Loon 111

Wife and I rented these from a livery service, so I expected some degree of wear and tear on them when we showed up.

For a boat that retails for $600, I would expect a much higher quality, and a better feature set. There are precisely ZERO bonuses on this boat. The only positive thing I could say about the features was that I had ample room to store my bag behind my seat.

There are very limited tie downs, only on the aft end, and much to far to be useful without assistance.

Both my wife and I had tracking issues with these on a moderately slow river, both wanted to drift badly. They are certainly a little faster than other recreational boats I've paddled, but the tracking shortcomings really detracted from the speed gains.

The seats weren't as comfortable as the Dirigo that I've borrowed a few times.

Correcting course was pretty smooth, but it was required far too much in my experience. I'd expect better for a mid-range recreational boat. I've got some $200 boats with more features that track at least this well, with far more features and storage capacity.

I have owned the Loon 111 for over 15 years and this kayak has proven time after time the durability, the ease of paddling, and over all performance is exceptional. The tracking and maneuverability in the water is straight and smooth. The cockpit is perfect in size as I am a big guy. The seat is very easy to adjust along with the foot braces. Plenty of space for storage if your doing a couple hours or a overnighter. All in all a wonderful kayak. I have recommended this kayak for years.

After using a Loon 100 for a summer, I had the chance to use the Loon 111 for a day. It lives up to the name and legacy of the boat. It tracks better than the Loon 100. It's just a little slower to get going. The hull does not have the tippy feeling that the Loon 100 has and it tracks as well as any boat that has a skeg. The seat is a little primitive compared to my Aspire 105 but Old Town has hit a home run with the hull design on this lineup.

These boats will do almost everything from rough water, fishing and touring. I am seriously considering this boat for my son to bass fish with. OLD TOWN IF YOU'RE LISTENING, PLEASE PUT THE REAR HATCH BACK IN THIS BOAT. It makes it so much more versatile.

I purchased my first kayak a used Loon 111 in 2013. Being a beginner to kayaking I was looking for a stable kayak that tracks well. The Loon 111 is very stable, small enough to put in the back of my pick up and very roomy. It is great on rivers as well as small lakes. Great first kayak.

I am an older paddler and don't know all about kayaks but got a Loon a few years ago and it has put me on the water and been a part of my life. Very easy to paddle, load, and transport. I am comfortable in it and have found it very stable. For my needs I would sure buy it again.

I have used my Old Town Loon 111 since receiving it for a retirement gift from my family in 2003. I have kayaked with it on lakes, the supreme of which is Lake Superior off Madeline Island. I am simply in heaven when paddling my Loon. I am on my second Bending Branches wood kayak paddle. This sweet little boat harbors me when I want to gaze into mother lake and study the magnificent boulders lying on the lake floor. It harbors me when I want to talk to the loons and their babies itching an arm's length away. It harbors me when I want to dance in four foot waves in mother lake. It carries me into caves and dripping waterfall overhangs.

And most importantly, since receiving this creative retirement gift from my family in 2003, we have acquired a total of EIGHT old town kayaks that live on our Seven Island Lake in Lincoln County Wisconsin. Our entire family from grandpa and grandma down to our youngest two-year-old grandson all ride the water in our family of Loons..

This is a great kayak for all paddlers, had mine for 6 years of river running (class 1, 2 rapids). Still holding up strong, fish out of it for large mouth bass aprox. 50+ times a year. Just a little hint if you want a new 1 look up Dimension Voyager 111, almost identical. Dimension kayaks and Old Town kayaks are both owned by Johnson Outdoors.

Old Town no longer makes the Loon kayak, at least in this configuration. Production costs, marketing, the economy or whatever have changed Old Town. If you can find a used Loon, any length, you should consider it. OT use a patented construction method called PolyLink3, which is a foam sheet sandwiched between an inner and outer layer of polyethylene. The result was a stiff kayak that resisted bending and that floated while full water, with no need for sealed hatches. Anyway, they quit doing it. So if you can find one, like I just did, and the seller is reasonable, my advice is buy it. I paid $400, which is about $100 less than the Loon sold for in 2002.

