I really wanted to love this boat, and I did, initially.
I have had Wilderness Systems kayaks for over 20 years.
I bought this boat in 2019. 3 weeks into owning the boat, I dented the hull (partially by an hour tie down in spring weather and being pinned against a rock in the river.)
It seemed I had some success removing the oil canning in the sun, but the kayak preferred the memory of the dents.
The bulkhead was poorly sealed and gets quite wet. The seat cover repeatedly comes off and Did so since early on.
I know Wilderness Systems cranked these boats out quickly and could barely keep up with production demand. My first warning should’ve been that the local shop where I Purchased this Pungo had dented it themselves while displaying. Then the second kayak I did get my hands on Even had the wrong color listed on the statement of origin.
The engineering on this boat is clever. Pretty fast, tracked great to start, comfortable and the console is even more appreciated than I would have expected.
Great kayak if the execution was better.
The shop where I bought the boat tried to warranty the boat, but Wilderness Systems denied the claim.
By the way, I also have a Pungo 105 I got on clearance (more for rivers). Ironically, that boat is solid. Didn’t feel like the same quality build at all.
An interesting note: I gave This a 3 star review on Wilderness Systems website, but apparently, they only post the 5 star reviews. Shady.
I would have to think very hard before buying another wilderness systems boat in the future. I feel Confluence has ruined and cheapened the brand.
