Just bought this kayak used, it paddles very well, track is very good. Does need broad paddle strokes to turn but not as difficult as I expected. I do wish is had another 2 inches in side height, my knees brace just at the cockpit rim, but is liveable.
Seat is lacking for long paddles. But the best of all is it is very stable and will keep up with rec-touring boats on paddle adventures. If you want to fish from it, it would work very well. You can stand to cast, but you need good balance specially as you sit back down...you must plop you butt down fast!
I bought as a tag along kayak for any friends who wish to paddle with us...
I would not purchase this boat new at retail price.
Most people that have reviewed this boat have been new paddlers and it seems to come off as this is a boat to start off with. This is a great boat to start with, but it isn't limited to just a beginner boat, this is my fourth kayak in the past seven years and I love it. I bought it mainly to replace a "beginner" boat that was my first sit in kayak (others were sot).
This boat is extremely stable in flat water and in moderate waves (1-2 feet), I haven't had a chance to see what it handles like in any faster rivers yet though. It is a little harder to handle in following seas but still manageable due to it's stability. The molded in "skeg" isn't much to look at, but it seems to do the job and with a bit of a lean turn you can maneuver this boat with ease. For a rec classed yak this boat covers water excellent and has good speed and glide to it (heading into 1 foot waves and a 10km/h wind I was able to get 9km/h out of it for a short period and 7km/h sustained speed). It is easy to load and unload with one person and has enough carrying capacity for weekend camping trips. Rear hatch is well made and finished and the seal seems to very water tight so far. Foot room could use about another inch if your feet are sized 11 or 12 like mine but you can still get very comfortable in this boat.
The seat is great for comfort but does cause some issues when you're using a sprayskirt as it is much higher than normal seats and it overlaps with the sprayskirt and life vest so you have to consider this when fitting everything (sit in boat, then sprayskirt then life vest over you and the seat seems to work and is still tight enough to be safe). I'm 5'11 and 200lbs and feel like a much bigger person could sit comfortably in the cockpit of this boat without much problem. I would recommend this boat for any one looking for a do-it-all kayak that still gives you the advantage of being able to cover a lot of water in a day....