I sold, rented and paddled kayaks for over a decade at a major sports retailer in Oregon, and in my opinion, OT did it right. The Polylink3 Loon is a recreational boat, not for class III waters or above, unless you're brave, adventurous or dumb, but it is a sturdy, stable and roomy boat that will last for many years. As with any plastic boat, store it out of the sun and you'll still be enjoying it ten years from now. No, I don't work for Old Town or Johnson, their parent company. I just know about kayaks. For it's intended purpose, this is a good one.

This is my first Yak. I am 6 foot 5 240lbs, this is a ROOMY cockpit, just for reference, this is 11'1" and I have slid my entire body into the cockpit, my head resting on the seat, amazing.

I feel like I am laying down in this one, I can sit low on this yak, its stable, fun and strong. My friend has the Pelican Persuit 100, no comparison, he is a little faster but that's it, not as stable, he wiped out last week on a stretch I breezed through.

I sit all the way back, the rear sits low when I really crank on it, he says its almost underwater, might affect my speed but on down river I don't care.

The Good,
-Roomy for tall big guys
-short for cockpit size
-stable, secure, comfortable(14 miles without getting out, no pain)
-Tracks well
-Polylink is worth it

Bad
quality control - mine has a superficial crack inside, it seems like they repaired this, its a strong repair, but rotomolds are not going to be perfect, this should have been a factory second, I called LL Bean and complained, they offered a replacement, but seemed a nitpick to me so I passed.
-The seat can be adjusted on the track, doesn't always stay in place, one of the reasons I sit all the way back in the yak.

Those are my only complaints, its a great boat, not super fast, but way better than low end pelicans, non Polylink's, great for rivers, Yough, simple, a little heavy but not outrageous, and finally without any foam its got TONS of space.

I have always been a canoeist and built my own stripper canoe, "Sidartha", back in 1989 and loved paddling "indian" style, kneeling with the canoe heeled over. Unfortunately, my knees gave out and back problems from an old injury made it difficult to paddle from a sitting position. I rigged my stripper with an adirondack-style seat amidships a few years back and paddled it kayak-style with a home-made double-paddle. Finally, I "bit the bullet" and did a lot of research on kayaks. I settled on the Old Town Loon 111 because of its large cockpit, it's fully adjustable very confortable seat, its seaworthy design, trackability and manageable weight, and its maintainance-free construction. Honestly, I would have preferred a 17' sea kayak because I paddle mostly on Lake Erie which is 60' from my front door, but my wife wanted something she could carry and handle too so after all my research, this Old Town Loon 111 offered the best compromise. Well, when all is said and done, it really is no compromise because this little kayak tracks exceedingly well, paddles like a dream, is easy to get into and out of because of its large cockpit, will allow me to fish out of it comfortably, is light enough to carry and under most conditions is a "dry boat". It is not a class IV whiteater boat or a serious long-distance sea kayak but is the perfect boat for general all-around light-cruising/fishing/playing/getting-out-on-the-water use. Very easy to move the seat forward/backward within the cockpit to keep proper trim when carrying extra load such as gear/child/pet.

For the purposes this boat was intended for, impossible to imagine a better design of boat. The only regret I have is that I waited this long to buy one. Now that I have, I fully intend to make up for lost time and use this boat at every available opportunity.

At the price these things are going for, if you're looking for a general-purpose light-touring recreational portable virtually indestructible playboat that behaves like a "real" kayak, well, what are you waiting for? Buy one!

As far as the Loon 111 is concerned, it can do whatever you want it too. Last summer I took it on the Centennial stretch of the Snake River. A good friend of mine is a river guide. Water levels were high and so were our egos... LOL. We ended up taking my Loon 111 and Kiwi Kayak model out on roughly 4-4.5 river sections due to the extremely high flow. I'm very impressed with how it did. This Kayak is by far not even close to designed to handle this...however, I only went swimming about 50-60% of the time. Next time I'll take the perception but I wanted to break in the new YAK. On flat water its a dream. All I'm saying is that this model is durable and can handle a lot of abuse (trust me on that one). I can't wait to go out kayaking during thanksgiving week. I'm planning a 2-3 day trip on the snake. It will be a blast. Good luck with our choice of kayaks... I’ve made mine.

