Tupelo 12.5

The good and the unfortunate:

THE GOOD: This thing is almost untippable. It is rock-solid in even very heavy and irregular lake waves & swells. I paddle a lot on Long Lake in Western Maine; 1-1 1/2 miles wide and something like 17 miles long, and overrun with way too many, too big, too fast powerboats that really belong out on the ocean. Their combined wakes generate an interference chop that looks like moguls made of water, and it can be two feet high when wind conditions are right. The Tupelo just bobs like a cork and dead flat, even when sliding down off one of those moguls, or getting slotted in between them It is more efficient than the venerable Walden Vista I am used to, and it tracks better as well. It seems well-finished and I like the opportunities offered by the four sections of track built into the top of the hull. (My son uses Jackson playboats, which he says are bombproof.)

THE UNFORTUNATE: Weighs a TON (well, OK, 50 lbs...) No fun for a 73 year-old single-handing it up onto a roofrack or shlepping it a uundred yards from parking to launch. When I bought it, I immediately ordered a kayak trolley and really can't imagine being without it.

I like the volume but would sacrifice some of that for a lower profile - it can feel like you're reaching across the hood of an old 50's Cadillac in order to paddle. This beast is so voluminous, it could lose a couple vertical inches and no one would notice.

I like the seat, but it is clearly built to easily accomodate someone with a doublewide butt (and this said by someone 6'3" and 200lbs). It would also benefit from a lumbar pad; there's a bit of annuncomfortable void between the bottom cushion and the seat back.

I should emphasize these are quibbles, not criticisms (except the weight). Overall, and especially for an older big guy mostly doing flatwater, this boat more than meets all my needs, especially that rock-solid stability. I'm glad I bought it!

We purchased two Jackson Tupelo 12.5 kayaks in the summer of 2022 in Texas. First time we took them out, my kayak took on water in the rear hatch. We found cracks around bolts in the bottom that had been over tightened. We contacted Jackson and they had us take it to the dealer (only a 3.5 hour round trip drive away) to exchange it. Dealer said this was a problem in recent years. Checked the new kayak over and off I went. I was happy, I bought the kayak for the seat and I loved it and the kayak. Fast forward a couple of months and my seat broke. It’s under warranty so Jackson finally sent me new straps with an enhanced metal piece (the part that broke). We got so tired of waiting for them, we ordered some from them online as well so I could use my yak. Thank goodness because the warranty ones came on a slow boat from China.
Fast forward to last week and on a night paddle for a Christmas Glow, one of my seat back straps (actually that enhanced metal part) snapped in two. Then the other side snapped in two leaving me with no seat back in the middle of a dark lake. We stuffed blankets behind my seat and I made it back. Jackson made this seat one year and changed back to the old seat. I wonder why? At this point I will never recommend a Jackson kayak because they knew they had issues and they should buy back these faulty kayaks or replace them with a new one. I loved the roominess, easy to paddle etc but I will probably sell mine and go back to the Old Town Loon. I have an original Loon and that thing is as solid as they come.

As recreational kayaks go this is an excellent boat. I purchased one at the beginning of the season and have been very pleased with it. * Comfort/Stability - I cannot say enough about the ergo seat. It is incredibly comfortable and the fact that it can be removed from the boat enables super access for cleaning etc. We regularly kayak for 6+ hour treks without the numb-butt syndrome. In addition when we do get into rougher water and you get that occasional splash you don't spent the next several hours sitting in a wet seat. Getting in and out of the boat as well as leaning around turns the boat is very stable. it can go way over before becoming uncomfortable. * Speed and Tracking - it is an efficient boat. A typical pace without burning out is 20 to 25 minute miles. The Tupelo tracks true so no wasted effort while paddling. This is also the one area that I had to get used to since it seems to be designed around tracking and speed in quick moving rivers up to class 2 (Its not designed to go higher) one needs to keep pulling forward else the current will grab the stern and kick you around a bit. Its not uncomfortable just a trade-off for speed and tracking. I am extremely pleased with the boat and would highly recommend it to anyone who is going to be doing longish treks across lakes or slower rivers.

I've had my Tupelo 12.5 for about a year now and have been loving it. It's super comfortable, tracks nicely, and is a breeze to paddle. It has a ton of gear storage for overnight trips and is super stable in choppy water. I'm also a photographer, and the stability is super nice cause I can trust the boat in rough conditions with my camera out. Only thing that I don't like about it is the location of the nalgene bottle elastic loops - they're hard to reach and kinda wonky. Luckily though a nalgene bottle snugs nicely under the front of the seat. Also beware that because it is a slightly flexible hull, you'll absolutely need foam rooftoppers or j-cradles.

Just got my Jackson Kayak Tupelo 12.5. I'm 6'2" 245 and it fits with room to spare, tracks straight, nice maneuverability, and large storage compartment. Jackson shines with their color combinations and comfortable seating without sacrificing performance. My other Kayaks are Prijon Kodiak, and NDK Explorer HV both are great kayaks but not for narrow rivers, creeks, or lakes where fishing or nature watching are important.

Lastly, after receiving it there was a manufacturer defect, a crack, the customer service at Jackson Kayak is excellent. In a matter of minutes after sending a picture of the crack the Warranty Manager authorized shipment of a new kayak with the promise of decommissioning the old one. In this day of "please press a #" customer service it is great to speak with a real person who immediately solved the problem.

Jackson Kayak should always be on the go to list for anyone seeking to buy a new kayak.

Storage is also awesome, the dry hatch on the back stays DRY (even after I tipped over). Storage in the Cockpit was great as well, even fits a 4 year old...lol. The kiddo sat between my legs for the whole trip and fit great, even got an hour long nap in. I had enough room behind me to stow a long sleeve light coat a small water cooler and a 40 ounce water bottle all of which were easily reachable while in the yak.

The seat is absolutely awesome, my tail felt great after a 5 hour trip. The foot pedals adjust easily even go short enough for me, I'm 5'4" and about 205.

Alright now for the bad parts, I'm not sure if it was me or what but I couldn't make this thing go in a straight line to save my life. Every time I would get some speed going it would start veering to one directions or the other, constantly making me have to turn and lose all of the momentum I had built up. Even just floating it turned to one direction or the other. Again not sure if it's just me or if the tracking is terrible. My wife tried it as well and had the same thing happen. Both of us are pretty new to paddling so could be us. Turning was a little difficult as well, the wife couldn't make it go anywhere she wanted. Speed was pretty good but figured it would have been a little better for a yak this size.

Durability seems great, wasn't trying to hurt it but it bounced of rocks, trees, and the bottom of the river quite well. Had to portage it several times around river blockages, I'm a pretty strong individual but carrying it over the dike and back down to the pick up was a workout, same with dragging it up the side of the river channel. Getting it into the truck was no problem just hauling it up and down the river banks. I carried it over my right shoulder and across my back and both were about the same as far as comfort wise.

Overall I like the stability and the comfort of the yak but it got awfully frustrating when I couldn't get it to go in a straight line. Adding a rudder or skeg would probably make a huge difference. So 6.5 out of 10 for me due to the tracking and speed issues. Wifey gave it a 5 due to the tracking and speed...Wifey was not impressed...

All in all I will NOT be buying this one, need to try a few more and see what else is out there.
Hope this helps anyone looking at the Jackson Kayak Tupelo 12.5

The Tupelo paddles great, tracks straight, and is fast. Not to mention it handled being overloaded just fine. I even managed to catch a bunch of fish in it.