Reviews for Vector 14 Kayak by Necky Kayaks

This boat was much faster than the Tarpon 140. The seat is also noticeably lower than on other sit on tops. I think this adds stability, but it also raises the odds of getting wet. It has scuppers directly under the seat. This would only be of concern to heavier paddlers, I would think. It wasn't a problem for me.

I do a considerable amount of paddling in open water, and my concern with this boat was that in spite of its speed, it could be a handful in high wake conditions, which is what I have much of the time. While the top speed on this boat was higher, I felt that the Vector 13 met my requirements better.

The Necky Vector 14 behaves pretty much like a Chatham 16 would when it comes down to speed & maneuverability departments, yet she feels rock solid on both primary & secondary stabilities. The layout reveals a very well thought cockpit for those adventurous kayakers that like to think out the box for a multipurpose kayak.

She can be a bit of everything and very good at most of the tasks one could ask her to perform in order to enjoy some quality time on the water. Some features are worth a million such as the seat's back band which gives an awesome lumbar support yet it is never compromising the kayaker's movements while easy to adjust both in height as well as in its lumbar angle... Seat's pan with its ergonomic leg support is unbelievable helpful for one's long time comfort when paddling. Hardware & Rigging are prime rate quality and one of the best designed for 2012. Those cross lock strapped self suction inner gasket hatches are truly fantastic in keeping water out while allowing for a lot of under deck packing.

One thing that really shines on this boat (other than her versatility) is her performance. Even though rudder ready from the factory I never felt the need to add one (I am partial to rudderless boats so take this with a grain of salt), keeping a straight line on the wind is no feat, stability in any condition is secure due its superb design.

One nice boat, different than most sit on top kayaks, good for clamming, fishing, diving, camping and cruising around, awesome capabilities, excellent carrying capacity for her length.

If you want the SIK performance without feeling so tightly enclosed you owe yourself an outing on the new 2012 Necky Vector 14.

Ive been out in the Vector 14 a few times now in a variety of sea conditions. cruising speed is about 3mph..about the same as people walking alone the seafront, however in calm conditions it was more like a slow jogging speed, perhaps 5mph, which feels quite fast so close to the water. in wind conditions of 17 mph gusts i had to keep correcting the course every few minutes as i dont have the rudder fitted, i would recommend getting the rudder if using in not so calm conditions but as soon as i only like to go out in fair weather its not really needed for me. no problem with tracking in less windy conditions

Even though the width is 25 inches it doesn't feel tippy to me as the whole point of the boat is the seat is low for stability and the scupper plugs have a value to allow water out but not in. its not often a wave will break in to the cockpit unless in really bad conditions but the plugs seem to work well. on difficult beach launches where lots of water has come in over the top, after about 10 minutes of paddling all the water is sucked out through the values and there's only a small amount of water, about 1cm water, around the area of the plugs. in calm condition sometimes its all sucked out completely. the ridges in the boat work well to get the water flowing down to the plugs but keep sand held in the ridge.

I have noticed small stones can get under the rubber of the plugs sometimes and also they can get blocked with seaweed from above if a fair amount comes over the top. there are six drain holes in the boat, two at the footwells, two in the rear compartment and two under the seat. the seat is screwed and velcro attached to the boat. I'm quite new to this but i don't understand why they didnt allow access to the holes under the seat to put the plugs in there as most of the time there is about 1cm water in the seat (im 96kg)when not paddling, and it feels like theres some in there when you are paddling but its hard to tell.

given that I havent had much experience on the water i felt quite confident in the vector 14 even in 1-2 foot chop in the sea and quite a few hundred meters off-shore. only time i didnt feel very much in control is when you have the force of those waves going faster, pushing the boat from behind and it wants to turn sideways, but im guessing this would probably be the same with any SOT and even worse with ones with a blunter shaped stern.

The boat was easy to paddle as long as I did not try to exceed its capability. It paddles with no effort at about 3 MPH but to go faster you have to work harder. Even against a strong current I maintained fairly good speed.

My only issues, and they are minor:
1) the foot peg adjustment hit me in the ankle unless my legs were flat against the boat.
2) My hand hit the handles on the side occasionally.
3) The replaceable drag plate on the keel is a good idea but executed badly. The counterbore for the mounting screws is much larger than is needed. They hang on rocks and grass and tear a grove in your yard when you drag it. Once the hole edges wear down it shouldn't be an issue.
4) The recessed area in the center that appears to be for laying a water bottle in should have a way for water to flow out. My GPS was laying in it and it stopped functioning.