20 Best Boat For Shallow And Deep Water (2023 Update)

Bought these approximately one month ago. They came delivered with no issues and were in good shape after an all around inspection. I was home on the day of delivery and even helped with taking them off the truck to ensure to give them some TLC. Today, 02/07/21, my son and I took them on their maiden voyage. My goal was to get acclimated to everything as I consider us beginners. I also took a fishing pole with me to see what it was like to cast. I took these on Castaic Lake Lagoon here in California. We decided for the most part to hug the shoreline in case we flipped and had any issues getting back on, keeping the shallow shoreline close. The lagoon has about 3 miles of shoreline and we had no problem covering that in our day trip (4 hours). The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is the seat. It does get a bit uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. Most people upgrade this seat and I'm looking to do the same. The kayaks seem durable and we plan to have many more trips as the weather is beginning to warm up. I will also be purchasing anchors soon as the kayaks drift very easily especially on this windy lake. I'll take it slow for any other modifications I've seen on the internet. Overall this was a great purchase for my family as it will be a form of rest and relaxation we'll be doing often.Basswood67

Just received via shipping. Can't wait to try it out. I have owned several kayaks so I was looking for one with specifics I wanted and this one had most. First is sit on top… sit in boats are hard to get out of gracefully, especially for an old big guy! But I've watched young and fit adults struggle as well. Lol The multi foot rest positions are another personal preference. I have owned kayaks with adjustable foot rest.. they are not easy to adjust from a seated position and you tend to adjust your feet often on a decent trip. I really wanted the side mounted adjustable rod holder also and this is the only boat I found designed this way. If you like slow trolling fishing then a center mount rod holder makes it difficult to do. Plus you usually have to lean forward a bit to reach the rod with a center mount. The side mount is an easy reach for a quick set. I'll be pushing the weight limit at 275 but sit on tops won't swamp or sink. The width of the hull looks much wider than any of my previous boats so that will only improve stability quite a bit! Eager to dirty it up with some fish scales and slime!Big Papa

Honestly, I gambled. Like most things, this is engineered with a fudge-factor involved as some 275lb guy will think "hey, I'm 275lb" and then doesn't think as he loads 30lbs of gear on as well. Well, this is rated at 275lbs, will float 330 very easily. About 1/2 inch of water comes through the scupper holes though… you can get scupper stoppers if that bothers you. Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit as I may be sweet but I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt in a little water. 🙂 Just purchased, had it on the water twice first weekend (wife bought a Tioga model). Tracks well on the water. Oars need drip blockers to keep the water from rolling down your onto you, but that's literally my only complaint. Very satisfied. Would highly recommend.PNWMike

Garmin is pretty much the top gps company. Most satellites up there and really accurate tech. Obviously there are other charplotters out there you might prefer, but Garmin's reliability is great, and their customer service is excellent. Installation was a breeze, about as easy as a chartplotter/ transducer combo can be. Also, it comes with all the hardware needed for install. Honestly, it's got everything you need for basic navigation, high quality chirp, multi-frequency for soundings or fish finding. Even auto-pilot tech. More than enough for someone looking in this price range. Also, the Garmin interface is nice and intuitive.Travis

Pros- 1. Garmin ease of operation. You do not need to dig the book out and try to figure out how to use it like some other manufacturers. 2. Graphics are very good compared to older units. 3. Unit detaches from mount leaving harnesses in place. 4. Chart is already in it. Cons- 1. Transducer is huge. Be prepared to have difficulty finding a location big enough and out of the way enough to not be a problem. On my boat I had to shim mount over a 1/4 inch to get transducer to track straight with the boat. With standard transducers they are short enough for this not to be a problem but with the length of this transducer it becomes obvious and may require some attention if your location is not 90 degrees to the boat center line.tm14200

In the past ten years of my life building my own home from scratch is the one thing that has caused more frustations than this garmin unit !! It is the most complated item i have ever owned ! My first three trips on the ocean with this unit i had to relay on using marine charts and parelle rules and speed and time to navagate ! It was way to complated to install lat lon waypoints ! And when i was finally able to install a waypoint it was 96 miles off !! You see there are numerious position formats to program into this unit for lat lon positions probably hundreds according to the garmin rep i finally got a hold of after two days of trying and hours on hold , i must be stupid because i thought lat lon was only one way which is hours, minutes , seconds ! But aparently not according to the garmin rep the safety of my friends and family are my responsibalty while on board my vessel and my ability to safely navigate . Im 63 years old and have been on boats my whole life , was a power boat instructor , a sailing instructor , owned a yacht service company for 25 years , college graduate , and a commercial fisherman and this garmin unit really does not need to have every feature known to man kind ! Really dont need 12 different color choices for bottom choices ! And hundreds of program choices for enteriing a latitude longatude cordanates , if a person mistakenly pushes the wrong button on this unit you could not knowingly change the lat lon settings and end up on the rocks !! WAY to many complacated features that could end in death if just one mistake is made !!! For the safety of my family im throwing this unit in the trash !!!Rodger

