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Rascal Description

The Rascal is a kayak brought to you by Wilderness Systems. Read Rascal reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

Wilderness Systems
Rascal Reviews

Read reviews for the Rascal by Wilderness Systems as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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3

The Rascal is an easy kayak…

Submitted by: paddler237016 on 8/10/2016
The Rascal is an easy kayak to paddle and very light and small. Seat is comfortable. However it is very tight - it is not a canoe that you want to spend hours in. It is great for getting in and out of small areas for exploring. I moved to the Pungo 120 as I found it just too small. The pungo 120 allows for me to take my dog and not feel so confined! My daughter inherited the Rascal.
4

We bought 2 Rascals 20 years…

Submitted by: paddler236971 on 8/2/2016
We bought 2 Rascals 20 years ago and they are still in good shape, despite some abuse(sitting in the sun on a boat). Just had to replace the nylon seat fabric, which I did myself. Ours kids used them over the years and now my husband and I use them on our sailboat. They are incredibly stable to get into, ride over waves nicely, track pretty well except in a strong current, and are light enough to pick up and carry. I tried a Hobie kayak a few years ago, but went back to the Rascal. I'm hoping to find cockpit covers for them to allow us to leave them on board our boat without having to flip upside down.
5

I purchased my Rascal in…

Submitted by: paddler236179 on 4/13/2015
I purchased my Rascal in 1998. I use it extensively all year long and have even enjoyed many paddles on the CT River and Long Island Sound in mid-winter. In warmer weather, I've paddled rapids and open ocean - circumnavigated Cuttyhunk Island, MA. Always feel extremely safe - it rides like a duck!
5

Best Kayak ever!! I LOVE my…

Submitted by: Emilie on 9/3/2014
Best Kayak ever!! I LOVE my Rascal. It's a super fun play boat. Very easy to maneuver. Maybe not the fastest but great for all ages, skill levels, and sizes! Crazy comfortable and almost impossible to tip.
5

My wife and I have had our…

Submitted by: paddler234075 on 6/22/2011
My wife and I have had our Rascals for ten years. She likes flat water and I like ocean and (mild, class 3, a little 4) white water so we do it all. These little kayaks are GREAT!!! Fun, easy to transport and easy to handle.
5

I love my little rascal! I…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/7/2004
I love my little rascal! I picked this up at a garage sale at a very cheap price.PTL! I bought it for the grandkids but I ended up useing it mysef a couple of times and it works great! I am 6 foot tall and 225 pounds and it handles my big butt just fine.It doesn't track quite as well as its big brother the "Pungo"(I own three of them) but it will turn quicker. I love the hard chine on this line of kayaks as it really adds to the stability of the boat. I just took my 8 year old grandson out in it for the first time and he had it mastered in no time at all.
5

I have owned my Rascal for…

Submitted by: paddler230120 on 5/15/2003
I have owned my Rascal for three years and i have no regrets at all. I had never been in a kayak before. It is very stable and manuverable in all types of water. I mostly paddle rivers, and even in high water (my favorite) i always feel compfortable. Love it.
5

I bought a Rascal for my wife…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/28/2002
I bought a Rascal for my wife who has an intense fear of water and the tippy sensation of a getting into a kayak; she could not tolerate sitting in my kayak even if I held onto the side of the cockscomb while standing in 2 feet of water. I looked at many short/wide kayaks but most of them had very flat hulls. I talked her into trying the WS Rascal because the hull design looked as though it would track well. She liked the boat so I bought it. She later complained that the 230cm paddle felt too short. The Rascal is wide and my wife at 5'2" has a short reach - also because she is afraid to lean at all when she paddles - so I bought her a 240cm Bending Branches Evening Breeze - armed with the new ultrlite paddle, (and only her second time on the water) she paddled the entire the entire circumference of the local pond. She rates the boat a 10.
4

