Profile

I bought this kayak because I wanted to try a SOT and since it claims to handle mild Whitewater, I could use it there some. Overall the boat is fun and easy to paddle. It doesn't track as well as some boats, but then again if it did, it wouldn't be good on WW. It's really heavy, but so are most SOT's. I took it down some class II+ rapids and it did fine for what it is. It is very easy to climb back in after going for a swim (whether on purpose or not). With the skeg down, the tracking is much better.

The negatives I have are: When deployed the skeg makes a lot of noise. The handles at mid-boat are nice for carrying solo, but the two piece plastic can unsnap and pinch your hand. Also, when seated, my thighs push against them when braced and it becomes painful after a few minutes. I will attempt to add padding to them at some point.

I really like this boat. It has very good stability, very fast, comfortable seating and excellent outfitting. It took me a while to get used to it. My previous kayak was a British Style. So initially I was comparing the handling of the two boats. I do/did have some issues with the round hatches leaking a little, but I put bungee around them and that solved it. Other than that I'm really starting to love this boat.

I originally got this paddle to use until my custom paddle arrived and then as a spare. But since using it I really like it. It is very light and there is no noticeable flutter when paddling hard. I've been using it while practicing bracing and re-entries, so it seems to be holding up well. I still have not received my custom paddle and can't wait for it to get here. But after paddling with this for a while, if I had to do it again I would not order the custom (especially the wait I'm having to go through).