Rush

This was my wife and I first kayak. She loved it being only 5foot 2 inches tall !!! Myself lm six feet tall . Not lying it was very tight fit for me . So in my opinion it’s more suitable for a smaller person. She could paddle easily and being out of shape had no problems moving out . It padded fine for myself I even took it done some class 111 rapids did great !!! Just couldn’t get past feeling to confined. Both of us felt it had good stability easy of padding and comfortable. But we just ended up selling the rush and awaiting a tandem kayak. And for myself cause I like doing more challenging adventures scouring Craig’s list etc. looking for a used white water cross over . Overall we liked the rush and would recommend it to someone who is small in Stature .

The Rush served as My First Boat. As such, it will always have a warm place in my heart. However, I can't let that fact cloud my honest opinion: The Rush is not a great boat.

I am not entirely sure what the Rush is. My best description is that it's some kind of recreational boat masquerading as a whitewater ... thing. It's tempting to call it a beginner whitewater boat, but its bow isn't suited for running rocks, and its pancake flat bottom isn't good for quick maneuverability. It's pretty good on anything with a surface as flat as a swimming pool, until you try to get any speed. Then it just submarines and divests all your energy into creating a spectacular wake.

Caveat: I'm a big guy. This boat probably rides lower with me than it was intended.
Still, she's not even a very good at being a weekend bikini 'n' beer barge. The cockpit is close, restricting leg movement. No utility deck (unless you add the little half skirt thing). No storage. She's a tank, though. Dense, thick, heavy. Turn the kids loose with her. No worries.
Comfy seat.

My wife and I went out last weekend and bought a pair of Old Town RUSH kayaks at Bass Pro. We had been looking for a few weeks and were planning on buying a tandem because financially and cargo wise it made more sense. That was until we saw the price of the Rush (just under $250ea.) So purchased a pair, just because.

I'm 6' 210lbs getting in made me a little shaky at first (I haven't been in a kayak in 25 years). Once in, I found the seat to be very comfortable with plenty of back support. Trying to reach in and adjust the foot rests was nerve racking until I realized I could press and adjust the slide with my foot. Although I liked the 1/2 spray skirt (especially the built in Beer holder :-) ) It made me feel claustrophobic so I removed it and stuck it behind the seat. We paddled a small lake next to our house for about 4 hours.

The Rush tracks perfectly straight, is simple to maneuver and light enough to paddle all day I do feel like it plows through the water and the bow dips easily when paddling hard/fast. I don't feel as if it sits low in the water (i.e. too small for me)just that the bow sits lower than the stern. Wife says it doesn't appear that way so it may just be me. We'll see if this presents a problem on the Cape next week and in currents.

There is PLENTY of room to store gear behind the seat so I may pack all the gear next trip to see if this raises the bow some. The weight of this kayak makes it a breeze putting on and taking it off of the SUV. My wife is 5'4" and considerably lighter than I and didn't have a single complaint about the kayak, only compliments.

Overall if you are looking for an inexpensive way to get into Kayaking I would recommend the RUSH to start with.
Now I just have to figure out how to get 4 Kayaks on top of the SUV...

I purchased this kayak about two months ago not knowing the first thing about kayaking. It was very fortunate I picked this one because it does all I want it to. I cruise on the river easily and with no problem. I went down a class three rapid with my older son (who is also learning to kayak) and had a ball. I flipped about 4 or 5 times but by the end was starting to get the hang of it and anticipating the next time. Lost my half skirt on the trip which I hated but have ordered a full skirt as I intend to hit the rapids again. I am currently learning how to roll. My son was questionable as to whether or not this kayak could be rolled but after reading a few of these reviews I am confident that it will with practice.

My purpose for this review is to reassure or enlighten anyone who may be discouraged from attempting to pack the Rush for multi-day excursions due to its size. Aside from being VERY comfortable paddling for 7 hours at a time (6'1", 180 lbs), this boat delivers, fully loaded with every necessity for your extended voyages.