Very pleased so far using the live scope ice bundle in my boat. There's no comparison to regular sonar. I primarily been using it to hold up on crappie schools that I've located with traditional soda side scan. This unit does a very good job with that and spot lock on the trolling motor. I've got the live scope mounted on a separate pole. That works out well for me so far.Randall E.

LMC shop shipped me this garmin panoptix unit with a DEAD 12v battery (voltage ~9.3 V). I talked to garmin customer service, who was great, and confirmed that the battery was bad. LMC shop WILL NOT ANSWER my several emails regarding this. I just want a new battery or partial refund for the cost, and they are totally nonresponsive even after several weeks. WHAT A GARBAGE STORE!David Z.

Stop thinking about it. Just buy it, you know you want to. I'm a Minnesota man, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to fishing. This garmin is almost borderline cheating. LOVE ITRom

Still learning how to operate the plotter. The few times I have I have been thoroughly impressed with the screen clarity, ability to read the bottom at speed and overall performance. Still learning, watching videos to understand what it is I am looking at…..Plumbob

You won’t go fishing again without it. I forgot my screen in the truck this morning. 5 miles back to get it didn’t think twice. It’s a blast to see fish react to your bait.Papa Max

I recently purchased the 126sv and the east coast charts. I installed it and the transducer the next day on my 30 ft. Rigid inflatable. Then i towed the boat tonHilton Head island. I had never been there before. To my surprise the echomap community had recorded 100 % of the waters on and around Hilton Head. Without this unit, i would have been scared to death, and would have run aground even while being between the channel markers. It is like having your own private guidBanana boat

Great customer service! They responded back quickly as I am sure there may be so many customers with questions and the overwhelming of these kayaks becoming so popular. The wait was well worth it as it gave me time to decide what accessories I wanted to get. I only had the AP 120 out once for six hours that only felt as if it was one hour ( had to get grandchildren from school) I would had been out for ten hours. Now I am waiting for a trailer to come because I am fifty one years old and with all the accessories I have it is too heavy to load. Awesome job to Old Town for such a fine kayak.Ronald H.

Had it on the water for the first time this weekend. Really enjoyed it! I am not used to having so much room on the deck. It took a little getting used to the iPilot remote but now I feel like I have it mastered. The spot lock was incredible! I sat in position whiile I changed the leader on the fly rod and did not have to worry about getting blown across the lake. It was very relaxing! It is heavy but I actually move it around better han the Big Tuna I had previously. Not a problem at all. Absolutely love it!!Scott

I have a paddle version of the AP 120 that’s $3000 less. This is for my wife. What can I say? It’s a $4000 boat. It’s orange and has an electric motor. It’s heavy. It is a $4000 kayak. The $1000 wasn’t good enough. The $2000 kayak wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t going to spend $3000 on one that wasn’t going to meet the expectations my wife had placed on the purchase. I paid $4000 for a kayak. It’s a $4000 boat.Paid4kforkayak

They kept me informed of processing my kayak order and delivery. My kayak arrived in a reasonably short period of time, and was in perfect condition. The videos that ARC published of the process for receiving freight shipments was helpful. If definitely buy from them again.Phillip R.

