Edge

Last summer I added an Emotion Edge to my small fleet. My other rec kayak is a Blast. I will compare them in this review, but the emphasis will be on the Edge. I will also review the Blast in the Perception Sport section, as they are selling them now.

The Edge has a shallow V bottom and hard chines. This makes it track well while paddling. As soon as you stop, it wanders off, but I suppose that is do to its under 10' length. The flat bottom and rounded chines on the Blast make it feel more stable. For a rec kayak, the Edge feels less stable, especially when going very slow or dead in the water. It would be disconcerting to a beginner. The Blast keeps its direction better when you stop paddling.

The Edge bow splits waves better than the Blast. When the waves get over 12", the Blast ride gets wet, unless you slow down. The Edge can keep up its speed better without taking on water. It seems like a very miniature sea kayak. One reason I purchased it was a p-net review by someone who uses his in San Francisco bay.

I took the Edge in only one river, and the V bottom hit bottom a few times. It needs more water than the Blast to make rivers work. The Blast is rated up to class II, and I concur with that. Any water that required quick adjustments would be more fun in the Blast.

A small person could have trouble with the Edge. It is a big kayak for a big person.

The seat is the reason for the 9. It is only comfortable for a couple of hours. I do like the mesh water bottle holders. For flat water and black water, I prefer the Edge. It is faster. The more shallow a stream and the closer it comes to class II, the more the Blast comes into its own. It is also a better newbie boat. If you want a kayak or two for friends with little experience, I would highly recommend the Blast.

I will keep both my kayaks, even though I plan to purchase a couple of 13' kayaks. If there is such a thing as an advanced rec kayak, the Edge is it, and when taking my friends out, they will get the 13 footers or the Blast, and I will use the Edge.

I bought one used for $150! It was like new, not a scratch on it. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get out on the water. I am an avid fisherman and this is my first kayak. It was not the greatest experience. Every time I would stop to cast, the kayak would start to turn in a completely different direction. It was very frustrating. It even came with a pole holder which led me to believe it was well suited for this. I will probably look for something else down the road or maybe a rudder system. Kind of hard to understand why everyone is saying it tracks well.

Emotion Kayaks are the best bang for your buck,especially when they are on sale. I have had my eye on the Edge for awhile. Cabela's had it on sale for $319.00 a few weeks ago and I pulled the trigger. The main reasons I like the Edge is because of the weight and the length. It weighs in at around 40 lbs and is just four inches shy of 10 feet. The kayak is easy to throw into the bed of my full size pick up on a whim and head to my local lake about 4 miles away. My life vest and two piece paddle fit behind the seat and I can shoulder the kayak at the cockpit and carry everything down to the lake unassisted. I am 6'2" and 240 pounds and the Edge fits me perfectly. The seat is really comfortable considering how simple it is. Another plus is the simplicity of the boat. No hatches to leak, no broken latches, or other accessories to fall off. This model is truly just a grab and go kayak. The tracking is phenomenal for a boat this short. If you have perfected your paddle stroke there is almost no yaw, even with heavy paddle strokes. I just got back from the lake today and even paddling in 25 mph winds the kayak did really well and I stayed drier than I thought I would. The main reason I got water on me was due to the wind blowing water off of my paddle. If you are a larger paddler looking for a kayak that is simple and easy to transport then this is your boat.

Since I've now owned the boat for a couple years I feel qualified to give it a review. I've paddled the San Francisco bay and estuaries for about 25 years. I don't do rivers. I'm comfy in open ocean and bays but rivers with rocks and sharp stuff give me the willies! Anyway, this boat is the 4X4 of kayaks. It carries my 220 lbs. and all the gear I can cram into it with ease. I've slammed into pilings, beached it on barnacle covered rocks, and all other sorts of abuse. It's plenty scratched but everything still works.

Considering how incredibly short it is, the thing tracks very well. As it loses speed it will skid a bit but won't leave you doing donuts and feeling helpless like most rec boats. It took me awhile to get used to the slight rocker since I was used to long skinny sea kayaks. It will turn with ease so controlled strokes are needed to keep it going straight. Leaning the boat seems to have very little effect on steering as the hard chines seem to want to track straight. Since it turns so easily with paddle strokes, I consider that a non-issue.

Now to stability. I've never seriously tried to roll this boat (I didn't buy the skirt) but I did notice it has a tendency to self right. For a boat this wide it's primary stability (tippiness) is a bit less than what one would expect but it's secondary stability locks in solid. In short, it's not an easy boat to tip. It's very unlikely you'd tip it by accident and would have to try really really hard.

I have noticed some people seem to expect the boat to be something it's not and review accordingly. It's not a sea kayak. Though I regularly take it out in fairly heavy seas and surf, I'm very experienced and kind of dumb. It's not a playboat, It's a couple feet too long for tight work in rapids and though it turns fast, it's not that fast. My review is based on what it is, a rec boat, and compared to others in it's class it stands head and shoulders above the rest. It's cheap, tough, tracks well enough, carries plenty of gear, turns fairly easily, and you don't have to be a seasoned pro to paddle this boat. Considering what it is, I have to give it a solid 10.

I would not recommend this boat to smaller people. I don't consider myself an expert but I'd say anyone under about 150 lbs. would have difficulty with this boat. This boat is designed to carry a lot of weight... and it needs a fair amount. It's sides are high so for kids with kid sized arms, even with an extra 100 lbs. of ballast, it would still be a handful. I tried. It's a vee-hull with a moderate rocker so with a light person, there just won't be much boat in the water and you will have a great deal of difficulty with directional stability. Though it's short, it's a boat for bigger boys. If you want something that you can toss in the bed of a pickup that's good in most types of water, this is the boat. You can cross the bay but won't won't win any races. It is short enough to explore marshlands, sloughs, and estuaries but cuts through the waves well enough to get you home again.

