Strait 140 XE

This kayak is find for large lakes and rivers. It has good primary and secondary stability, edges well also, and is probably, in my opinions the kayak unit in its category. It comes well equipped with waterproof hatch and is made of a compound that makes-it rigid and also light. I know the question comes to mind, the kayak is large enough for a 6’ 1” 190 lb guy like me but is very suitable for smaller paddlers. All in all it’s lightness, it’s durability and ease of use will make it à great skiff for beginners and intermediate paddlers

Have owned my Strait 140XE since June 2015, and really love it. Had rented kayaks, here and there, for years, and finally decided to purchase. Researched a lot, demo'ed a couple. Fell in love at first sight, as it is everything I had in mind -- graceful lines, lots of storage (just enough space for a Delaware River camping trip last summer), rudder.

Just notified Elie my unit is affected by their recall, so we'll see how customer service works.

The boat maneuvers, accelerates and maintains speed well, but does tend to turn with the wind or strong chop. Rudder fixes that immediately.

I do own a spray skirt, but have not practiced flipping and rolling, so I'm a little leery about using it. As a result, when paddling in whitecaps I don't use the skirt and it becomes a little bit of a white-knuckle experience, as water does come in over the low coaming.

Some other reviewers have said the kayak is tippy, but that comes with a narrow boat, right? The narrow cockpit is fine by me, but my wife's bad hip joints prefer a wider entry point.

Two large hatches are locked with levers. They work well -- much easier than straps or rubber hatch covers -- but the hatches are quite some distance from the cockpit and pretty much inaccessible from within the craft. The small convenience pocket holds small items, but the fabric pouch can dislodge and drop into the aft compartment, so don't plan to use it for items that would suffer if wet.

So, now, the problem: The reason my unit was recalled was for potential leakage, so Elie at least has recognized this deficiency. Not sure what will happen with the new unit, but this one has had minor leakage -- a couple ounces of water per outing. The amount of leakage appears to vary with the unit. On an overnight camping trip, it took in less than a cup a day, front and rear combined. Others have complained of greater leakage. I always store everything in quality dry bags, so this is not the biggest problem in the world to me, but it can be irritating, and would be a real problem if you did not plan for it.

Some other reviewers have said the seat is comfy. I regularly paddle for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until my butt goes numb. The seat is certainly not comfy for me, but that is pretty personal. I plan to get a seat pad this season. My heels also tend to hurt after a while. I solved this with neoprene wet shoes, or a temporary foam pad on the floor.

On the whole, I truly love this boat. Every time I look at it, I want to drop whatever I'm doing and go for a paddle. When I'm out in the boat, I want to go camping. While we were camping, I did not want to quit.

Yes, the boat has some problems, but they all seem fixable. It does suffer from weather-cocking, but the rudder works fine. The manufacturer is addressing the leakage problem. I'll spend a little bit of money and get a seat pad, and I usually wear shoes or have the foam pad for my feet.

5'11", 280lbs, size 13 shoe. Kayak is a bit difficult to get into initially but, once in, it is plenty roomy for my copious frame. Kayak is very responsive which is good for maneuvering but, bad in that even a light wind causes sever Weather cocking. However, drop the rudder and all your weather cocking problems disappear. Primary stability is...meh but, secondary is GREAT! The seat is well made but, lacking in holding strength for someone of my...stature. I just can't get the seat to keep me completely upright. But, this is likely due to me exceeding the weight limit and not due to any fault with the equipment. I appreciate the water bottle holder, with hold down bungee in the middle of the seat fits, which fits a standard Nalgene bottle well and tightly. The Water proof compartments are, likely, not water proof but, they seem to stay dry during average use. Weight wise, this boat is light. Compared to my wife's Riot 14.5, which is a rotomolded boat, this boat is significantly lighter... not to mention very stiff. Loving the thermoform. I will update y'all with anything that may or may not change in the future.

I have had this Yak for 6 months and use it weekly. Just did 20 mi. on the Suwannee River, a pleasure! Tracks and steers Great! Well made and comfortable. Priced right......

My Stats: 5'6", 150#, Size 8.5-9 shoes; I'm fairly new to kayaking but have been in canoes for many years.

Compared to the Liquid Logic Pisgah I came from, this is a much more relaxed and faster boat. Some reviewers found this boat "tippy" but I found it very stable- both primary and secondary stability are good and predictable... good enough that I am thinking about taking my DSLR with me on this boat (in a dry bag when not shooting) I feel that confident when in this boat.

It tracks straight until you lean it on edge and then it lets you turn pretty quickly.

I found there's plenty of room for me with lots to spare. Thigh braces are in a good location. Lots of hip room for me but would like to have a little more in the way of hip support/padding. I have a little too much room at times.

