Gannet

I bought my Gannet in 1995 and still love it!! It has great stability and very manueverable in all types of water. I have taken it to the river, ocean and lakes. The seat can get uncomfortable after a while so switched it out. I added a new skeg and cables, because mine were old. I would recommend for sure.

I have owned my Gannet for 17+ years. I have paddled other boats, but the Gannet is by far my favorite due to it's ability to respond well in white water (up to class III) and track with the skeg down in bays and lakes. I often let my friends paddle my Gannet when I take them out due to it's great stability. I especially enjoy how the bow rides the waves. Other boats do not have the same action and I consistently want to paddle my Gannet for the fun factor. My boat is showing it's age though I don't believe I'll let it go until it actually gets a puncture...

Loved this kayak! I rented it for a day trip in Alabama, went with friends, had been a couple of years since I kayaked and this one was super easy to handle and maneuver. When I buy one, this one will be it!

I can't even remember how long I have owned mine. I have thoroughly enjoyed each year. I needed one that my son, who was living with us then, could fit in (6'4") and that was suitable for rivers & lakes. The salesperson recommended this one & I couldn't be happier! I have people stop me out on the lakes asking what kind & where I got it. Unfortunately - I have to tell them they don't make it anymore. Necky - you should take the hint from everyone here & reintroduce it. Retro is in - right?

I bought an 11' Gannet 2 years ago, secondhand but unused (still had tag inside!) absolutely love the low profile, how it surfs waves, tracks perfectly even with wind... simple pivoting rudder. Use a skirt for rough days or when lots of wake about because of low profile...or end up with a lap full of water. We kayak 6km into campsite every other weekend for 3 months. Might buy a bigger boat one day, but will never part with this one.

When I was 12 years old, I developed an insane passion for kayaking. That Christmas, I was given a card from my parents along with this long box.. I unwrapped it, found a paddle. confused I opened the card, and found an invoice. a 200 dollar down payment my parents had put on a Gannet! So I was 12 years old when I first used the Gannet, and I am 20 years old right now.

I have taken this boat from London, Ontario to little current in Georgan Bay to Lake Utopia in New Bronswick. It's a great boat for light recreational fun. it handles extremely well with and with out the skeg, the ONLY drawback I really see, is the lack of storage space.

Now that I'm 20 years old, I want to go on over nighters and so I will have to buy another kayak, but that is okay, because now I will be able to take friends with me for little day trips! I have NEVER flipped it, not once... and so I have complete faith when letting a beginner friend take it out for a spin.

So, if you can get your hands on one, take it and run, these are great, fun good learner boats with lots of advanced possibilities!!

Fantastic. I'll second the review that mentioned this thing takes everything from a dense pond to the ocean. Added a Carolina at a deep discount to the mix just to get dry storage. Added a stern drain plug just to make things easier, and extended the fwd deck bungees to be able to hold a few more things after adding bow and stern fitted float bags. The only time I've dumped this thing was on purpose once to know how to get out - and that includes Nauset, LI Sound and most of Mt Desert under sketchier conditions than I'd have guessed she'd be tolerable. The skeg is great and the short length means I can pretty much follow longer boats with rudders.

I already owned a Sevylor inflatable when I borrowed a Caspia from a friend. The Gannet is a much better boat. It tracks well, has enough room for my 6ft 225lb frame, and seems very durable. I can lift it by myself and put it on top of my truck.

I thought the seat got uncomfortable after a very short period and added minicell foam, which seems to help greatly.

I swapped boats last time out with my girlfriend and never got my boat back on that trip.

I love my Gannet, I would not trade it in. Its a perfect 10 as far as its versatility in the water. Tracks like a big guy. However, I did expand my Necky family and added a Chelan to my collection. I hope they get along. I have not tried her out yet. I find that Necky's diamond design of the hull is great and makes the boat very responsive to its paddler. The other plus for me is that I usually paddle with a passenger. My little Pekingese Gyzmo is also an avid kayaker, even though I was not yet able to teach him proper paddling techniques, ( he has developped his own,)he is a hard core yak doggy. Behind the cockpit of both kayaks there is a nice flat surface for my copilot to set and sit himself. I love the skeg and how you can lift it so you can spin on a dime when you want. Great little yak.

