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Name: Olifant

Most Recent Reviews

I bought a used Sea Rover in fiberglass. I was told owner died before he paddled it and either this is true or it has very few miles on it.

Initial impressions are it is a beautiful boat to look at and has a tall, angled foredeck allowing for plenty of stretch room and paddle clearance.

I did not find an issue with the recessed deck fittings. I didn’t look at them but it hasn’t caught my attention under the deck. Mine has no rudder but I don’t feel a sense of loss.

This is a very large boat. I’m 6’1” and 225lbs and it feels too large for me. I will have to pad out the boat for a better fit. The cockpit opening is huge and I would prefer smaller Keyhole entry. Older paddlers or long legs may enjoy this. For such a large kayak I was surprised and slightly dismayed at how little usable space there is for storage. My Telkwa Sport seems like it holds a third again as much. The skeg takes up space, and the dual day hatches while novel seem to eat into the load. The large angled foredeck doesn’t seem to extend into the bow storage compartment.I’m ambivalent about day hatches. If you like them maybe two is better than one?

Paddling the boat shows rock solid initial stability. I haven’t yet tested secondary hard since my fit is sloppy. I was worried about weather cocking with the high deck but it behaved no more or less than any other boat in 15-25mph winds. Once correct skeg deployment is found the boat tracks true. The boat seems fast for a 25” beam. It’s not a racing boat but you can keep up.

Build quality on my boat seems beautiful, without all the QC issues others report. I have a small leak from the skeg box I need to track down but it is more nuisance than serious.

Final verdict? I like this boat and it’s stability. I had it in moderately rough seas and high wind and it never showed any bad habits. This is not a lively boat, but a rock solid cruiser. If you are a mountain of a human and struggle to fit all of yourself into an NDK, or want a big comfortable stable ride consider this boat.