Profile

I have been paddling the Baffin since the spring of 2017 and have paddled it exclusively since receiving it. I love the secondary stability of this kayak. The hard chines make edging easy. This has given me extra confidence to put and hold the boat on edge. This edging control has allowed me to become a better paddler. This also makes the Baffin stable in rough conditions. The Baffins low volume helped me hone my greenland rolls too. It has a wide cockpit and still rolls with ease. The wide cockpit and thigh braces gave me move leverage to hip snap the kayak while bracing and rolling. The Baffin is not a fast boat or light kayak, but what it lacks in speed it gains in maneuverability.

I have had few issues with my boat. The skeg system is not the best. I have found that it is slow to deploy. I believe the small elastic cord may need to be replaced. I do like the wide skeg box. I have never had any issues with jamming. The bigger issue has been with the hatches. My boat is not that old and I have already had to seal the rims of the hatches where they attach to the deck of the boat. Gutter seal solved this issue, but I would have expected the manufactured seals to last longer. Also, the seat back buckle corroded weeks after owning the boat. I am religious about rinsing my gear off after each saltwater journey, but it just didn't help.

Overall, I love the boat design. It has increased my skills and abilities on the water. I really wish that Boreal would increase the quality of the other parts of the boat. This is a great design that needs a bit more attention. I intend to keep repairing and paddling the Baffin for as long as I can.