The original kayak i looked at or that brought me to the in the store in first place was the Skylark. Nice kayak but it felt a little cluster phobic. Then i saw the Sandpiper 130 in seagrass color. Color looks much nicer in person to me anyway (darker). But the Sandpiper 130 caught my eye because of the features it provided. At 13 Feet it was long enough to track straight but short enough, when edging, still being responsive and maneuverable. So without getting into a small kayak for quick cornering (to me limited to my other needs) or getting into a long "sea" kayak type. This craft will fill a large niche in my type of kayaking. From creeks and Lazy Rivers, ( "Not white water of course") to calm lakes. i can use it as a quick, Float down a lazy river to a 3-4 day camping trip if so desired. It really is a cross between a tour and recreational kayak. At 28" wide makes it pretty stable, 390 lbs load capacity, you can do some light camping. It has a nice large rear dry hatch opening (18") to take on some larger dry bags for that camping gear. Both front and rear hatches have rubber sealed lids that so far have done their job. front and rear sealed bulk heads. I'm a little older paddler at 56, and love the larger cockpit to get in out of and plenty of room for my cocker spaniel which i hope to bring with me one day. Another cool feature is the removable cloud 10 seat that appears to pretty comfortable so far. Now for some negatives but by all means were not a deal breaker.... It weighs in at 49 lbs without the seat. Still manageable for me to lift it to the roof of my Jeep Cherokee. The back rest is higher than the back deck. This maybe an issue if planning on leaning back in executing an eskimo roll. Finding a good fitting spray skirt might also be a small issue, again because of the seats high back rest. i have heard of someone mentioning to use a lap skirt, a skirt that doesn't wrap all the way around the paddler. but helps with any spills coming over the bow. To sum it up, i wanted a sit in kayak to use in various types of waters and have the capabilities of loading it up when needed. Easy to move through the water. being able to cast a rod if needed, Nice open cock pit. Not too heavy of a kayak. Respond quickly. Fun to paddle and feel confidently in. Lastly, looks good in the water to as you do ...lol. My pick ... The Sandpiper 130 hit all my boxes in my check list. Hope it can for you too.
