Zest Two Expedition

We used two of these recently for two weeks on lakes, canals and the ocean. The size was perfect for 2 adults, 1 adult/2 kids or 2 kids plus all of our gear. It was extremely stable and smooth on both rough and still waters. I would 100% recommend this product.

I've had the Zest II Exp for a full season now. It is night and day compared to my other tandem the Tarpon 130T in every way, workmanship, stability, features, space, handling and speed.

Feature-wise, I cannot say enough good things about this boat. I've got mine set up with two large ovals, and two 6" rounds. I use the rounds for cameras, keys and the ovals for everything else. Out of necessity paddling with two kids, I always pack a kayak cart, extra paddles, food, water, dry cloths, towels, cooler, and often stuff that my friends cannot fit in the Tarpon which can only handle two 6" rounds. The ovals are big enough for a small child to crawl into the hull which makes available the entire boat for storage. There are also quite a few choices for the kids to sit, again, unlike the Tarpon. Every piece of hardware and rigging is screwed into an insert or blind hole as opposed to through hole for nuts and bolts in my Tarpon. This makes is impossible to ever leak. The top surface is in a rough matte finish which provides incredible grip for slippery muddy shoes while the bottom surface is silky smooth. The deck bungees are all quick release. There are 4 handles which really comes in handy for such a big boat. Also there are two paddle keepers. The two molded in cup holders have bungee retainers, a great feature.

Stability wise, it's similar to the Tarpon, but that's expected in a wide SOT tandem, even though it's a few inches narrower. With two kids constantly jumping off or climbing back in, it never feel the least bit tippy. The kids feel so comfortable with the stability, they often spend their time standing in the boat. It even felt stable being broadsided by a 1-foot boat wakes. In fact, we now make it a point to broadside every boat wake we can find just for fun.

Speed and tracking are both far superior to the Tarpon. That's not surprising since it's the longest and narrowest SOT tandem I know of. On the flip side, because of it's un-rockered hull, it is a bit of a pain to turn (by myself). With the rudder system though, the 16.5 foot boat becomes a 10 footer. It won't win any drag races, but will cruise comfortable all day.

I recently sold the Tarpon knowing that I'd never want to paddle any other SOT tandem. My kids are strong enough to handle their own boats this season, so, I picked up a Carolina 12. As they get older, I'm probably gonna get another single boat so they could each have their own, but I don't foresee ever parting with the trusty no-brainer Zest II Exp.

We rented this baby and it was a lot of fun. It was stable and pretty fast too (we hit 7.6mph with out even really trying or even paddling in sync). There is enough space between the paddlers that you don't really have to stay in perfect sync. I took it out by myself and found it really fast and very maneuverable (due to bow coming up a bit). If only we could agree on where to go!

The main issue is "What are you using the kayak for?" Full disclosure for me: I wanted something to take my three children out on the beaches of S. Walton, FL and paddle among the dolphins and watch other marine life. My children (ages 13, 10, 8) love to take turns up front and it is a great workout for me. I lock the yak on the beach and head out in the AM and PM to fish. This gives me plenty of room and I have to only paddle out 400 or 500 yards to catch fish. This is a great kayak and has served us well.

Other reviewers are right that it is heavy to load and hard to portage. I have a Chevy Suburban which makes travel easier as I drive from Tulsa, OK to Destin, FL. The only reason I purchased this was to spend time in the water in Florida. I can imagine that if you want to yak in other bays that it can and work well. Hope this helps, but I would purchase in a heart beat. My wife gave it to me as a birthday present after doing lots of research. Buy IT!

I have purchase several kayaks fom a yakboard for the kids, to an Angler Drifter that I like to use to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. We purchased the Zest Two EXP to take to the Florida Keys and we think it was the best tandem we could have bought. It is an all around good kayak- from paddeling the mangroves, to fishing the Florida Bay. We added the rudder kit which improved the tracking, and two oval hatches for dry storage. But to just get out and have some fun, the base model will do very well. If you weigh a little more, the feet wells hold water, not something that couldn't be helped with some scupper stoppers. Not as wide as my Drifter, so we could get it moving pretty fast. Stable and roomy too, comfortably allowed 2 to fish from it without the crowding like some tandem kayaks. Just a great all around tandem kayak. If I could do it all over again- I'd still buy the Zest Two EXP.

This is just the BEST tandem around. It is FUN, stable, and fast. We rented one and went out on a very turbulent day, and had a great time. It is so stable that you have confidence even when the ocean is very crazy. Slap, slap, bang bang! Lots of fun, with little fear and struggle.

It is too bad that Ocean Kayak discontinued the Zest for a few years. It is the boat we really wanted to own. Fortunately they came back with the new model, which is even better than the old. Get one, you will love it! The only disadvantage is that is is a bit large and heavy. So what? You get what you pay for. Want to boogie on the big waves and lounge around in the quiet waters? You can't do that on a surf ski...