Profile
Name: Acewray
Most Recent Reviews
BAD: Bulky. No way to shoulder carry where the handles are, so expect to buy a sling or rollers. At 215 lbs. there is water from the scuppers even when out for an empty paddle - worry that going for a heavy fishing trip or multi-overnighter will have me in a puddle. Not compartmentalized, so things you store inside could be "anywhere" - possibly causing some balance issues. Waterproof and Wilderness Systems are not synonymous in my experience (Apostle Islands, BWCA/Quetico, Florida).
OTHER: Don't expect it to turn quickly, cruise like a 22" boat, or be lightweight. This is a SOT and does a great job at it. It is well designed and tough built. Ergonomics are first rate. WS does an admirable job with their boats and you won't be unhappy if this fits what your are looking for. Taking it out will make you want to do it again the very next day.
The Good:
Heavy and long, so tracks through anything - wind, waves, surf.
LOTS of storage space.
Serious stability.
When completely ocean swamped can easily get back in, hold course, and paddle in without floundering.
Great storage for multi night camping. The thick poly means it will resist oil canning and last forever.
The Bad:
Hard to load/unload on car for most.
Integral rudder was always getting bashed on something.
Doesn't like to turn via hip or rudder - think school bus, not sports car.
The Other:
Out of production for many years now it would be a good used beginner lake/ocean kayak.
Easy to load/unload and transport.
With your dry bag plenty of aft storage beneath the bungee netting.
Turns on a dime so great for rivers and surf - can move in and out and dart about wherever you want to go - easy to maneuver river strainers.
Wide and stable, so tip friendly - easy to remount when swept off.
Appears thick and well built, so should be long lived.
Slightly heavy with a natural friction to the water surface, so resists wind drift and wave push.
Good bang for your buck.
The Bad:
No good for lakes and slow moving rivers - with ZERO tracking it requires constant attention to stay straight.
Only family friendly for those who know how to control direction via hip and paddle, otherwise there will be cursing and lots of circles.
I mentioned a friction above - no matter how hard you paddle it is going one max speed and on flat water it tends to plow in lieu of plane.
Watch out for big ocean waves as you will ride up them and then flip instead of through to the other side - not a problem with other equal ocean kayaks.
The Other:
For cheap thrills on active water this is a fun little boat well within the most modest of budgets.
As someone said it is a Swiss army knife that can do a little bit of everything.
Not too long, not too short - just right.
Tracks well with or without the rudder model and responds nicely to hip and paddle input.
Great for a day tripper, multi overnight camping, or light whitewater river runs (probably Class II max.).
Typical old Dagger thick poly construction translates to a long life and many owners.
Excellent initial stability.
The Bad:
Not awesome at any task, so if you have a specific repeat use then it may be your second boat.
Will weathercock once waves and wind increase.
Go with the rudder if needing more straight line control.
Like I said, hip turns very well for a longer boat, but length could get you stuck on a narrow river.
The Other:
I have enjoyed this boat on flat water lakes in mid TN, surfing the Gulf, and it was even big fun on the Hiwassee River typically reserved for play boats.
A very user friendly poly boat that tracks, hold speed, and is comfortable for multiple hours - it is just as fast as my WS Tempest 170 Pro!
Roomy cockpit provides ample wiggle room with easy entry/exits so no shoehorn required.
Lots of storage space makes it ideal for multi night camping.
Hard chines provide good initial and secondary stability with well defined limits before passing the threshold.
The Bad:
A big boat that may be too much for a smaller person.
Not a good ocean surfer, tends to get wave driven very quickly and before paddler input can control direction - no whitewater or narrow rivers please.
Sadly the forward port started to crack and fail early - it basically became brittle, not dry rot. (Replacement ports are readily available and common)
Oilcanning and ripples along the belly even with the hard chines.
The Other:
This boat would be a solid 9+ had the body held up longer. FYI all my boats get 3 point suspended strap storage in the shade/dry. You would expect memory loss on a boat stored in the sun, water, or on the belly. I feel thin poly is the culprit and limits the lifespan. It's still a great design though.
I've had this one on the Gulf, rivers, and to the Apostle Islands.
It's like dating a supermodel: Strong tracking, predictable, good cruiser, fast to speed, and sexy looking.
The boat has good feedback, communication, and feel.
Well appointed for multi day trips and comfortable cockpit and seat.
Designed with the intermediate/advanced paddler in mind.
Responds well to hip and paddle input though it is a long boat.
With a perfectly smooth profile it still has predictable stability and limits.
The Bad:
It's like dating a supermodel: Though one of the sexiest boats out there the craftsmanship is lacking with minor nuances - think custom built supercar, not Honda.
Being glass you are hyper-conscious of rough shoreline landings, shallow rocks, and pebble beaches.
Weathercocking starts pretty early, and is controlled with dropping the skeg, BUT returns once waves get larger.
A tight cockpit means sliding in feet and legs first with lots of follow up wiggling adjustment to get settled.
She's not any faster than her poly brothers.
The Other:
Living with this boat was a pleasure for a week in the Apostle Islands with everything from mirror smooth, to 4' rollers, to stormy whitecap waters.
The drop down skeg/rudder often became stuck when dragging the tail from the shoreline as the sand would jam things up.
Do not buy "sight unseen" or mail order without inspecting the build quality first - otherwise a winner.