I bought my RASCAL in Aug and…

Submitted by: paddler229914 on 9/9/2002
I bought my RASCAL in Aug and used it about 10 times. I still have to get used to it a bit it seems. It tends to 'waggle' some in calmer waters but it could just be technique, after all I am somewhat of a novice. So if you're looking for a great tracking kayak to dink around in calm water, this isn't for you. BUT when I went with my two friends in their 14' ZOARs in an ocean sound, my Rascal handled equally or better than theirs did. And the rougher the water, the better it SEEMED (key word) to handle. Stability is incredible... unless you're getting in and out of the boat, lol. It also rides waves very well also. In a nutshell, I'm VERY pleased with the RASCAL as my first kayak. I'll get a longer kayak next year maybe, but I'm keeping Pickles :) It's just a fun kayak! PS - DO NOT take a Rascal against a strong currant, thru a small tunnel (like an overpass tunnel or the like) unless you’re an experienced Kayaker!
5

Man what a riot, my sons and…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/10/2002
Man what a riot, my sons and I went out in shallow water just to see what it would do. The paddles weren't in yet so we used a single, this little rascal tracks beautifully even with one paddle. I'm glad I bought two, Rascals that is.
5

Three years ago I bought a…

Submitted by: paddler228708 on 4/11/2002
Three years ago I bought a Rascal. It was love at first sight and I have not regreted a day of ownership since. I do a lot of paddling in ponds and lakes and the stability and manueverabilty of this boat is great. Two years ago I bought a second one for my niece, then 10 years old. I never worry while she is in this boat. We go around ponds catching and releasing frogs and turtles and you never have to worry about it tipping over. Great boat for water fights also. Last year one of my sons and my daughter-in-law bought their own Rascals. They use them to play in class II whitewater with no problem. One great boat!
4

This kayak is terrific for…

Submitted by: paddler229583 on 2/11/2002
This kayak is terrific for its size. One of the best small boats out there. Tremendous stability. Decent tracking & surprising speed. Turns on a dime with short length and rocker. Easy to get to the water. At 5'10" and 200 lbs, the kayak fits great. Small cockpit like the bigger ones instead of the open cockpit of most rec boats of this size. Good for control. Better for a spray skirt. Will plow in a little heading into heavier waves/chop due to the short length and bow configuration, but still a blast to paddle. Like the rear day hatch to keep small stuff off the floor. Easy to do a cowboy re-entry in this boat (if you ever had to..or if you just hopped out). Floats well half full of water (tried that out in the pool). However,will drag a little earlier than flat bottom boats in real shallow water due to the hull shape. Beginners and people just wanting to mess around will love this boat for its solid performance.
5

If you are a beginner looking…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 1/21/2002
If you are a beginner looking to get into the sport of kayaking, this is the "YAK" for you. It tracks great, is quite quick, and the phase "3" seating is great!!! I have taken this yak out unto small lakes and rivers, as well as tight creeks, it performs awesome. Even if you have a older model without the new seating it can be outfitted with aftermarket pad's to suit your needs. This yak is so stable that I let my kids take it out (supervised) because it is so stable. Great Yak, great price, plan to buy one for my niece and nephew when there old enough. You cannot go wrong with this rec kayak.
5

I bought two of these this…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 11/19/2001
I bought two of these this past summer. What a great kayak. I was afraid at first with a kayak because I cannot swim and was afraid if I over turned I couldnt get out. Fears I didnt need with the rascal. I love it. It handles great and is a dream to own. I have recommended it to many a friend.
5

Rascal is an A kayak. Easy…

Submitted by: paddler229263 on 6/2/2001
Rascal is an A+ kayak. Easy to use, cuts the water without effort, and tracks well. Use it on the open bay (Long Island, NY), and it's very stable.
4

The Rascal is maybe one of…

Submitted by: paddler228812 on 8/7/2000
The Rascal is maybe one of the most versatile kayaks made. It is fun on lakes and tracks well for its short length. The kayak is also great for class I and II rivers and turns on a dime in rapids and around down trees and rocks. I even managed to enjoy some surfing on small whitewater patches. With kids you can't go wrong with the Rascal because of its superior stability. It takes a lot to swamp one of these. The reason a 9 instead of a 10 - The storage bag that you access from the rear deck is not the least bit water-tight, which I think is supposed to be the purpose.
5

My wife and I recently…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/20/2000
My wife and I recently purchased two Rascal Kayaks. We are just starting out and were looking for small boats that were easy to transport, very stable and tracked well. The rascals have exceeded our expectation in all three areas and are much faster boats then we had hoped for. Our research narrowed our choices down to the Rascal, or the Swifty. After having tried both, we are very happy that we chose the Rascals.
4