Great little unit for my tinny I have bought to be a topper. Display unit bracket is easy to remove, attach and adjust. Basic sounder functions seem good for price and my purpose. Gps Speed function works. I have not used way points yet. I downloaded Lowrance app, but my opinion not worth downloading for this as no mapping functions with this unit which fine for my purpose of Creek use. I have an Lowrance Elite ti in my bigger boat which is a better unit for mapping and fish finding inshore and offshore/Reef/shoals. I alsways run a vertical slide mount for the transducer mount on my boats that will be beached, Suggest buy one if you need as stops damage to transducer and mount. Overall good little unit for $150 on sale.Sandy1

Walmart is a great store and ships fast. That said, This Lowrance Hook2 4x (Bullet) very hard to figure out. Read that again. despite instructions. Although mounted easy enough. YouTube has a ton of videos about the dreaded live mode weird screen I failed to see before buying. Jumbled numbers and white screen with intermittent colors has something to do with actual depth. Well this is all I get from the beginning. BTW This has no GPS but upon inspection it has no slot to get it or the maps if you wanted it later. So what you see is what you get. So far for me it's been a nightmare of self contained grimness. Its very hard to figure out. Maybe it's the auto depth. I suppose I need a months worth of YouTube set up and trouble shooting. I have zero tech savvy so it could just be me. Yes I'm aware of water depth placement of the transducer. It's fine on the Yakattack adjustable arm I pre-purchased before it arrived. And it mounted up perfectly. Note : it never just worked and suddenly didn't. It has always had this weird screen from the beginning. Except for running in the factory programmed simulation mode. That's completely fine? I give this a 2 for being tech unfriendly to us novices and sub Einstein's.KingDave

The fish finder does not show depth like it does in the picture… It just shows the (range) its scanning. I would love for it to show what depth I am in at the moment and for it to be visible for old eyes and maybe high lighted, but I digress… The unit does not show currant depth for me… I am very disappointed in every aspect in the manual… Nowhere I mean no where does it show my problem… In fact the manual is lacking very lacking in operation. This is the first time I have used the Lowrance brand and I knew I was taking a risk using such a cheap unit but reading other reviews I purchased it… I am unhappy about this purchase. I feel I was sold a cheap product that does not perform as advertised… I threw away the box and probably cant return this product, but that doesnt mean I cant leave a review that might save someone else the problem I have… Do not buy this product… It is cheap and the instructions are not complete. I am forced to go to youtube to find out all the functions of this product and how to resolve problems with this unit… I though hey save a few bucks buy this unit, but I should have known you get what you pay for… I was lured in by the reviews that now I think are biased… I doubt this review will be posted… Lowrance has failed in a big way and we the public have to speak up and get justice for the negligence of lower tier products.. Just because they are lower tier doesnt mean they shouldnt perform as advertised…edward

This kayak is very poorly constructed. I have two. All of the seats (including one replacement) have begun to leak at the weld seams. The other Kayak has had multiple leaks in the main chamber(s). Intex puts you though hours of holding on the telephone, forms to fill out, photos to upload, stuff to send back. All because their product was defective, no fault of yours. They actually don't follow through with their warranty sometimes. You'll be on hold for hours, send emails that don't get responded to, and spend more time pulling your hair out than enjoying this Kayak. After being on hold for one hour (after sending 3 emails to them over the span of 5 months that weren't responded to), for a warranty claim I spent hours on, that they never fulfilled. I finally speak to someone and they say too bad, you are out of luck, you are outside the warranty window now. I will never buy an Intex product again after my experience with the company and product. Its just horrible.Matt

I bought this when the water was still ice so I had to wait to try it out. Today was the first day. Went out for a solo fishing trip. The kayak inflates quickly with little effort thanks to the two way pump. Every push and pull inflates it. Not too heavy. I was able to pick it up with my equipment inside and drop in the water. I didn’t want to drag it and possibly puncture the bottom. On the lake it felt very sturdy. I was able to get on my knees and turn around to retrieve something from the back without tipping over. It held its air perfect while I was in the water, I was out for 3 hours with no issues. The water was a bit choppy but I was still able to paddle the boat effortlessly against the waves. I bought a 5 lb anchor and it held the boat still while I fished. The only issues I had with the it is i find the seat slightly uncomfortable because it has no support so if I lean back the seat just bends back with me. I also was not a fan of the rod holder placements. I think the maybe could’ve added some more for convenience. One other complaint would be that the pump hose seems low quality and I am concerned that will easily break. Packing it back up was easy. The pump also deflates the boat helping to get all the air out. It rolled up perfectly and fits back in the bag, unlike other products that never fit back in the bag once you take them out. A bystander even commented on how slick the boat packed back up. I haven’t used it tandem yet but I think it’ll be ok for 2 people. Happy with my purchase. No buyers regret.Tybro

