Bought a pair of these for wife and self on sale at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Will make a list to keep it simple. Pros/Cons based upon 4 months of ownership: 5 river runs on the Cape Fear (Class I & II), 3 flatwater lake trips
PROS (Reiterating what has been posted previously) Good quality for the price Molded handles make for easy grip on front/back/sides Tracks very well I think it is extremely stable (I can stand in it while scouting rapids) Plenty of room for storage of dry bags/cooler/gear on outside of boat
Handles well in Class I & adequately in Class II. I need to give myself extra space/speed to make some technical turns. It will NOT make turns quickly and requires a bit of brute force to navigate obstacles (I am a former Necky Jive owner w/ several years of river running / play exp.) This fall I will attempt a short Class III run if levels get high enough. If I can edit this post, I will report how well the barge handles it!
CONS (some of these have been stated in other posts) Molded high back seat makes loading multiple boats a bit of a pain. Does not stack well. Dry storage access is a tiny opening w/ a little baggie you can use to store a few valuables. *Dry storage access cover is only a rubber sealed pop top that pops on top (does not twist & lock).
*I felt like a violent capsize could knock the cap loose and expose the boat to take on water. So, I took it to the lake this past weekend and tested out the possibility. I removed the pop top and flipped the boat over in waist deep water to see how much/quickly it would take on water. I crawled on top and rocked it vigorously…I then flipped it back onto its proper side, dragged it on shore, pulled the drainplug, and stood it up to drain out a ton of…nothing. It didn’t take on any water! The best answer I can come up with is that the opening is recessed and when it is upside down, the opening is lifted above the water line by the buoyancy created by the sides of the kayak. Or maybe an air pocket is created. I don’t really know.
Overall, I am happy with the purchase for myself. I am undecided it I will keep both. We may sell the wife’s and get her something smaller and a bit more manageable next spring.