I bought my Santee 100 early…
I bought my Santee 100 early in the summer of 2015. Have taken it out on numerous flat water lakes and the Deschutes River here in Central Oregon. So happy with it.....my 25 lb dog sits in the cockpit with me and we feel secure. Easy to lift on and off the Helivator Kayak rack by myself.
Feels very stable in the water and so far has held up well to the occasional dragging along the ground. Would highly recommend to someone who wants a lightweight kayak. Unfortunately, they no longer make this 10 foot kayak. Only 12 feet or longer
I LOVED this kayak!! I had…
Submitted by:
paddler236780
on 5/19/2016
I LOVED this kayak!! I had the opportunity to use one of my friends. It was lightweight, versatile and comfortable! Since using this kayak, I am now in the market to buy one of my own. Being a small woman, the size was perfect and the weight of the kayak was also great for someone like me. I can't wait to get my own!
Lightweight and easy to carry, perfect for lakes and flat water rivers and enough cockpit room to seat my 25lb dog. Have had it about 6 weeks and no complaints except a large water bottle does not fit in the water bottle holder. Tracks well and feels stable.
This boat flies! Light,…
Submitted by:
paddler235597
on 6/17/2014
This boat flies! Light, tracks great. I'm 5'4 and my hunky jock boyfriend has to sweat to keep up with me in a 14-ft. We live in Keys. Have run up on oyster beds without damaging the bottom. Have been in storms on the Gulf and she handled beautifully.
Santee 30 pounds vs Pelican 50. You pay for it, but I can load and put in by myself.
Buying a second Santee for the lake/rivers in TN.
I bought my Hurricane Santee…
I bought my Hurricane Santee Sport OC at a Swift Canoe Company trial day this spring, and I absolutely LOVE this kayak!! In comparison, all of the other boats felt more cumbersome and barge-like in their handling ability. The larger, open cockpit allows me to bring along a dog or one of the kids, and even with the extra weight in front it handles beautifully, even in rougher water. Being 5'3" and needing to have something that I can lift easily myself, weight was also a major consideration, as was toughness and durability.
I have subjected this boat to a range of conditions (open water, choppy larger northern Ontario lakes, creeks, milder whitewater rivers) and have no complaints, other than that on it's first, relatively 'gentle' trip the Trylon material under the seat developed non-leaking radial cracks in the hull. This doesn't seem to be a problem (yet) and doesn't affect performance, but it is something that I will have to watch over time to see how 'durable' the Trylon really is, and how much I can expect of it (Note: a friend bought a Santee XL at the same time as me, and she has had no problem with this). Performance on all conditions was excellent - in spite of the 'recreational' tag, tracking is great, handling in current and smaller rapids fine, a joy to paddle.
The Santee rates a 10/10 for paddling performance and style, but it is the Hurricane company that brings down the rating (under a separate rating system for companies, they would get a failing grade!!!) All questions regarding the hull cracks (is this a concern over time or not, whether or not to treat them, limit of Trylon for various whitewater/rocky conditions etc) as well as attempts to replace a hatch cover that blow off and was lost, have been IGNORED...have been paddling canoes and kayaks for many years and have never run into such poor, poor service. Luckily, Swift has been a bit more helpful, although they seem to have an absence of product information from the Hurricane people, as well.
However, as for the Santee itself - I TOTALLY recommend this boat. Even my kids, who were never canoe fans, have taken to this kayak and are finally enjoying paddling - would love to get another as a second boat.
Just bought a used Santee and…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 8/14/2005
Just bought a used Santee and I LOVE it! Had done lots of research online and was about to settle for a Sundance 9.5 when I found the Santee. ("Settle" because the 38 pounds on the Sundance would have been a lot for me to handle alone, but it got great reviews and fell into my price limit of $400 or less.) Anyway, this is my first non-canoe experience and the Santee just handles like a dream. Even with a strong breeze against me I made great time with very little effort. I put on my bathing suit and tried to tip it over to see what the limits are, and found it to be extremely stable indeed. It would have been totally worth the full price if my pocketbook had permitted. Now I'm feeling extra-lucky and can't wait to go out again!!!!
