I am a NE coast transplant to SW Virginia. I grew up boating on Long Island, NY and, although I love the Blue Ridge Mountains, I have missed being on the water. I am a newbie to kayaking and took up kayaking for the first time this 2021 summer. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it and know I wanted my own boat. I started renting SOT and sit-in kayaks to explore the James River Water Trail. I did a lot of research on various brands and styles and knew I wanted a Pelican sit-in brand due to their reputation. As a newbie to kayaking I didn’t know exactly what I wanted from a kayak and found the Pelican Quest 100x sit-in at a great price. I decided on this model because of the Pelican brand and it has a couple of fishing rod holders in case I wanted to try some freshwater fishing (haven’t tried it yet). If you are an avid fisherman this model is probably not for you but if you just want to throw a line in the water now and again it will do. You can’t stand up in the sit-in version and expect not to go swimming!
I have explored the James River and paddled a local reservoir approximately 10 times with this boat and I am loving it! I think this is a great entry-level recreational kayak!
Newbie criticisms:
1) The front covered storage is not water proof and is too shallow for more than a few small items.
2) The lack of attachment points to secure other items which is easily remedied with a trip to you local hardware store.
3) The webbing on the back deck would be better if it was just bungee cord. The webbing doesn’t stretch enough to secure even a small cooler. This is also remedied by using your own bungees.
