Glider 19

Long and light this fiberglass boat is great for racing. I typically use it for kayak camping and the only drawback is that the forward hatch is only six inches wide and there is no forward bulkhead. You have to put your equipment in through the cockpit. Corkscrewing and wind cocking is a problem, but no boat is perfect.

The Glider is one durable kayak!
I bought a '95 a couple of years ago. It had been keelhauled over so many rocks etc. that there was a 6" hole in the keel at the stern. I ground off the gellcoat, patched the hole and re-gelcoated the entire hull. It was perfect! At the first traffic light the Glider came flying off of the roofmount carrier and sailed the 8' down to the street! It did amazingly little damage. The worst was because it hit bow first, it buckled the boat between the cockpit and the bow hatch. But only the thinner deck, not the hull at all. I added some fiberglass patches to the areas, buffed out the new spiderweb cracks on the deck and touched up the scuffs in the gelcoat.
Although I'm not taking it whitewater kayaking, I'm sure it would survive.

I have 3 kayaks. The Glider is for weather forecasts of "light to moderate chop". It's kind of susceptible to wind & currents. Though it would perform better if fully laden with camping gear.
My 17' Seaward Tyee is 24" wide and is a more stable touring boat, but averages 1/2 MPH slower than the Glider.
My 17'Necky Chatham is for weather forecasts that include "small craft advisory" and is about a full MPH slower than the Glider.

If I could only keep one it would be the Glider. I call it my telephoto kayak because it brings distant objects into focus. I can spot a speck on the horizon and an hour later I'm there. And it'll hold a lot of gear.

Any issues I have with my '95 have been addressed with the current model. The sliding rudder controls. (I prefer the "gas pedal" controls) Mine has no forward bulkhead plus the new model has recessed hatches & deck fittings. That's got to help with the wind issues. Plus there's the deck recesses to keep your hands from hitting the deck when paddling.

I've demo'd an Epic 18X and it'd be fun to speed across "calm inland waters" but with that low bow it's got to be more susceptible to "pearl diving" into waves. Besides, if I bust an Epic, I can't fix it like I can a fiberglass Seda.

So for me, a flatwater-touring kayaker the Seda Glider IS the best boat. It's fast, handles moderate weather, and holds a lot of gear. It tracks like an arrow. With an Epic winged paddle to maximize my forward stroke, I can close my eyes and stay on course. Arriving at a beach I feel like I'm berthing the Queen Mary, but I'd choose tracking over turning any day.

Still have my Kelvar I got in July 1989. I ordered several months before and got it when it was finally produced. I rigged a system to keep the fiberglass hatches attached by getting some U-brackets and attacking quick releases straps to them. I have taken out into the Texas surf I prefer paddling the bays. It would be nicer with a rudder and some of the refinements that were included in later models.

Seda Glider was love at first sight for me.
After paddling once a week for 4 years and owning 6 kayak previously, I know what I was looking for. The size of the cockpit is excellent for me. I can go in and out easily. Also easier to do self-rescue like - cowboy style and side straddle. It also makes my paddling style doable- legs together with knees pointing up.....like on a surfki or k1 kayak. I had to of course change the pedal to a kickboard with controls on top for the rudder.

It's straight tracking kayak and the down side is that it's more difficult to turn. I'm aware of the trade off. My Norkapp HMC was like that and I'm used to it.

The kevlar model I got is about 45#. And that's not too heavy and not lite either. I will never buy another 30# kayak from a bad experience I had. It flies on top of the water after a capsize with a super strong wind gust. A paddle leash attached to the kayak was my only salvation. Advanced paddlers might not have this problem.

When it comes to speed, I was able to paddle the Glider at 6 mph for 30 min. straight. That might not be that fast but I can't even do over 5mph on my Epic V-10 sports surfski (afraid to capsize?).

I feel confident when I paddle my Seda Glider just like my Nordkapp HMC. Is it perfect? No such think. BTW, I did not have any issues with quality... Excellent kayak!!!

