3 years ago my wife and I went looking for a Tandem suitable for coastal cruising and easy to mount on the roof of our Camry and bought a Prijon Odyssee. We've had it out on the Maine Coast, Long Island Sound/Bays, the Magothy River/Chesapeake Bay, and our lake in the Catskills and this kayak has met our needs perfectly. But it's not for everyone.
The cockpits are small, a 28.5x15.5 keyhole with 12 inch height. I'm 5-10, 180, and I'm snug as a bug in a rug. My wife at 5-6, 135 hops in and out. I could use a shoehorn. Leg room is tight for me with the key hole cockpit and I need to be able to pull out every two hours or so but we do that anyway. The boat definitely needs the rudder in wind or any kind of chop. While I take it out solo on the lake, I'd never do so on the Sound because the bow rides high in the water with only one person in back. The boat has a flat bottom making for shallow draft. Because of this the bow tends to ride up on waves more than a foot or two rather than plow through. It also surfs like a board in a heavy following sea. I think its a blast.
With two paddlers in synch we have no problems keeping up with the 17' glass and kevlar boats in our club. One person really has to work to get this baby up to speed. Storage is fine for day trips. Hatches are double covered, Polypropylene over Neoprene and dry. We're missing the neoprene cover to the rear hatch and get an ounce or two of water in with a two foot chop or better. But that's what dry bags are for.
All in all, its been a great boat that meets our needs perfectly. Anything much heavier would be difficult for us to lift on the roof and I don't know if I'd cartop anything over 17 1/2 feet. If you're interested in the Odyssee, look at the Prijon Excursion. This model replaces the Odyssee. It's one foot longer and the room is added to the cockpits. Unfortunately, its also heavier. I don't know that we could have found a better tandem for cartoping up and down the East Coast for coastal cruising.