I was looking for an easy to inflate kayak for fishing and recreational purposes and settled on the Excursion Pro. The kayak comes in a handy to use bag (although not everything fits in the bag and it can be tough to get back in once you use it). The quality seems to be top notch. The three-ply construction feels extremely heavy duty leaving me with no concerns about it running ground on the beach or dropping a fishing hook on it. The included air pump works exceptionally well. I had the entire kayak inflated in a little over five minutes. It comes with a handy pressure gauge so you can make sure you have it inflated properly. The inflatable seats are quite comfortable at first but after a few hours I found my lower back getting sore. I'm not if I just have to adjust the straps or possibly get a different life jacket. However, my wife had no complaints after the same outing. The included ores are handy because they can be disassembled into pieces. We did find that the ores were a big short, forcing you to have to reach a bit farther than comfortable to reach deep in the water. As well because they're so short you'll get a bit more water dripping into the boat. There's actually a nice amount of room at the front and rear of the kayak for storage. It comes with a fishing rod holder mount. Keep in mind that it's just the mount. You still need to buy a fishing rod holder and then clamp it on to the mount. The two fishing rod holders on the sides of the boat are a nice addition, although I wouldn't trust them in choppy water or wind. The boat handles exceptionally well in the water and is a breeze to turn and speed up. It's light enough to portage if necessary. We anchor ours with a 3 lb anchor and it was plenty for holding us in spot. All in all I'm quite impressed with this product and very happy with the quality of the kayak and its accessories. This is a great boat for those looking for an inflatable option.justiceismini

Great looking inflatable, very poorly constructed, a waste of ***.unsafe know boats ,…I’m an outdoor guide.By the time you can make your warranty claim the warranty will have expired. I was on hold for hours. It was extremely frustrating. The forms you need to fill out to make a claim were very difficult.It took well over a month for them to respond to me. This is a sure fire way for a business to get around the warranty situation.I am sure that this was on purpose ….To avoid having to repair my kayak or replace it.Two weeks after getting the excursion pro kayak I develop seam leaks in the bottom tubes. Seam leaks are very difficult to patch.At the same time, I developed seam leaks in all three seating sections. this was not due to over inflation!To say it ruined our Covid altered summer is an understatement. We don’t have a lot of money and placed faith in this company.A major disappointment. They are making a lot of money and delivering a poorly made inferior product. And by now, they know it!Not incidentally , don’t believe those short reviews that are glowingly positive.Mountain G.

Solid and well-built, works great for the low cost and take-anywhere portability. Reinforced PVC fabric – not the cheaper pool float fabric of the less expensive kayaks and boats but two layers of thick PVC sandwiching a reinforcement mesh structure. The kit comes with everything you need including seat, oar, foot-brace pedals, rod holders, cell phone holder, pump,multiple skegs and more. Halkey Roberts valves are a plus and a feature not usually seen on the cheaper inflatables. Due to the inflatable tubes forming the hull, it is extremely stable by kayak standards. This kayak is very portable.I highly recommend you have an electric pump for quick inflation although the hand pump is still very doable for these.The downsides are that being short in length and inflatable it takes more effort to row than a solid kayak, especially one with a longer hull. The inflatable seat isn't very supportive so getting a proper kayak seat would be helpful if you plan to use this a lot. If you plan on kayaking as a dedicated activity, I don't think I'd recommend this except to have as a backup (or travel kayak). The fabric and build quality are excellent for the price and very solid, but it's not rescue boat fabric with welded seams so I don't think you'd get more than a few seasons of frequent use out of it (obviously more if you don't use it a lot).Overall, I'm really stoked about this kayak. We boat frequently but my wife and I wanted something we could get away from the boat in to go fishing while the kids are playing in the water and keeping the fish away. We use it too much and row too far for the cheaper pool toy kayaks, but need the compactness of an inflatable to store on the boat. This allows one of us to get a few hundred yards away from the boat, and drift up and down shorelines and fish.Jesse C. B.

I just got this today and will take it on it’s maiden voyage tomorrow. I did inflate it and deflate it today, just to check it out. Very quick inflation and deflation. Maybe 4 minutes to inflate and 4 to deflate. The ability to deflate with the pump is awesome. The kayak itself seems very sturdy and the material seems very tough. I’ll update this review after I actually get it in the water.Finally got this kayak on the water! I kayak on a very calm lake and this kayak performed very well. It was light enough for me to carry it fully inflated to the water by myself, I'm a very weak 55 year old female with a bad back, so this is a good thing! I paddled around for a few hours and was very comfortable in it. I had plenty of leg room and I'm 5'5" tall. I found the foot rest uncomfortable, so I took it out.This kayak is designed as a fisherman's kayak, so it has additional features like pole holders, a bar to hold a sonar device and a pole to hold a go pro or phone. I will probably never use these, as I just like to paddle around and enjoy the lake.So far, so good. I'll update this review if I have anything additional to add.Arlene C.