I had packed: Hennessy Hammock ("tent hammock"), sleeping bag (down), extra clothes (3 complete changes), extra footwear, rain gear (top & bottom), spray skirt (stored), hack saw, 12 meals + snacks, 2 starter logs, can of bug juice, stove, pot, frying pan, bowl, cup, utensils, 2 cans of fuel, water filtration system & water bottle, first aid kit, 30' rope, duct tape, shower, lots of TP, knife, PFD, dry box (lighters, camera, ipod, cigs)... oh, and a case (24) of beer kept ice cold for two days with just 5lbs of ice. Only used the rear bungee for my PFD with everything else packed in the stern cavity, except the cooler which was COMFORTABLY nestled between my legs when I wasn't resting my feet on the deck. This was all packed for a 4 day solo excursion (first time doing anything like this). Only restocking was from a conveniently located bar midway for a fresh case and ice.

Do some planning and research, but it is very possible, with little hassle and room to spare, to get this Rush packed and ready to go... did I already say it still performs just as well under all this "pressure"? Happy voyaging!

This was my first kayak. Overall it is a good all around boat. I used it pretty often so I found myself wanting to upgrade within the year. It is not the fastest boat but very stable. The seat gets a little uncomfortable after about 3 hours but you can get a cushion to help. Overall this is a nice little boat for the price.

Have owned my Rush for a few months and it has done all that I wanted it to do. With a spray skirt it handles up to class 3 white water so far. I have friends with playboats, they are surprised that I am going down the same chutes they are. One of my friends has even rolled this boat in a pool so it can be done. Good boat for the price.

An amazing yak....handles well even in 3in of water...My only complaint is that the rear handle drags in the water and has a tendency to turn you.

I purchased this boat last year as a beginner kayak. The price was right, and the upgrades over the Otter (adjustable foot pegs, paddle holder, and deck rigging) were well worth the few extra bucks. And it came with a half-skirt w/drink holder.

This kayak is very stable. I paddle it on slow moving rivers and small lakes. It felt very stable from the first time I got in it. There is plenty of room to throw a dry bag (or two) behind the seat, strap a bag on the back, and put a small deck bag on the front. The seat is plenty comfortable for a couple of hours on the water, but you do get a little sore after being in it for 9 hours.

To sum it up, if you are looking for an inexpensive kayak with a few upgrades to get out on the water, you can't go wrong with this one!

It looks like I'm writing the 15th review for the Rush, and I feel a little redundant in doing so because there isn't a single rating under 8-of-10. My lover and I tried kayaking one time with sit-on-top kayaks, and we really enjoyed being out on the water. We immediately started shopping around, and ultimately decided against the sit-on-top style, and the Rush seemed like a good one (especially after we did some "homework" reading the reviews for many models here at paddling.com).

Our biggest concern was size because we live in a small apartment. From what we could tell, anything much shorter than the Rush was basically a whitewater kayak, and we were told that taking one of those on a lake would be like paddling a snowplow. Our only experience so far has been leisurely days on the lake (no rivers), and we've been pleased. So, we bought two Rush kayaks, and with all the related expenditures (tax/shipping, life jackets, paddles, and wall-hanging straps for storage) I think we spent a little over $1000 for a pair of kayaks - not bad at all if you're going to use them a lot.

As far as use goes, the seat is quite comfortable, but the leg room is probably insufficient for anyone much over 6' tall. I do manage to use the foot pegs if I'm trying to cover some ground(?) pretty quickly, but they make my legs a little uncomfortable after a while. Otherwise I just leave my legs stretched out inside the cockpit without using the pegs, which is good for comfort but less-good for fast paddling.

All in all, I doubt that you can get a 'yak that's this good all the way around, especially for the price. Tracking is good, speed is good, utility/storage is good, carry-ability is good (awkward-but-doable for single-person transportation), etc. The boat is pretty comfortable for fishing, but I'm having trouble trying to figure out how to paddle and have a line in the water at the same time. I do recommend that you go spend the $20 on a dry-bag though, because burritos just aren't as good after they've been in the lake.

