I got this basic SoT second-hand about a year ago and have since put it in flat lake, slow river, and ocean. It really shines as a very forgiving beginning paddler boat on flat water.
I don't know the spec capacity of this boat. She's 10'3" long and 30" wide and sits rather high in the water compared to others her size. I (5'5", 136#) and those around 150# who've used it don't rock at all in it. Some others (200-250#) I've shared it with have felt it more unstable. One (345#) flipped it getting in. I'd hazard that if you're under 200# then you'll find it stable enough for recreational flatwater.
It's rather slow to the paddle. Not a bad thing for a beginner who will be making paddling mistakes but perhaps annoying for someone who wants a boat that cuts the water more cleanly.
Once underway it tracks very nicely, well enough for a beginner to comfortably stay in a group without having to fight the boat.
The cockpit is sufficiently large to make entry/exit easy and deckside storage is well designed.
As with most SoT this size, it's pretty easy to load and move about by one person though a adding a strap to the back instead of relying on the molded-in handle makes it a touch easier to manage.
While this is an out of production model, it's coming up on the used market more than a little. I picked one up for $100 and gave it a whirl.
It's tippy! No question. I'm 5'4" and 136# and I can tip it. It's plenty answerable and tracks nice for me though. And it's very easy to launch. Not so easy for re-entry though - that's just not really going to happen. For an fat-bottomed SOT it's very fast. I floated it plugged and unplugged - I got a bit more stability unplugged and it really didn't take on much water for me. The cockpit is pretty deep for an SoT.
My buddy, 6'1" 325# tried it out. Once he managed to get in he didn't make it far at all before turning it over. Several attempts and he gave up on it.
My take: this boat is really nice if you happen to be under about 5'7" and 175#. Kids, teens, small adults will handle it exceptionally well. As the user is taller-and-taller, the boat is less-and-less stable. There's an obvious center-of-gravity conflict with the center-of-bouyancy if you're on the 5'8" and taller side of the spectrum.
I have been kayak fishing for…
Submitted by:
paddler233819
on 9/21/2010
I have been kayak fishing for over 10 years. My friend recently bought this kayak and the first time we went out he tipped over 3 times! So today he brought his wetsuit and decided to try to practice his re entry skills. This boat is designed so that it is nearly impossible to get back inside after capsizing. The sides are very high and when you reach over and try to get back in with your arms the kayak just wants to tip over. It was just about impossible for him to get back in. I then told him to try to get inside my Scrambler XT and he got back inside on the very first try.
I tried to paddle this kayak and it is not stable at all. He is going to sell it and get a more suitable kayak for fishing...
The Colada is the second…
Submitted by:
paddler233645
on 6/11/2010
The Colada is the second kayak I buy and how I live on the island of Puerto Rico I've sailed a lot in the sea. It is very fast but somewhat unstable at sea. In rivers and lakes is much more stable though somewhat slower, taking into consideration that only pay $200.00 I think it is a good investment. It has plenty of space to accommodate a refrigerator and can lead to an adult with a child.
We have had two of these…
Submitted by:
paddler232425
on 1/16/2008
We have had two of these kayaks in addition to a Hobie Lanai and Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100.
Anyone that states these boats are unstable must be total dorks. For entry level general purpose SOTs these boats are hard to beat. They may not have any bells or whistles but they are stable, light, fast enough for tooling around the lake and inexpensive.
The folks that have left such horrible reviews might need to look at a touring kayak so they can safely sit inside. These kayaks are great. Buy one if you can still find one.
my first kayak,love it. no…
Submitted by:
paddler230705
on 7/27/2004
my first kayak,love it. no problems with tipping,ride swells great,tracks nice. I'm 6'1" 220lbs and have plenty of room on it,would buy another for the girlfriend if I could find one
We bought this boat for our…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/7/2003
We bought this boat for our kids. It is easy for a 6yr old and up to handle. It can be a little tippy for an adult (I'm 190 lbs) but not a problem once paddling. We use it an a large lake. Speed and tracking are OK but not as good as our much larger necky kayak. Also, two kids can ride (under 9-10). Since it is small we plan on trying it in the surf.
I have a Colada and though it…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 9/4/2002
I have a Colada and though it is not a high performance kayak, it is great for river and lake paddling. It tracks fairly well and requires little effort to paddle. It is a bit tippy in choppy ocean swells, but is very stable on rivers and lakes. If you catch swells head on you're cool.A good throw in your truck kayak.
