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Got this 1994 Nordkapp HS from its original owner. She's in excellent condition and almost too nice to take anyplace the hull might get damaged! I've been foolish' with various kayaks for about 20 years now and felt my skills were up to the task of taming this classic beast. Wrong! This boat demands constant attention to stay upright when not loaded with gear, so it's not the best rig for day tripping. With a good load she settles down quite a bit, tracks well and is speedy. This boat would be a nice choice for someone who has experience and wants to take multi-day trips in open water. The build quality is exceptional but the skeg control and chimp pump are difficult to access without dumping yourself!

Gave my daughter the OLD Otter (which I enjoyed for 12 years) and the Heron 9XT is a nice upgrade. It's not a long distance boat but the seat is extremely comfortable ,the rear hatch is handy but not perfectly watertight. Paddle holder came apart and needs to get fixed. I put rod holders on the deck and now it's a great fishing platform,too! I keep this kayak in the cockpit of my cabin cruiser (it fits nicely) and use it often when at anchor to explore the skinny water. This yak is tough as nails. Definitely a keeper....

Stats: 53 YO intermediate paddler, 6'0", 180#, size 11 dogs. Daytripper, typically paddling in sheltered waters with others.
I've had my Sirius 'S' for 3 years now. It was well used but OK. I bought it because I wanted a boat that would 'challenge' me to sharpen my skills and move me to the next level. This boat has DEFINITELY achieved that goal. My other boat is a 15' Necky Kyook, so the Sirius was a huge change.

Even after 3 years the Sirius continues to make me hone my edging and stroke skills. The cockpit was so tight that I decided to lower the seatpan all the way to the floor and add an adjustable backband. Wet re-entries are now much easier. Quality is, of course, excellent. No day hatch, but the other 2 are perfectly tight after replacing the covers with new VCP's. I thought the deck rigging wasn't correct behind the cockpit, so I changed the lines around a bit to work for me. Love those recessed line hold-downs. No problem with the skeg, but it doesn't help with directional stability in a stiff tailwind.

This is my first composite boat. It's definitely more fragile than a plastic boat but has excellent rigidity. In the end, I think this boat was a good choice for me. I just gotta find more time to use it.....