Outfitting is good, not the best if compared to a WS Tsunami, but sufficient. Good seat plenty of deck cords and attachment points for your gear.

The boat is very clean looking with has nice lines and it has a prominent center keel line and hard chines on the sides. When in the water, the keel and chines help keep the boat going straight and fast. If you want to get up to speed, it can be done easily and quickly. Keeping a good fast pace is easy.

Would highly recommend this boat.

Since I review every kayak I own, I guess I ought to do this one. The good: it tracks like a 14 footer should, it floats and looks pretty on my rack in the garage. Now for the bad. This kayak is extremely heavy, the hatches leak like a screen door in a hurricane and the kayak sits so high on the water that it quarters when a butterfly farts. The deck rigging is minimalistic and the seat had to be replaced within a day of delivery.
For $800, you can do a whole lot better than Elie.

I bought this kayak after the bow of my Delta Twelve-10 split open after a slip off the car rack. The Elie Strait is simply the best kayak for the length (14') and money ($830 shipped) I could ever ask for. I've owned six kayaks, and this is the best one yet. The material is tough as nails (the reason I bought it after the Delta debacle!).

What is most amazing, however, is the spritely way the boat handles. It tracks very well, cruises and responds to wind and waves exceptionally, yet turns on a dime. If you can paddle at all, there is no need to buy this kayak with a rudder, since it is so nimble. The hatches are easy to open and shut, and the seat is by far the most comfortable one I've ever sat in/on! Each time I paddle I pinch myself to believe I bought such a good kayak for such a reasonable price!
The brothers Elie should be commended for producing such a fine boat.

I bought this kayak for day paddling and light touring. It handles nicely, but is somewhat prone to weather-cocking. The rudder - standard feature worked well to combat this in breezy open-water conditions. It's a bit long for narrow rivers, but the overall handling is very good. The hinged hatch covers seem to be okay for light spray, but my rear bulkhead seemed to let water in from the cockpit. A little RTV sealer took care of this.

I've not rolled the boat to test how watertight the hatches are (other reports indicate that they let in some water). Overall, I like the cockpit and how the boat handles.

Great kayak for the money. Very rigid, feels like a composite boat. Tracks great, fast & very stable. I didn't like the rudder foot controls and the hatches are TERRIBLE! Mine are so bad the leak in the rain on my trailer. BTW the seat is a dream! The foot controls and front hatch are easily fixed with aftermarket replacements, the rear hatch I'm still working on.

I am 5'9", 180#, slim build. The boat fits like a glove...picked it up used at REI because the previous owner decided it didn't fit... a really great boat... tracks well, good rudder system. Gets up to speed quickly and is responsive. The seat is very comfortable. The watertight hatch is great...the two larger hatches are not watertight but good enough with adequate space. The boat felt a little tippy at first but I have become more accustomed to her...she is very stable when underway.

After having taken the boat on a 5 day trip down the San Juan River in Utah at 5800 cfs, i feel that i can now review this boat (previous trips were all on quiet water). With limited white water experience, i credit the boat with getting me through this unscathed. It is a great boat, incredible stable and boyant it rode the waves like a cork. It went sideways over submerged Rockridges und rightet itself in the current -incredible. Afterward the hull had some scratches, nothing serious.

Now the cons: the so called waterproof Hatches are a joke - even with extra marine gaskets and ducktape over the hinges i still had more than a quart of water in bow and a little less in the stern compartment every eve. Previous reviewer is right Pelikans custumer service is non existing, if you call you get a receptionist telling you to call the Dealer where you bougth the Boat.

Bought one for my wife and one for myself. Awesome boats. Look great, rudder is smooth to operate and tracks beautifully, ample storage and seat is quite comfortable. Couldn't find a better boat for the price. We've only spent about 10 hours on the water, but even in moderate chop the boats road well.

I highly recommend the boat. The only reason I did not rate our Elie's a 10 is because of Elie's customer service, which is through Pelican Sports. Don't expect a quick answer to a question from them. Still love the boats though.

I tried out this boat at the Kayak Festival in Charleston,SC. I was going to buy it and then ended up getting a Current Design Vision 140. I paid twice as much for the Vision.

After getting home, I still kept thinking of the Strait 140. The boat seat seemed very comfortable. The boat was very responsive. At 14' it has 3 hatches and makes a great Day Touring kayak. At $1049.00 the price was also right. Within a month, I had bought a Strait 40th Edition. It is the Limited Edition of the 140xe.

I have now put it thru the paces on a lake with some very rough water. The boat handled great. The plastic in this boat is much stiffer then a rotomolded poly boat. It handled the waves just as well as my composite boat and all at a fraction of the price. Pelican had just come out with the Elite Series this year. It is not the same boat that you find in discount chain stores. Pelican has a winner with this model. I know I made the right decision.