Submitted: 12-07-1999 by DSU
The Acadia is an excellent beginner kayak. It is especially well suited for the smaller paddler. We have taken our Acadia on lakes, class II rapids on the Delaware and coastal kayaking in Maine. My wife is 5'1" and loves it. I find that it doesn't track as well as our longer Loon 138, and it seems the bigger the paddler, the worse it tracks. The boat is stable and easy to turn. The lack of a front sealed bulkhead means that the boat should not be used in rough water. If you swamp it, it takes on too much water to hadle a wet exit and re-entry. If you are looking for a great beginner boat for touring and fun, you will not find a better value. Once you improve as a paddler, and get serious, you will need to buy a bigger boat with 2 sealed bulkheads. We did, but kept our Acadia too-just couldn't stand to part with it! Happy paddling |