Bought 2 of these boats…
Submitted by:
paddler229760
on 6/24/2002
Bought 2 of these boats yesterday and after reading some of these reviews considered bringing them back this morning without even trying them. I called the dealer and he assured me that he would take them back but wanted me to try them first. Me and my girlfriend who has only used a kayak once took the kayaks down to a black water river and then into a shallow stumpy swamp and really gave the boats hell.
First what did I like about them: They are light, and fit perfectly in the back of my pick-up truck, no rack, no ropes nothing, just throw them in.
They seemed very stable in the water and after a few minutes of paddling we were very impressed with how they tracked and how NOT tippy these boats are. We took them into some really shallow stumpy areas and they will go shallow with no problems maneuvering over submerged stumps, logs and branches. They turn very easily and track very well even when rowed backwards. We eventually tried to intentionally turn them over and it wasn't easy. Tons of storage space.
These designed to be stacked on top of one another and take up very little space in the garage. These boats are keepers. Take them back, hell no way!
By the way there was nothing about the boats that we didn't like!
You've got to be kidding me!…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/16/2002
You've got to be kidding me! Any one who likes this boat must have very limited experience with any other. Slow boats that don't track should be very stable, but this is tippy as a 21" wide touring boat. If all kayaks were like this one I'd have never taken up the sport. Forget about it!
Those who say that this boat…
Submitted by:
paddler229516
on 11/5/2001
Those who say that this boat is unstable must have a fat head to make it top heavy. I have put this boat to the test on big lakes, small lakes and rivers. I have had it on some long trips and have found it to be very comfortable easy to handle and fairly fast in my opinion. It's so easy to handle that my 4 and 10 year old have got it mastered. I will buy another one if I can find one. I have had this boat in some big rollers and have felt very comfortable in it. I flyfish out of it and have never had a problem with stability. Any kayak is like riding a bike, just need to get used to it.
Almost did not purchase the…
Submitted by:
paddler229360
on 7/23/2001
Almost did not purchase the Colada after the first review. Kept searching and dissecting the boat as much as possible. Found it on sale for a fantastic price and asked about their return policy. I now own 3 different type of Kayaks; a tandem and single by Mainstream and now the Colada. The Colada is a fantastic little boat. It's very comfortable and actually difficult to flip. My husband is about 280lbs and was unable to flip it. With exceeding the weight limit, it still maneuvered very well. The only advise I can offer is all kayaks are different as well individual opinions. What works for one, may not work for another.
I got this boat on clearance…
Submitted by:
paddler229354
on 7/19/2001
I got this boat on clearance for $350. It is a bit easy to flip but once you get used to it it's not a problem. I rented a Frenzy and compared the two. I felt very cramped in the Frenzy (I am 6' tall, 205 lbs) but I could sit (and even lay flat!) in the Colada all day long. And it comes with a very comfortable molded back support so you don't have to spend more on one of those. Of course the Colada is not a speed machine but then it's not supposed to be. None of the short sit-on-tops are fast.
I don't know what is wrong…
Submitted by:
paddler229348
on 7/17/2001
I don't know what is wrong with the person who put in the last entry, I love my colada. I find the boat to be stable, dry and a very good performance boat for being as small as it is. All I would like to say is learn to paddle
I've had this kayak for one…
Submitted by:
paddler229301
on 6/26/2001
I've had this kayak for one day and I'm wondering what the dealer's policy is for returning a kayak after one day of ownership.This kayak is a joke. It sit too high,is top heavy,and is not stable at all.It's advertised as being great for surf or a short days journey and is great for scuba and snorkling with a seat for a small child.Living in Dallas Tx. I can't say anything about how it handles in surf.But what I can say about the Colada is that on a relatively calm lake, Lake Whitney,it sucked.To start,it sits too high
and is too top heavy.You bob up and down, left and right, the whole time balancing yourself to try and keep from flipping over.Eventually you do
flip over and its a mother to get back on.The sides are so high, when you
try to get back on it tends to flip over on top of your head.Great for scuba they say, well I don't see how.This kayak is already so unstable, the
added weigt of a scuba tank or a small child as advertised is a tragedy waiting to happen.My friend who is about 6'0 210lbs. got in and 2 seconds later flipped over.While I was laughing at him, he was laughing at me for buying this piece of crap.Does islander test their kayaks?
