Kestrel 140

Picked up a 2006 Kestrel 140 TCS. I've heard a few stories why Current quit making the Thermoplastic. Most say it was due to cost from outsourcing. A shame because this is a really nice tracking smooth stable kayak. Its light and has held up well over the years. Has a nice large opening and is very comfortable. This may well end being my favorite kayak. : )

Love this Kayak. it is the composite model and is so easy to car top. It has a beautiful finish and looks great even on top of the car. It paddles like a dream. It takes the waves from other boats so well, even broad side no problem at all. the seat is very comfortable, I could just paddle on and on. It doesn't have a rudder but doesn't really need one. It has plenty of storage front and back in the water tight areas. Bungie cords on top if you need to carry more things. If you buy this kayak you will not be disappointed.

First off, I probably broke the cardinal rule on buying a kayak. I bought this kayak sight unseen and never had even taken a test paddle in it much less even had seen a Current Design kayak. I based my purchase on the other reviews on the Kestrel and hoped these reviews were fairly accurate and also by looking over CD‘s catalog to gain some information. Also, I was able to purchase this kayak brand new for $629.00! Had to drive 250 miles to pick it up, but I figured if I didn’t like it I could resale it and make a little money on it.

• Quality - The quality to me is very good. The plastic has no thin spots, the hatch covers fit good and the rigging is more than adequate. Extremely pleased with it.
• Storage - Only do day trips so I have plenty of room to pack my spare clothes, food and drinks with room left over.
• Seat - When I first saw the kayak and the seat I thought “What in the world have I done!” It looked like it would be the most uncomfortable thing in the world to sit in, much less to spend hours out kayaking. But I have been extremely surprised how comfortable it is. I did put a 1” thick piece of foam rubber in the back rest to give a little more padding. I have never been uncomfortable, had a sore back or butt, legs gone to sleep or anything bad to say about the seat. It sits a lot better than it looks.
• Cockpit Size - I am 6’ 4”, 185 lbs. with long legs and have no problem getting in or out. Plenty of room.
• Tracking - Seems to be fairly good, although at times it does want to be hard to get along with. But this could be due to my paddling skills or lack of and /or water and wind conditions. Can’t really complain to much.
• Speed - Pretty decent. I can average 3-3.5mph doing my easy casual paddling. Have done 3.8-4.5mph, but wouldn’t want to do that for a whole trip. Have really pushed it and have got up to 5.6mph but that takes all the fun out of going in the first place. All speeds were with my GPS.
• Stability - Very good. Seemed a lot tippy the first few times, but after a few trips it’s not even a problem.
• Weight - CD lists the weight as 54 lbs. Able to load and unload by myself onto my 4Runner without any problems and I am not blessed with muscles.

So, after this long review, I give the Kestrel an overall rating of 8. If I had more room for my big feet I would give it a 9. Very good kayak for the money.

My first kayak was a Wilderness Systems Pamlico Excel. This is a large, stable boat that I thought my whole family would enjoy. I was wrong, and I was left with a 17' behemoth that weighed in at almost 80 pounds! This boat was too big for me to handle alone and I quickly realized that if I was going to do any serious paddling, I would have to get a different boat.

After doing all the usual research, I settled on the hybrid version of the CD Kestrel 140. Initially, I was sold on its great looks and light weight (under 45#). This made it easy for me to load and unload it from the top of my van myself. Also portaging around dams in the Des Plaines River can be tiresome in a heavier boat, but the Kestrel can be picked up with one hand and carried over your shoulder with ease.

On the water, the boat performs very well. It felt a little "tippy" when I got in it for the first time, but once you paddle it for a little while, you realize what a stable craft it actually is and the "tippy" feeling goes away. It is quick to accelerate, very responsive and tracks very straight, even with a pretty strong cross-wind. The version I bought came with a rudder, but I have never used it.

The inside of the boat is very roomy. The cockpit is very large, making entry and exit very easy. The bulkheads are fiber-glassed in place and provide structural stability as well as watertight storage. The hatch covers fit well and keep things dry, but can only be accessed when you are outside the boat. This boat would have benefited from a small access hatch that is accessible while seated in the boat.

I primarily use the boat for exercise and touring, but I also have used it for nature photography and fishing. The boat has lots of room for gear and equipment, but most paddlers probably use theirs for day trips. I have used mine for weekend camping trips and I have had plenty of room for a small tent, sleeping bag, food and other gear (within reason). I have always had enough space as long as the turkey frier stays at home.

