Recreational Kayaks

Featured review by Betsy Burden

Best for lakes and slow rivers, for anyone wanting an easy little boat with plenty of room for gear.

Been out in this 10-foot sit-in kayak for several trips this spring including a short camping trip upriver.  This one has plenty of room for gear including a dry hatch in back with a lockable rubber top that holds a small flexible cooler, a duffle bag, and room for more stuff crammed in the crannies. There's room behind the seat for a sleeping bag, room between your feet for more gear, and a installed criss-cross bungee kit on front of the kayak that can hold two chairs in bags. It has a couple of hooks and smaller little bungees around the cockpit to attach handy things like camera or phone.

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Featured review by Bill Rawlinson (Finalcut)

Super stable and tracks well. This is a great kayak for touring around lakes and rivers. Great for beginner paddlers and beyond.

I've been a canoer my entire life but decided that my big 15' canoe was a bit too heavy for me to man-handle alone so I sold it and bought the 12' Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 kayak which weighs about 49 pounds (30 pounds less than my old canoe).   I had never sat in a kayak before and I was a little nervous about how different it might be from my canoeing experience. My concerns were misplaced though because this kayak is very user friendly. Getting in and out of it is a breeze. The cockpit opening is HUGE and the boat is so stable I had no trouble standing up in the kayak on the water while holding onto nothing to help me get in/out.

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Reviewed by Ralph Troutman

Old Town produced a great family recreational kayak in the Twin Heron. Excellent learning kayak and wonderful for a quiet day on lake or stream. I've paddled most of my life and this is the most comfortable kayak or canoe I've had.

Visited the Old Town factory in Maine and found a great deal on a Twin Heron kayak. Couldn't wait to get it in the water! This 60-pound kayak is easy to handle out of the water with two carry handles and lots of places to grab when you lift it onto a vehicle. Unique colors even look good sitting on top. The kayak excels once you get it into its natural environment, a lake, pond, or quiet stream. The Twin Heron is easy to paddle and tracks well, hold plenty of gear, and the seats are comfortable for an extended trip.

Read more: Old Town Twin Heron review (1)

Featured review by Dean Myers

Great rec kayak for lakes and slow rivers, capable of light overnight trips.

Have had this kayak almost three years. I've dragged it, banged it, shot over ice and hit bottom more than a few times. Aside from a few scratches, the hull is perfectly intact.  It's easy to get in and out of, has a very comfortable and well adjustable seat, a fairly big water-tight hatch on the back (enough for a tent and sleeping gear), a little water-tight hatch on the dash for keys or a cellphone (I use this hatch regularly and it hasn't failed), adjustable foot stays, bungee tie-downs on the front top which hold extra gear well, a paddle holder, knee pads, and a good skirt lip.

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Reviewed by Maddix

A most excellent kayak for flat and mostly calm waters (rivers, lakes, and bays). Very stable with plenty of room for a companion, whether a larger dog or most tweens and younger. Excels at kayak camping.

Don't be fooled by the Cons, this is an awesome kayak if you are serious about bringing your buddy with you, kayak camping, or both.  It also works just fine for a short solo paddle as well, although so do plenty of other kayaks. Marketing. I fault copy/paste marketing folks for having bad info out there regarding this kayak. Half the ads I saw and some reviews listed a skeg, when in fact no skeg is available. How can you trust a review that is nothing more than a copy of the company's marking materials in the first place? Accessories.

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Featured review by Christian

This kayak is fantastic! I wanted a good kayak to get me where I needed/wanted to go and it always has safely. Whether i was going over a dam or over rapids or even in big wide water it's really good and really anything that flips this thing is pretty dangerous water to begin with. Sometimes it seems as if mine will warp but it looks up and running back to normal right away and it also seems that both sides are not perfectly even but it has never affected the performance and i am sure it's just my eye anyway.

I went into the kayak company having a little bit of time on canoes and sit-on-top kayaks but when i went in to buy this one it was something else and something i had a feeling i was going to love. i bought it for a very low price considering its quality and when i first took it on the water it was ready to go and take me where i need. As stated in the summary the design sometimes makes it look a bit warped or like the shape isn't quite even on the sides but it has not at all affected it, if that is the case which i am sure my eyes are just tricking me.

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Reviewed by Sharon Miller

Perfect crossover kayak. Just what I was looking for!

I kayak the waters of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, so I wanted a kayak that would do well on lakes or on Class I to III rapids. I found just what I was looking for with this one! I also like to do nature photography, and the skeg makes a big difference in keeping me on track toward my subject. The seat is adjustable and very comfortable, even during a 10-hour float. I am a 57-year-old woman, and I wanted one light enough I could lift by myself. At under 50 pounds, this is one I can handle.

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Reviewed by DWEST

Terrific overall kayak.

Purchased new in April 2014 from REI. Wanted to find a good kayak for recreational use that wouldn't break the bank. Settled on two Elie Sound 100XE's at around $600 piece.   Having used three years now, I feel I can give some insight.   Majority of use has been on calm waters—lakes, creeks, and streams. I imagine a high end one can really move, but I have no issues moving quickly in this. Decent balance in width. Creature Comforts—The seat is very comfortable, allows you to recline or sit up straight.

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Featured review by Sam Campbell

I bought this kayak about 4 years ago and have used it over 100 times on lakes and rivers. The seat is comfortable enough sit in for full days in a row and it is great to paddle. I have had two quality issues: The paddle strap plastic holders broke off and one of the foot rails leaks. It has great toughness and is extremely stable.

This was my first kayak and I still use it as my main kayak to this day. It is extremely comfortable to paddle and has enough room to stash supplies for a 3-day adventure on the water. As a beginner, it was very stable and I have never felt wobbly or in danger. I have used this well over 100 times on water ranging from class 1 rapids to wide fast-moving rivers to lakes to meandering creeks. On the creeks, it was a bit long and not as nimble as I needed it to be, but that is no surprise. Everywhere else, it has worked wonderfully.

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Featured review by John Havey

This kayak is fantastic. Handles with ease, solo or tandem. Great all around kayak with wonderful versatility.

I have had this kayak for three years. This yak is great. Can be switched to solo or tandem by simply moving the front seat to one of the other positions. I can put it on the roof of my SUV the same way you would a canoe, no special racks needed. The cockpit is very large and the seats are very comfortable with many adjustment options. When using it in solo mode the balance is great and the storage space is abundant. Tandem or solo it tracks wonderful and glides across the water with minimal effort. 

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