Acadia Scout

Bought my 9 year old daughter one of these the other day. She's been out twice & loves it! She's been the "navigator" in my tandem for 4 years now, but now the little one is taking that over. So big sis gets her own boat. Super light, sized well for her, tracks well, narrow enough she doesn't bang her elbows like in my wide Pamlico 135...

Great boat. Only reason I gave it a 9 is I have to add deck rigging. there isn't a lot of storage area in this boat, but for a kid- I don't think there should be. Keep their minds on the water.

I purchased this kayak for Christmas for my kids. We already own the Carolina 12 for kids and saw this was designed especially for them. It is a good kayak, but not as good as the Carolina. My kids describe it as wobbly and tippy, although they do not really fall out. It is lighter than the Carolina, but not as steady. I thought it might be my kids size ages 3 and 5, but a 11 year old was in it this week and commented the same thing. Not a bad kayak but not as good as the Carolina for kids.

One of the few recreational boats sized for kids and smaller paddlers, I bought one for my daughter's 11th birthday early this year. She is 4'10", 108lbs. She fits in it very well and is able to develop good paddling skills in it from the get-go. She's easily able to keep up with her old man just cruising along. My wife, who is 5'0", 112lbs. felt right at home in it too, and she's never paddled a boat and isn't a confident swimmer. Now, a little more about the Scout. It's light and very easy to carry. The plastic is lighter than on adult models an scratches easily, but it's plenty strong enough for its intended use. The foam pillars just forward and behind the cockpit add rigidity to the deck. They fit loosely, so I Lexeled them in so they don't flop about. The Slide-Lock foot braces are easy to use and the back band is way better than the high seat backs. An accessory(ies)this boat needs are flotation bags front and rear. My kids likes to flip over and this thing is a bear to empty water out. The stern drain plug helps some. With flotation bags, the boat will be easier to manage in the event of a capsize. That'll be addressed before next season.

This boat was purchased for my daughter as a boat to grow with. She is 4.5yrs and getting the hang of just paddling straight. It fits her for height and is narrow enough for her shorter arms. The boat is a classic recreational design and tracks well. Especially, when I'm harnessed up to pigtail tow her across a windy section. I was amazed at the weight-25lbs! It is a breeze to cartop. The only drawback was a miscut forward center pillar needed to be reinstalled and reinforced with glue and extra pads on top. The pad was too short to fit the hanging retaining pin from the peak of the deck. It was very loose when we purchased the boat. A solid design, and a good value.