Peekaboo

I've had my PeekaBoo for over 5 years. It was my first kayak and it was an excellent choice. I don't do whitewater paddling and have found the PeekaBoo to be stable and easy to maneuver on inland lakes. I also do shoreline/waterway cleanup and it's perfect for hauling stuff to shore. The glass window hasn't really been an impressive feature, at least on Wisconsin lakes. It is a bit too heavy for me to move alone, so I use a boat dolly to transport it from the boathouse to the water in season. For winter I use the padded hanging straps commonly sold to store yaks. I'm 5'5" 125 and it's a dry paddle, though I do have the scuppers.

What is the Peekaboo? Well, it IS awesomely stable. It's also kinda "fun", especially if you have a young child who can sit on the "Jumpseat" without disturbing the weight distribution too much.

What is it not? Well, it's sure not FAST or NIMBLE. I liken it to paddling a brick. Oh, and it tracks about as well as a brick too. It's also not light. For an 11' 11" kayak, @ 63 lbs that's a lot of boat for a SMALL boat.

I actually won this in a fishing tournament. So I tried to use it as such, having fished from both my Necky Manitou 14 and Old Town Dirigo Tandem kayaks. It just didn't grow on me... it was too slow for the distance paddling I tend to do to get to my fishing spots. And it is wide. REALLY wide! I routinely whacked the sides of the boat when paddling, especially if I tried to get up to speed.

If you are looking for a play boat, for sheltered ponds, or maybe crystal clear water (to use the key Peekaboo feature, the viewing window), or you are a nervous type who wants the ultimate in stable craft, then you may like the Peekaboo. But if you are used to anything that paddles or tracks even a little faster, you may be disappointed.

A difficult boat to review as its great in some areas and leaves a lot to be desired in others.

Pros:
1. Stable as anything in the market. At 33 inches wide and nearly flat-bottomed you can't turn it over. I put all the visitors who have not kayaked before in this one - they feel (and are) safe. So stable you can stand up in it - if that's important to you. Super easy to get in and out of without tipping.
2. Capacity! My 60 lb granddaughter uses the jump seat all the time and the boat is safe with lots of forward weight. We have had two adults in it many times without feeling like we were about to swamp. It is a wet ride without scupper plugs at that point.
3. Faster than it should be. It looks like a barge at 33 inches, and at 65 lbs it should be slow but its not impossibly slow. I can't keep up with my wife when she is in our Wilderness Tarpon 140, but for light cruising and flats viewing the boat speed is not a big issue. This boat will not take you anywhere in a hurry.
4. Tracks well, even with 20 kt wind 20 degrees off the stern - the area where most yaks can't hack it without a rudder. Tracking is a pleasant surprise.

Cons:
1. A real knuckle killer. 33 inch width is a problem - period. Make sure your forward seat ties have the spring nubs downward or you will be sorry. A 240 cm paddle is no help.
2. The Plexiglas window is mostly a $200 useless gimmick. You can't see anything through it you can't see looking over the side. The exception might be if you are stationary over a coral reef in the Bahamas. Is that how you kayak? I don't.
3. Loading for portage and storing a kayak this wide is a challenge.
4. No inside storage. This is a SOT for paddling around the lake and flats for an hour or two - nothing more.

We own a lot of yaks. This is the one we put the "never tried it before" folks in - they love their first experience. It doesn't go out much beyond that and for rides for the grand kids. It has its niche. It's a wet ride without scupper plugs for me by myself - I'm 190 lbs, 6'0".

Let me start by saying this is my first kayak! I've paddled before, but this time it was mine.
The stability is great - and I'm not a little guy - 6'/270. I didn't stand up in it, but I never felt wobbly or anything.