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Name: rtl

Most Recent Reviews

This is a great inflatable. It sits lower in the water and paddles much more like a hardshell than any other inflatable I've paddled. It tracks well, even without the backbone, and is quite efficient.

There are a lot of positives that I think are well-covered by other reviews. I haven't had it in significant following seas, so can't speak to its handling in more challenging conditions.

I occasionally find it challenging to keep the hull straight while inflating. Unlike a typical inflatable, one has to worry the relationship between tube and cover. Sometimes I just can't get it as symmetrical as I'd like and it looks a little like a wrinkly bent manatee, but it doesn't seem to have much consequence on the paddling.

My main trouble is the lack of space. I'm about 6' tall with size 12 feet, and I can't wear boots. Even my bare feet push a visible lump in the bow fabric. Other than that, there is plenty of room for my body, but really not much for cargo. It is challenging to carry enough for an overnight -- rather like bicycle camping instead of boating. For that reason, I think the name 'Expedition' is not justified (for me, this means multi-week excursions). On the other hand, I follow John Dowd in disliking decks cluttered with lashed gear -- but it would be necessary with this small boat to carry much.

Of course, the benefit of having little room is that the boat doesn't have much windage and feels quite sleek and nimble. If it had some kind of thigh braces I think I could roll it without issue -- so I think the lack of these is the limiting factor in terms of performance.