My 12 year old son loves this boat and learned how to paddle this summer. In fact, we like this boat so much, we just bought another Kestrel 120 HV (poly) for him. We plan on taking the boats to Florida this winter for some coastal cruising and fishing on the Inter Coastal Waterway.

In summary, what is the best kayak to buy? The answer is the one you will use the most. I have found the Kestrel to be a boat that one person can easily load and unload and use in a variety of water and weather making more usable than my behemoth that sat unused in my garage for several years. I have not been disappointed with its performance yet.

In general we have been pretty happy with it. The pegs easily adjust for whoever is using it. The seat is comfortable. It paddles smoothly with good speed and isn't phased by the hoards of inconsiderate speedboaters we are often exposed to.

The reason I give it only an 8 is that both storage compartments leak. Not while paddling, though we haven't had it out in rough seas yet. The leaks have only occured during capsizes (not all were on purpose... :-) . The rear leaks through it's cover and the front through the bulkhead. The rear compartment probably never collected more than a gallon, but the front section usually ended up between 1/2 and 3/4 full.

I called the dealer about the bulkhead and they called Current Designs. The word I got back is that improperly tying the kayak on my roof could break the factory seal. I suppose it is possible, though I haven't damaged my Wenonah foam core canoe in more than 10 years. The dealer suggested I just get some silicon caulk and re-seal the bulkhead myself....

In summary, a nice boat that we have all had fun with, but we are disappointed in both the dealer and Wenonah.

My biggest concerns as a novice paddler were stability and afforability. The Kestrel 140's stability had me feeling like a pro in the first 100 yards from shore. Once I found my center of gravity, I picked up speed and even tried some sharp, leaning turns. And the price was right (around $800, no rudder, at REI).

As a guy who weighs in at 270 pounds, I also wanted a boat ample enough to fit my big ol' butt. I'm happy to report that large cockpit is easy to enter and exit and fits my butt just fine. I was also concerned with weight capacity, but my heft is no match for this boat's carrying capacity. And it doesn't look like a total beginner's boat. Style points count, right?

Other boats I looked at had much more elaborate seating systems, with air bladders and four-way adjustable seatbacks. This boat's simple molded seat and adjustable backrest are bare bones, but I have yet to be uncomfortable even after long hours of paddling.

I'm anxious to take it out on some overnight trips. I don't know how the carrying capacity in the hatches compares with other boats in this class, but as an ultralight bike and backpacker, everything I would possibly need would fit just fine.

The calm lakes and reservoirs north of Denver, Colorado are my playground. I primarily explore every inch of the shoreline as I relax before work, but I also get in some interval training and sprints when I can. Even though the boat is wide and stable, it glides fairly quickly through the water. Probably not as quick as those super narrow boats, but that brings us back to my big ol' butt.

I have to give this boat a 9 out of 10. As my first kayak, I have nothing to compare it to, however, I was instantly comfortable and pleased. Highly recommended for beginners like myself who want an atractive, stable, manueverable kayak that will provide years of enjoyment.

Speed is good for a 14-footer. You'd swear the boat isn't over 24 inches wide, the way it goes (it's 26 inches wide). Primary stability is quite comforting, and secondary is very strong, even for people with a high center of gravity. I'm a T7/8 complete paraplegic, so I'm top-heavy, but this boat gives me confidence even in choppy water. I made an extension for the factory backrest and I brace it up against the inside of the rear coaming.

Maneuverability is decent, and tracking is excellent for the most part, though some winds cause weathercocking. Still, I don't recommend bothering with a rudder.

In my opinion, a 37-inch cockpit rather than 39 would be ideal for this boat, but either way, it's fine for its intended light touring purpose. Easy butt-first entry. For me, this is a multi-purpose boat, usable on Lake Superior, inland lakes, flat rivers, and even up to easy Class II. I can't recommend the TCS material for heavy-duty rivers though. I bought a Kestrel 120 in the fall and ran a solid Class III rapids with it. My stern spanked a rock hard and cracked. A fiberglass patch on the inside made it good as new, but a boat that can crack just isn't a good application for Class III's.

Other than that, I can't imagine anyone not liking the TCS Kestrels. Anyone who paddles them is favorably impressed. My hat is off to the Current Designs hull designer on these boats. I don't like to give out 10's, but this boat is much more than a 9, so I had to round up.