After doing a lot of research (this site was most helpful), we bought a Loon 111 this spring and discovered that my wife and I both loved the way it handled and how easy it is to load on and off the car. After taking turns and sharing for a month, we decided we both liked it enough to get another one.....we had to shop around to find the color she wanted, but eventually found the yellow one she wanted.......oddly, the seat was of the older, non-padded variety (mine was padded and we noticed a number of other differences in seat attachment and foot peg location. All appear to be attributable to the fact hers was made in Canada and the other was Made in USA.

We have used them extensively for exploring lakes and wetland areas and our old canoe just sits in the basement. We find we can fit both of them securely on top of our standard Dodge Caravan and it just takes a few minutes to load/unload with some quick-release straps and foam padding. We found very good directional stability, especially in windy conditions, compared to a number of kayaks we had rented during our research. A little care in flipping the carrying handles up over the end of the boat avoids the annoyance of hearing the handle gurgling along in the water behind you. Ours are both the Polylink 3 material and it seems to be pretty durable with the exercise of reasonable care in launching, etc.

I got my Loon 111 3 years ago. I got it for the lakes and rivers in Ohio. I do headwaters to the mouth trips and needed a kayak that could carry my camping gear, take a beating, be maneuverable enough to get around the strainers on some of the Class II streams, and move at a good pace. I’ve found that it would ship a little water from the sides in the more challenging water but I got a skirt to fix that. I’m 6’4” 210 and it’s a great fit. With the sliding seat I can balance my load easily. I put shock cord on the front and have a cord attached from my handles to keep them from dragging. I have the older seat without padding so I use 2 closed-cell foam stadium seat pads. These will keep me comfortable on a 12 plus hour paddle. The 111 has an added advantage in that when I’m out with my wife and she’s fishing I can push the seat back, rearrange my seat cushions and stretch out and take a nap inside. I use 2 heavy clips with a cord between and just clip to a tree limb and to the cockpit rim during naps. I have used my Loon to annoy alligators in Apalachicola and in the choppy waters of Pamlico Sound and it has performed well. With hundreds of miles on it without ever disappointing me, I would give it a 10 out of 10.

I purchased this boat a few weeks ago (along with its OT Sport twin the Kruzer) and have taken it out 4 or 5 times, under windy conditions as well as calm, on small ponds, medium sized lakes, and mild rivers, and have not found much to complain about. The seat is very comfortable. The length of the 111 allows for easy steering, while the V hull keeps it always pointing in the direction I wanted.

I am 6' and 225 and am very comfortable in this boat. I have carried kids (6 to 8 year olds) with me and the boat maintains its stability very well with the additional weight.

The issues I found are minor annoyances. There is a black ring of plastic on the inside rim of the cockpit which comes loose very easily. It can be reseated just as easily, but I do not think it should have to be done regularly.

Another annoyance that I found across the board on the OT models that I looked at was that they have no drain plug. I found the part for a few dollars on the internet and will be putting it in over the next few weeks, another thing that the manufacturer could and should offer as a standard option.

The last item is that the rear T handle drags in the water which creates some extra noise when paddling. All are minor issues that are easily lived with, for the versatility and stability that we have found with these boats.

Love this Loon. It's our first, & we'll probably get more loons down the road. We got the removable kid seat, which has been so. much. fun. with our 3 or 9 year old daughters. If you have little kids, I'd recommend it. The opening is large enough to comfortably accomodate a kid and an afternoon's gear. The regular seat has a nice high back & is well padded. I am 5"3' with a bad back, & can manage the kayak on land easily. On vacation we mostly stuck to the flat water of Maine ponds, but we LIVE in Maryland so we have plenty of opportunity to get it on the river some time soon too.

