Altura

I just bought this boat and I am in love with it so far. I was actually in the market for a "barge-like" SOT for work purposes and stumbled onto this one by accident, as is often the case :) .

I am 6'2, 235, but this boat is VERY stable, having a 31" beam. But the length and the material (kevlar/composite) make for a boat that is far speedier than one expects from something this wide. Paddles effortlessly and turns easier than I had expected, too. Tracks straight, even without the rudder, but I got it with the rudder because I plan to use it on Lake Superior, where wind and waves can play havoc with any plan to paddle in a straight line.

This is my first SOT and I hope to use it as a fishing platform. I got it at a $500 discount because it was supposedly "blemished" and then repaired at the factory, but darned if I can find where - looks perfect to me. CD is supposedly not making these anymore because I guess they didn't sell well with the SOT fishing crowd due to the price ($1600-$1800). I guess I can understand that, given the prices of some of the very good rotomolded fishing yaks out there, but I think this has to be paddled to be appreciated.

I demoed quite a few SOT's and found nothing that had both this kind of speed AND stability. I think CD is making a mistake to get rid of it, as it's a good "SOT transition" boat for someone like me: used to a traditional kayak and considering an SOT, but not enamored with the plastic boats.

I tried CD's Kestrel and Zone SOT's: the former was too small and didn't have the gear/weight capacity I wanted, while the latter was less stable and I don't think it would be as easy to fish from. Still a few of these out there "discontinued" boats and I encourage anyone looking for a fast and stable SOT to check 'em out.