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First... the bad. My wife and I just purchased two 2017 Kestrel 120 Kevlar kayaks a few months ago. We've put 20 hour on each, so far. On my maiden voyage, I developed a 12"-14" crack along side the seat on the underside of the cockpit. There was a loud snap when I sat my 180 pounds down. The dealer has fixed it already. Though, I won't get a chance now to test it out until spring. Quite an inconvenience since the dealer is about 2-1/2 hours away. I am not convinced that hanging the seat from the top rim of the cockpit was a good design. Seems that the seat should mount on the bottom (strongest part) of the boat like some others do. I guess it was a way for the seat to be able to swing back and forth like it does, though we always keep ours in the upright position. Reclining this seat is not comfortable, plus it takes away from the little room available for your knees. Though it has been designed to keep your knees tucked under, the cockpit is so wide and the seat sits too high that my wife cannot begin to get her knees under. I have skinny legs and no bum. I can get my legs under, but don't find it very comfortable because of the wide spread and can't last more than 10 minutes. So, we both ride with our knees out. Unfortunately, the Kestrel was not designed to do that. There is no padding that wraps around the bottom rim of the cockpit and the sharp edge digs in the legs. I did remedy the situation by purchasing a set of Eddyline Sandpiper comfort knee pads. I had to grind them a bit to contour to the Kestrel cockpit so they stay on. Then, I tore out the original padding to be able to glue the velcro for these adjustable knee pads. Though the seat seems better than other kayaks, it still lacks padding on the bottom. We purchased 1" foam pads for the 3-5 hour long rides. I do like the adjustable backrest. You can raise and lower on the fly and its ratchet system easily changes the angle of the backrest. However, once we both found the right settings, we don't see a need to ever change them again. The paddle holder hooks catch your hands once in a while, especially if you are a high angle paddler. So, I clipped off at least 1/4" and sanded them down smooth. They really need to be moved to a lower position. My last complaint is that there is no beverage holder, or a good place to put an aftermarket one. So, now the good. I love the looks. They track well, have good speed and quite stable. The Kestrel needs very little water to float. I really like the Swede hull. It makes sense to be wider near the back where you sit. They seem to skim across the top of the water rather than cut down through. They don't turn as easily as others that I've tried, but it's the compromise for a shallow "V" and good tracking. Great sealed front and rear bulkheads with one of the nicest hinged hatch covers I seen. Current Designs started doing this on their 2017 models. Lots of storage both on top and inside hatches. And, room between the legs for a small cooler. Very easy to adjust footrests from inside the boat. They are very lightweight for being 12-1/2 feet long. My "white on white" is 36 pound, yet my wife's "red on white" is 40 pounds. Quite a bit of difference (10%) . I noticed right away loading each on the rooftop of the SUV. Overall, I am pleased, but feel that for the price could have done better.

First... the bad. My wife and I just purchased two 2017 Kestrel 120 Kevlar kayaks a few months ago. We've put 20 hour on each, so far. On my maiden voyage, I developed a 12"-14" crack along side the seat on the underside of the cockpit. There was a loud snap when I sat my 180 pounds down. The dealer has fixed it already. Though, I won't get a chance now to test it out until spring. Quite an inconvenience since the dealer is about 2-1/2 hours away. I am not convinced that hanging the seat from the top rim of the cockpit was a good design. Seems that the seat should mount on the bottom (strongest part) of the boat like some others do. I guess it was a way for the seat to be able to swing back and forth like it does, though we always keep ours in the upright position. Reclining this seat is not comfortable, plus it takes away from the little room available for your knees. Though it has been designed to keep your knees tucked under, the cockpit is so wide and the seat sits too high that my wife cannot begin to get her knees under. I have skinny legs and no bum. I can get my legs under, but don't find it very comfortable because of the wide spread and can't last more than 10 minutes. So, we both ride with our knees out. Unfortunately, the Kestrel was not designed to do that. There is no padding that wraps around the bottom rim of the cockpit and the sharp edge digs in the legs. I did remedy the situation by purchasing a set of Eddyline Sandpiper comfort knee pads. I had to grind them a bit to contour to the Kestrel cockpit so they stay on. Then, I tore out the original padding to be able to glue the velcro for these adjustable knee pads. Though the seat seems better than other kayaks, it still lacks padding on the bottom. We purchased 1" foam pads for the 3-5 hour long rides. I do like the adjustable backrest. You can raise and lower on the fly and its ratchet system easily changes the angle of the backrest. However, once we both found the right settings, we don't see a need to ever change them again. The paddle holder hooks catch your hands once in a while, especially if you are a high angle paddler. So, I clipped off at least 1/4" and sanded them down smooth. They really need to be moved to a lower position. My last complaint is that there is no beverage holder, or a good place to put an aftermarket one. So, now the good. I love the looks. They track well, have good speed and quite stable. The Kestrel needs very little water to float. I really like the Swede hull. It makes sense to be wider near the back where you sit. They seem to skim across the top of the water rather than cut down through. They don't turn as easily as others that I've tried, but it's the compromise for a shallow "V" and good tracking. Great sealed front and rear bulkheads with one of the nicest hinged hatch covers I seen. Current Design started doing this on their 2017 models. Lots of storage both on top and inside hatches. And, room between the legs for a small cooler. Very easy to adjust footrests from inside the boat. They are very lightweight for being 12-1/2 feet long. My "white on white" is 36 pound, yet my wife's "red on white" is 40 pounds. Quite a bit of difference (10%) . I noticed right away loading each on the rooftop of the SUV. Overall, I am pleased, but feel that for the price could have done better.

I've owned my SeaEagle for 6 years now. It is almost impossible to sink or tip it. It goes over most everything except sharp sticks in the creeks. It recommend it for deep water where there are no threat of sharp objects in the water. In the 6 years, I have had one hole I was able to patch and going again in 15 minutes.
The last trip did it in. Took 2 sticks to the bottom and side. Not repairable this time. Not good for storage. Simply a day tripper. Turn quick, but does glide well. Must paddle hard and continuously.