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Name: jvoge

Most Recent Reviews

My wife and I love this kayak (the Mercury model). The best thing about it is the way it fits in the car for transporting it. It goes together and comes apart very easily. So far we have only paddled on flat water, but it tracks and moves pretty nice. While on the water, the kayak seems as stable as a one-piece, and no worries about it staying in one piece. As a tandem, the two cockpits are far enough apart that if we get out of sync paddling, we rarely click paddles.

Now for the not-so-good things about the kayak. You need to plan on replacing the seats, because the ones you get are quite uncomfortable. I also found that the rudder design was a problem (even though many people like the design, I don't). It takes a lot of pressure to get the 'duck-tail' component to start turning, so it's difficult to control. Also, the first time we tried to launch it from the sand, the slot that houses the rudder skeg got crammed with sand. After getting out into the current, we found that the rudder did not extend like it was supposed to, so there was no steering at all. Had to beach it again, get a stick to dig out the sand to free up the rudder. The little knob to crank the rudder up and down was also a problem. I didn't know how it was supposed to work, because cranking it each way seemed to have less than desirable effect. I disliked the rudder design so much that I took a saw to the kayak and remodeled the tail to accept a new rudder kit. I love the new rudder. It gives me way more steering control and it has a feather-touch, not to mention the ability to flip it up out of the water, and flip it back down easily. I also threw away the rubber hatch cover on the front because it was way too difficult to put it back on. Instead, I found a hatch that opens and closes easily with a locking knob. But all things considered, we are really happy with the kayak. I recommend it.