Mirage Passport 12.0

I've been kayaking for 18 years. We live on a tidal creek and I get out almost every day for much of the year, I love paddling. I had often wondered about a pedal yak but never took the plunge until a month ago.
I've had the Passport for about a month but have only been out 5 or 6 times due to February weather. On my first outing I found I was correcting direction a lot and assumed I would become more accustomed to things the more familiar I became with the kayak. Second time out wasn't much better so I decided I would opt for the larger rudder as I had read in these forums that they helped directional control. Pedaling was comfortable and there was virtually no resistance. But I felt a bit like a hamster in a wheel at times, so I added the turbo fins to my wish list along with a vertical rectangular hatch with liner, some mesh side pockets, and the XL rudder with deploy line. The rudder made a big difference, the kayak stays on track better and is now less affected by tide, wind, and current. The difference with the longer turbo fins wasn't huge in terms of vessel speed but it did allow for a more relaxed pedaling cadence. So good choice for those two modifications. The vertical center hatch is great and was easy to install, and so was moving the round hatch to the bow area. I found an inexpensive paint bucket from Lowes that works as a liner for the round hatch by just removing the handle and slicing off the handle mountings with my pocketknife. Link to bucket ~ https://www.lowes.com/pd/United-Solutions-5-Quart-Plastic-Paint-Bucket/5014933727
My trips so far have been averaging 5 miles and a couple of hours time and I think the seat's really comfortable. The recessed areas by the sides of the seat are handy. The rear rod holder location is good in that it's easy to reach but I wish they didn't angle them outward as much. The reason I say that is because if you need to get the paddle out it's easy for the paddle blade to catch on the reel and pull the rod right out of the holder. I thought about putting a snap in style paddle clip in the gear track instead of using the supplied system of securing it with the bungee cord. But that's not an option because then the paddle would completely cover the rear rod holder. I'm sure this wouldn't be a big deal for a lot of folks, but for the locations and type of fishing I do, access to the paddle is important since the Passport drive doesn't reverse.
The only thing that really disappointed me about the Passport I discovered on my last time out. The first several times out it was on a nice day, mild breeze, and flat water. My last trip out was on a windy day with some mild chop. I pedaled down our tidal creek heading for the river. I had read about some hull slap, and yeah once I made it to the end of the creek there was plenty of that. High pitched sounds come from the bow and big bass notes resonated from the center of the hull. But what shocked me was how wet a ride it was! Waves would hit the hull and splash upward and the wind would make sure I got soaked. Even when I slowed down to a crawl speed it wan't any better. And this was a mild chop compared to lots of days. It was so bad I turned around and headed back toward the wind sheltered water in the creek. Getting soaked might be welcome and refreshing on a hot summer day wearing shorts, but not in cold weather. These were conditions that wouldn't have been a second thought if I had been in my WS Tarpon.
Closing thoughts: I really like a lot about the Passport. But I want a kayak that does well in all conditions as weather around here can change in an instant. I had read that pedaling was noticeably faster than paddling and that really appealed to me and was a reason that contributed to my making the purchase. I didn't find that to be true, I go just as fast or faster paddling. I like the Passport layout and comfort and think it would be great for certain days and conditions. But that's a lot of money spent for a kayak good for 'certain' days.
So for me, the jury is still out regarding the Passport ~

I'm impressed, after just one 'voyage' of 4 miles on a calm lake it is faster and less tiring than paddling. The stability is amazing, can support standing up without fear of capsizing. Pros: Stability, easy set up and/or removal of components, tracks well with hand operated lever, optional Bimini canopy is great! Fits on top of vehicle with just standard roof rack Cons: Heavy, need 2 people to lift (unless you're a body builder!) slower than a standard kayak if using paddle instead of pedal