I purchased my Santee XL in…
Submitted by:
paddler230787
on 9/10/2004
I purchased my Santee XL in April and immediately fell in love with this boat. It's fast and very stable. The reason for the 7 rating is because of the company, not the boat. My first trip with my boat resulted in my rear bulkhead cover blowing off despite the teather. It was lost. I went to my local retailer and ordered a new one. Three months later, no replacement. When the dealer called Hurricane Aqua Sports, they denied receiving the order. My dealer ended up taking a cover off a boat in stock which made me very happy. A word of caution to potential buyers. If you need replacement parts, good luck.
This is my first kayak and I…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 5/19/2004
This is my first kayak and I have found it to be an excellent first choice. I am only 5'3 and have no problems lugging this boat by myself as it is very lightweight and length-wise is small enough to fit in my Saturn Vue with the rear hatch on the car completely shut.I am new at kayaking, but have been out enough to know how it feels to paddle in one kayak or another and I like the way this kayak handles.I tried a few out at a local kayak festival last month and was immediately hooked on the Santee for price and looks.I ended up buying it on the spot and have enjoyed using it over the last month in the local rivers and lakes.While trying it out another kayaker told me he was in a local club and several members of the club have bought and used the Santee and have only good things to say about it as well.I doubt a person could do better for the price if they are looking for a fairly inexpensive stable beginners boat. If I had to have one word of caution it would be keep in mind that the width of this boat is 30 inches and a short paddle will hit the side of the boat when paddling. I found out after I bought a 220 cm Aquabound paddle. I would recommend this boat and a longer paddle to anyone just starting out or wanting a small, light boat to paddle around lakes, streams and coastal areas.
This review is for the Santee…
Submitted by:
paddler230422
on 12/1/2003
This review is for the Santee XL. It is without a doubt the most stable kayak I have ever used. A great recreational kayak that paddles easy and looks like a kayak worth twice the price... A great value.. we bought 2!
The Santee is an extremely…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 10/11/2002
The Santee is an extremely well designed & well crafted boat for the money. The look (beautiful!)& weight (33 lbs) of fiberglass for much less $$. A surprising amout of dry storage with bow & stern hatches (but, at 6'3", I'd trade a few inches of that bow storage for legroom!) Extremely stable, user-friendly, responsive & adaptable to a variety of conditions (she handles mild chop with no problem), but this is no ocean-touring or WW boat). Tracks reasonably well with her distinct keel, and while not slow, you won't get up to an impressive touring speed unless you are Superman (or equip her with an outboard!). She is a looker, and draws plenty of admiring glances!!! If this sounds like your boat, good luck finding one (I've been told the factory can't fill their orders). I give her a 10 for overall design/construction quality & value.
This is my second post, and a…
Submitted by:
paddler229817
on 7/18/2002
This is my second post, and a follow up to the previous one. I have discovered many things about this kayak. The Bulk Heads are an awesome feature. This eliminates the need for floatation bags. When the kayak is completely submerged, it will still float... however the large cockpit will require an enormous amount of stamina to pump out if you have to perform a self rescue. The rescue of choice for this kayak (besides any that will keep you safe) is a T-rescue. This rescues is the best way to drain most of the water out before getting back in.
This boat does really well on all sorts of flat water. Rivers with a strong current are ok, but because the boat is slow, don't expect to cover many miles in an hour against the current.
