I bought a used plastic Aquaterra Scimitar with rudder and absolutely LOVE this boat. Although an older sea kayak, this boat has wonderful initial and secondary stability and I find it very comfortable to paddle.
This boat is made for small to medium paddlers - my husband felt cramped in it - but for me (5'5" and 120-130 lbs) it fits perfectly. This boat handles barge and speed boat waves beautifully (I do use the rudder) and is a blast to paddle! I've paddled numerous other kayaks - white water, recreational and sea kayaks including a variety of Old Town models, Perception models, kevlar Necky Looksha IV, Hurricane, and Dagger. The Scimitar is my favorite! I can load and unload this on our van by myself so don't find the weight a problem (although I do prefer help when it's available...). So far the hatches have stayed dry. Overall a fun boat if you can find one!
Got a great deal on this boat which was VERY used (7 years old) but in very good condition (just the expected hull scratches and some tightening up needed on the rudder rigging), and have owned it for two months now.Pros: Handling. Exceptional handling in leaned turns. Really sporty and fun with any kind of turns on the move or for doing tight figure-8s or 360s. Secondary stability. Easy to take into extreme edges. Rudder is great for straight tracking over long distances.
Cons: Construction. Thinner plastic than in most newer boats or those made by other manufacturers. Rigidity is reinforced by a metal bar along the bottom of tfhe cockpit, which is a bit cheesy. Foot braces could also be sturdier, though that may be a consequence of the aging rudder system. Tracking w/o rudder. The short length and rockered Greenland design take their toll on the tracking. Have to do more corrective strokes than I'd like when the rudder isn't in use. Strange outfitting. Hatches each have two-layer covers. Paddlefloat self-rescue is awkward with wide-blade paddles, as there's a plastic structure designed to hold only narrow paddles behind the cockpit. Rudder mechanism is a bit heavy - it takes a strong yank to deploy or retract, which could be difficult in harsh conditions.
Other observations: As a smaller paddler (5'5", 130#), I find myself sliding around in the cockpit a lot during rolls (ugly but effective), so it definitely needs some outfitting for high-performance handling. Cockpit is a lot wider than other boats of similar width. Hatches and bulkheads are tight, though the multi-layered hatch system does catch some water between the inner neoprene hatch cover and outer plastic hatch cover after a capsize. Overall, this is a great boat for skills practice and development, light touring, or surf/rock garden action. 8 when considering the value of the used boat; 7 otherwise.