This is a good kayak. It isn't the fastest in the world but for the money it IS the best choice. I put my small tackle box in the front bungies and my cooler on the back. My fishing pole goes on the paddle holder bungie. When I'm fishing the paddle lays across my lap. It is easy to carry and load by myself. It turns easy and accelerates easy but is unefficient at excessive speeds.It tracks pretty strait but if it was better you would give up stability from being narrower. The bottom is pretty flat so it will not scrape in 6" of water. It feels a little tippy but gets to a point where it stops. I get pretty plastered and haven't gone over yet, but close. Ha, ha. The seat is comfortable but impedes putting big stuff in back. I sat in all the boats and this was the most comfortable under $700. I am 6'2" and if I were any taller I wouldn't fit. One thing that bugs is that the handles drag in the water. Not a big deal, I'm just anal. The half cover is great, the front and rear are sunk in in so your stuff will sit there even if not bungied down. The color choices are limited. I got the green. I like it. My next will be more sleek and fast. This will probably be the wifes as she loves it too. My new fast one will probably flip when I'm drinking though. I can get a six pack down and stand up in the Rush so its pretty stable. The only time I went in was standing and paddling at the same time. Very good Kayak. I want a better paddle though as its aluminum and plastic. A little too heavy for long days. Throw a towel in the bottom a ring it out every few hours, no need for and expensive pump. Party on!!

My first time in a kayak was this boat. I think it was the perfect choice for a first kayak... it is stable and very forgiving to my poor paddling. I am 6-2 and a little under 200 pounds and I fill the thing up. If you are bigger than me get a bigger kayak. For little over 300 bucks it is a bargain... the seat is nice, it has adjustable foot pegs and fore and aft bungees. Dont plan to make any long trips in this but for a day of fishing and overnight camping. A rear hatch would have been nice since its hard to get gear behind the seat even though it folds down. But for a little over 300 dollars that is asking a bit much... I'll get on ebay and find a hatch for it and it should round out this little kayak nicely.

I got this boat in the spring and it has been great the whole way. I does everything! Ive taken it one the lake with 30mph wind gust and 4 foot waves. I take it on slow moving rivers and streams. I even took it on an 8 mile non stop class 3 and 4 whitewater. It did great but my friends had the same boats and they flipped alot , so u just have to have a little experience. t my friends also didnt have a spray skirt. I gave them mine and I didnt flip, but i did alot of pumping. If you have a skirt and a pump it can do whitewater and 8 ft waves but u better learn to swim cause I never tried rolling my rush but I always stayed in it, just know ur limits. Its a great boat for the money and the best all around recreation boat because it can do it all. I give it a 10 because no other recreation boat can do what this one can do considering its length.

I have A new 2006 rush.Tracking was very very good. And I covered A lot of water in little time. With little effort. I cant wait to see how it does on 1 or 2 class river.

This is my first kayak, had never even been in one before. I'd rate it excellent to learn in, very stable, tracks pretty well and very easy to transport due to size and weight.

Have had the Rush out on the lakes every day for a minimum of 45 minutes each day. I have a small car and it is very easy to lift up and place on the roof (I use the foam blocks and straps).

This boat is no greyhound but it moves well, tracking is a good two to three inches sway with each paddle but a lot of that might be my inexperience. This boat has a small cockpit compared to some and I got the half spray skirt and upgraded seat on sale (never felt a drop on my legs yet and I have been in some rough wind driven water). You feel very secure in this boat and as another reviewer mentioned, it might tilt a bit but it does not go over easily at all and believe me I have tried trying to learn how to roll.

Essentially this boat has replaced the gym as it accomplishes a very solid aerobic workout (use the foot pegs and brace etc) and it provides that wonderful peace of mind being out where no one can bother you (assuming you are smart enough to leave your cell phone in the car…or at least off).

Arrive home from work, and the boat is on the car within five minutes and within 15 minutes I am lowering the boat into the water...best sleep in years and no need to kick the dog anymore. Great beginner or intermediary boat, highly recommended. Obvious difference in tracking (better), and accessories over the otter which is still a great beginner boat but about $100 less.

I saw this kayak and loved it. Its lines are awesome looking. I chose the green with black spots. Also comes in orange and black.

Its features are front and rear bungees, foot rests (adjustable), NICE padded seat (adjustable), paddle holder, semi-skirt with pockets, foam end flotation installed, and handles.

Its strait line tracking is ok. Handled great on rapids. Turns very fast. Tilts easy but won’t flip easily.