wife quite well, too. My son’s 6-1, and he liked it. I can see doing an overnight river run and camping trip in it. Now all I need to do is convince my wife… Overall, I’m quite pleased, and score it as an 8 out of 10.

11-16-1999
Submitted by: Wain - Rating: 10 of 10
     I haven't had my Classic long, but long enough to tell it is a great boat. The bow spray deflectors do their job effectively, and it is fast and easy to paddle. The boat has four scupper holes that water comes through, so you will get a little wet. In the summer the water is welcome, but for winter paddling you might want to get the optional plugs.

10-16-1999
Submitted by: GL - Rating: 8 of 10
     Let me first say that sit on tops are really not my ideal boat. That said, I also believe that the Scupper Classic is the best of all the sit on tops that I tried. I feel that it is reasonably fast for its type. It is indestructable, tracks straight, is good in rough water and is cheap. I also tried the Prism, the Scupper Pro, the Necky Dolphin and the Scrambler. For my taste the Classic leads the pack. The Necky and Prism are slower. The Scupper pro is similar but less manuverable. The Scrambler is way too slow and slaps the water when you paddle hard. If you are considering a sit on top for fishing, diving or exploring, then you should really put the Classic on the top of your list. It is almost as much fun as cockpit kayak of the slower recreational type, like a Carolina. I love the Classic and must applaud Ocean Kayak for their first and best effort.

04-14-1999
Submitted by: Dave Martin - Rating: 9 of 10
     I have used my old Scupper on well over 100 trips in the past five years (and it was used when I bought it.) Primary use has been day trips of 10 miles or less along the exposed coast of Mendocino County in Northern CA. I enjoy paddling in ocean rock gardens, sea caves and usually launch and land through the surf. I have found the boat to be maneuverable, stable, comfortable (I'm 6' & 230 lbs.) and almost indestructable. I've borrowed a Scupper Pro a few times and thought it had some nice refinements but was slightly less comfortable for me. This may have been due to a maladjusted backrest and knee straps. All boats are a compromise, I wish the boat was faster but not at the expense of maneuverability or stability. I wish the boat was lighter but prefer the heavy weight durability. I wish the hatches didn't leak so I deducted a point. I wished that attachments had been made with stainless screws and nuts rather than pop rivets so I replaced them myself. Value rating: 10+

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