I recently bought a used 2007 version of this kayak to supplement out overtaxed load capacity of my whole family in our one canoe. What a good investement! Everyone in the family loved using the boat on our recent camping trip on a mountain lake. The learning curve is ZERO.
I initially thought the kayak would be used by my ten year old son while myself, wife and his 6 year old brother were in the canoe. The ten year old did fine, paddling 2 hours + on a river trip. His 6 year old brother could easily handle paddling this boat for 40 minutes at a time. In short, both my sons loved the boat for its FUN component.If you are thinking about this boats suitability for children...you can't go wrong. I have also done some solo river paddling including a 4 mile trip upriver against a slow moving current.
This boat handles fine... fast enough, stable, roomy. The seat is comfortable but after the fourth hour my butt is a little sore. Since I have nothing to compare this to, I don't know if there is a sitting limit in most kayak seats. I like the hatch on the Pungo and it certainly can carry your lunch, extra jacket,and some other stuff and does keep it dry! I think that any first time kayaker ( like all the folks in my family) will find the Pungo 100 more fun than they could have imagined!
My husband and I bought matching (except for color) Pungo 100s last December. We didn't demo them first, so weren't entirely sure what to expect, but we bought them because they were recommended by the store owner based on our needs, and they were on sale.
Our first time out on the water in them was not a disappointment. They are incredibly stable on flat, slow water, and are speedy enough for us. We have only used them on small lakes so far, but might try them on a slow river sometime. We are very happy with the way they feel, track and handle, and especially love the Phase 3 seating. My back is finicky about how I sit, but I find the seat extremely comfortable.
Our Pungos came with plastic "dashboards" that bungee around the outside of the cockpit, and while the concept is great (extra storage, another beverage holder, would keep spray out to a certain extent), we never use them because they severely restrict entry/exit from the boat. No biggie, though.
Personally, I find the fit to be fine (5'6", 170 lbs), and love the adjustable foot pegs, but my husband, who's about 2-3" taller than me, can't comfortably bend his legs and use the foot pegs, even at the longest extension. Also, we find the rear hatch to be cumbersome to open and close, so we haven't used it yet.
Overall, though, we find these to be great yaks for beginners such as ourselves, and they are great for leisurely paddles (I would even consider just floating for a few hours on end while reading a book), which is our primary objective at this point. A very worthwhile investment.
Update on my earlier review. I have had my Pungo a year now. Cons - the plastic does seem to scratch up easily, but hull is thick enough to not seem a threat. Speed - I can cruise all day at 3.5 MPH, push it hard to 4.5, then the wall is there (I weigh 170).
Pro - Very comfortable, especially if you are paddling, floating, fishing, paddling, etc. Holds a line really well for a 10 foot boat. I added a flush rod holder and more decking bungees. Very good initial stability - you have to tip over on purpose.
Secondary stability is more difficult - first, you ARE NOT locked in, the cockpit is so large that you have minimal contact with it.
Definitely need a spray skirt - at least the mini. The full skirt will keep you dry in the rain and under major waves - but you have a 50/50 chance of it staying on if you roll over (I have the basic nylon full skirt - too much cockpit to cover).
But - this is the perfect small kayak for fishing, knocking around, and FUN. Kids and adults love it for a first time ride.
I purchased my Pungo at East Coast Canoe and Kayak Symposium after demoing a number of other boats. My criteria were 1) had to fit in my small apartment, 2) be a reasonable paddle for my size 6 ft 200 lbs, and 3)be roomy enough to fish with. The Pungo best met my criteria.
I was somewhat afraid of a short boat since most of my paddling experience came as a guide using much longer boats (that I didn't have to store). The Pungo won't set speed records but its great for small marsh creeks. I've paddled it in some pretty good chop and it perorms fairly well but you will get wet. At no time did I think I was in any danger of dumping. The stability is a major plus and I like the addition of the bulkhead in the rear of the boat.
Boat is extremely comfortable. If I have a complaint it is pretty picky and that is I would like a little more deck rigging (I'll add my own later) since I'll use it for fishing. Otherwise a solid little boat for having fun in the marsh.
Purchased my Pungo 100 after a lot of research of other similiar type boats. The overall quality construction and Phase 3 seating really made this boat stand out over all others in its class.Initial and secondary stability was excellent. Tracking is great and winds have litte effect. Boat is a flat bottom multi-chine design for use primarily in Lakes and mild streams/rivers. I have taken out in the Puget Sound and it does just fine as long as the water is mild. Would definitely stay close to shore and use a spray skirt!
I am 6'0" and 190 lbs and have no problem fitting into this boat. The seat has numerous adjustments for comfort and actually reclines too! For its purpose as a small and stable, mild water boat at a reasonable price, I dont think Wilderness Systems could have it designed any better than they have so I have given it a 10.
I have been looking for a short kayak I could put on the back of my SeaRay 27 so I could fish and mess around when we take the SeaRay out and anchor. After looking at almost everything, I purchased a Pungo 10. It is the perfect size and weight which allows me to pick it up and put it on my SeaRay. The Phase 3 seat is very comfortable and the quality of the kayak is better than others I looked at in this size and price range.I took my 8 year old daughter with me to buy the kayak and she decided it was for her rather than for me. When we got home and put it in the water, she took it out first and I was amazed how well she could paddle it. I have found it to be a nice boat, it tracks well, and is about as fast as you can expect for a 10 footer.
I have the feeling I'm going to be buying another one as the first one now goes by the name "Girls Express", fortunately, I already measured and I can put 2 of them on the SeaRay if I stack them sideways.
This is a fun little boat, I wouldn't recommend it for long, overnight trips, but for just getting in and having fun, it is great. We use it on a S.W. Florida bay to tour the mangroves or go out to watch dolphins and sunsets.