We are relatively new to kayaking and friends who have more experience recommended this kayak to us. It is great. It is VERY easy to transport and inflate (takes us about 12 minutes to inflate and set up). The kayak is easy to launch and handle. We use it on fairly flat water (slow rivers, small lakes, and reservoirs). We are a middle aged relatively (but not unusually) fit couple. This was a very good purchase for us and we have used it about 6 times since we purchased it about 3 months ago. Happy to recommend this kayak.jessica b.

I bought 2 different brands 1 for me and 1 for my husband this kayak was really easy to set up and light enough for me to carry on my own (the other brand was too heavy so now is considered my husbands). We have gone out on both a lake and onto the Sound. It was amazing. It moves fast through the water. The seat is really supportive so you are very comfortable. (this seat way better then the other brand). I wish i had bought two of these. This kayak was less expensive then the other brand i bought and i would say it was better.Seattle

Unfortunately we were REALLY disappointed. We bought this for our annual camping trip to Lake George, NY, and it didn’t make it through the week. Today, the bottom tore after brushing over a narrow rocky section and one pontoon quickly deflated! Luckily we were near enough to the shore when this happened. This kayak replaced a Sevylor inflatable which we had for 10 years. I thought this would be an upgrade, but it seems the bottom is not as durable as described. I’m hoping the company will make good on this product.Adrienne R.

waited almost two months and a dozen trips out for the review and is still holding up just like I got it and I've taken it spreafishing a few times also for the price very worth itMykael

Great boat and seems robust. Our only complaint is that the oars are not really long enough. Our friends have the same boat and their oars are a different design and longer.Emma

The boat is amazing but after 5 times usage, the external part start deflating. Looks like there is an issue in the external compartment valve. I will to change once I I bought it 10 months ago and little used.fabiomsq

This is my “go to” trolling motor. This is my third-the first two still run-and I wanted a new one for looks and top performance. I have a couple of boats I use them on and I like having a spare. Unlike a few unfavorable reviews, I’ve never had an issue with them that couldn’t be corrected. I guess I’ll use them until they quit making them or until I move to the Heavenly Fishing Grounds.Rick

Took this trolling motor out of the box and on its first fishing trip and it did fine except for one hick up. Gave it throttle and it didn't start. Gave it throttle again and it started just fine. Ran good the rest of the day. Took it on fishing trip #2 six weeks later and it ran fine as long as it was running, but as soon as you set it to zero throttle, it would be a "dead stick" for the next 8-10 minutes. It did this all day long. Event if you stop to go in reverse, it will "dead stick". Basically anytime it is turned off, it will not turn back on for 8-10 minutes. It is passed the 60day mark, so it needs to be sent to the manufacture and i can not get them on the phone due to them being "short staffed". Do not recommend this product.Jason117

Ordered online and picked up the motor at the Hamburg, Pa store (85mi roundtrip). Went fishing the next day to ty it out. The head shook so bad I had to hold the handle un-extended for fear it would've came off the transom! This was never run at the factory or whoever did it was blind! The prop wobbled so bad it literally was unusable! Drove another 85mi roundtrip to return it, had them reorder and ship to my home. Thrust is good using on a 16' aluminum fishing boat. I have a 36lb Minn Kota thats 30yrs old….the ONLY reason I purchased this was for more power on windy days on the lake. That one still runs as smooth (or smoother) as the new one. Minn Kota should be ashamed they shipped a motor like that from the factory!!Andy59

This book follows a format that breaks down the pros and cons of twenty different cruising sailboat models from almost as many manufacturers. Even if you are looking at sailboats that are not subject to this book, the information concerning basic design principles that make a SEAWORTHY cruising sailboat will carry over into the evaluation of the make and models you are concidering for yourself. A good read, with humor here and there that keeps it from being dry.snowpackflint

Great book! Sailboats are a buyers market and if your looking for a cruiser that you can pick up between 10K – 80K this is a must read book. Vigor does an excellent job of explaining the nuances and idiosyncrasies of all the boats. The only downside is that the boats are line drawings and prices are dated for pre-2000 (which its nice to say that means they are on the high side).oncommonmercantile

