Spitfire 8

I wanted a kayak and this was the right price and being a sit on top appealed to me. First time out easy to paddle but goes off course whenever I stopped paddling. The seat is wet. I tried scupper plugs but bottom holes too small -- I enlarged the holes but couldn't get them perfectly round, I ended up using waterproof caulk and glued scupper plugs in, just in the seat area, now a dry seat. I bought and installed handles midship both sides for loading on top of car. Good points-- great price $260.35, durable, able to paddle straight. Not so good -- wet seat, lettering is coming off, had to tape on launch permit stickers, a bear to handle loading on car without adding handles! A good little boat for the price, my wife loves it!

What can I say? A basic sit on top. It holds my 225lb body out of the water. It tracks as well as an 8 foot boat will, which isn't great, but it gets you there. So far, we have only taken it out on flatwater, but there is a river nearby that I want to give it a shot. I may consider thigh straps, but for the most part, this is an easy boat to just play around on.

This kayak is a lot of fun for a little price. At 8 feet it doesn't track well at all but it can turn on a dime and fit through tiny openings between rocks in a river and runs very shallow. The weight capacity is pretty firm. After you get past about 200 lbs it can get a little tippy which (depending on how experienced you are) can either be a lot of fun or a little annoying.

The seat is fairly comfy and actually gives pretty decent back support (you may want to add a butt pad if you have a more sensitive rear end). I had an absolute blast a couple days ago running down a river in this and going through some class 2's. The maneuverability made it incredibly easy to change the route I wanted to take mid rapid and the extra tippiness made it more challenging and a little extra fun.

I'm not who this boat was designed for. We got it for my little brother about 5 years ago and have put it through some tests. We take it to the beach with us whenever we can as it is an absolute blast to play with in the surf and easy to get on/off when you bail out. It's also pretty durable despite being so cheap. The plastic doesn't feel cheap like a lot of pelicans/sundolphins do. It actually fell off the roof of my car (suburban, so it fell a good distance) at a stop sign probably 3 years ago, nice little dent in the bow but there's no cracks and no leaks and it didn't really effect anything. Durable cheap play boat I'd recommend for younger/smaller paddlers or someone looking for a cheap way to have a little fun on the water.

One last thing, if you have a mid size suv and can fold down your back row this boat can easily fit inside the vehicle making it one of the easiest boats I've ever owned to transport.

LOVE this kayak! I'm a beginner and this kayak has been PERFECT for me! I would recommend to anyone who is thinking about a sit on top!

The Emotion Spitfire 8 is a very nice sit on top kayak for the cost. While it is not the most stable nor the best tracking kayak out there is provides plenty of storage for a slow down on the water.

My 11 year old son uses this kayak. He loves the size and weight of this kayak. It is easy for him to manage and very stable. He jumps off of it into the water and climbs back in easily. I love it because it fits me comfortably too, and I grab it for myself when heading for a paddle in the swimming hole. The seat is comfortable for a child or adult. My only complaint is that it has very poor tracking.

This kayak is all that others have reported. Great price, lousy tracking, and very easy to tip. I have a different problem. I am 6' 297lbs. The boat leaks from the front scuppers directly into the boat via the 2 ports in front of the seat. I can paddle for about an hour and have to empty the boat. It gets very unstable with water inside. I bought this Spitfire because of its guaranteed weight limit of 350lbs and price. This is my replacement boat. First one did same.

The Good:
Easy to load/unload and transport.
With your dry bag plenty of aft storage beneath the bungee netting.
Turns on a dime so great for rivers and surf - can move in and out and dart about wherever you want to go - easy to maneuver river strainers.
Wide and stable, so tip friendly - easy to remount when swept off.
Appears thick and well built, so should be long lived.
Slightly heavy with a natural friction to the water surface, so resists wind drift and wave push.
Good bang for your buck.

The Bad:
No good for lakes and slow moving rivers - with ZERO tracking it requires constant attention to stay straight.
Only family friendly for those who know how to control direction via hip and paddle, otherwise there will be cursing and lots of circles.
I mentioned a friction above - no matter how hard you paddle it is going one max speed and on flat water it tends to plow in lieu of plane.
Watch out for big ocean waves as you will ride up them and then flip instead of through to the other side - not a problem with other equal ocean kayaks.

The Other:
For cheap thrills on active water this is a fun little boat well within the most modest of budgets.

This sit-in kayak does not track well. Bow swing is excessive. If you keep it, you should purchase a skeg kit that will reduce the bow swing and make it easier to handle in higher velocity tidal waters.

