Cricket

When the military relocated me from the East Coast to the West Coast in 2007, I stopped in Michigan to see my family. My stepmother told me that her family shared a kayak that no one used anymore and offered it to me. It had sat at her family's summer home on Lake Huron for decades. I grew up on the Great Lakes in canoes, motorized fishing boats, and speed boats but I had only ever used kayaks while playing around on the coasts of the Mediterranean. Still, I didn't hesitate to accept this gift. I snatched it up from its lakeside retirement and put it back into action. I threw it into the back of my pick-up and hauled it out west, where I spent two years paddling around Monterey Bay. This little boat was meant more for lakes than the Pacific but it was up for the challenge, even fighting through 4 ft waves, carrying my 180 lb, 5'7" frame comfortably. It's not made for touring but there's just enough space on deck for a day's worth of gear and water strapped on top. The sturdy plastic hull takes screws easily, so a cargo net could be installed. We definitely had a few spills but it was very stable, even in that kind of chop. Whatever I was willing to take on, it charged on in. These days, I keep it on the rivers and mountain lakes of Oregon. I often keep it on top of my Suzuki Samurai, a tiny boat on top of a tiny car, so that it's with me for impromptu trips. Also, since I still drive antiques that aren't manufactured anymore, I'm used to making creative repairs. The boat's plug had long ago disappeared, so I opened the drain hole up to 2" and inserted a test plug that I found in the plumbing department of a hardware store. This boat is sturdy, rugged, and tons of fun. I wouldn't try to take it on an overnight trip but for the 12 years that I've had it, it's been a great little boat for exploring and just getting out and feeling free, without any hassles. So long as you don't expect your Dimension Cricket to be a top of the line cruiser, you can't go wrong.

Used my Cricket for the Shenango River Watchers cruise down the Shenango River in September....Worked great..tracks great for a little kayak and handled the few rapids with ease... fun little boat for the money...

Fast kayak; tracks nice; terrible in the surf or with choppy waters due to no scupper holes (who thinks of no scupper holes for a SOT?); nimble and good for a kid; not as great for an adult in more or less open water since it can be a little tippy. Molded seat makes you lean a little too far back with no adjustment. Kayak is a little too low in the water.

OK kayak for slow moving rivers and lakes, but not for choppy water since it takes too much water in. In 20 minutes of choppy water it feels as if it wants to sink. The bottom of the hull is also very thin as mine was placed on the floor and developed a flat surface where there should have been a v hull shape. Yes, kayaks are not supposed to be stored on their bottom, but this kayak has an extremely thin bottom compared to Ascend's, Lifetime's, Emotion's, and Ocean Kayaks (all kayaks I have used in the past and continue to use sometimes).

Kayak has an MSRP of $199 but you get what you pay for. Better kayak for $50 more is Emotion Spitfire at $250 and 8 feet, fast with some poor tracking, but it comes with 6 scupper holes and it does great in choppy waters!

Pros:
• Cheap (mine was $300)
• Light weight (32 lbs)
• Short (9 ft); traveling/storing is easy
• Easy cleaning
• Durable
• Tracks nicely despite it's short frame
• Comfortable
• Stable

  Cons:

• Hard to find
• No storage
• You might get a bit wet since it's a s.o.t.

Bottom line: I would absolutely recommend this to someone who's either a beginner or likes cruising around small lakes, ponds, and rivers/streams

Just paddled my Cricket for the first time today. I tried an SOT boat years ago, when they first came out, and was severely underwhelmed by its bulk and slowness. The Cricket is another story altogether.

It has a very respectable turn of speed for a SOT kayak, and it's responsive to sweep strokes and leaning. You can almost carve turns in it. It's inexpensive, and best of all, it's light and short enough so I can throw it into our truck without help or strained muscles. It's the perfect boat for the type of flatwater inland paddling I do these days.

More bang for your buck. This little gem, tracks really well for being as short as it is, so flat water she can keep up great with some of the longer more streamlined yaks. This little baby kicks butt for river play where you have small tight turns, very responsive... yes water does come in when you go over falls, but still handles great. Not sure I would hit solid class III with it but II and under all kinds of fun, and easy to get back in when you go splat. Great for really shallow spots too... a great little yak!

I've been on the water all my life but usually in a sailboat. Recently we decided to get back into paddling and we purchased two Dimension Crickets. After having friend who raved about their stability, easy handing, and easy to lift that my wife is able to slip it into the back of the pick-up or on to the car top rack. The Cricket can easily scoot along with a 65 lbs kid paddling or move just as easily with someone like me who's just over 200 lbs. (225 max capacity). Well if your looking for a light weight sit-on-top Kayak for fun and ease of use you'll love this 9ft 6", 28 1/2" wide,33lb, kayak. The cockpit seat is very comfortable and the sculptured back rest is very relaxing. Best of all, the Dimension Cricket tracks well, even when your power stroking, the bow keeps a line within an inch. Dollar for dollar we feel that it's the best $379 (CDN) we ever spent for a small boat. It's tuff, durable and well designed but most of all it's enjoyable. Our kids love paddling them and we do too.