Shearwater-KV

Mine is a 2000 model year. I'm not sure how it differs from other model years. I read in other reviews about a rudder. Mine, thankfully, does not have one. It would, however, benefit from a skeg. It tracks horribly in even the slightest wind. I still give it a 9 though since everything else about it is great.

I read people say it is not for beginners.....I can't imagine why. It is incredibly stable and could have been made 2 inches skinnier. I got mine used having been previously owned by multiple people. There are many hairline cracks in the gelcoat both on the deck and hull. I don't know if it was banged around or if it just has a poor quality gelcoat job. The Shearwater should fit most people comfortably...I'm 6 ft. and 225 lbs. I may mount a surfboard skeg to the hull to straighten things out.

As almost everyone has noted, this is not a beginners' boat. If you are currently using a wide SOT, this will be a learning exprience for you. It might be easier to switch to a sit inside or surf ski if you are looking for speed. Initial stability is not as good as a lot of sit inside kayaks. More like a surf ski.

Watch out for rear quartering winds. In a 25 knot wind it will weathercock even with the small skeg. I haven't had it out in big waves, but even a very exprienced friend said he could probably not stay on it on a big wave. And he can handle an 18' boat in big water better than anyone I know.

The former owner raced it fairly sucessfully on San Francisco Bay. He replaced it with a racing surf ski. He warned me off of using in really rough conditions like off the Mendocino Coast in winter. On the other hand. It is a beautiful, rugged, and very well made boat. It was designed by a boat architect and it is very well designed. The only SOT I know with bulheads.

Did I mention it is over 18' long and 24" wide? I guess it holds a ton inside, and that might improve intial stability. I don't know. I travel light. It is also very fast. It can run with the big boys. Sit on top, or sit inside. Just a few sit insides like the Seda Glider have an edge for speed, and not a big one.

If you do not do open ocean trips it should do just great. If you do open water, then buy the Shearwater for speed AND get another boat for the rough stuff! Bottom line is: mine is not for sale.

This is my sixth kayak (all are sit-on-tops). At first, it felt quite tippy, but after a few hours of use, this feeling disappeared. Secondary stability is excellent. It is the lightest of all my kayaks (44 lbs., the Kevlar version). It handles beautifully in chop and confused seas, easily and efficiently cutting through the waves, and it also cruises at a good clip. Probably due to the degree of rocker, some corrective strokes and/or edging are sometimes needed in windy conditions. I wouldn't recommend this kayak for a beginner, but for an intermediate or advanced paddler, it's great.

I bought this boat to try to keep up with male paddlers in my club, as the longer the boat, the faster it goes. Mine is the kevlar model, only 44 pounds. It is a little tricky to carry by myself in wind, because it is so long and light. On the water, this baby cruises. It is open cockpit, self-bailing, so i don;t have any worries about getting out if i go over. i paddle all winter long on long island sound (connecticut). Secondry stability is superb, but, because i am so light (115 lbs) and the boat is designed for a 150 - 240 lb paddler, it feels tippy initially. I weight the bilge with a couple of gallon water bottles, and that improves an already great ride. I use this boat for day "expeditions" - load it up with gear and go for a long ride. You need to be good at leaned turns to steer this boat easily, and it takes a bit of correction in strong current to keep it on track. It is a fine boat for a more experienced paddler. By the way, even with the open cockpit, i am always dry and warm. the cockpit is deep and the boat is well-designed - I never take water over the sides.