Yes, it contains exactly what it says on the cover. It's not got all the pretty pictures that Ferenc Matte's book has got, and it has far fewer boats, but that's because John Vigor is concentrating on small boats, and he is more discerning in his taste. Good descriptions, all the facts you need. If you're looking for a good small boat this is the book to help you choose. If you're just looking for great boats, with lots of facts and details about some of the trips made – a coffee table book if you will – then Ferenc Matte's book is the one to go for. I've got both, they both have their uses, but Ferenc's book just makes you question your budget, where John's book gives you all the facts you need to get on and go.blueskyredkite

Vastly superior to the last generation of Minn Kota “spot-lock” terrovas. GPS Anchor is much more accurate. I also really like the manual power button. The Bluetooth style remote also has much better range on the boat. Worth every penny and worth upgrading from the old. Hands down the best trolling motor on the market.Waterdogtom

Ordered the Riptide Terrova. Received product quickly. I like the fact they will make sure its you and that you actually ordered product before they send it. Mounted Terrova and heading sensor on boat and had to wait two weeks to go out because of weather. if your on the fence about this trolling motor don't be it is great. no problems so far works as advertised. the spot lock is worth every penny. I hated having to set anchor every time I decided to move and try another spot to fish. now just hit anchor and so far it has held my boat with in a foot of the spot. if under a bridge it tends to lose signal and will move about 5 feet in any direction( its not terrible in my opinion) but if you pay attention and have the heading sensor just hit the jog in which ever direction you want to move. boat got a little to close to bridge couple times hit jog and moved back to spot. only advise I would give anyone using the spot lock is to head boat into wind or current just as you would if anchoring a go slow to spot and then hit spot lock. if you go to fast it will spin around wrapping cord around itself and the propeller make a lot of noise. the auto pilot when fishing a bank is also great more time fishing. overall I have been impressed. as always have been extremely happy with lakeside. have ordered several items from them and always get items quickly.d.n.

I have had this about a month now and really love it. I got the footpedal control because I wasnt sure if I could use the remote. After using the remote I hardly use the foot pedal. The remote and foot pedal are both very responsive. My only complaint would be that the motor is a little loud. I have noticed a significant reduction in battery usage with this motor. I could probably fish 12-14 hours straight without draining batteries.redfishandlargemouth

We are novice rc boat folks but we really like this boat and are having fun with it. Very durable and ready to run out of the box (minus charging the battery). The stand to hold the boat isn't great but it works just fine. No complaints so far.knackindustries

Product is fantastic! Only issue is the battery only lasts about 15 minutes, which is dissappointing because we were having to much fun when it died!Matt H.

This is really a good boat. Even though the esc can handle 3s the motor will not last. It's fun to drive and handles the rough water pretty well. I converted one to brushless but the hull doesn't like speeds over 30 mph without heavy modding. It's a great boat for the beginner and advance hobbyist.cadsforlife83

Bought these approximately one month ago. They came delivered with no issues and were in good shape after an all around inspection. I was home on the day of delivery and even helped with taking them off the truck to ensure to give them some TLC. Today, 02/07/21, my son and I took them on their maiden voyage. My goal was to get acclimated to everything as I consider us beginners. I also took a fishing pole with me to see what it was like to cast. I took these on Castaic Lake Lagoon here in California. We decided for the most part to hug the shoreline in case we flipped and had any issues getting back on, keeping the shallow shoreline close. The lagoon has about 3 miles of shoreline and we had no problem covering that in our day trip (4 hours). The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is the seat. It does get a bit uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. Most people upgrade this seat and I'm looking to do the same. The kayaks seem durable and we plan to have many more trips as the weather is beginning to warm up. I will also be purchasing anchors soon as the kayaks drift very easily especially on this windy lake. I'll take it slow for any other modifications I've seen on the internet. Overall this was a great purchase for my family as it will be a form of rest and relaxation we'll be doing often.Basswood67

Just received via shipping. Can't wait to try it out. I have owned several kayaks so I was looking for one with specifics I wanted and this one had most. First is sit on top… sit in boats are hard to get out of gracefully, especially for an old big guy! But I've watched young and fit adults struggle as well. Lol The multi foot rest positions are another personal preference. I have owned kayaks with adjustable foot rest.. they are not easy to adjust from a seated position and you tend to adjust your feet often on a decent trip. I really wanted the side mounted adjustable rod holder also and this is the only boat I found designed this way. If you like slow trolling fishing then a center mount rod holder makes it difficult to do. Plus you usually have to lean forward a bit to reach the rod with a center mount. The side mount is an easy reach for a quick set. I'll be pushing the weight limit at 275 but sit on tops won't swamp or sink. The width of the hull looks much wider than any of my previous boats so that will only improve stability quite a bit! Eager to dirty it up with some fish scales and slime!Big Papa