I just bought this kayak. I use it for kayak fishing. Pros: Price, cost less than most kayaks. Weight, can carry it on your shoulder. Easy to handle both off and on water.

Cons: Speed, but still good for such a small kayak.

I have 200 meters down to the water where I live. I just put this thing on my shoulder and walk. This little thing catches many eyes and people often stop by and want to lift it up and ask questions about it.

I give it an 8 cause it's an 8. It's not a 10. It could have been lighter, more stable, faster, more comfortable, could have had more features, etc etc. However, at this price you won't get the perfect kayak. I can highly recommend this kayak.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
I bought this as my first kayak a couple of days ago. Got it at a steal... an independent store was having a 30% off sale, so I was able to pick it up for only $315. Of course, once I bought the paddle, vest, and the rack to carry it on top of my truck with, the final cost rose significantly. Today was the first day I've been able to take it out (on a somewhat small local lake), and I'm pretty happy so far.

After some initial wobbles, the Edge was fairly stable. I had a few instances that were enough to make me say "whoa", but not too many. I won't be setting any speed records, but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. Tracking was horrible, but I think that had more to do with my inexperience (only my second time in a kayak, the first was with the boy scouts 20+ yrs ago) and the fact that there were 15-20 MPH winds today. I know, I know, I should have waited for a calmer day, but I really wanted to get it on the water, if only for a few minutes.

I'm about 6'1", 230 pounds, and I fit in with no problems. The capacity of this boat (around 350 pounds) was one of the main reasons I bought it, as some friends & I do an annual overnight trip on the Toccoa River (class I & II up to light III's). Of course, that won't be until I've gotten some more water time under my belt. The other reason I chose the Edge was the reviews I read here. Thanks for the great resource!

I'll write back with deeper impressions after I get more time in it.

I took my Edge to the Stanislaus River this week, Class 1, or a little above today. It handled great. Not a single thought of tipping over. Other 2 with me were on SOT's, one fell over. I even hit a rock sideways and was able to push off and recover. Got into one rapid and could back paddle out of it. Sides are high and only took in a little water (no skirt). All in all a great boat and buy.

I purchased a used Emotion Edge kayak for fishing and general touring use. Initially, I was attracted to the large cockpit and hull design. So far, this kayak has out-performed many other kayaks I've used, steers and tracks very well, is stable under many conditions and is easy to enter and exit. I'm very pleased with this kayak and continue to use it regularly on small to large lakes and rivers.

Bought the Edge for my wife. Worst mistake ever. She was thrilled that I wanted to share the outdoors with her. We went on a camping trip to a nearby lake to test it out on calm waters. Thank god for that. We went out early morning with no wind and flat calm. My wife kept falling behind. She said she had trouble keeping it going in the direction she wanted. I explained what she needed to do, but it didnt help. We got back and met up with friends. The next morning we went out again under the same conditions. I took out the Emotion. I tried everything to make it track straight. I couldnt keep up with my wife in the Wilderness Plamico 120. She blew me away. After an hour I was so frustrated we turned around and came back. The wind picked up slightly and tripled my misery. Two and a half hours later I got back to camp. I have kayaked/canoed for the last 25 years and this was the worst I have ever been in. It was roomy and comfortable. I also understand that it is considerably shorter than the Wilderness and I was lower in the water and increased drag. With that taken into account tracking and handeling was awful. The wilderness would cover in one stroke what it would take the Emotion three or four, depending on how straight I could get it to track. It went back to the store the next day.

I have only had the Edge for a short time but love it. Normally I paddle a canoe because it is easy to get in and out of with my bad knee. Try finding a canoe that weighs 37 lbs for under $400! The large cockpit makes the Edge a great alternative. This boat paddles like a dream. Only one problem, I have to keep telling my friends to get out of it so I can use it!

I bought an Emotion Edge on 12/31/2005. This is my first kayak, I have paddled canoes for years. My son and I have about 30 hours in it so far. We really enjoy it. We are both big, over 6' 4". We fit in it just fine. The large open cockpit makes getting in and out very easy. It seems to be a little higher than some models, giving room to move my legs around so they aren't just straight out the whole time. The adjustable foot pegs are a nice feature. It tracks well, especially considering its small size. Seems stable enough, we felt comfortable learning in it in the cold weather. I was out in a stiff wind today and it handled like it was calm. I guess I am used to fighting wind in a canoe, paddling into the wind was no problem, the hull design around the cockpit kept the waves and chop out of the cockpit. We put a poncho over our lap to catch the spray and paddle drips, that has kept us nice and dry.

I guess the best thing about it is that its a great combination of lightness and performance for an affordable price. We use it on lakes and slow moving rivers. We spend hours in it, the seat is comfortable and easy to adjust. I would rather be on the water in a light, easy to use kayak than have a more expensive heavier one that sits in the garage because its trouble to get loaded and on the water. It is 5 minutes from deciding I want to go to having it off its storage straps and in the back of the pickup, with all the gear in the cab. We are very satisfied with this kayak.

Tried out a demo unit last week and it has a very comfortable seat and tracks well. Would not suggest this kayak for first time kayakers can tip over very easily. Made for more experienced kayakers...