I wanted a fast tandem kayak for a multisport relay here in Central Oregon and had been eyeing the Stellar ST21 based on the specs and my love of my SEL surfski. This tandem kayak delivered. My GoPro captured the smile on my wife's face as we took off during our first paddle together - my wife that isn't overly fond of paddling, and especially not fond of kayaking on a cold April day.
Most tandem sea kayaks have a beam of 26" or more and paddle like a rec kayak. Not this one, it comes alive - quick acceleration, reasonable turning, excellent fit, and the best footplates of any kayak made. At 55lbs (Advantage layup) also very easily car-topped and portaged solo.
I made a few modifications to mine:
-Replaced the rudder with the SmartTrack Race rudder. The rudder this comes with has a plastic housing which was cracked (shippers fault, not Stellar). Also, the original rudder deploys by pulling the rudder cord, unlike the race rudder which you simply release from the clam cleat to deploy. Problems with the original rudder led to a collision and cost me a full minute in my race. Note that the Race rudder does not store neatly when retracted, it sticks out just above horizontal. If ordering I would request this modification.
-Removed the seat pads. Makes it comfortable but hard to rotate, on my short paddles I prefer the smooth seat which is also easier to keep clean.
-Replaced the seat backs. I developed a major scrape from rotating along the coarse stock seat backs.
Distance between cockpits is marginally adequate for non-synchronized paddling. Deck cutaways allow a close catch, steering is very responsive, turning adequate, tracking is excellent, and finish is flawless. Not a beginner kayak, but reasonable for intermediate paddlers. My biggest gripe is the rubber hatch covers: yes, they are water tight, but they're also a pain to fully seat!
If you want a fast, well-made tandem sea kayak the ST21 is the best I've found.