Honestly, I gambled. Like most things, this is engineered with a fudge-factor involved as some 275lb guy will think "hey, I'm 275lb" and then doesn't think as he loads 30lbs of gear on as well. Well, this is rated at 275lbs, will float 330 very easily. About 1/2 inch of water comes through the scupper holes though… you can get scupper stoppers if that bothers you. Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit as I may be sweet but I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt in a little water. 🙂 Just purchased, had it on the water twice first weekend (wife bought a Tioga model). Tracks well on the water. Oars need drip blockers to keep the water from rolling down your onto you, but that's literally my only complaint. Very satisfied. Would highly recommend.PNWMike

Just received via shipping. Can't wait to try it out. I have owned several kayaks so I was looking for one with specifics I wanted and this one had most. First is sit on top… sit in boats are hard to get out of gracefully, especially for an old big guy! But I've watched young and fit adults struggle as well. Lol The multi foot rest positions are another personal preference. I have owned kayaks with adjustable foot rest.. they are not easy to adjust from a seated position and you tend to adjust your feet often on a decent trip. I really wanted the side mounted adjustable rod holder also and this is the only boat I found designed this way. If you like slow trolling fishing then a center mount rod holder makes it difficult to do. Plus you usually have to lean forward a bit to reach the rod with a center mount. The side mount is an easy reach for a quick set. I'll be pushing the weight limit at 275 but sit on tops won't swamp or sink. The width of the hull looks much wider than any of my previous boats so that will only improve stability quite a bit! Eager to dirty it up with some fish scales and slime!Big Papa

Honestly, I gambled. Like most things, this is engineered with a fudge-factor involved as some 275lb guy will think "hey, I'm 275lb" and then doesn't think as he loads 30lbs of gear on as well. Well, this is rated at 275lbs, will float 330 very easily. About 1/2 inch of water comes through the scupper holes though… you can get scupper stoppers if that bothers you. Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit as I may be sweet but I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt in a little water. 🙂 Just purchased, had it on the water twice first weekend (wife bought a Tioga model). Tracks well on the water. Oars need drip blockers to keep the water from rolling down your onto you, but that's literally my only complaint. Very satisfied. Would highly recommend.PNWMike

I bought this kayak about 3 weeks ago. I had really high hopes for it however I was really disappointed in it within 90 seconds of its first time out. Honestly, I've heard good things about this kayak and I think I got a lemon. After dragging it MAYBE 20-30 feet through some grassy brush to the water I managed to puncture/wear a hole in the bottom of the 'yak which caused me to ultimately essentially sink it as soon as I was far enough away from shore for it to be really inconvenient. I couldn't believe it. After about 3 hours of bailing the internal cavity of the kayak out I was able to make it back to shore safely. At first, I thought it was my fault. Don't drag your kayak, you dummy. Sometimes though you have to in order to get to that hunting or fishing spot due to brush, overgrowth etc. Upon further inspection I was shocked to feel how thin the kayak really was. You could have put a hole in it dragging across my wood flooring in my house. I spent some time discussing the potential repair with my local kayak shop and ultimately we decided it was not a financially sound direction and I will be purchasing a new kayak.JohnnyJr

Bought these approximately one month ago. They came delivered with no issues and were in good shape after an all around inspection. I was home on the day of delivery and even helped with taking them off the truck to ensure to give them some TLC. Today, 02/07/21, my son and I took them on their maiden voyage. My goal was to get acclimated to everything as I consider us beginners. I also took a fishing pole with me to see what it was like to cast. I took these on Castaic Lake Lagoon here in California. We decided for the most part to hug the shoreline in case we flipped and had any issues getting back on, keeping the shallow shoreline close. The lagoon has about 3 miles of shoreline and we had no problem covering that in our day trip (4 hours). The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is the seat. It does get a bit uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. Most people upgrade this seat and I'm looking to do the same. The kayaks seem durable and we plan to have many more trips as the weather is beginning to warm up. I will also be purchasing anchors soon as the kayaks drift very easily especially on this windy lake. I'll take it slow for any other modifications I've seen on the internet. Overall this was a great purchase for my family as it will be a form of rest and relaxation we'll be doing often.Basswood67