I LOVE MY LOON 111, just ran a class III creek in it and had no problems until i tried to surf (its too long for that)great boat very stable.mostly fish and camp out of it. i can hual everything for my campsite plus some of the other guys stuff aswell in it. Editor's Note: The Loon 111 in not intended for class III whitewater.

I obtained my Loon 111 from my sister when she moved away this year. I had only kayaked on the Intracoastal Waterway in the past, and I found that using the Old Town Loon 111 on the Bannister River was much easier. (Less current!) My grandsons, (ages 9, 9, 10, and 12,) have no problem with this kayak on slow moving water. They even fish from it without stability problems. While very stable, it does tend to track to the right, and it turns like a barge. I work as an Emergency Department RN, so I don't get a lot of physical exercise at work. This kayak allows my to work off stress, while at the same time enjoy viewing the kingfishers, mallards, canadian geese, pintails, egrets, whitetail deer and other wildlife. I am looking to pad the seat, and I obtained a sprayskirt so I can paddle year-round. The polylink-3 construction insulates from both hot and cold, so it should be comfortable year round. I plan on obtaining a touring kayak for longer trips, but I will keep this kayak for family fun. I carry it and load it in my Ford Ranger 4x4 truck without difficulty. If it tracked straight and turned easier, I would rate it higher, but 8 out of 10 isn't bad!

This boat was my reintroduction to kayaking. I had been a class 3 river runner in the 80's, but reluctantly left the sport. I bought the loon 111 after trying a couple other similar sized rec boats. For it's price point it met my needs. I have run the Loon 111 in class 2 white water but it's mostly my flat water hunting (duck) and fishing craft. It is very stable for shooting out of, the poly-link material is very quiet, and the size is easy to man-handle. I can drag it easily into beaver ponds where other boaters might not travel. I made a camo cover for the boat, and the deek bag sits on the back behind my seat. The below deck storage is roomy but I can't fit more than a 3 or 4 decoys behind my seat, so I put dry cloths etc in a dry bag back there.

I now own a w/w boat, and am looking for another, a 17 foot long sea kayak which I'm thinking I might sell ( the loon is fine for most of my touring/exploring needs). For an all around little boat it's been a great craft. I use a bent shaft canoe paddle as my "spare"/ sneak paddle, and the typical kayak touring paddle for getting from point A to point B and beyond.

I bought a Loon 111 last year. My first recreational kayak. It fits my needs perfect. I shopped around for a large opening. This kayak was great. I'm actually looking to buy a second.

The Loon 111’s width and huge cockpit make it great for beginners or for taking a small child out for a leisurely flatwater paddle. At around 45 lbs, it’s also easily carried and loaded on and off a car. Just don't expect the Loon 111 to go fast or turn very well. In fact, I'm continually amazed at how much this boat actually resists turning--a full sweep stroke will only turn it maybe 15 or 20 degrees, and the second you stop paddling, the boat stops turning. The phrase “handles like a pig” goes through my mind every time I step into this boat.

Still, I’ll probably never sell this boat. It requires next to no skill to propel in quiet water, holds one adult and one child, and is nearly indestructible. I suppose a solo canoe would be more versatile, but I’d hate to put an unskilled guest or a rambunctious child in a solo canoe. Plus, a good solo canoe costs at least twice what our used Loon cost us. Thus, it’ll always have a place in our garage as a family cruiser and/or guest boat.

It's easy to get your money's worth out of this boat - a great boat for general recreation.

My purchase was based on four factors: quality of materials, back support, large cockpit at a good price and the Loon 111 scores on all counts. The quality of the hull seems far superior to anything else in this price range - sturdy, insulated and should survive more wear than most others. The high back seat can be adjusted fore and aft within the large cockpit - accomodating paddlers of various sizes - and well suited to life-long back problems - only the Phase 3 seating of Wilderness Systems exceeds this seat. The large cockpit allows plenty of room for my 7 year old daughter to ride with me. The salesman thought that she was near the top end of being able to ride there, but I think we will get 2-3 years of being able to ride together. The list price of this boat is currently $499, but is available through some sources at a 10% discount.