Based on the reviews on this page, I ordered a Spitfire 8 yesterday. Turns out the shipping warehouse was nearby. So, they allowed me to pick it up. I just had to take it out for a test spin and brought my fishing equipment with me.

Perfect. The little kayak performed much better than I thought it would. It is extremely stable (good for anyone not used to a kayak), easy to car top, and responds well to light paddle strokes. It tracks decently for a small boat, just about as good (or terribly) as other small, wide, plastic, recreational kayaks.

I purchased it as a family boat for playing at the beach or cottage, fishing on small lakes, drifting slow rivers, and playing in waves on the Great Lakes. I didn't get to wave-test it, but I think it's perfect for these uses. It is a very good fishing platform. I could easily reach my cargo items (the included bungee net is a great thing) and although I was out there only an hour, the seat arrangement is super comfortable!

I think it is a wonderful kayak, especially for the price. I'm giving it a 10/10 because I think it may be the best of the bunch in terms of very small, portable, stable, versatile, fun, and decently performing sit-on-top recreational kayaks. I may install some hip braces when it we use it as a wave surfer. Also, lime green is a great kayak colour!

We own two Spitfire 8's, and one 9'. I think Emotion makes a really good product. As others have said, the 8' does not track well. But compared to boats in the same price range it is a good boat. The 9' tracks much better and holds about 100 more pounds, but the storage hatch leaks a little. Look up zoffinger on youtube. He has done some awesome things to his Spitfire 8.

Just bought 2 Spitfire kayaks for my 11 and 14 yr olds today. They are a perfect starter kayak for preteens and my husband and I both tried them out and had a blast. Perfect for our tranquil bay off of Cape Cod. Great kayak for the price.

This is a great starter kayak for a newbie, and I think it will make a good surf kayak for any ability level. I am a 6'2" 230 lb guy, and an active watersports fan (surfing and windsurfing mostly). This kayak will easily float me, and is quite stable even in 2' chop. I took this out on Lake Tahoe CA paddling and had a blast with it. As long as you manage your paddling to maintain balance, it rides easily through and over waves.

It is easy to load on a car roof or in the back of a truck. The construction is good, it is pretty solid and made here on the USA.
Recommended!

My family and I have owned 4 Emotion kayaks within the past 5 years and have enjoyed them very much. Emotion kayaks are made to accommodate the beginner paddler, and if you're new to paddling and don't know how often you'll go out and paddle around, then this boat is for you. But, if you have even the slightest amount of paddling experience do NOT buy this boat. The Spitfires are very very short, resulting in the worst tracking I've ever experienced. I've paddled other kayaks in it's price range and ALL of them are better at tracking. Each stroke sends you spinning and if you don't have a good technique some paddlers may be overwhelmed. This just about renders it impossible to get up to speed. The yak also has a high center of gravity causing it to be too tippy for a beginner boat. The ONLY advantage I've witnessed with this boat, over other kayaks in it's price range, is it's size. I have paddled the Charger, the next size up in Emotion's lineup, for about 4 years and it puts the Spitfire to shame in ALL aspects of performance, and it's only 15 inches longer. If you have the money, get the Charger. The Spitfire just isn't worth it in my opinion.

I bought this kayak to let guests use. It is great for the price but it's like paddling a square. Fun for the kids and in the light waves at the beach.

Just returned from a camping trip in which we used our new Spitfire kayaks for the first time. Awesome fun is the main comment I have. My hubby and I just love them and look forward to going again.--in fact are planning on another outing over Labor day.

Interesting note: hubby is 72 years old and I am 70 and just tried a kayak for the first time over the 4th of July week end. Soooo glad we did. I feel safe and secure in my little Spitfire !!

This kayak is perfect for the beginner. At about 225 bucks with tax from Dick's you can't go wrong. I bought one of these for my wife and she loves the boat. I added some carry handles over the "handles" that are molded in and a paddle bungee on the side. The only thing this boat lacks would be some dry storage. This is the best boat in the under $400 class in my opinion.

I think for the cost and what you get this kayak is fantastic. It's perfect for beginners, or solo paddlers because its light weight, easy to handle and very very very stable. I've taught several people who are afraid to kayaking to do so with my Spitfire and they feel confident almost immediately.

I find it tracks very well. The only reason its a 9 and not 10 is that the "hand moldings" are not very deep so its awkward to carry sometimes -- and the "paddle indentions" are nowhere near deep enough to actually put a paddle in - but they do add to the contour of the boat.

It's stable, fun, safe and a great ride for flatwater, Class I rivers, and light surf.