Egret

I just purchased my old town egret 14.5 ft kayak on 7/11/20 on craigslist for a great price and took it for my first ride the same day. I was very happy with the stability and comfort of the ride on the Merrimack river in Haverhill Ma. I know this is not a so called sea kayak but I know that it will do fine in some choppier water when needed. It came with a nice skirt that adds some protection to the elements. I am looking forward to many years of enjoyment with this well manufactured kayak. Thanks Old Town!!

I used this boat on Adirondack Lakes and found it to be a good camping boat because it would handle a lot of gear and is stable and durable. There is no problem with beaching on gravel or hitting a rock, although the surface does scratch easily. It has a foam core which helps its buoyancy. It does not have an air tight compartment in the front. The cockpit is small, which I liked. I am looking for a lighter boat, otherwise I would not have a reason to part with the Egret.

I don’t know what the Old Town folks were thinking when they discontinued the Egret (as well as the Heron and Millennium). I have 2 Egrets and they are great all-water boats. Ocean, lake, river -- the Egret is a great hybrid between 12-ft. rec boats and larger, true sea kayaks. I have always liked Old Town’s 3-layer poly -- attractive and extremely durable. The only way you'll get an Egret now is a used one or a leftover in some out-of-the-way boat shop. For anyone looking to move up from tubby rec boats to an all-purpose kayak, the Egret's a great choice. I got my last one (used) for $600 two years ago. I would suspect a $300-400 price would be about right now.

The Old Town Egret is a great all around touring boat. It tracks well, and is great in rough choppy water. The boat handles well and can easily be paddled fast enough to outrun other kayaks. I have paddled waters ranging from small creeks with mild rapids to large bodies of water. The boat does great! The only downside is it doesn't turn on a dime like smaller recreational and whitewater boats. But again it is not meant to be a quick turning boat and with it's performance in speed and tracking it easily makes up for it. I love my egret!

I bought my old town egret in oct. of 01 and i am pretty happy with it. i've paddled in lakes and off shore here in southeastern conn in 3 to 4 foot swells. and even in the connecticut river. found it to work well on day trips, able to pack all i need even for an overnight trip. i will be putting a rudder on it this winter but otherwise it's a great kayak for the price.(some places still have them in stock for under $600.00).would recommend it or any of the polylink 3's to anyone who wants to be able to go almost anywhere with a kayak and not pay $1000.00....

My first kayak was an Old Town Egret. It's a very stable, "bulletproof", entry-level kayak with one of the thickest hides found in plastic boats - Old Town has an excellent manufacturing process and I wish some of the other plastic kayak manufacturers would use the Old Town factory to make their boats as solid. It's good for weekends on lakes and ponds, that is, flat water paddling and fishing. It is not good for tidal estuaries, fast manoeuvering, or offshore paddling. You can outgrow it very, very fast if you catch the sea kayaking bug and start taking lessons as my wife and I did. Frustrated with the Egrets, we went to the other extreme and upgraded to Current Design Slipstreams, which we love.

I've had my Egret in the water three times now and enjoy it very much. I've canoed alot, but am new to kayaking. The Egret is slim enough to move well, but stable enough to give a very comfortable ride. It looks great, and I can already tell the "roto" plastic is going to be very tough! I've already slid over the top of a beaver dam or two! I've been out on some small local streams and it is perfect for that. The only reason I haven't given it a ten is that I haven't taken it on a trip yet (to test its capacity for gear). I'm sure it'll be great for that, too. I highly recommend this boat!

I like this boat. I got mine because my outfitter gave me a great deal on it and not because I sought it out. All in all though I have been happy with it. I am pushing its outside edge now and am thinking of a longer and thinner boat. Old Town plastic is great.It is tough and looks great--I have not seen any plastic that seems as high quality. The Egret is a bit wide--24 1/2 inches--so it is very stable but a bit sluggish on the lean. It is hard for me to roll in as it does not offer a tight fit and I tend to fall out rather than get a good knee hang. Other commenters have noted the boat's unwillingness to track after paddling which is the boat's biggest single flaw. I live in Virginia's Tidewater so we have lots of big deep rivers and the Chesapeake bay to play in. On calm days or in tidal creeks the boat is a blast. When the waves are up the Egret's flatish bottom slaps rather than slices the water and the boat tends to be a bit squirrelly when surfing with the waves. But its low profile means little weathercocking. The boat is comfortable and I am 6' tall 195 lbs and often day trip with a dry bag or two stuffed into the hold--ignore the manufacture's capacity claims. This boat is a great choice for a newer paddler who wants a faster "realer" feeling boat than most rec boats but still wants to know that they will not go over easily.

Test paddled the Egret this weekend and I must say I was terribly unimpressed with the performance of the craft. Did not track worth a fiddle and was slow and tiring to propel. Then I switched to my partner's Old Town, Heron...BINGO...the Heron was everything the Egret was not. I ordered the Heron. My advise to EVERYONE, NEVER and I repeat NEVER buy a canoe or kayak without first test paddling at the very least one or two others of various configuration so you can prove to yourself the value and performance features...DO NOT buy a canoe of kayak based on literature or sales pitch...the only way to know for sure is to paddle it, that's where the proof is.