Delta 12.10

I am still paddling this boat happily after 15 years. It’s light enough to handle loading it by myself and sturdy enough that I frequently pull it over logs and other debris on my local paddles. I never dreamed that my first kayak would be my forever kayak. I use it about once a week in quiet waters.

intermediate paddler at 6 foot 180lbs, high initial stability, tracks well - no need for a skeg, did not turn well for me - the keel stayed firmly in the water even on edge, this is the slowest close to 13' kayak i ve ever paddled, i think it might behave completely differently for a paddler around 130lbs, the weight savings of abs over pe are noticeable but not worth the increased fragility

Leading kayaking excursions for groups of 5-25 for the last 8 years, my beloved 12.10 has been an ultra-reliable, nimble, fast, fun and capable workhorse. I purchased her 8 years ago used from a local river attraction where she was a rental.

Although not going to win a sprint with a good 14-16, she's always been more than fast enough to catchup to struggling kayakers and tow exhausted ones back into port even in rough seas.

Very capable in even rough coastal waters, she is also outstanding on tight bendy rivers we have here in Florida. Highly maneuverable and responsive. The hatches are extremely spacious and this is a great boat for the 2-3 day camping excursion. At 43 lbs, she's even easy to load.

After her ~10 years, she's still a beauty. Many scuffs and scratches but a good polishing brings back the amazing shine. I still get compliments on her every time I take her out. Another posted how they plastic cannot hold up to drops. I can absolutely attest that this plastic holds up amazingly well. She's not indestructible but my 12.10 has been dropped, rammed, scratched, banged and everything you can imagine but still in great shape.

For those seeking a do-it-all kayak that remains fun to use year in and year out, this is the kayak for you. I absolutely love this kayak ..still.

I purchased the 12.10 almost 10 years ago to the day. I paddle mostly twisty rivers but also wanted something that I would feel comfortable taking out into Lake Huron. I needed it to be lightweight and durable. 10 years later it has lived up to my expectations. The only issue is that I had to re-glue the mount for the seat a few years ago. Hatches and storage are great. Thigh braces work well for me when I choose to play in the bigger waves.

I've had my 12.10 for about 3 months now and I love it!! I used it mostly in bays, tidal rivers and lakes. It tracks really well; and a big plus for me is the weight of the kayak. As I get older, my old kayak was getting more difficult to load on my car roof. The Delta 12.10 is about 20% lighter and is so easy to load. Finally, the seat in this kayak is wonderful. Many possible adjustments to insure that you are comfortable each time you go out in it. A really great boat!!

First, the stability is very impressive. It takes almost no skill to keep the Delta 12.10 upright in waves. The flared bow rides right up over waves easily. I barely even have to be attentive to waves coming from the side. I've had no problems at all with tracking. The speed is much better than you would expect for such a short kayak. The performance is on par with most 14 footers.

The 12.10 is a great choice for winding rivers and marshes as it turns very easily. But it's also very comfortable on large lakes in rough conditions, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it on the ocean due to its stability and safety features (perimeter lines and unique paddle straps that hold the paddle more securely than bungees).

I love this kayak for camping. The volume in the hatches is huge---about 30% larger than my 15.5' sea kayak. I can easily pack for a 5-day trip with the Delta 12.10. The hatches on mine are 100% watertight. I don't even pack things in dry bags; I just drop them in the hatches.

The seat is very simple in design, and yet one of the most comfortable I've owned, suitable for all-day trips. The cockpit opening is large enough for a fairly large person, and yet small enough to be in the sea kayaking rather than recreational class, meaning it doesn't admit tons of water. I'm 5'5" and the foot pedals can be moved down another 9" from where I have them set.

I can't say enough good things about the Delta 12.10. It's unique in its length class among thermoformed kayaks. Eddyline, Swift, and Hurricane don't have an equivalent to the Delta 12.10 in their line up, a short kayak that is seaworthy, stable, reasonably fast, and has enough volume for camping.