I have had the 2007 Carbon Glider for a few weeks now and am highly satisfied with its design, the quality of the layup, and its performance. I was looking for a fast sea kayak for fitness paddling and racing. I would recommend the Feathercraft rudder upgrade and toe controlled rudder that allows you to push off a solid platform. I like the fact the rudder lays flat on the deck when not deployed rather than it sticking up where it could be damaged. It also comes with a cleat that holds the rudder intact while deployed. The cockpit is large enough to allow knees to be up in the cockpit or to the side. It is also easy to do feet out landings and launchings. I did not get the day hatch option and do not miss it due to the amount of room behind the seat. The deck lines are perfect for holding a camelback hydration pack in a manner that does not interfere with paddling. It tracks well and I do not care that it does not edge like my hard chined boat. I handles open ocean conditions and boat wakes well even with a wing paddle. Seda's customer service is outstanding and I am very pleased with my purchase. I would not rate it a 10 as an all around BCU type boat but it is a 10 for what I bought it for.

The Kevlar Glider (November 2005 model) in natural kevlar bottom and yellow top is my second SEDA. My first was purchased two years ago and is the SEDA Swift model in the same material and configuration. All I can say about the Glider is: 1) I wanted a fast; smooth paddling and light boat; 2)I received that and more; 3)I have found the Glider to be very comfortable; 4) I have the rudder which I seldom use, but nice to have to set a course in the wind; 5)The Glider is a very smooth and a straight paddler; 6)I'm not out to win a race; however, I wanted a boat that was smooth, fun and fast! I found it in the Glider!

I just received a new graphite Glider, and the difference between the new Glider and the Kevlar one I owned in the mid 90’s is night and day. The speed is not quite up there with an Epic Endurance (they cruise about the same, but in a sprint the Epic will win), but the comfort was much better (better seat, backrest, and room for knees!). It won hands down when compared with a Current Designs Extreme (my previous favorite boat).

Deck rigging has been improved. They installed a reflective perimeter line, and a braided shock cord which has more stretch. The bulkheads are curved and the rear bulkhead curves up to the cockpit coaming making emptying the boat a breeze. The inside of my boat is smooth from release cloth, but small air bubbles in the bow show it wasn’t vacuume bagged. Core mat, or similar stiffener is used in the hull and in the paddle float rigging of the deck. It is light, weighing under 40 lbs, with the rudder. The finish is very nice, the seam is smooth, I would say the construction is excellent. The only problem is the deck rigging bolts, which extend past the nuts and into the hull. They will rip drybags like a knife. It’s not too hard to grind off those sharp edges.

Stability is marginal, and secondary stability is not much better. We had the boat in strong winds, and it did not weathercock. We could paddle at any angle to the wind without problem. It is long enough to get squirmy if you are on the crest of 2 waves, and it does not want to turn very quickly (but I have other boats for that), but for speed and comfort it is a blast. I routinely used my old Glider in class II whitewater, and I suspect the new boat will end up there as well. My old Glider was built like a brick house, and could take a serious beating. The new one being Graphite is more fragile, but it seems very solid.

As for the guy who preferred the Mariner II, that’s like comparing a SUV to a race car. I also paddle a Northwest Pursuit, and choose that boat in rough conditions. But when I want to go fast and have fun, the Glider wins hands down.

Bought it to race. Now it is my favorite all around kayak. It is fast but stable enough to take pictures in waves and swells. The price is a good selling point.

Have enjoyed my kevlar Seda Glider for 6 years. Paddle almost daily in Corpus Christi Bay and Gulf of Mexico, plus have taken many long trips in Great Lakes, Pacific Coast, and Florida. Boat is fast, comfortable, easy and fun to paddle, very seaworthy, easy to pack for long trip, and has held up very well. Biggest disadvantages are that rudder doesn't lock well to provide good foot bracing without using rudder, and it can be hard to turn in heavy winds.