Submitted: 11-06-2007 by Civengine 
I've been paddling this boat for three months. I'm 5'10" and 200 lbs. The boat floats well and has great initial stability. Secondary stability is OK. It handles flat water and small rapids (class 1-2) well. It doesn't like tracking straight, but with a little practice, you can shift your hips while you paddle to keep it straight. It is a sea-cow in windy conditions. I wouldn't use it on a large lake.
Today, I paddled about 4.5 miles on the Moreau River (really a creek) near Jefferson City and averaged about 3 miles per hour while paddling according to my GPS. I could keep a pace of 3.5 mph for at least 20 minutes at a time in an easy rhythm. I sprinted at a "streaking fast" 4.5 mph but could only keep it up for about 1 minute. It is noisy when it plows through the water.
My kids (10 and 7) could paddle this easily around my dad's small pond. It's a little wide for kids though.
Strengths: stable, cheap, fast for a rec kayak.
Weaknesses: No deck rigging, no bulkheads and hatches, cheap backrest. |