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After a full season on the reservoir, bay and river here in the DC metro, I have to say its a fine boat.

Im 6'-4" and about 270lbs and new to kayaking. My wife and I decided to give it a try and the parks near us offered enough choices to get a fair idea of what we wanted in a kayak. We paddled Tarpoons, Loons a couple Daggers and came to the conclusion that we wanted SoT boats. The Bali SS 12 gives a little bit of both though from the Sit in and the SoT. While it is a SoT, it sits very low compared to others. Giving you a greater sense of "stability". And it is a harder boat to roll. The foot rests have enough adjustment that mine arent fully extended. The seat is, well just that a seat. Nothing to note about it. With the addition of a nice paddling cushion like the Jackson Sweet Cheeks (what we have) or the Surf to Summit Hot Seat, you end up with a very nice rec experience. Theres plenty of space in the molded dash area to mount all sorts of gear.

The fit and finish is a little less. But that should be expected with a boat of this price. The seams are rough and very noticable. And the first time we drained the boats, plenty of plastic shavings came pouring out.

The design is a little different to the other kayaks we tried. The haul is flatter than a traditional kayak so the tracking is more like a canoe. Which in the waters near us, isnt a bad thing. And its nice since it maneuvers the shallows better. So it makes a pretty nice and inexpensive fishing kayak. ANd it even has 2 pole holders just behind the seat. While its not a fast boat, it does turn very easy. And there plenty of space and ability to carry extra gear. All and all, Im very happy with my Bali SS 12.