After debating between the Camden 120 and the Pungo 120 for a while, comparisons were very hard to come by. I finally contacted two locations, one in NJ, one in PA that sold both brands, asking for honest input. The one store offered me to try both boats out, which I quickly took advantage of. During this same conversation the pros and cons of each were discussed.
visuals and materials:
Old Town seems to have a much 'better' (time will tell) construction method here with a triple layer setup - Two layers of poly sandwiching a foam layer... the boat does feel noticeably more rigid than the Pungo, and the additional weight tends to support this as well. My boat had a well sealed aft bulkhead, and I do like the sealing of the hatch - lots of room for storage, and everything has been dry as a bone, even taking on water from waves and rain on several trips. There was no 'dash' storage on my boat, but with all the room i have, a watertight box or bag has plenty of room inside with me between my legs (6'2 - 250 lbs -all leg). for carrying - the handles are bungeed and retract nicely when not in use, look to be more secure and repairable than a few other brand boats... appreciated this fact. The cockpit skirt lip allows easy installation and good retention for sprayskirts and covers.
comfort:
Old Town/Necky's ACS 1.0 seat is amazing, fully adjustable, and i have yet to see any of the disconnect issues I've seen other places (check to make sure the ratchet is in snugly). the ACS 2.0 system looks to improve even further, but I could not justify passing up the deal on the brand new last year model i got. There is plenty of leg room, and the foot pedals are easily adjusted even on the move. the boat IS a little uncomfortable shouldering, placing a bilge sponge or towel between your shoulder and the rim of the yak allows for very comfortable lifting when you don't have anyone to help.
performance:
the 12'6" Camden 120 can occasionally get hit by wind and strong waves, but I noticed no slacking in performance vs the Pungo 120, Pelican 100x, or the tandem Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 on the same water. the boat responds well to paddling adjustments and sits nice in the water... getting the boat up to speed is easy enough, and I have been jokingly able to keep up a good speed with minimal effort (this is still no touring boat). roll is stable but responsive for carving turns out a little, and the cockpit does a decent enough job of keeping water out when open, not sure about open ocean without a skirt though. The ACS 2 seat would probably be great with the splash water draining quicker off your rear, but again, nothing other than nit picking here. The width is not annoying for paddling, and the paddle rest divots work well enough.
looks:
not personally a fan of the blue color they have, but really love my 'black cherry' finish, and their bright green was a nice color as well... this is all personal choice. This boat has gotten noticed among a sea of ocean kayaks and WS boats, the finish looks great in person, the rigging on the deck tucks away when not being used, but is easily enough popped out and holds things down well enough. the material seems to be slightly more scratch resistant than my friends' kayaks, we shall see after the end of the season how this holds up.
One word of warning is that the hull does at times become slicker than some when wet, but holding by the cockpit rim or the handles alleviates this.
would always advise those looking at a Pungo or similar boat to add this to their consideration list.
