Nice kayak, but, indeed, the keel is not well-designed. I pushed it in as hard as I could (no mallet, though), and on my second use lost it in the water. (If you find the keel somewhere in Lake George, NY, please send it to me...). I wish this kayak had a pull-up keel that could be easily removed when out of the water. I also find that the area under one's rear end is a bit too high. I wonder if there's some optional padding for this. The kayak is easy to handle and carry.
