Review Detail

The RTM Tempo is supposed to be the latest version of the older Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro. Not!

I have owned mine since April of 2013. I use it only in saltwater as a fishing kayak, mostly launching off the beach into the ocean. It has become my go-to fishing kayak when the surf is big enough to make launching my expensive fiberglass kayaks risky.

The boat has very little rocker and a long hull. This equates to turning very, very slowly. In fact, it is the slowest turning of any kayak I have ever used. Tracking is good. I would definitely like a rudder on this boat, however, adding one would be very difficult because RTM removed the features on the old Scupper Pro that made a rudder easy to add. A mistake!

This kayak is quite fast owing to the narrow width and above average length. I have run this with a GPS on a flat calm lake, and the numbers I come up with are impressive. The average cruising speed that can be easily maintained is about 4.1 mph. A fast cruise that you could keep up running down a blitz for a few hundred yards is 4.8 mph. The top speed I could push it to, even for a paddle stroke, was 6.0 mph. This is a pleasure to paddle! Stability is excellent. The sides are shallow enough that it can be a wet ride in rough water. Other than that, it is a dry boat. Sitting sidesaddle is quite comfortable. The front hatch is the easiest to access of any kayak I have been around, and the hatch is huge. No problem at all getting into it, and it holds a ton of gear. I secure my rods in there for surf launching and landing.

This is one of the quieter kayaks I’ve used. The actual weight (58 lbs.) was well over the listed weight of 54. It seems quite sturdy. My hull was slightly misshapen. I have a feeling RTM quality control is not the best. Take the time if you are buying one to look the hull over closely for any defects.

Like most longer, more slender kayaks, if you hold this boat straight coming in on wave faces bigger than 3-foot or so, the nose tends to bury (perl). It’s a bit better than average because a lot of the hull volume is in the bow. It also tends to turn broadside if caught by waves from the rear, but it braces well. And it is fast enough to squeak in between waves most of the time. Launching in bigger surf, it has popped over larger waves than I thought it could handle, probably because of the high bow volume. A very solid surf kayak.

The tankwell is rounded, which can make mounting a crate difficult. I use a surf bag (Seattle Sports Kayak Catch Cooler) strapped down in there and this works well. It is almost waterproof and very low profile. As noted, for surf launches I stow my 2-piece rods in the front hatch. I cover the butt portion of the rods and the reels with a dry bag, and set up a bungee in that hull area to keep them in place. You could probably fit ten rods in there.



The handles on the sides of the kayak are well placed, and it’s easy to carry in the reverse position with the center console resting on your shoulders.

Overall, the Tempo is a fast, lighter weight, stable fishing kayak. The list of kayaks that offer decent speed and stability at less than 60 pounds is extremely small. If you are looking for something inexpensive, easy to tote off the water, efficient on the water, with good surf-handling, this is a great boat. With a rudder option and more rocker, it would be even better. Unfortunately, the USA dealer network is extremely small.