Experience

I give it 5 stars, ONLY because I only spent $40.00 for it new.....(I bought $40.00 worth of raffle tickets).... It’s a pretty capable boat however, a bit too small.... I had trouble getting in and out of it. After about 10 minutes of paddling, my bum got sore as there’s no padded seat.....I gave it to my daughter who seems to enjoy it very much.....

I purchased in 2012 used as my first kayak and really enjoy it. Like most, seat was a problem - I replaced it. Used for fishing and rec; lite easy to rooftop load. Using YouTube ideas made dashboard to hold tackle box and rod and camera. A great find on craigslist 100.00

Been kayaking for many years and have paddled many brands. Two Walden Experience sit on our trawler and we use them much more than the shore tender. The sharp bow entry makes the kayak quick for it length and quiet. We use them in salt water and find they are as fast as kayaks up to 13 feet long. Plus they are among the lightest on the market made from recycled material. Best boat in the 10 to 12 foot range. They have been exposed to the elements for ten years now and still look great.

I just purchased two used Waldens. The manuals says that they will fit a person to 6'5". I'm 6'1" and am not going into the boat. The front deck is not raised enough to let one's feet slide in. Also, the boat is 27" wide but the cockpit opening is not very wide. Poor design. The deck hardware also seems flimsy. Probably not a bad creek boat as the plastic looks thick, but only a good boat for those who play around a pond or small lake.

I have had a Walden Experience for about a year. I love this kayak. It is very comfortable and have no problem being in it for 5 to 6 hours at a time (I'm 5'10", 175 lbs). The only down fall I can find, is it does not have a dry hatch. But I am not complaining.

I recently purchased a Walden Experience based on all the great reviews. I love the way it paddles, the storage capacity and amenities such as shock cords, paddle holder, cup holder and rear hatch. But I find it super uncomfortable. It is difficult to get in and out of. I am 5'10" 175 pounds. My legs and feet go numb after a short time in the boat. There is simply no room to flex them. I have tried extra padding on the seat and around my feet. My wife has a Dagger Zydeco, which lacks some of the extra features of the Walden. But it's a lot more comfortable.

I just bought this boat in July, 2003. My seat back has good padding so maybe this was a recent addition. Very comfortable. I bought the kayak to carry on our powerboat but find that I now enjoy paddling to more and more places. I couldn't be more pleased with this purchase.

My Critieria, (1)I started out looking for a small kayak to fit in the back of my mini pickup. Reason being I figured if it were easy enough to transport I would use it more often. (2) I have a bad back so weight was important. And (3) Excercise. I knew I'd be paddling alone alot so I wanted to be able to paddle upstream turn around and then down so speed for that reason only, was a factor. I researched, Demo'd, and did a lot of talking, only to be further confused. Everyone has an opinion and recomends what they want. That's understanable and well, I asked. I found the more you ask the more you ask.. Most said "buy longer." I tried everything from 9'-13', & $300-$650 and was so at the piont of confusion that I had convinced myself I really needed 13' and touring/camping abilities in order to have fun. Just as I was about to make my 13' $500 purchase I thought of my original reason for buying a kayak. Went back and bought the Basic Walden Naturalist. 27" wide 10' long. This makes it faster but a little less stable than 9'long 30" wide boats. Light 37lbs. Smaller cockpit than most beginner boats 35x18" = less water in boat = better chance of hitting class 2 & 3 rivers. Trade off less comfort entry/exit. $269.99. I am thrilled! I've been up and down the Charles River in Ma and am impressed with its tracking and up river into the wind paddleing ease. I did have a $2000+or- fiberglass 16' something or other fly by me one day that made me realize, I'm here to relax have fun and paddle. I have however installed a 10" hatch in the rear.(easier than it sounds), deck rigging and foot braces. Still less money than an Experience. Why a nine? Seatback does'nt fold. Everything's a compromise. We want it all! Don't we?

I am new to kayaking except for the camping rentals. Yesterday without knowing anything I purchased 2 new Walden Experience kayaks and all the gear to go with it. From all of your reviews it sounds like I did the right thing. I do have a question that I hope someone, who has done a seat modification can help me with even before I really get going. I hurt my lower back. It does not hurt at the moment and I would like to keep it that way. Any help would be great.!!!!

Great Kayak for the price (I got mine on sale for $329). A friend of mine has a loon 100 which is also a 10 ft kayak. I have to say the Loon is a bit more stable and tracks better. But the Experience is 10lbs lighter and I love the fact that you can adjust the foot pegs without getting out of the boat.

My new Walden Experiance is the best of the three kayaks I have owned. I started kayaking two years ago and have been looking for a kayak I can load myself, one that is very stable, manuverable, and tracks reasonably well. I am only 5' tall and weigh 120 pounds so weight is crucial for me, the 35 pounds that the Experiance weighs is easy for me to handle and the shape of the kayak adds to the ease of loading. I should also mention that the price is very user friendly, I don't think there is a kayak of this quality that is priced even close. The only con I find with the Experiance is the seat, it is very uncomfortable, especially on long paddles and it doesn't offer the paddler the feeling of being secure when paddling in swift water.

As my 1st kayak I love it on lakes & rivers. It is perfect with added padding to the seat. It fits in the back of my truck, is light, cheap, and perfect for what I wanted as a 1st boat. I'm looking for something bigger now ,maybe a Perception Carolina or a Feathercraft K-light. I will keep the Walden, because of it being so easy to just get out & paddle, you cant go wrong with this boat. Half of buying anything is to know what it was designed for & use it within those limits.

An excellent kayak for exploring small streams, for fishing, and exploring waters not readily accessable to larger crafts. Very stable and tracks well and easy to lift onto the top of car. (about 40 lbs.) A bit slow, mostly because of it's size and has an uncomfortable seat.