I paddled this boat on every trek I guided in 2009, 2010 and 2011. I racked up somewhere around 800+ miles in it, in all kinds of conditions. Here's what I liked, and what I hated.
A few things to note before you read- I paddled in the sound, where waves are more like chop and less like rolling swell. My review is from the perspective of a guide. As a guide, I look for things in a boat that many paddlers typically don't care about and may even look for opposite characteristics. Also, I am 5'2" tall and weigh 130lbs.
The specs:
16 feet long
23.5" wide
58lbs
325lb carrying capacity
rudder, no skeg
3 hatches and 3 foam bulkheads
Likes:
*storage space-I packed all my gear, personal food and all the extra bits a guide has to have in this boat, and I had room for more. Unlike boats with skegs, you can put your stuff in larger dry bags instead of having to pack everything in tiny dry bags. I could pack and unpack my boat quickly and easily.
*comfort- The width of this boat was a little wide for me, but it is made for a medium size paddler, not a little person like me. It was slim enough that I usually didn't hit my hands on the sides and wide enough that I could sit Indian-syle in the cockpit when my legs started to cramp. I didn't have as much hip contact as I would have liked, but then I wouldn't have been able to sit Indian style. The height of the deck at the cockpit could have been lower but there it wasn't too high. Its height suited my low angle paddling style and was high enough out of the water even fully loaded. The seat is more of a recreational style seat. Using my traditional touring PFD was miserable. It caused a big gap between my lower back and the seat. I switched to a different PFD with an extremely thin lower back and was comfortable all day. At the end of the season, I discovered I could take my feet off the pegs, scoot down in my boat and lay completely flat inside the cockpit! Add two paddle floats and I can have a nap!
*durability- This boat may be heavy for some, but I can still pick it up by myself. Its worth the extra weight of a roto-molded boat. I loved not having to worry about bumping other boats, oyster shoals, or rocks. I really think a composite wouldn't have fared well being loaded onto a boat trailer, unloaded, packed, paddled 50 miles, unpacked, loaded and unloaded again every week. Unless you burn a hole in one, the boat itself will last a long time. The rudder kit that was included rarely gave me problems and when it did I could easily fix it with my repair kit. That being said, its important to store this boat out of sunlight and treat it with 303 before every trip. This boat is sensitive to UV and the plastic is weakened dramatically by heat and UV.
*stability- Very high initial stability. Feels good to beginner and intermediate paddlers.
*tracking- this boat tracks extremely well in calm water. Tracking is not very good in wind or chop. You need a rudder to go straight!
*hatch options- I loved having a day hatch. The larger opening in the rear hatch enabled me to cram in all my bulky stuff. The opening in the front hatch is much smaller but still large enough that I never had any issues getting anything to fit through it.
Dislikes:
*comfort- While this wasn't an issue for me, taller or larger men and women don't fit in this boat at all. If you are tall (over 5'9") or big boned this boat won't fit you.
*durability- Don't sit on the deck of this boat when it's on land and don't let anyone sit on the deck of your boat while you are sitting in it (in the water) unless absolutely necessary. Doing either of these things causes the bulkheads to leak. This is easily fixed with some marine sealant, but I've discovered wet things in my hatches that I would have rather stayed dry. I have gotten pretty annoyed having to reseal the bulkheads frequently, even when I take really good care of the boat. Other than this, my hatches stayed extremely dry. The plastic loses a TON of its rigidity when it sits in sunlight for prolonged periods of time.If you guy this boat, protect it with 303 and store it out of the sun. Also, the rudder has a tendency to work its bolts loose and spin, up and out of the water. This is easily fixed if you know how to do it and you have an allen wrench handy. This happened so frequently (to participant boats with these rudders) that I got the hang of fixing them on the water.
*stability- This boat has little secondary stability. It's doesn't edge very cleanly. Maybe because of my small size I had a hard time getting it up on its edge. Overall I didn't feel vulnerable unless I was in 1.5+ foot following seas or broadside seas above 2 feet.
*tracking- This boat doesn't track well in chaotic seas or wind. It weathercocks pretty severely because there is a little too much rocker in the stern. It is somewhat solved by deploying the rudder. It's even harder to turn (even on its edge) in chaotic seas. I struggled frequently to keep my bow pointed where I wanted it to in such situations, even with the rudder. Sitting next to a fellow guide in chop (she was paddling a Wilderness System Cape Horn 15, with no skeg or rudder!) and her boat slid through the chop as mine bounced around in it. Both our boats were fully loaded and we weigh about the same. This has everything to do with hull design.
Overall, I wouldn't buy this boat. I enjoyed paddling it and it generally has everything I need in a guiding boat but I think I could buy a boat that handles better for around the same price. This boat is great for those just entering the multi-day sea kayaking world who want a boat that's easy to paddle and pack and will survive collisions with rocks and oyster beds. Those who enjoy or plan to paddle during not so nice weather should stay away. Well seasoned guides may want a more athletic, performance oriented boat. If I had to buy a Wilderness Systems sea kayak, I would buy a Tempest. Its only a couple hundred dollars more and much better suited to expedition sea kayaking. That being said, there are several other plastic sea kayaks of the same length and similar storage capacity, and similar price point, that shine in all areas a wider range of conditions; like the Scorpio by P&H, for example.
Shopping for a PFD? Check out Ali's review of the Kitty PFD by Stohlquist
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