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After a paddler with a new Santee told me two weeks ago that she had purchased it based on my recommendation, I am compelled to update my review of the Expedition 128.

Since purchase of the Expedition in 2011 (more recent Excursion body have been strengthened, I've been told), I've paddled anywhere from 800-over 1,000 miles a year in a variety of conditions: small creeks between cypress trees and (over) knees, rocky shoals, coastal waters, big lakes (Voyageurs' Kabetogama), fast rivers. It was my only kayak until 2015. There is no on-the-market spray skirt for this pre-2012 Expedition so I had to have a spray skirt made (by Seals - a great company) in 2013. In 2015, paddling the lower Columbia, the combing tore when I took off the spray skirt. On the road, Hurricane sent me a list of possible retailers to help fix the tear. On a tight schedule, I didn't have time to get it done until I arrived in Alberta, Canada, where an outfitter there did a fix. With a multi-day trip planned for later that fall on Yellowstone Lake, I purchased a Delta 14' kayak with a stronger combing.

The Delta is now my primary kayak. However, when a shorter kayak is needed, I use the Expedition. In 2016 on a scouting trip a small tear appeared on the side of the Hurricane. Again, Hurricane customer service was responsive and sold me a patch which seems to have done the trick. About 6 months before that, another kayaker with the same make and model of Hurricane had the shell tear lower down the hull; we patched it with marine duct tape which we had bought at Piragis in Ely and it enabled her to paddle about 6 miles more down the Apalachicola River without incident.
My husband's 14' Expedition's (a later make) combing also tore and he's had to reinforce it.
I examined the new Santee and although some changes have been made on the combing, the same thin material is being used. A Santee is primarily a recreation kayak, and Hurricane may have strengthened the touring kayaks or made it part of the mold.

Hurricane was a great beginner kayak for me -- it was fast, responsive, it rode the waves and it had great stability and it gave me hundreds of hours of great service. Hurricane's mango coating still looks as fresh as it did when I purchased the kayak, unlike the Delta mango coating which seems to attract dust and oil and retains oil stains. (We do use uv protectant on the outer coat).

If you plan to use a spray skirt, I would check out the combing very carefully. And in older (lighter) versions of the Hurricane, I would also check out the body of the kayak before purchase.

This is to update my previous reports on the pre-2012 Hurricane Expedition (for those looking for used kayaks).

In 2013 it got about 800 miles of wear, in even smaller streams and creeks than we've ever paddled, in very low water, in tight spots which required using my paddle to pole rather than paddle, and on Voyageur's Kabetogama Lake when the winds were blowing 15-20mph with 2 feet waves and crosswaves (got a special order skirt made by Seals), and in coastal bays and inlets along the Florida gulf coast. Without rudder or skeg, it steers well in bay swells and large lake paddling in wind.

This boat has been, fast, light to carry (relative to other kayaks of its length), great on secondary stability (proven on the high waves and cross waves in Voyageur's last fall)and has maintained its finish.

It has taken a lot of beating such as unforeseen cypress knees on north Florida's narrow and winding small rivers (upper Econfina, upper Sopchoppy, take-outs on gravel and concrete landings and with just regular maintenance still looks superb.

The only caveat for short people like me would be that there would need to be adjustments on the pedals and a replacement seat (made for the new expedition 128) is much too long and requires stepping on the seat to get in and out (for me). I do like that the back is not as high as the previous seat, but had I seen it before it was installed, I probably would have looked for a shorter seat.
The hatches are still water tight.

Since 2011 I have paddled this craft in small streams almost sloughs (Panhandle Florida), fast moving water over pebbles and minor rapids (Brule, WI), large rivers (Apalachicola, FL; Upper Missouri, MT; Rushing River, Ontario, CA); North Florida coastal waters and bays; technical rivers with sharp turns and tree and shrub falls (upper Econfina Creek & upper Sopchoppy, Florida) and in a relatively small lake where a sudden change in the weather resulted in high waves and fetch (Lake Ilo, ND). This boat has never failed me. It was not made for the likes of Brule River, and as it scraped over pebbles and larger rocks I wasn't sure it would survive the beating, but the hull was but little scarred.

I am 5 feet tall and the 38 pounds of weight is welcome. Without a skirt in choppy bays or lake waters it doesn't take in any water compared to my husband's 14 feet kayak and it skims over waves like a dream. It has great secondary stability. Granted it's more supple than other thermofoam kayaks and if a heavy person were to sit on it, it would give a bit, but it tracks well, maneuvers decently and gets up to speed faster than many similar craft longer than this. My husband says it skims along the water beautifully and it feels that way from the cockpit. The capacity of its hatches has allowed me to multi-day camp (with water) without scrimping on the basics

I am sorry that Hurricane discontinued this to build a stronger and heavier craft, but if I were to get a touring kayak for my granddaughters who are now learning to paddle whitewater, a second hand Hurricane 128 would be my choice. My oldest grand daughter, age 11 and 1 inch taller than me, loves this boat over the few non-whitewater boats she has tried in a North Carolina Lake; Alberta, CA lake in wind, and a quiet Panhandle bay.

The only criticism I would make is that I had to have a skirt made to order, but that was remedied with help from Seals and for my size, it would be nicer to have it a bit narrower at the cockpit, but that might compromise the benefits of this craft. I had to add to the footpads (with advice from paddling.com readers) because at its shortest option, it was still too long for me to get proper control of the craft.

I rate it as 8 and not 10 because although I tried several other makes before making my choice, it's the only thermofoamed touring kayak I have tried and there is one make I would like to try, which while heavier has great reviews. Weight is a major consideration for me and it would be hard to beat the 38 pounds of this kayak.

This was my first kayak, purchased in February 2011, but I have been paddling it for over a year on over 100 trips, average trip about 8 miles, longest per day 35 miles. I have used it on small Panhandle Florida creeks and rivers with downfall (flat water with little elevation drops), large rivers (upper Missouri, Apalachicola) and lakes large enough for wind-driven waves.

It's not as maneuverable as my 10 feet Dagger award which I use as a transitional river kayak in Canada, but it seems to be as good as or better than kayaks of equivalent length. It seems to be much faster than my husband's Perception Carolina 14 and even without a rudder or skeg tracks as well, except when confronted by crosswinds and high waves as we were on Lake Ilo in North Dakota. However, it did not take in water on that trip, and my husband's did (no skirts). Although it required much more strenuous paddling, I have no complaints about its performance under those conditions -- it's stability was awesome.

I am 5 feet tall and it is made for a taller person, so I really should add an extension to the pedals which is set at its limit and the width makes for less than comfortable edging. Both hatches are tight and large enough for camping gear and water, there is room in the cockpit for additional storage if necessary, but have not had to do that. Fully loaded, one doesn't notice the extra weight after about half an hour of paddling. It was tested on a fast, rocky bottomed river, Brule in Wisconsin with class I and II rapids. I could feel the thermoform skin flexing on the bottom, but examination of the hull showed no damage or stress. We maintain and properly store our kayaks when not in use, but the coat on the Expedition looks like new.

While we are careful about maintenance and storage, I pretty much give this craft everything it comes across -- over logs, rocks, tight cornering, and downfalls and it has not disappointed me in its performance.

It is 38 pounds. A new version of the Expedition which is much heavier by over 6 pounds was introduced in 2012 and I have not tried it, but if this version is on the secondary market now, I would have no problem recommending it to someone who kayaks the kind of venues we do. It would have been nice, however, to have a better way to secure the craft when left all day in a primitive camp site -- there are no holds or loops which cannot be easily cut, although the carrying loops at both ends of the kayak are much easier to use than the Perception's.