Swift

I bought a used 1998 Swift a couple years back as my first "grown up" boat, and have paddled it all around the Seattle area. Big fan of this boat. It feels speedy, handles chop well. The cockpit is fairly comfortable. Thigh braces are well-placed. The boat feels very stable in my opinion -- I've never come close to tipping despite being a relative novice.

Maneuverability is OK, I do have to take fairly wide turns. Although it's 48 lbs, in my comparison shopping that was a pretty good weight for an inexpensive 17 foot kayak.

The seat could use some work, I'll probably pad that eventually.

Overall an excellent boat that I hope to use for many years.

I had never seen a Seda kayak before mine (2006 Swift, kevlar) arrived. I made the choice based on lots of research and networking, and I am incredibly pleased with my new Swift.

When my Swift arrived and we unpacked it on the front lawn, I was very impressed with the quality of construction and the attention to detail. I have seen competing boats from the well-known brands, and the Swift really looks much better. The fabric layup, glassing, and trim look absolutely perfect.

I've now had a number of paddles in a variety of conditions, and the Swift is everything it claims; great stability and really fast. The glide is unbelievable! I paddle with a club (45 kayaks) on Hilton Head Island, and the Swift has moved me from the middle of the pack to the front! I tried a dozen different boats before choosing the Seda Swift, and it is the most comfortable, most stable, and fastest. And drop-dead gorgeous.

Just traded for this boat and find it fast and fun. No rudder, but does not need it. Fits me ok (5-11, 190 lbs)but my wife (5-2, 105) loves it and has taken it over. No problem -- I have my Cape Horn Pro and we fly together.

Just got a 7 year old Swift. It's very stable and tracks well even w/o the rudder. Even as a beginner, on 2-3 ft swells, I never felt off balance. On the minus side, the gel coat seems to scratch off very easily. Also, the interior isn't smooth, so no matter how much I hose out the cockpit, there's still a lot of sand stuck to it after it dries. Otherwise, a very good boat

Lightweight kevlar layup, no gelcoat, no rudder. Weight around 38 pounds. Used mostly for day paddles up to and including open ocean conditions. I have owned a Swift since 1997 and use it almost exclusively even though I also own a Gypsy and an Impulse. My personal opinion is that the Swift is the best boat in the Seda lineup, all things considered. Its stability is similar to the Gypsy's (read: very good) but it is much faster than the Gypsy - much closer in speed to the 18' Seda Impulse. I think the Swift's speed is partly due to its full bow and stern (high prismatic coefficient); the high-volume stern reduces the boat's tendency to squat under power compared to the Impulse (which has a finer stern) and allows the Swift to maintain a longer waterline at speed. In addition to being fast, the Swift is comfortable and much more turnable than the Impulse - particularly in windy conditions. At the same time it tracks well. Build quality is very good. (Seda recently adopted a new seam which is esthetically nicer than his old seam although I don't know if it's any stronger). All in all the Swift is a fine design and IMO one of the better singles on the market. Personally, there is very little I don't like about this boat.