Tuxedo

I wanted a short, easy to store, haul and maneuver boat. The Tuxedo fits the bill nicely. I know most would recommend a longer boat with more capacity for someone my size (6' 235 lbs) but this boat is what I was looking for. No long trips, no distance or speed records to go after. Just a fun, safe boat to learn good technique and skills in.

First, it's very well made. Liquidlogic boats just look and feel like they are quality products. Good plastic. Second, the boat just fit me right. I could brace my knees and thighs perfectly on the side of the cockpit.

I feel like I have a lot of control over this boat in the water. It has excellent tracking and good stability. Turns on a dime. It probably feels a little more "tippy" than some rec kayaks but it's a good tradeoff for the tracking and speed.

I am very happy with my purchase. I am having a blast learning to paddle in this boat!

On a side note, I emailed LL to have some questions answered and they were very friendly and helpful. Nice to know you have the support of the manufacturer.

I'm 63 and my wife is...(I'm not that crazy). Anyway, the Tuxedo was a great choice. It took a little while to get used to the initial 'tipsy' feel of the boat, but now we don't even notice. They are very stable, track well, turn great, and are just plain fun!

Our local dealer just received a shipment of new 2005 kayaks. As we admired the new selection, my wife's answer, when I would ask, "What do you think about this one?" was, "I like my Tuxedo." I couldn't interest her in another kayak. I think that says it all.

I agree with most of the comments in the other reviews and won't repeat them all. The reason that I gave it a 9 is: (1) It would be nice to have bungee deck rigging on the aft deck. The tap holes for the anchoring points are molded into the deck. I don't understand why Liquidlogic didn't install the aft deck rigging. (2) The seat back can only be adjusted by exiting the boat; the buckle is in an awkward place and takes two hands to adjust. (3) We had to add some extra padding in the seat, but I think this is probably common with most kayaks.

I have the feeling that we will wear our Tuxedos out before we outgrow them. Great little boats for the price!

Rec boats are a dichotomy, they really try to be good at about everything, while really being great at nothing. As consumers - especially novice kayakers - our expectations are quite high. A lot of negative comments for these boats come from people who try and use them for some extended purpose. Not their humble intentions. If you want to do large open water trekking get a sea kayak, you want to river run (Class III and up) or steep creek, get an appropriate whitewater boat. But if your interests are more humble - then you have "trekreation" as Liquidlogic calls it.

Personally I wanted a boat for small rivers (up to Class II), and small lakes and ponds. I wanted it to be easy to car top and store. Fly fishing, nature photography where ancillary requirements but still important. It also needed to be appropriate for my 11 year old daughter, who would be using it for the same purposes, maybe more often than I.

Perception, Dagger, Old Town, Wilderness System and others all make appropriate boats, and you should test them all. I tested a ton of boats and did way more research than I probably needed to, and finally decided on the Tuxedo by Liquidlogic. We actually liked it so much we ran out and got a Sapphire as well.

We couldn't be happier with the boat. This boat is simply amazing. Good initial AND secondary stability (something not all boats in this category have), maneuverable, great tracking, with decent speed.

It is not quite as stable as some other really, really wide rec boats, but that is what makes it track better and go faster. That said, stability is not an issue, you would have to really try to roll this thing, yet it is easy to roll it back up. So cool.

This thing amazes me as to how it can turn on a dime, and does so only when I want it to!! The hull design on these boats are simply awesome. It is obvious Liquidlogic take their trekreation boats very seriously.

This boat may also be the best bargain going. There are no frills with this boat, it is simply bare bones quality all the way. The seat is spectacular, though the padding that is on the other LL models make it the best in its class (for me).

My only wish is that all manufacturers would add security bars on their rec boats, some of us do float rivers and need to shuttle back.

I give this boat an honest 9 out of 10, because for the price I can think of no way they could improve it (other than a security bar).

Liquidlogic is incredible.