Finally, it has been mentioned that some 111s have manufacturing flaws. My model (2001) has no such flaws and tracks reasonably well. I rate the boat a 9 only because the highly stable design limits speed somewhat.

This is the perfect boat for the use I had in mind - which is just getting out and enjoying the water with my kids. The large cockpit is plenty roomy for myself and one of my kids. In fact, if I'm willing to hold the paddle above a toddler's head, which I am, it's plenty roomy for me to take TWO along for the ride, which I frequently do. If you're not looking to take a child or pet along, I don't know what need you'd ever have for such a huge cockpit - and you may, in that case, favor something with a smaller cockpit, which would be easier to seal well with a spray skirt, should you ever want to get into surf or whitewater.

This boat has all kinds of primary stability. My kids will both suddenly lean way over, and the boat leans that direction, of course, but there's nothing those kids can do to tip that boat if I don't want to. It feels very stable, and is reasonably fast. In waves, I find that the high-volume bow hardly ever lets any water onto the deck. You'll slow down - the boat does sorta pound into those oncoming waves, as opposed to slicing right through - but you'll stay dry. That's just what I want; I usually have my camera along, and the kids probably wouldn't like it nearly so much if they didn't feel secure.

The bungees on the rear deck are perfect for shoes in case you walk through mud or sand on the way to the put-in, and don't want to get the seat and inside of the boat too dirty.

I'd originally set out to get the 138. For cartopping on my small car, I am glad not to have the additional weight and length, and I don't think I'll ever miss the length (which would offer improved speed and tracking) on the water either - I didn't buy this boat to tour.

I think I would have been equally happy with a Pungo (or better yet, the Pungo superlight/ultralight/whatever they call it) but that boat was 100 - 200 bucks more, and was not available locally on the day I was ready to buy!

Bottom line, this has proven to be the ideal first boat for me. Now I'm hooked on the sport, and am looking to get a sea kayak in the Spring, but that's a different story...

I'm just getting into paddling; I don't even have my own boat-yet! I've rented the Loon 111 from Griggstown Canoe Rental and Princeton Canoe Rental, and that's how I know this boat. I figure that it'll be cheaper to own my own boat in the long run... :)

The boat tracks well. It is stable, even for a big guy like me; I'm 6'2" @ 245 or so. The high backed, movable bucket seat is great! You can adjust the trim of the boat, even underway. Properly trimmed and proplelled with decent paddling technique, this boat will haul the mail!

Due to space considerations, I shall probably go with a folding kayak. However, if I were to buy a hard shell boat, I would HEARTILY recommend the Loon 111. Due to my size, I would probably opt for the Loon 120. The Loon 111 is a great, all-round boat that'll do many things well. You can't go wrong by buying one.

The Loon 111-after canoeing for 30 or more years, both of us going the same place (usually the place chosen by the person in the rear) and both of us getting older (67 and 71) and tired of carrying our heavy OTCA wood/fiberglass 17 footer, we decided to go with individual craft and selected this one. Why you ask? The high back adjustable seat. The longer than usual cockpit and a size and weight that each of us is able to handle on the portages that used to take both of us to carry and, later on, to trail on our cart. It tracks well enough to use it on the "little rivers" of the Pine Barrens National Reserve in NJ and to take on Barnegat Bay heading for the small islands scattered here and there. Not to mention our favorite NYS canoeing place, the St. Regis area. It's fun and agile and our latest "play toy". The Loon 111 is a great boat and we're delighted that Old Town offers it!!

This is the 2nd year that I have had my Loon 111. I really like the seat that moves so the boat can be trimmed properly ( even underway ) I also like how everything is within easy reach , even when out on the water, no need to pull to shore to get something out fron the front of the boat. Ultimate stability!!! Very easy to car top! Very light and easy to carry. I had it out last week ( I live in CT, so there was ice on the river , and with the 3 layer poly I never felt the cold water thru the hule, GREAT!!!. I can't say enough about this Kayak for someone who wants to just have fun , fish , be safe on the water. Everyone that owns an Oldtown product that I talk to really love their boats.I am 5'6" tall,185 lbs and am 55 yrs old and with this boat I am looking for at least 10 more years of good times.

