"Good Recreational Kayak.
Just purchased this boat for an all-a-round boat. Camping, fishing and playing around in class 1/2 rapids. So far I have only been out fishing in it and cruising the flint river a few times. I will update this if, after more trips, my opinions change. I am 6' and 170 pounds. I have better than beginner paddling skills but I don't have many years of kayaking experience.
Good:
Very maneuverable. It turns easily and is short enough to take on creeks that longer boats can't. Rides high in the water, I haven't had much trouble getting over shallow logs or sand bars.
Glides easily without much effort. Going upstream in light to medium current was not difficult. Often could pull and steer the boat, in stiller water, with my rod and reel. When I had a small spinner bait I would often have to reverse stroke to keep in place after 1 cast.
Good amount of storage and working space. I had ample room for medium size soft cooler and tackle box in front of me and
still had room behind me the seat for more gear, actually my tackle box and shoes were stored back their until I moved the tackle box forward. Still had the bulk head compartment for storage, which stayed dry but it didn't get a thorough testing. Hull is sturdy. The plastic is thick, unlike some of the other price effective boats I looked at. There is very little give when entering and exiting the boat. This boat will be able to handle some abuse without cracking or warping.
Not so good:
It's not the best or the worst at tracking. A good paddle stroke can keep you on course, though correction have to made after about 10 seconds of coasting. I will add a skeg to mine for now, nothing to fancy just to keep her on track.
Bad:
The seat. It could use more padding. This though is a pretty easy fix. that day I did spend around 7 hours on the river most of that time in the kayak. And I will add that there was more pain when I was fishing than when i was paddling. Still the padding they provide is inadequate and should be supplemented.
Overall:
I like the boat. It is a beginner boat that will teach paddling skills, at least for tracking. I would recommend this boat to anyone who wants a multi-function boat rec boat that delivers a lot of bang to the buck. The negatives on this boat can easily be fixed, which I also recommend.
