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I bought a demo model of the Stratos 14.5 S at a paddling expo in Old Forge, NY in 2015 as my first kayak. I'd been waiting and saving $ for almost a decade & having finally paid off the student loans, I was ready! I did hours and hours of online research, rented and test paddled boats, even was able to take a beginner lesson in the Stratos before I made my final decision. I talked to numerous paddlers in my local outdoors club as well, and was able to narrow it down to the Stratos or Alchemy. In the end, I liked the rocker and extra length on the Stratos, and the skeg mechanism worked better.

I am 5'4", about 145 lbs, and have plenty of room in the cockpit but feel like I still have good contact with the boat using the hip pads. I live in Western NY & use the kayak for everything from short lazy trips to kayak camping in the Adirondacks to playing in the waves on Lake Ontario to long distance days on the Finger Lakes. Recently, I brought it to Acadia National Park in Maine and tried a few short trips along the coast. I am not and have never been a particularly athletic or naturally skilled person, but am relatively active; I haven't ever had trouble keeping the Stratos tracking straight as long as I keep moving. Once I stop paddling, all bets are off - but I've found if I drop the skeg she'll stay pretty straight even then. That said, I've played with the skeg to see how it changes the tracking, but never really used it otherwise. I've enjoyed the maneuverability while on a local creek during spring floods, and once I got the hang of it I took to seeking out narrow spots & obstacles to weave around even on flat water. I never feel unstable, and even when I edge, I feel like I could sit there all day. There's plenty of room for camping gear - I use my backpacking gear - and even when paddling full of equipment, I don't have any issues maneuvering. The lack of a day hatch worried me at first, but there's so much room between the seat & the rear bulkhead it's never been a problem.

I've had several friends who've never kayaked before jump in for their first time on the water and take off happily with no issues; I've also received a lot of compliments & questions from experienced kayakers who admire it. Most recently I went on my longest trip yet - a 30+ mile, 11 hour day on a large lake. Around mile 24, it occurred to me that it was odd that I wasn't sore or stiff from sitting so long (I am not usually comfortable on any kind of chair for that long!) The seat appears pretty minimalist but it's somehow very comfortable.

Finally, the only time I've unintentionally gone swimming was my first attempt at at surfing some significant looking stuff. That was a clear case of user error.

Bottom line / Too Long Didn't Read: Love of it as a first kayak. Have been getting pretty involved in the sport & still love it & have yet to outgrow it. Very versatile: camping, small rivers, touring big lakes, surfing.