Comfortable seat, altho the…

Submitted by: paddler228683 on 6/17/2000
Comfortable seat, altho the seat is a bit too narrow for wide bottoms... tough on the knees to be bent a little for powering off the footpegs, but pretty stable, the swifty is more stable tho and tracks much better.. I got the rasta color and just love it!! can top it by myself, too.
5

My first kayak was a Rascal…

Submitted by: paddler228545 on 4/17/2000
My first kayak was a Rascal and it's a great place to start. It's a blast in choppy water on lakes with the sprayskirt and equally at home on the Class II rivers where I fish. I sold it to my brother and he took to it right away. I am 6'1" but never felt cramped or too big for this rec rocket.
5

I bought a rascal last year…

Submitted by: paddler228524 on 4/6/2000
I bought a rascal last year and rigged it up to fly fish out of. I put on a fly rod holder, paddle holder, anchor and use a spray skirt for class three white water--the Rip Gorge on the Pennobscott in Maine. I plan to take it down Section 3 of the Chattoogga this summer, it is a great all around small boat. I own four other kayaks and this is the most versatile.
4

We bought a new…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 1/15/2000
We bought a new "Rascal" last year for my wife to use on the lakes and rivers we paddle here in New Hampshire. I do not think we could have found a better suited kayak for the intended user then this one. She uses it for everything from II's to flatwater. It is manuverable, stable, comfortable and she can tote it to and from the water her self.!, and she is only 5' and weighs a mere 110 pounds..! Would we purchase another..?, not only would we.! we are going to buy two more for the grandkids, mainly because of their stability..!
5

I have had a rascal for over…

Submitted by: paddler228339 on 10/25/1999
I have had a rascal for over three years now. I use it to fish the New River and have taken Class III rapids without any difficulty. It is light and easy to transport. It tracks well and turns on a dime when you need it. It is a great recreational kayak for a day outting. It is stable and easy to paddle. I have used it with many beginners and they catch on faster with the rascal than with my Loon 100. Don't go to the New without one.
5

Last weekend I borrowed a…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/11/1999
Last weekend I borrowed a friends,Wilderness Systems(rascal) kayak.i was in heaven,it was the most comfortable kayak. I just about spent the whole day in the kayak.it was so great that I am going to purchase one myself this weekend. I also tried a Swifty 311 kayak that was not as comfortable as the Rascal.
4

Me and my son are…

Submitted by: paddler228290 on 9/20/1999
Me and my son are "newbies" to kayaking. We rented several different boats including a Dagger Bayou and a Wilderness Systems Pungo, but both of us hands down liked the Rascal. It tracks decently for its size (yes, the Bayou and Pungo track better) and is more comfortable than the other boats we tested. It also handles better than any other boat we tested and is quite stable.

Only downer - the cockpit narrows sharply in front, which isn't a problem for my 12 year old son, but makes entry and exit a little tougher for me. Plus side is it helps keep you dry.

5

Great little boat. Very fun…

Submitted by: paddler228238 on 8/15/1999
Great little boat. Very fun to paddle around in for a few hours. Very stable and manueverable.
5

I've owned a Rascal for over…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/3/1999
I've owned a Rascal for over 2 years and paddle from "breakup to freezeup." This boat's stability is incredible, but what's more amazing is its speed for its waterline length. I've outpaddled a Necky Looksha Sport (ok, the other paddler wasn't as experienced as I am) and even a fishing pram with an electric trolling motor! It turns on a dime and is SO easy to transport. I recommend it highly.
5

My wonderful girlfriend's dad…

Submitted by: paddler228135 on 6/16/1999
My wonderful girlfriend's dad lets me use his Rascal every weekend because he paddles a loon now. Its a great boat for fishing as well as playing in smaller sets of whitewater. Most Rascal owners don't even know the boats ability to surf and run whitewater. I like the Rascal so much I might purchase one myself.
5

My wife and I bought 2…

Submitted by: paddler227947 on 10/13/1998
My wife and I bought 2 Rascals and love them. We live in a lake community and they are perfect for paddling around. We have been very pleased by the stability and also the speed of these boats.