Recently I mishandled the kayak unloading it from the car-top rack, and the bow dropped five feet, sustaining a foot-long crack, rendering the kayak totally dysfunctional. The accident was my fault. However, my $1,500 experiment with a new "miracle" kayak material has proven a failure; I would have expected much better impact resistance. One kayak dealer warned me against my purchase of this material for that very reason, and I should have heeded his advice.

Although the Delta is a stylish and nicely performing kayak, it is NOT impact resistant. I will not be buying another Delta kayak, nor any kayak made from thermoformed plastic, for that matter. Stay away from this kayak if you can’t treat it delicately!

Hopefully we can be of some assistance and regain at least some of your lost confidence in the thermoformed material and most importantly our brand. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do."

The thermoformed plastic is strong and well made with a nice glossy appearance. Yes, all thermo boats scratch somewhat easily but there are good polishes that buff them out to look like new again (Novus makes a good one). I love the hatch covers, while in the water besides the boat it is easy to remove them to retrieve something from the bow or stern in an emergency on open water. There are plenty of deck lines and bunjis and the straps to hold down a paddle for a re-entry work very well...these should be standard on all sea-kayaks.

This kayak handles very well as a coastal boat in rough water. The high volume, flared bow parts the waves and prevents pearling as you ride a wave into the shore. Initial stability is excellent as well as the secondary stability due to the hard chines, this is a great combo for those like me who like to be able to use this as a "rec" boat on calm water one day and then play in the surf on Lake Michigan or catch and ride boat wakes the next. The sliding seat helps to get a good fit with the thin padded but adequate thigh braces. For me the seat fits well and is comfortable for hours at a time.

I take out a variety of people to paddle with me and the twelve 10 accommodates everyone from ten year olds to my 74 year old father(I weigh 128lbs and am 5'7" with a size 7 shoe). I paddle 5 to 20 miles several times a week from April till freeze up in the fall and the Delta gets used for at least half of my time (I'll use my Necky "manitou" on rocky rivers or exploring closer to rocky shorelines, I do a lot of scavenging...you'd be surprised at all the neat things you can find:)

Speed? while not the fastest boat on the block, it is adequate. I usually average about 3 to 5mph while paddling and that's good enough for me. Some reviews I've read mentioned problems trying to keep the kayak on a straight course... I've had no issues and I suspect it may be due to either lack of experience paddling a kayak without a rudder or skeg or the weight of the paddler and gear need to be centered better in the boat.

I get a lot of people asking me advice about kayaks and one thing novices are unsure and confused about is whether they should buy a longer seakayak or a shorter recreational/daytouring/weekend kayak. Be honest with yourself! Ask yourself where you are going to do most of your paddling and under what conditions? I bet most of the folks who buy a full fledged, longer seakayak would have been better served getting something a bit less glamorous and shorter. Yes that beautiful, long, skinny kayak that looks great in the showroom just may be a bit more of a boat than most of us need. IF you are planning on kayaking for more than say 20 miles a day or for trips of 3 days or longer, then yes a longer touring kayak of 16 to 18 feet may be what you need. A longer kayak generally means more volume which is needed for packing larger quantities and bulkier items on extended journeys. Also the longer hull will generally give you a bit better glide between strokes which will be more efficient in keeping a better line between destinations and less exhausting for the expedition paddler. If you expect to be encountering rough water and heavy surf over long distances then a seakayak 16 to 18 feet that is designed for such conditions would be essential. If most of your kayaking will be less than 20miles a day or maybe for a day or two on a camping trip then most so called day/weekend type kayaks about 12 to 15 feet in length will suit most folks just fine. And if you just want any old hull to keep tucked in at a lake cottage for occasional use, then any recreational boat will do the job (while saving you a lot of money too:). Still it all comes down to what YOU want. With experience and training you can paddle most any kayak in any situation. As you become more aware of your paddling skills and acquire better equipment you may end up specializing by having several boats or more which will be used in your different pursuits on the water (one for just fishing, one for camping, one for whitewater, one for speed, etc.) No matter what, just remember that the best kayak that you own is the one that you USE. If it sits in the garage cause it's too heavy or doesn't paddle quite right then get rid of it! Get something you truly like and that you will use more often because life IS short...get out and paddle!!