I recently had the opportunity to take it for a spin on the open ocean. I went with a bunch of 16 - 20 ft. kayaks and several very experienced paddlers. This boat kept up, but I was doing 3-4 strokes for every 1 of theirs, just to keep up. However... coastal exploration is where this boat really shines. I was able to land on barnacle and seaweed covered rocks, no problem. The swells were 1-2 feet, and breaking. This boat could handle slightly larger swells, but it is not recommended. However, stick close to shore and you will have an awesome time exploring the nooks and crevices if you can find them. You may even get this kayak to surf the breakwater a little.
I actually padded the cockpit to fit much better, because it is a large cockpit.
So far I have been very impressed with this little boat. I definitely recommend it as a first boat. I plan on keeping mine for flatwater and rock play, but maybe getting a 16' for open water kayaking.
My wife and I are new to…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 5/6/2002
My wife and I are new to kayaking, but terribly late, considering that we live in southern NJ, which has many great little rivers and lakes. We started last year--she with a Perception Swifty, I with a Walden Experience. At a paddlefest at the Paddle Shack, a neat kayak center in Mays Landing, we were intrigued by a demo of a prototype fiberglass kayak, and ordered one. My wife liked it (I think), but I found it too responsive. (I don't have the greatest sense of balance in the universe!) But fiberglass appealed to me, and when I spotted some new Hurricane Aqua Sports at the Shack, I felt an acquitive lust. Today the two of us took a Santee and Santee XL on trial to a local lake. We'd hardly gone 500 yards until I was thinking, "Get both!" About a minute later my wife said let's get both. I was fine with that, but she retracted, saying let's get only one until we've sold some of our present kayaks. We came home with a Santee. I think I like it better than it's slightly bigger stable mate, but both are fine, sleak, lithe boats. I have nothing but respect for the Walden and Perception outfits we started with, but the Santee is a definite step upward. Last year we needed mostly to feel confident on water. This year speed and smoothness are more important. I suspect that it won't be long until we get either another Santee or it's slightly longer and narrower version. And oh yes, this plastic looks a whole lot like fiberglass. There were other kayakers on the lake on this fine Sunday in mid-spring, and some of them commented on how nice our kayaks looked. They are very respondive but not tippy; and with five or six paddle strokes I can turn one 360º.
Awesome small kayak. It feels…
Submitted by:
paddler229624
on 3/25/2002
Awesome small kayak. It feels like a much larger kayak. it is light weight, and fits my 5'10" frame like a glove. Very stable, very well made, and very nice design. The plastic (Trylon) looks and feels like fiberglass, and weighs just as light. Great to keep in my small apartment, and easy to transport. Got mine for $600 at Billington Sea Kayak in Plymouth... great buying experience.
I bought the Santee XL in…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 1/2/2002
I bought the Santee XL in august 2001 after renting and trying several different brands, such as dagger, necky, and walden. I especially like the light weight. I can easily lifted up on my Isuzu trooper. It is very comfortable to paddle and tracks like a dream. The foot pegs had to be moved closer to the seat as I am only 5'3" and they were to far forward on the one that I demoed.
I also have a Santee and a…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/18/2001
I also have a Santee and a Santee XL I originaly wanted a Fiberglass or Composite Kayak but found the Hurricane Kayaks tto be just as light. My girlfriend and son both have a great time in the Santee and I really like the XL becouse of all the stuff I carry.
They also make a Tampico which is more of a touring Kayak that I plan to get next. They are very nice.
After searching and buying…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 5/14/2001
After searching and buying nearly every small kayak for my wife,and not being happy with any of them,I stumbled on to Hurricane Aqua Sports "Santee", at a kayak Demo Days. The "Santee" is the most stable kayak of any length I have ever demoed. It not only is a beautiful, well made kayak, it has front and rear bulkheads, front and rear hatches, a very comfortable seat, and tracks like a dream, has unbeleivable stability, and is the fastest,easiest to paddle and control small kayak I've found. All this from a kayak thats only 10 ft long and 30 inches wide, looks like the far more expensive Eddielines and sells for only $649 retail. We loved the "Santee" so much, we bought the demo and ordered another on the spot.
