I did a lot of homework on this one. I'm weighing about 260 lbs these days and hadn't considered the weight rating on kayaks before I decided to buy one. While I am under the weight limit of every kayak I've tried so far I have seen the downsides of being close to the weight limit, and how that can hamper your adventure by restraining you to calmer waters. I found the Equinox at Costco for @ $400. They informed me they will no longer be carrying this particular model however. Included was a very decent aluminum-shaft oar with a plastic blade. The oar has two rows of locking holes so you may clock the blades offset to your liking in a narrow position for more confined areas, or a wider length for open water.
The Equinox Angler 12.0 is able to carry me and loads of gear safely through much rougher water than lakes and slow moving streams with the 420 lb. weight capacity. At 12 foot the kayak is faster than the 10 foot sit-in kayaks I have used, but it's not quite as fast as a 12 foot, Wilderness Systems Pungo 120(sit-in). The Equinox is not as nimble and easy to turn as the 10 ft. sit-in from Pelican, the other Costco offering, but it is far easier to turn than the 12 ft Pungo I mentioned. That Pungo has a fairly deep keel that really makes it track well, but Equinox, as well as Pelican and others, are using the Dihedral hull shape to track very well, keep a wide bottom, stable shape, and still turn well due to not having a deep keel.
The heel lock cups molded into the boat are sufficient. I have only slipped a foot once or twice so far in a few trips to a rough river, my Brother just didn't like them, he has used foot pedals in his Pungo exclusively for over a year now and couldn't get comfortable with the heel cups. He did notice the stability of the Equinox right away with an "Oh wow!". There is a flat recess pressed in the mold right above the heel cups for adding a foot pedal system. That is on my list of upgrades because I feel far more controlled using my toes. The 10"x18" bow hatch gives you unrestricted access to the gigantic interior and I have yet to use up all of the storage on a fishing trip. I have not capsized yet, but I have submerged the bow briefly, and sprayed the hatch with the hose while washing and never have I found so much as a drop of water inside. This is the best sealing hatch I've seen so far, even the Wilderness Systems hatches leak frequently. I believe there is plenty of space to 3-day camp from this kayak. Possibly longer depending on how you pack.
The seat back has not been my favorite part. They simply ran a strap through the back of the pad and then forward to a buckle on either side of you. The buckles twist and the soft strap bunches easily making it impossible to adjust without getting out and straightening the straps. The seat is comfortable when adjusted, but it's nice on occasion to change the sitting position a bit when you've been rowing a while. The two 6" storage hatches have leaked several times now and I suspect it's due to over/under-tightening. They also have an annoying habit of sticking once closed, even finger-tight. I made a tool for it and it's no longer an issue, but without some kind of tool those hatches would have been sealed forever.
The kayak has 6 total scupper holes, 2 in the sitting compartment, 2 by your feet, and 2 more in the open rear cargo area. Equinox gave me 4 plugs and I wouldn't want any more. I leave the rear scupper holes open and it self-drains very well. I have had the entire sitting compartment completely full of water and there were no poor handling characteristics due to it. Sometimes we play in the whitewater, probably 2 foot swells max, and I feel stable, confident, and in control with this kayak. I can stand in this kayak, though I think fighting a fish would be hilarious to watch while doing so. There is no flat place to put your feet however, so standing is quite uncomfortable.
That's about all I could complain about, seems like a short list for the price of this kayak. I looked at numerous manufactures of sit-in kayaks and couldn't find a weight rating this high for even twice the cost of the Angler 12.0. Most of my complaints about this boat could be fixed in addition to the purchase price for far less than the cost of some higher end kayaks. You could even hire the work out and be money ahead if you aren't comfortable modifying a fishing kayak.
I would recommend this kayak to anyone heavy like me, especially if you're the adventurous sort and would like to be able to bring some gear along. If you're a smaller person this kayak may be a tad heavy for you to put in and take out solo. At 66 lbs it's not as light as a Pungo 120, but I can and do frequently carry it down the boat ramp by myself. Hope this review helps someone save some money and enjoy the water.
