Aventura 125

We got two of these, one for me and one for my wife, and it really feels like we got a lot out of our money here. The Aventura 125 paddles and tracks very well. The Skeg is great for windy days or with a bit of chop out in the bay, keeping the kayak straight as an arrow. It feels very stable and maneuvers pretty good except when the Skeg is down (which is to be expected). The 2 sealed bulkheads, stern and bow, have top lockable access hatches that are also meant to be watertight allowing for a lot of storage capacity; plus plenty of bungie lines. The cockpit is very comfortable allowing us to stay out 3-4 hours with very little issue. This is due to the adjustable foot pegs, thigh padding, and the adjustable seat which is well padded with molded space for a water bottle (holding my large 40oz water bottle perfectly).

That said, the one major complaint I have is that the Skeg, on both kayaks, does not like to seat when stowing. Typically, it takes 2-5 pulls to get the Skeg to seat at the stow position which can be annoying. This issue is magnified by the fact that there is no additional indication other than feel/sound that the Skeg is deployed or stowed and can lead you to think the Skeg is stowed when it is not.

Overall, this kayak is great for it's price point and I really think you would be hard pressed to find anything to it's equal or better in that range. For that matter, I have noted quite a few instances where the Aventura out-classes pricier kayaks. I would definitely recommend it!

I have only had a couple of kayaks previously, one being the lifetime tamarack the other an old town otter. . I was looking for a kayak that can do well in calm lakes and rivers, but also be versatile in the bay or large lakes on a more choppy day. If you are looking for a versatile kayak for a beginner to grow as a paddler, then this is the one. The 125 and 140 have front and rear bulkheads that have a decent amount of storage space for short overnight trips. The drop down skeg makes all the difference in tracking in windy conditions, even if it's only halfway down. The capability to fit a spray skirt and the cost being two thirds or less of the price of a wilderness systems tsunami were the big reasons I was so drawn to this kayak. Overall it has been fantastic for the 30+ miles that I've had it on the water. This boat really comes alive once you put it on that secondary edge and is super responsive. There is really no reason not to have this boat as a beginner who's looking to grow in paddling.

I only have one outing in my Aventura 125 so far and it was about an 8-10 mile paddle, starting out in calm waters and ending up paddling in a pretty high wind. First off I'll say, I paid $636.00 and this boat is equipped as well as other 12'-14' boats costing 1/2 again to twice as much. It's 12'-6" in length, has two sealed bulk heads with latching hatch covers, a comfortable seat and a drop down skeg along with plenty of deck rigging. It is finished very nicely with smooth sides, a stippled deck with smooth shiny touches and a stippled bottom. It is definitely a nice looking boat. I found it to be paddle nicely in calm water and with a little breeze the skeg offered straight tracking. In the high winds I found the skeg to be a hindrance and had a tough time maintaining the direction intended to go. It was in high wind conditions that this boat performed very well and very safely. It is stable and tracked well. We paddled 3-4 miles with 2' to 2-1/2' foot white caps, in a pretty stiff wind and I felt very safe. I am on the fence with it for tracking in calm water, at this point and need more experience in it to make any statements regarding this aspect of the boat. I would give it 5 stars if I was totally sold on it's tracking aspect.

I found that turning, on calm water, was definitely aided by putting it on edge vs trying to make a turn sitting flat. The hull has two edges that seem to be useful in this respect. I am not an advance paddler by any means. I have another kayak which is the Emotion Guster 10, it is 30" wide and 10' in length, where this boat is 26" wide and 12'6" long. I have paddled my Guster around 100 total miles and it is an awesome beginner kayak, that is fast for what it is and tracks well. I currently only have 8-10 miles on the Aventura 125. I hope to add many more miles this year, as we typically paddle 8-10 miles per day.

I am 5'7" tall and weigh around 170 pounds, I wear a size 9 shoe. The cockpit is sized nicely for me and is shallower than my other kayak. It is easier to paddle without hitting the sides of the boat. The peddles are very sturdy are comfortable and the depth of the hull, for my feet at the peddles, is just right. I am using a Werner Skagit CF, 230cm paddle.

I hope this review helps. I was not able to find any reviews on this boat prior to buying it and was on the fence for about three months, before pulling the trigger. I almost missed the killer price I found due to the lack of information about this boat. One other aspect of my purchase is I have found Feelfree's customer service to be very excellent. I have asked them, on multiple occasions, for more information on the boat than what the instructions give and found them to be extremely helpful in this aspect. Be safe and paddle often!