This is my 3rd season with the Gannet, I concur completely w/the criticisms of the other kayakers. Hand grabs are fine for hauling, but I like to secure my bow and stern for hi-way travel, and find these don't inspire confidence, augmented bow with a more substantial tie down. Necky should beef up the floatation, for liability purposes as well as safety. This is still a good performing boat, have used it on the Hudson, and Long Island Sound as well as numerous lakes and ponds, and found it to perform well in a myriad of conditions. I use it for fishing and find it to be very stable both spin and fly fishing. I have never dumped her by accident or design and feel very confident in her ability to get me home. Tracks well, something I didn't find in other yaks I tested. The skeg is an added bonus, not always found in kayaks of similar lgth and wgt. Overall I give the Gannet high marks.

I am just a beginner but tried out other boats, approx. 9 before purchasing the Gannet. It was so stable and easy to turn. I wanted a stable light weight boat to have fun with - it is perfect! I did get a dent because I hit a stump...but it still paddles like it did without the dent. If you leave your plastic boat on a roof rack in hot weather it will warp if you don't loosen the straps.

I've had this kayak for 3 seasons, and I still love it. I got it because I wanted a recreational starter boat I could fit my dog into, and cartop myself--I figured I'd upgrade to a touring boat soon. But I like this boat so much that I use it all the time. It's stable, it turns well, it's lots of fun in waves, and even though it gets noisy at high speeds, I can easily keep up with my friends in longer boats. And my wet dog can haul herself back into the boat without flipping it! Even though I keep meaning to get a "better" boat, when I try out fancier boats, I like the Gannett better. It has taught me some bad habits, since you don't need to brace as often as in other boats. But it's a great boat--and foam cartop cradles (that don't cost much) solved the warping problem easily.

I am a brand-spanking new Necky Gannett owner. Found me a cool fade - from teal to purple - very fine. I've named my beloved yak "Stella" and find her to be an excellent ride whether on a creek or on a pond or paddling across a lake shaking with whitecaps with a stiff 25 mph wind blowing in our faces. Perhaps her greatest strength lies in her ability to turn - that girl can whip her face around like nobody's business. I really can't say enough about this swift little boat - she keeps me smiling.

When I tested the Necky Gannet I was pleasantly surprised. With the skeg up it turns well. With the skeg down it tracks straight. The roomy cockpit is a big plus for me. Access is easy from any angle and there is room to bend your knees to relieve cramps. The boat can handle being in rough water and is stable. It is the best all round boat I have tried and is small enough to easily transport. I did have to take off 2 points on the rating. There is an optional dry hatch, but the hatch is only 6". Too small for most items. The other deduction is more serious. It sinks! The built in floation is not enought to keep it afloat when filled with water.(models without the dry hatch) Additional flotation is needed. Dispite the two faults it is probably the best boat for the money that is usable for most purposes.

I've owned my Gannet about 4 weeks now. It's also my first kayak. My only complaint, and one experienced by other reviewers, is the deformation in the plastic hull caused by the roof-top rack. The dent in my boat has not returned to normal after 2 weeks. On the plus side, it appears to have little or no effect on the boat's handling or performance. I'm 6'3" and experience some difficulty in positioning my legs. The seat back would benefit from foam padding.

I tried out several yaks. This one (actually two) is what I bought. The Gannett tracks great and it is pretty quick compared to others in it's class. I think the fit and finish is excellent. When I strapped it on my car the top pushed in, just like any other plastic kayak. When I took it off, it poped out. If you can find one in some of their cool fades, grab it. Got mine for 419 + ship. Great Deal....

The Gannet is a great value. I wanted an inexpensive starter kayak. I read the reveiws here, and did some shopping around, I am 6'1" and did have a problem getting my feet on the pegs, that was easily solved by drilling 1 more hole and moving the foot rest bracket down.

Rented this kayak while trying out several before purchasing another. I may not be the best person to review this kayak since I only rented it for one day, but I was not all that pleased. First of all, the thing 'warped' when I strapped it to my roof rack. It's not that I strapped it down that much either. Worse yet, the warp remained in the boat ALL DAY. The man at the rental store said that the warp would pop back out...but... by then I was returning the boat and was done paddling for the day! Secondly, I think the drop down skeg is a good idea, but Necky could have put a little more effort in to the R & D of the skeg. The one on the Gannett that I rented may have been just off center because the boat seemed to pull to the right when the skeg was in the water. Lots of little fit and finnish problems that made the boat look like it was cheaply built. Finally, the seat was incredibly uncomfortable. On a positive note, I did like the way the boat looks and it was very easy to turn due to the heavily rockered bow.