I purchased an Emotion Glide Sport. It was a pre-owned purchase. Here are some positive things about the kayak. It is designed for lakes or class 1 rivers. A heavier person can fit comfortably in it because the cockpit is large. It has room in the hull to store a drybag. It has a keel which means that it tracks well on a lake or class 1 river and it is easy to maneuver. It is comfortable, stable for a kayak and light weight. It has a water release plug that is helpful in emptying the kayak of enough water to turn it over so the water can flush through the cockpit. A nylon reinforced spay skirt is available.
Here are the negatives.
A) it does not have a deck hatch for storage,
B) Because of the cockpit's larger size, I could not find a neoprene spray skirt to fit it.
C) The bow of the kayak will drive below the water line in standing waves and shoots of class 2 rivers; water floods over the kayak and if the nylon spray skirt holds, you end up with a heavy pool of water in your lap or worse. I imagine on a lake in heavy rain the same thing would occur :-)
The kayak is not designed to roll, so if you flip, then ejection is the only alternative. If you decide that your river choices are technical class 2 rivers or above, it makes more sense to use a kayak specifically designed for white water. For my purpose, my weight, the class of river I have selected and my health conditions, it was worth the dollars I spent on it.