I purchased a Loon 111 early in September. It's been on a bunch of mountain lakes and ponds in Colorado, local ponds, creeks and lakes here in mid Missouri and down the Current river in southern Missouri since then. I got it for fishing and because it fits nicely on the roof of my Jeep Wrangler. It tracks well, is stable and is fast enough to get me to the next fishing hole! My tackle box, a soft tool bag, fits in the cockpit and is easy to access. In short, I just love this boat!

I just wanted to say that as a new paddler I am very excited to have received this as a gift from my grown daughters for my 50th birthday! They were so excited that I enjoyed Kayaking with my oldest daughter in her Perception, that I tried out a couple of other kayaks on rental, and loved the Loon! Good tracking on lakes, nice large cockpit and comfortable high backed seat made this perfect for me! Any one interested in meeting me at Mansfield Hollow, CT for some kayaking???

After owning canoes for a number of years I decided to try a kayak and purchased a Loon 111 , I could not be happier, It's roomy with the large cockpit, paddles well is very stable and also is easy to carry and place on top of a car.

Addition to previous comments. The Loon PFD makes a huge comfort difference. Most Life Preservers are too thick in the back and tilt you forward with the loons high back seats. The Loon PFD is thin in back. Highly recommended purchase.

Very stable, excellent tracking kayak. Terrific for going out with a child for a paddle down lake or river. Somewhat difficult to turn on a dime, this property comes in handy to track across a lake. Wind doesn't bother at all, and its nice not to be jammed into a tight cockpit.

Great 1st boat i tried out a lot of the old town kayaks before buying the 111, the spray skirts are not the best they only keep out about 60% of the water, track very good handle great in lakes & rivers just stay below class 3 i was in a class 4 & ended up breaking the nose off win some lose some!! its fixed now still a great boat well worth more then i paid got a great deal in Lincoln,ME wish i knew the phone no. to give saved me $ over buying it from old town canoe the place is called rivers edge.

I love the large cockpit of the 111 Loon. One of my criteria was that I be able to paddle with my feet dangling in the water ( trolling for gators, my friends say) Here in Florida the weather is usually plenty warm for this type of paddling. Not very efficient but very comfortable. I found that, for the price, the 111 suited my needs very well. I have not tried a ton of boats but I do like the seat construction of this boat as well. It is comfortable and folds forward allowing easier access to the rear storage area.

I want to thank the Staff of the Old Town, ME Outlet Store for steering me into the right direction. At the age of 48 I really wanted to explore water ways that I grew up near. Thinking that the Otter would be prefect for this, I was wrong. After talking to someone who had knowledge behind the product, the Loon 111 was the one that would suit my needs. He was right! The first time I tried the Loon 111, it was like a loon taking to water. I never had a lesson or been in a kayak before. In two days I could fish and paddle without any problems. It's reassuring to know that Old Town's Staff is as good as it's product!

I recently bought this kayak, my first, and can only add to what the other reviewers have said, stable, strong, comfortable. I took it out on the ocean, had no problems going out, rolled over coming in and realized that the white opening has its disadvantages in certain situations, will need to keep a pump close by.

Just got it, and have had it out twice on a 21k acre local lake (Lavon, in North Texas). Got it for two main reasons, after considering and sitting in but not paddling the Loon 100, 120, Dagger Bayou and Delta: it is short enough to fit in my van and the cockpit is the largest available on a kayak that can do so. Have been using an Old Town discovery133, rigged with oars, mainly to fish, but at 75 pounds it is just a bit too heavy to get on and off my van by myself comfortably. The 111 is about as fast as the canoe, but I get to see where I am going (but cannot turn around to see where I have been), stable, no problem at all to load and unload through the back door, and once I get adjusted will almost certainly hold everything I need. Seems to track well in a mild wind (maybe 15knots), and is fine in light wind.