Excursion 128

After a paddler with a new Santee told me two weeks ago that she had purchased it based on my recommendation, I am compelled to update my review of the Expedition 128.

Since purchase of the Expedition in 2011 (more recent Excursion body have been strengthened, I've been told), I've paddled anywhere from 800-over 1,000 miles a year in a variety of conditions: small creeks between cypress trees and (over) knees, rocky shoals, coastal waters, big lakes (Voyageurs' Kabetogama), fast rivers. It was my only kayak until 2015. There is no on-the-market spray skirt for this pre-2012 Expedition so I had to have a spray skirt made (by Seals - a great company) in 2013. In 2015, paddling the lower Columbia, the combing tore when I took off the spray skirt. On the road, Hurricane sent me a list of possible retailers to help fix the tear. On a tight schedule, I didn't have time to get it done until I arrived in Alberta, Canada, where an outfitter there did a fix. With a multi-day trip planned for later that fall on Yellowstone Lake, I purchased a Delta 14' kayak with a stronger combing.

The Delta is now my primary kayak. However, when a shorter kayak is needed, I use the Expedition. In 2016 on a scouting trip a small tear appeared on the side of the Hurricane. Again, Hurricane customer service was responsive and sold me a patch which seems to have done the trick. About 6 months before that, another kayaker with the same make and model of Hurricane had the shell tear lower down the hull; we patched it with marine duct tape which we had bought at Piragis in Ely and it enabled her to paddle about 6 miles more down the Apalachicola River without incident.
My husband's 14' Expedition's (a later make) combing also tore and he's had to reinforce it.
I examined the new Santee and although some changes have been made on the combing, the same thin material is being used. A Santee is primarily a recreation kayak, and Hurricane may have strengthened the touring kayaks or made it part of the mold.

Hurricane was a great beginner kayak for me -- it was fast, responsive, it rode the waves and it had great stability and it gave me hundreds of hours of great service. Hurricane's mango coating still looks as fresh as it did when I purchased the kayak, unlike the Delta mango coating which seems to attract dust and oil and retains oil stains. (We do use uv protectant on the outer coat).

If you plan to use a spray skirt, I would check out the combing very carefully. And in older (lighter) versions of the Hurricane, I would also check out the body of the kayak before purchase.

Since 2011 I have paddled this craft in small streams almost sloughs (Panhandle Florida), fast moving water over pebbles and minor rapids (Brule, WI), large rivers (Apalachicola, FL; Upper Missouri, MT; Rushing River, Ontario, CA); North Florida coastal waters and bays; technical rivers with sharp turns and tree and shrub falls (upper Econfina Creek & upper Sopchoppy, Florida) and in a relatively small lake where a sudden change in the weather resulted in high waves and fetch (Lake Ilo, ND). This boat has never failed me. It was not made for the likes of Brule River, and as it scraped over pebbles and larger rocks I wasn't sure it would survive the beating, but the hull was but little scarred.

I am 5 feet tall and the 38 pounds of weight is welcome. Without a skirt in choppy bays or lake waters it doesn't take in any water compared to my husband's 14 feet kayak and it skims over waves like a dream. It has great secondary stability. Granted it's more supple than other thermofoam kayaks and if a heavy person were to sit on it, it would give a bit, but it tracks well, maneuvers decently and gets up to speed faster than many similar craft longer than this. My husband says it skims along the water beautifully and it feels that way from the cockpit. The capacity of its hatches has allowed me to multi-day camp (with water) without scrimping on the basics

I am sorry that Hurricane discontinued this to build a stronger and heavier craft, but if I were to get a touring kayak for my granddaughters who are now learning to paddle whitewater, a second hand Hurricane 128 would be my choice. My oldest grand daughter, age 11 and 1 inch taller than me, loves this boat over the few non-whitewater boats she has tried in a North Carolina Lake; Alberta, CA lake in wind, and a quiet Panhandle bay.

The only criticism I would make is that I had to have a skirt made to order, but that was remedied with help from Seals and for my size, it would be nicer to have it a bit narrower at the cockpit, but that might compromise the benefits of this craft. I had to add to the footpads (with advice from paddling.com readers) because at its shortest option, it was still too long for me to get proper control of the craft.

I rate it as 8 and not 10 because although I tried several other makes before making my choice, it's the only thermofoamed touring kayak I have tried and there is one make I would like to try, which while heavier has great reviews. Weight is a major consideration for me and it would be hard to beat the 38 pounds of this kayak.

I recently purchased a Hurricane Santee Expedition 128 for flat water use. I have a Liquid Logic Remix XP10 that I use for whitewater conditions. I bought the XP10 first but wasn't happy with it's flat water performance. Here is my opinion on the 128's characteristics:

Manufacturing - The Hurricane boat appears to be well made. I could not find any problems or flaws with the boat's construction. The hardware appears to be of good quality except for the seat adjusting pull cords which look like an afterthought.

Stability - This boat feels tippy initially. Part of it may be the large cockpit and lack of thigh braces and hip pads. The secondary stability is very good however as this boat can be put on edge when desired.

Performance - This boat feels fast to me. It accelerates easily and maintains it's speed. The 128 has more glide than the recreational kayaks and the whitewater kayaks I have paddled. In terms of handling, it turns well for a boat of this length. It won't turn like a whitewater kayak, but then again, I didn't expect it to.

Comfort - The seat and it's position are comfortable for me. I'm 5'11" and weigh 190lbs. There is plenty of room for a larger paddler.

Appearance - The 128 looks good. In my opinion, it looks much better than a polyethylene kayak. People frequently mistake it for a composite boat. I have had many complements already. We will see about durability over time.

Rough water performance - I took this boat out a river mouth into Lake Superior on a day with 3 foot waves. It performed very well in breaking through the surf keeping me reasonably dry. I have seen longer boats perform worse in the surf as they cut through the waves instead of going over them. Out beyond the breakers the ride was smooth and stable and the boat tracked well despite strong winds. The only negative for me in the rough water was the lack of hip and thigh pads that could of helped me control the boat while adding to my sense of security. In 3 foot waves or higher, I will stick with my XP10 that excels in rough conditions.

Conclusion - The Hurricane Expedition 128 is a good value for someone who wants a recreational cockpit with a fast hull. It appears to be a good value for the money. I would recommend it based on my experience.