Stratos 14.5 S

I bought this kayak 3 months ago and I have used in 20 sessions or day trips so far. I use it mainly in the sea, in the Mediterranean, around Barcelona. It is my first owned kayak. I needed to limit the length of the kayak to the storage space, my limit was around 4.5 m (15")

I am very happy with the kayak. When I go alone i paddle at around 3.5 kn (4 mph, 6.5 km/h). I feel the seat very comfortable and you have many adjustments (hips, knees, feet, back, leg risers) to have a very good fit for a good control of the kayak. I like the carrying handles that are retractile and don't make noise hitting the hull as in other kayaks. The foot pegs can be adjusted on the go although sometimes they move if you apply to much force like in a roll. I haven't tried in a multiday trip yet but it seems to have enough room for the gear.

I am 1.73 m and 62 kg (5'8" and 137lb) and is the correct size for me, I could extend the foot peg 7 positions more, like 7" more, so it should be the good size for even taller paddlers.

On the water, even without waves or wind, I need to deploy always the rudder to go straight. I am surprised some people say they never use the rudder, may be I have to improve my skills but without it I need a continuous extra effort to correct the direction. With the rudder has good directionality. It is very easy to put the rudder on and off so I remove it when I want to play around the rocks or even if I need a 180 degree turn, without the rudder you can turn the kayak very fast.

It does not have a day hatch but there is a lot of room behind the seat, I even carry the bilge pump in that space so I have clean decks. That space catches some amount of water when you make a wet re-entry but it is not a big issue. I find it very stable but I have never had stability problems with other kayaks. Hatches are hermetic.

Overall I am very happy with it.

Intermediate, 5'6", 145 pounds. I've had the Dagger Stratos 14.5S for 13 months. Fits me fine. Paddled it in the Delaware River, and open water of a nearby reservoir throughout the Summer and dead of icy Winter, in flat water, wind and chop. Adjustable skeg helps in wind. Stable and easily turned with skeg up. Great kayak. Highly recommend... Only reason I gave it 4 stars is the back band isn't great for my build. It supports, but I keep tweaking it for a better fit.

I am a new paddler and when i started shopping i was recommended the Dagger Stratos. I did a load of research on it and i have to say. This Boat lives up to everything people say about it! Its forgiving enough for a beginner but agile enough to have a load of fun in rough water and surf. Its quick enough to go touring but great for short trips down lower class fast moving water. I'm 100% in love with this boat!

I bought a demo model of the Stratos 14.5 S at a paddling expo in Old Forge, NY in 2015 as my first kayak. I'd been waiting and saving $ for almost a decade & having finally paid off the student loans, I was ready! I did hours and hours of online research, rented and test paddled boats, even was able to take a beginner lesson in the Stratos before I made my final decision. I talked to numerous paddlers in my local outdoors club as well, and was able to narrow it down to the Stratos or Alchemy. In the end, I liked the rocker and extra length on the Stratos, and the skeg mechanism worked better.

I am 5'4", about 145 lbs, and have plenty of room in the cockpit but feel like I still have good contact with the boat using the hip pads. I live in Western NY & use the kayak for everything from short lazy trips to kayak camping in the Adirondacks to playing in the waves on Lake Ontario to long distance days on the Finger Lakes. Recently, I brought it to Acadia National Park in Maine and tried a few short trips along the coast. I am not and have never been a particularly athletic or naturally skilled person, but am relatively active; I haven't ever had trouble keeping the Stratos tracking straight as long as I keep moving. Once I stop paddling, all bets are off - but I've found if I drop the skeg she'll stay pretty straight even then. That said, I've played with the skeg to see how it changes the tracking, but never really used it otherwise. I've enjoyed the maneuverability while on a local creek during spring floods, and once I got the hang of it I took to seeking out narrow spots & obstacles to weave around even on flat water. I never feel unstable, and even when I edge, I feel like I could sit there all day. There's plenty of room for camping gear - I use my backpacking gear - and even when paddling full of equipment, I don't have any issues maneuvering. The lack of a day hatch worried me at first, but there's so much room between the seat & the rear bulkhead it's never been a problem.

I've had several friends who've never kayaked before jump in for their first time on the water and take off happily with no issues; I've also received a lot of compliments & questions from experienced kayakers who admire it. Most recently I went on my longest trip yet - a 30+ mile, 11 hour day on a large lake. Around mile 24, it occurred to me that it was odd that I wasn't sore or stiff from sitting so long (I am not usually comfortable on any kind of chair for that long!) The seat appears pretty minimalist but it's somehow very comfortable.

Finally, the only time I've unintentionally gone swimming was my first attempt at at surfing some significant looking stuff. That was a clear case of user error.

Bottom line / Too Long Didn't Read: Love of it as a first kayak. Have been getting pretty involved in the sport & still love it & have yet to outgrow it. Very versatile: camping, small rivers, touring big lakes, surfing.

I was very happy with my Easky until I tried the Large stratos
I was advised to purchase the small and so glad I did, as it is a bit narrower and less volume I am 5'10 and 78kg

What I like about the Stratos:
A)It has plenty of rocker so no heart in your mouth when you catch a wave In fact surfing the waves adds a new dimension to my kayaking.
B) I find it easy to get in on a self rescue due to its low rear profile.
C) it really rides the waves well and handles the rough stuff.
D) it turns like a top or Skeg downt tracks well for a boat with lots of rocker.
Besides the above its easier to paddle and feels very stable.

This is a purchase review. Once I have been on the water more I will have more to share. First, I have been doing a lot of research on kayaks trying to figure out what I wanted. I wanted a kayak that could do everything. I looked at the Katana, the Axis and other crossover boats with the sister companies of Dagger. I did not think a touring kayak would fit the bill but I finally picked the Stratos. After picking the Stratos I needed to figure out what size I needed S or L. I read reviews, called Dagger, called kayak stores, and tried to find stuff on YouTube. Finally, after a drive to find a store that had one I was able to test paddle both sizes and picked the small. I am 165 lbs and 5'8". There is a big difference in the cockpit between the S and the L. The one measurement that really set the two apart is the deck height. The S is 13.5" and the L is 16". This makes a huge difference in the fit. I love the boat! I have test paddled it and it was very comfortable great fit.

The boat tracks like an arrow with the skeg dropped and turns right around with it up. I am looking forward to more aggressive water to play in and see how much faster it is than my beginner 10'. The rocker makes it very manuverable and the cockpit has a stiffener bar and wedge to battle the rougher water, not a feature talked about much on line. Bottom line sit in one for fit, test paddle if you can. Great multi purpose boat!