Just received via shipping. Can't wait to try it out. I have owned several kayaks so I was looking for one with specifics I wanted and this one had most. First is sit on top… sit in boats are hard to get out of gracefully, especially for an old big guy! But I've watched young and fit adults struggle as well. Lol The multi foot rest positions are another personal preference. I have owned kayaks with adjustable foot rest.. they are not easy to adjust from a seated position and you tend to adjust your feet often on a decent trip. I really wanted the side mounted adjustable rod holder also and this is the only boat I found designed this way. If you like slow trolling fishing then a center mount rod holder makes it difficult to do. Plus you usually have to lean forward a bit to reach the rod with a center mount. The side mount is an easy reach for a quick set. I'll be pushing the weight limit at 275 but sit on tops won't swamp or sink. The width of the hull looks much wider than any of my previous boats so that will only improve stability quite a bit! Eager to dirty it up with some fish scales and slime!Big Papa

Honestly, I gambled. Like most things, this is engineered with a fudge-factor involved as some 275lb guy will think "hey, I'm 275lb" and then doesn't think as he loads 30lbs of gear on as well. Well, this is rated at 275lbs, will float 330 very easily. About 1/2 inch of water comes through the scupper holes though… you can get scupper stoppers if that bothers you. Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit as I may be sweet but I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt in a little water. 🙂 Just purchased, had it on the water twice first weekend (wife bought a Tioga model). Tracks well on the water. Oars need drip blockers to keep the water from rolling down your onto you, but that's literally my only complaint. Very satisfied. Would highly recommend.PNWMike

After fishing several sit-on-top kayaks for 20 years, I decided to test sail a Hobie 12 Pro-Angler. I was sold after one minute of pedalling! It is fast. It has a rudder. It has a verrrrry comfortable seat. An all day seat. Not like most kayaks seats that make you butt miserable after a few hours. It has storage. It has rod holders. You can fish while moving, not like the paddle kayaks. Keep your rod in your hand, not your paddle. If you are really into fishing, get the Hobie crate for the back, or make your own. It holds extra gear and four fish poles upright. I mounted a Lowrance fish finder and a Power Pole anchor. And Amarine stainless steel rod holders on either side of the seat onto the rear legs. They are $18 bucks and great quality. Check Amazon. Great for trolling. Place the rods in the holders, get a drink in your hand, and start pedalling. No way would I go back to paddling. Oh – shallow water? No problem. Push one leg forward and lock the flippers up against the hull and drift over the shallows. Same as a paddle kayak. Are they expensive? Yes and no. Compared to a paddle kayak, yes. Compared to a fishing boat, no. You will not be sorry.hewes16

If your looking for a kayak or just anything related to outdoor activities the team at Eco fishing shop have you cover. A+++ customer service and best price anywhere with free shipping can’t beat that if your ordering a kayak because other business will charge you around 4-6 hundred. overall great serviceSoua L.

Great experience overall, the Kayak came in basically perfect condition (there's one very small nick, near one of the rails which is relatively unnoticeable). Shipping was easy as well, PaddleVA set up freight with Old Dominion (OD), they gave me a call to schedule a drop of time and was seamless. Even the driver was very pleasant and gave me a hand with unloading it to my drive-way. The kayak came wrapped like a tank, (the driver actually made a comment how he was even surprised by how well wrapped and protected the kayak was. Overall a 6/5 experience (caught a nice pickerel on it's maiden voyage as well)ROBERT M.

This kayak is great all around. Plenty of space and very steady on water. My only minor complaint is that it's a bit of a wet ride in rougher waters. Be prepared for water crashing over bow.Joseph Gnolfo

So I waited…and I watched YouTube…and finally went for it! Why did I wait so long??? Having a blast with my new Hobie Outback! My friend mentioned that weight may be an issue…he said get the right size that you can load easily. The Outback is that perfect size. I grabbed the wheels as my first accessory….glad I did. It makes moving the kayak between the parking lot and the water sooooo much easier! And loading the Outback on the Outback (Subaru) is a piece of cake. I am enjoying the kayak! Thank you great folks at Next Adventure!Jeff H.

I couldn’t find available Hobies near me. Found paddleva on the Internet by chance and they had a large inventory. Everything went smoothly with purchase to old dominion freight. Would 100% recommend. I am loving my new Outback!Matt