Dorado

Can anyone give me some feedback on the Dorado by the Kayak centre.
I'm curious as to how stable they are relative to the usual suspects (v10 sport, xt, etc.) Toying with the idea of buying one for the wife but don't want to frighten her.

Dicko

As far as I am aware they are stable, around the same stability as the Evo. They are quite dated now, so you should be able to pick one up second-hand for a good price.

Hi, check this link, some good comparisons between dorado , XT etc

www.rapidascent.com.au/PDF/KayakTest_7_SurfSki.pdf

Just to throw this thread wide open, my opinion is that this can be a VERY unstable boat!?!
- What!?! did I really say that?

Depending on how much your wife weighs, she could have trouble sinking the boat enough for it to be stable. I weigh +-74kg, and for me, this boat floats so high out of the water that it has zero stability.

On flat water even, it is less stable than the Synergy for example, which in itself is less stable than the XT, Horizon etc.

I almost bought one, which would have been a grave mistake. Fortunately I had the luck to be able to try one owned by a friend of mine. Used it 3 times in varying conditions, from FLATflat to crazy windy huge swells.

And to add to the instability, in the wind, the boat catches way too much wind...

So try b4 u buy...
(not that I have anything else against this boat - it seems great for most)

Hmmm, that may help to explain why the Rapid Ascent review had it at equal primary and secondary stability with the V10

I had thought they were big heavy stable ski's from what I've seen of them, cant reliably report on how they paddle, I've only seen one in the local area.

Yes, I believe that the volume of a ski compared to the paddler's weight has a big influence on the paddler's stability.

That's why for me (78kg) the Synergy 2 feels even more tippy than a Fenn Elite (both standard Glass layup), while some other paddlers don't find the Synergy 2 nearly as tippy.

Hi, I have got one and paddled it for 3 years now, I weigh 91-94 kgs and for me it is the fun boat to take out when I want to catch waves or if I am not firing on all 4 cylinders that day.
I find it stable and easy to turn on waves but I would have to say mine is "heavy" and takes considerably more effort to get going. This is most noticable on flat days when those around me are chatting and I am panting to keep up.
My wife has used it on flat days and she said that she enjoyed it and found easy to point in the right direction.
Tough call but I would look at the horizon / XT as they just seem to glide slightly better for those not looking for a workout.