Viper

I bought my orange Viper at Menards in Milwaukee in spring of 2013 for 169.99 with $20 rebate. Didn't take it out until Aug. 2914 and then became absolutely addicted to kayaking. This summer/fall I took it out 3-4X per wk on local WI rivers and lakes since I'm retired. I started calling her my new best friend.

I LOVE my boat. I am a somewhat slight woman and in my 60s. I love that my kayak is sturdy. I am rough on it since it can get heavy to lift into my SUV. I do drag it on gravel and it slams on the ground sometimes as I'm lifting it out of my truck. I don't worry about hurting it. I have no idea what a skeg is (rudder?) so don't use it. I do put a pillow on my seat and i am plenty comfortable. I only wish my back compartment were a dry one.

Just bought a green viper for my goddaughter during black friday. I can't say enough good things about it.

I love it, particularly that it's unsinkable. Of course they said that about the Titanic... My one problem is that I lost the rudder. It gets easily knocked off and have not been able to find a replacement.

I bought 2 Vipers and each of them, within 15 minutes of use, "caved in" behind the seat. I heard a pop and the seat area dropped a few inches (note - they are rated at 250 pounds and I weigh 175). I contacted Viper and they were unaware of such a problem. I took them back to Sports Authority (where I bought them) and they had already had 3 others returned for the same reason. I then bought 2 Ocean Kayak Frenzy's, and like them much better!

My Viper isn't fast or used for all-day trips, but it's a great play boat on small lakes and slow streams. I mostly use it for leisurely paddling about or having super soaker water gun battles at the lake. The seat is comfortable and water bottles are secure in the well. I've experience no problems with the skeg, either. Wind makes the Viper a challenge to stay on course, and the included paddle is cumbersome. My Harmony Adventure paddle was a huge improvement. For a play boat and the price, it's a decent buy. For a more serious kayaking on lakes and streams, I'd choose a Wilderness System Tarpon (sit-on-top) or a Dagger Blackwater (recreational).

This being my very first kayak, I didn't really know what to expect. That being said, I learned quickly what happens when the skeg is not in place. (You do a lot of circles in the water). Once I got over being nervous however, I came to enjoy paddling it. I did have to work at keeping it going, because it stopped as soon as I stopped paddling, and took some effort to get moving again. It was a great starter kayak for me, but I only had it for a couple of months before I knew I wanted to 'move on'. I now have a Wilderness Pungo 120, and wouldn't trade it for anything.

I have owned other sit on tops and I paid just $250 for my new viper at Sports Authority (not online) and it included a fairly decent paddle and a seat. There were indentations on the hull for hardware for equipment storage but no hardware. The skeg was included but I had to use a hammer to attach it and there is some worry about how secure it is in there. I like that it is light enough for me to load and unload from my SUV. In the past I struggled with loading heavier models alone. It tracks very well which I attribute to the skeg (hope I don't lose it). It rides very well above the water. It is self bailing like previous models I have had but I am a medium size woman and I have not had much water inside even on choppy water days on the bay. The drink holder fills up. It can be a little tippy when the sea or rivers are rough but It is a mild challenge which I enjoy. It's being light weight is something I consider a plus that outweighs other concerns. While I want a sit-in-side with more storage, better speed and other features, I do not plan to get rid of my Viper. This little model is easy to store and great to have for family, friends and myself. It is an affordable way to get out on the water.

I am fairly new at this but have used Ocean Kayaks on Mobile Bay.I used a Prowler and a Malibu 2. Loved them both. I have had this Viper in the White River and on Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas this week. It felt very tippy at first but I did not notice it the 2nd time I took it out. Tracking was not good until I put the Skag in and that kept falling out. I knew each time by the way the kayak behaved that it had came out. It kept trying to turn around. Skeg or skag sp? alls I know it really needs that. I have not been in it enough yet to give a proper review and I am inexperienced. My enjoyment certainly was not instant like when I used the Ocean Kayaks. This was a lot more work which certainly did not hurt me. I know I need to improve my paddling skills. It is comfortable to sit in and easy to carry and load on top of my SUV.It's weight is 37 pounds. The price was right maybe? Time will tell on that. $290 is all I paid. I would be willing to pay a lot more for what I want. It came with a seat but I had to purchase the paddle and skeg. I will let you know as time passes how well I like it. I cannot say it enough, paddle before you buy if possible. Read reviews. I could not find a review anywhere on this one. Hope this helps.