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Name: jdwlew

Most Recent Reviews

I have owned 2 of these boats for about 8 years. I bought them both at Dicks Sporting Goods. They are very nice light weight kayaks that a easy to portage and good for still water and class 1 rapids. They are a little small for large open water and I would recommend caution using them in large open water on windy days. Personally I enjoy them most for their easy portability when I need to drag them down to and back from my favorite trout stream. They are also work very nice when taking my grandkids out on a family sojourn. In addition to these boats I own 3 Olde Town Loon138. These are old classic, heavy weight kayaks that I prefer to use when I'm out on a big lake etc.. The swifty's work very nicely elsewhere. The seats are adequate though not the most comfortable - a bit difficult to keep adjusted to my comfort level. The swifty's are fairly wide and quite stable considering their lengths. I haven't tried stading in them but I'm sure my kids and grandkids have tried it at one time or other.

I have 3 of these boats that I bought used 10+ years ago. I get them out from under the house a few times a year (always kept in the shade to protect from UV). They are pretty heavy and I would not want to drag them too far (they do have a rubber wear strip on the keel for dragging). They have served me very well - got a lot of scars but just keep on kicking. Have only had do to one major repair on one of them when my daughter got on of the boats caught in a rock crevice where the water just knocked iy up and down to where cracks appered on the bottom on the interior layer (it's made from a composite). I was able to sand the surface, epoxy polester faber to the area under the seat and paint the area (haven't seen anything of the cracks in the 5 years since). I getting up in years and prefer a stabile boat where I can negotiate class 1 and 2 rapids and these boats fit the bill perfectly. I also own a couple Perception Swifty 9.5's with which I take my kids and grandkids on afternoon trips - everyone speaks for the Loons 1st - just more comfortable and secure. One of my Loons has the extended opening (it's not quite long enough to be a tandem). I believe that at the time that these were manufactured it was refered to as the predator. Would work great for duck hunting though my family mostly uses it for the one with a smaller child that want to ride in the back or where the big gear goes for trips. That boat always gets spoken for 1st