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After kayaking for years in a Necky Looksha I decided to upgrade to a lighter fiberglass kayak. The Necky was an awesome sea kayak, and the seat was by far the most comfortable seat of any kayak I've ever taken out.

I found a used Eskimo kayak for sale complete with the 12.5 foot outrigger, BSD batsail, trampoline, and leeboard. I've sailed before and the idea of a sailing kayak was intriguing and exciting. The ability to go sailing on a stable catamaran-type platform with a rooftop kayak? I'm in!!!

As a kayak, the Eskimo is fantastic on its own. Stable, cuts through the water, and the rudder system works as it should. Lightweight at 52 pounds, easy to car top. As a small sailing catamaran, a new world is opened up for exploration. No longer confined to near shore excursions, I often sail 12 miles offshore into the Gulf of Mexico to visit uninhabited barrier islands. With the outrigger, its stability is assured in seas that would make me think twice about taking out an ordinary sea kayak. Its stability as a diving platform has been the biggest surprise, and is very suitable as a spearfishing platform that I sail to the offshore reefs and shipwrecks in the gulf.

The modular system that allows the Eskimo to convert from a sea kayak to a small sailboat is solid, simple, and takes about 10 minutes. It's honestly much more than I ever hoped for or expected when I purchased it, and in a way has changed my life to include bow fishing, spearfishing, sailing, and exploring uninhabited islands offshore,

With the trampoline attached, there's plenty of secure external space with bungees to strap down necessities for weeks of exploring. They strap down solidly with the included strap system, and I never worry about losing essential supplies. The kayak has secure storage bulkheads with neoprene liners to keep everything dry. Plenty of space in the kayak for storage. I've built another storage compartment that clamps to the outrigger poles that carries a live or ice well for fresh fish, spearguns, and misc. supplies that can stand getting wet along the way. The 40 pound, 12.5 foot fiberglass outrigger adds 220 pounds of buoyancy, and has a secure hatch. I often fill it with water bladders and can easily carry an extra 20 gallons or more of freshwater for extended stays on islands where water isn't available.

It's changed my life. Absolutely 5 stars.

Pros: Everything I just said

Cons: The seat! The seat is a nightmare. It's a bruising metal design that will leave you aching after just a few hours. You HAVE to address this painful seat. It's a simple fix by velcro-ing a decent foam seat in place, but it's an absolute necessity. This seat is a killer without padding. Once the seat is taken care of, you're going to love life.