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Over the summer last year my family and I took a trip to Kauai, and we kayaked down a river leading us to a water fall. It was beautiful, and at that second I was convinced kayaking was something I wanted to do. The kayaks we rented were great for calm rivers and easy floats, but I wanted something a little more. Once I got home from our trip I began studying what type of kayak would fit my needs. White Water kayaks do not provide much storage, open top kayaks do not provide stability for rapids, so that left the recreation kayak. After looking at different brands and features I bought a Pelican, Maverick 100x. It has done an amazing job no matter what river I’ve decided to float.

Price:
Price is a big concern for people when they think about getting into kayaking. Especially when most people who kayak only try to go in the summer. This kayak was $350 at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Before I went and got it I looked around on the internet, and they were all around the same price. That may sound expensive to some, but I don't regret it one bit! The joy I’ve got out of it is beyond worth it.

Durability:
Being an Oregon native I’m lucky enough to have many launch points around me. I’ve done calm waters and up to class four rapids, and I'm shocked with how well my kayak has taken it. You can count the scratches on your right hand only. I’ve bounced it of a few rocks, heard it scrape across gravel in low waters, and dragged it up to my pick-up on the boat launch. It’s hard to believe that it’s only plastic.

On-Boat Storage:
It offers more storage then a White Water kayak, but less then an open top kayak. My kayak has two main storage points on it. A smaller one on the nose of the boat with a lid. I don't tend to use it though because water can get in there easily, and a large storage point with straps behind the cockpit. I use that one to hold down my dry bag mostly. I haven't lost anything of the back yet, so it does well. Also you can put whatever you feel comfortable having with you in the cockpit.

Comfort:
One thing I noticed on the reviews I looked at was people always talked about how uncomfortable they were after a long float. I don't know if Pelican had the worry of owner comfort in mind when they were designing, but thats one thing I've never noticed in mine. Even after an eight hour float I felt no real pain. The seats are padded all the way down to my knees, and it has a backrest that reaches the center of my back. I’d still pick my bed over the kayak, but in my option they did a great job designing the seat.

Control:
I didn't see a review that mentioned how well they could control their kayak. My friend I normally go with owns a white water kayak, and he can’t control where it goes most the time because it wants to flip. With three rows I’ve changed my whole direction and attack at a rapid. It is so handy especially when you see a rapid that makes you question why your out there. I believe that mostly comes from the design of the kayak. It’s ten feet long and meets to a point at the bottom. Unlike most white water and open top kayaks that are flat on the bottom.