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It took a while for me to warm up to the Tampico XL as it's the 4th hard bodied kayak I've bought in about a year and I was not interested in owning yet another kayak that didn't precisely suit my needs.

I'm out there to photograph the wildlife on calm waters so I've been needing something quick (to get somewhere in a hurry) and something stable (to protect a mass of photo equipment). Quick AND stable are not normally two things you'll find at once in a kayak!

I've only had about 40-50 hours in the Tampico XL as of this writing but it seems to fit the bill.

If you check the specifications of the Tampico compared to the Tampico XL, the only difference is the cockpit size (and therefore the height). I'm almost 6' tall, 190 pounds, and mostly legs. In the regular Tampico I felt trapped. I couldn't move my legs even 1/16th of an inch. The XL was comfy.

When I read a review of something, I want to know what's wrong with it more than what's right with it. So let's get into the nitty gritty of what is WRONG with the Tampico XL...

- The inside of the hatches smell of plastic resin or something. (No matter, that goes away.)
- The 3 colors available are few and primitive. (Ok, not important; sorry to mention it.)
- It took a good while to find the proper placement of the foot pegs. (Not really any problem.)
- TRYLON hull material scuffed big time on some rocks last week (A green scrubby and Palmolive fixed all abrasions.)
- The price for the XL is not 50 dollars (Expected)
- The seat back is not adjustable (yes it is, but only from the rear.)
- It only has two waterproof hatches (SO?)
- It weighs 39 pounds (That's not a bad thing, I'm just running out of bad things to say)
- Not available at Dick's, Cabela's or Target (now that IS a problem!)

I like this boat plenty. It turns on a dime, looks good, feels good, behaves, and glides like a hawk.

Once in a great while you're able to become friends with an inanimate object. Such is the case with me and my Manitou (the 12.8' version, that is -- I have no knowledge about the SPORT version).

I "replaced" my Manitou this year with a kayak which competes with the Manitou that is almost 3 times the price, but I kept the Manitou just in case, and I'm glad I did so.

The Manitou has a seat back angle adjustment that can be adjusted on the fly (just like your car seat), the footpegs can be adjusted while you're in the water, it cuts through the flat water as though it's traveling in air, it tracks divinely, it is friendly, and it is sublime.

I spent 1800 dollars to replace my Manitou but this coming Wednesday I'm taking out the Manitou. We have a date. I love this boat. The designers did well. When you outgrow the Old Town offerings, the Necky Manitou is your next step.