Delta 17

I purchased my delta 17 at the REI in Olympia Washington, put in at Budd Inlet, weaved in and out the inside passage to Dyea AK, carried it over Chilkoot Pass via the Chilkoot trail, paddled and portaged through the headwater lakes of the Yukon River, then paddled the entire Yukon River back to the Bering Sea over the course 4ish months.

The kayak took a beating, occasionally got dragged, occasionally got bashed up against rocks, but never required any major maintenance. I've always paddled fiberglass boats before the delta and I know for a fact that I would have had to be way more careful with a fiberglass boat than I was with the Delta.

The boat isn't the fastest but is perfect for big trips, you can really load this boat up. The large hatches are really nice for getting gear in and out. Very stable and can handle any conditions I've thrown it into. The rudder is a must have for long tours, all your effort can go into an efficient forward stroke. Also, while a little heavier than I'm used to, the kayak really isn't that heavy. I carried it everyday to get above the tide line and then eventually carried it over a fairly heinous mountain pass. I wouldn't do it again but I didn't die.

I bought this boat from Frontenac Outfitters in June 2021 with the skeg. I already had a 17' Formula Serenity Kevlar/glass sea kayak, but wanted a lighter, plastic boat I could scratch up on Georgian Bay rocks. Eric helped install the Delta hip pad kit, 2 foam pads on each side for more of a "whitewater" fit. I am 6'2" , 195 lbs.

This Delta 17 has harder chines, than my other sea kayak, so it is much more stable up on edge. Cockpit fit is better, with my hips I can precisely lean the the boat, to carve. Seat is comfortable, with adjustment fore and aft, and backrest up and down. Footpeg adjustment seated in cockpit works great. I did add a foam pad where my heels sit on the bottom of hull. Large hatch covers have been dry so far, though I haven't camped overnight with gear in the boat yet. Day hatch great for GPS, camera, sunscreen, though not dry. Open day hatch and it's useful as hand hold, to stand up in kayak for high docks too !

Easy to launch, alongside a dock, and finish seems to hold up well to small scratches. Really a nice tracking boat, with skeg up, or down. Most of the time I paddle it with skeg up unless taking pictures. I like the narrow waist on the boat, (22 inches) easy to use a more vertical paddle stroke, with a shorter paddle I like sometimes.

Seems to be ok paddling in say 2 foot waves, the largest I have paddled it in for now. Seals 1.7 neoprene skirt fits perfectly. Dry boat without the skirt too. Tight deck rigging, and flat deck behind cockpit work great to hold down a longer paddle blade (Werner Camano) for self rescue with paddle float. I haven't tried rolling it yet, though that should work with a sweep roll.

Minor complaints,

I wish it had a recess in front deck for mounting a Brunton 70P compass. Noticed a bit of water in my rear compartment, even with no rolling. May be leaking in from cockpit, or skeg housing ?

Skeg control is just a nylon cord, with jam cleat; hard to judge intermediate skeg positions but lighter. I am used to a tactile slider in a recessed slot; easy to see control position in skeg slider slot.

Wish I could give the boat 4 1/2 stars.

This is my first kayak and so far it has been amazing. It is lightweight for it's size and easy for me to lift onto and off of my SUV's kayak carrier. There is ample space in the bulkheads for multi-day trips and the day hatch is a great feature. The thermoform design makes this kayak durable for river use (I don't have to worry about scraping the hull off rocks) and the length allows it to rip through waves on bigger bodies of water. I have the skeg model of this boat, but it also has a rudder option. The skeg is easily lowered and makes tracking effortless. The foot braces are easily adjusted in the cockpit by hand as it has extended levers. I am 6'1" and fit into this boat nicely. A nice feature is that the deck lines are recessed into the body, making the boat more streamlined. One of the best qualities of the Delta 17 is the adjustable seat. The padded seat itself moves forward and back allowing shorter (and taller) paddlers the ease of reaching the foot braces, which is normal for most higher-end boats. However the back rest also moves up and down (and back and forth) so that you can adjust and re-adjust on long trips. I can't wait to see how this feature helps my back on long trips. The Delta 17 is priced higher than a typical recreational kayak, but lower than a composite. So far, I don't have any cons for the Delta 17, but I hope to have a better review once I take it on a few trips. Stay tuned.

We bought two delta kayaks in July of 2017 from Frontenac Outfitters north of Kingston Ontario, the Delta 17 and Delta 15.5GT with rudders. They are both great. This is our first time owning kayaks. We have taken them on two, one week trips (and about 5 day trips) and there is nothing to complain about or that I can think of improving. Love the tight dry hatch seals, lots of room for gear, like the day hatch for my camera and binoculars. Everything on the kayaks works well and is properly designed, good comfy seat. Having rudders leaves more room for gear inside. Very happy with them. The 15.5GT has a slightly higher cockpit and does not need a sprayskirt as soon as the 17 in windy wavy conditions (or waves from not so bright power boaters who don't slow down). I strongly recommend these kayaks.