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Our family loves to do recreational kayaking. We float the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snoqualmie class II rivers near Seattle, set crab pots in Dungeness Bay, and take day excursions on Lake Washington, the Sammamish River and Lake Entiat. Often we include family or friends who may have little kayaking experience.

The things that matter to us are safety, fun and budget. We have 2 Apex 100 kayaks in our collection and have found them to be an ideal fit for what we do. I am 5'10" 190 lbs and my wife is 5'3" 105 lbs and yet both find the boats comfortable, stable and easy to transport. They are bomb proof so we never worry about pulling them up on rocky river bars or dragging them over the sand dunes to launch in a saltwater bay.

We have put novice kayakers in them to paddle to New Dungeness Lighthouse on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and float class II rivers. Even the least experienced have had no difficulty maneuvering safely and efficiently.

Two years ago we added an Apex 130T tandem which has been a great fit for our excursions. This summer we used it and the Apex 100s to set and retrieve 2 crab pots full of Dungeness crabs from a mile off shore. The water was choppy and both models performed better under the conditions than our sit-inside boats. The self-bailing feature is ideal when you get splash water from the waves and crab pots.

A couple years ago I rolled the A100 in some early spring white water and had no difficulty swimming it to a bar where I flipped it upright, got back in and caught up the rest of the party. Two lessons learned that day were; having a small personal items dry bag clipped to the bungee lacing is a great idea but wearing prescription sunglasses without retainers is not.

The Apex 100s have been a great value for the water lifestyle we enjoy

I just bought my wife a Dragonfly2 for her birthday. We've been out on quiet river waters and love the kayak. It's very easy to inflate/deflate and can be thrown in the back of the SUV. It's light, strong, well engineered and looks good. We've been impressed with how well it handles and tracks.

I did a lot of research for a lightweight, portable, functional kayak and feel the DF2 delivers a lot of bang for the buck. My only suggestion would be to have the seat backs be a bit more firm or have some type of lumbar support.
Excellent product for weekend sports enthusiasts such as us.