The Delta is light and very maneuverable and tracks true. It is also very durable. I hit a big submerged rock and there wasn't even a scratch. This is a sweet little boat! Good job Delta!

Tracking was a pleasant surprise. The 12.10 would exhibit only a slight tendency to yaw with the strongest of strokes, and once edged, will turn on a dime. A look at the underside of the hull viewed from the bow or stern explains why. The boat has a very pronounced keel to aid tracking but once on edge with its semi-hard chine, the keel loses much of its grip and the boat swings around easily. Initial stability is similar to the Solstice GT (good) but the secondary feels more prominent and it’s very reluctant to roll beyond its tipping-point.

Also a surprise was the 12.10’s efficiency while paddling straight. It moves through the water with nearly the ease of my old kayak, the noticeable difference being less glide but nothing really bothersome. By contrast, the Current Design Kestral 140 paddles like a barge and would quickly lose momentum when paddling ceased.

Construction and quality of the 12.10 are superb, belying its $1,400 price tag. Reservations about the plastic material vs. composite should be put to rest after watching Delta’s YouTube hammer video and by examining the hull after dragging it across a rocky beach.

Bulkheads fore and aft, secure hatch covers, comfortable cockpit with seatback and fore & aft adjustment, comfortable adjustable foot pegs and thigh braces, perimeter rescue lines, and paddle float rescue straps all add up to one very secure boat to say nothing of the boat’s appearance. Many boats of this size are classified as recreational kayaks with the classification implying a lack of serious capabilities. Classifying the 12.10 as such would be a mistake. This boat would more accurately be described as a light touring boat in all respects.

I would urge anyone looking for a smaller sea kayak with most of the capabilities a larger kayak, to demo the 12.10. You’ll likely come away with a big grin.

I find the 12.10 tracks well, particularly, say, in comparison with the Necky Looksha Sport, while still being maneuverable with body leans or paddle sweeps or draws. In a 20 km/h crosswind, I didn't find any real weathercocking tendency; I have the seat about in the middle of its on-the-water-adjustable range. I don't think this fairly short boat needs a rudder or skeg, and so far I don't miss the lack of one.

I was initially confused on how to adjust the footpegs. I flipped the locking lever arm and tried pulling it or pushing it without success; finally I realized that I had to use my feet or hands to move the pegs and all the lever did was unlock them. Doh!

The molded and padded seat was comfortable, and I appreciated the in-flight adjustable seat-back. I also liked the padded thigh braces. I rolled the boat several times and found it fairly easy; only a little harder than the much narrower Impex Mystic that has rounded chines (21.5" beam versus the 12.10's 25" beam).

The primary stability of this boat is higher than, say, the Mystic, but obviously less than a wide recreational kayak like the OT Loon 120. Due to the hard chines, the secondary stability is great. I felt at ease in the boat.

The hatches were bone-dry after my rolls, and a T-shirt I'd put in the rear was not even slightly wet. The gasket system seems quite good, and the hatches are held down by double bungees.

There's a groove just aft of the cockpit that holds a paddle blade for ease of kayak entry or maybe rescue.

I raced a friend in a Seaward Tyee 17' for a while, and of course he eventually pulled ahead of me. But while we were paddling around a wetland, his longer length didn't confer any advantage, and in fact he was less maneuverable than I was.

The finishing of this boat is superb, and it looks like a much more expensive fiberglass boat. I've heard that the price will go up next year, so grab it while you can! This is a very capable, small, sea kayak that will be ideal for day trips or some overnights on a variety of water conditions.