Submitted: 05-25-2004 by John
Purchased in June 2003. I. Fit and finish is 10 out of 10, one nit, the hatch gaskets protrude and tear/peel, or my kids picked at it. II. Cost is 9 for 10. The package has everything I needed to paddle around Ventura Harbor, CA, land at the kiddie beach w/ my 5 & 8 yrs old, and carry toys, towels, & food. The include paddles are the worst feature while the backrest are the best. III. Ride is a 8, tracks o.k. I use a couple of gallons of H2O upfront when I solo (6'3" 225lbs.). Open ocean(300 yards from shore)stable but a "tuna boat" in speed and cornering. The wide beam proved helpful when practice rescuing my kids.
IV. I perfered the Pro 2 Tandem for its size,and package features over the Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 tandem, which I used in an intro. to kayak class (12hrs. over 4 weeks). I also have a Wilderness Tarpon 160, which would be a meaningless comparison. V. Other considerations: You can easily sun bath on this kayak. I also bought it as a potential Scuba platform, but have yet to dive with it. I'm also considering getting a trolling motor for late summer crusing in the larger Channel Island Harbor. |