I recently purchased a pair of Moken 12 Standard kayaks, one red and one orange. Additionally, I had the shop install a set of pad eyes along the bow walls so that a second seat for my 3 year old daughter could be clipped in.
I love these kayaks for several reasons and would recommend them to any one. I use mine for fishing, exploring rivers, streams, beaches, coastal areas, and springs, as well as snorkeling.
The positives of the Moken 12 are:
- The wheel in the rear works great in all but the loosest of beach sand.
- They are light enough (58lbs) for me to pick up by myself easily and even haul overhead.
- The molded handles on every side are a dream and make portage, re-entry and control super easy. I even run my anchor line through the front handle.
- There is tons of storage. The flip up hatch is perfect for the things you need a lot but need to keep dry, (e.g., GPS, map, cell phone). The in hull storage has a large round access and net. I have not had to drain either kayak even after more than 2 dozen trips. They are bone dry inside.
- The bow and stern storage decks are also great. I carry my 40lb, 3 yr old in mine (or my 22lb dog).
- Very stable and fast. They do not seem stable at first but once you play with them for a while you realize they are quite hard to tip. I can stand in mine and cast if the water isn't to rough. I also move back and forth on it to hand my kid snacks and sunscreen, etc. The boats are very fast for SOTs. A few hard stokes and you are really moving. I have gotten over 8mph in mine. I average about 3mph without the family.
- The flip up padded seats are 'SAHWEET' and the boat stays dry...if you want it too (mine rarely does with a 3yr old).
The only negative comment I have so far is on the tracking. I am somewhat new to kayaking (at least owning) but this boat seems to want to turn into a moving current constantly and you have to adjust to keep it tracking straight. It does not come with a keel.
Overall I give it an 8.99 as a family kayak. We got two and I carry the kid as opposed to just getting one "divorceyak" a.k.a tandem.
Hope this helps, Feel Free to write me if you have more questions.