Kayak Pelican Summit 120X

Regarding the first review.....this is not a white water/river kayak and expecting it to perform like one is foolish. It is not what it is designed for. Its a kayak for ponds and lakes in reasonably calm conditions. In these conditions it works pretty well and a skirt is seldom needed. You're right though, most skirts will not fit anyway. I agree about the lack of bulk heads, and inadequate floatation....if it fills it will most likely go to the bottom....hence the reason to use it in appropriate conditions. This kayak is pretty stable. I've had this out in very windy, white cap conditions on lakes. No problem as long as you keep your nose or tail into the wind. I've also let people who have never sat in a kayak before try it and they had no reservations once underway. Paddling it takes very little effort and the seating is pretty comfortable. The paddle that comes with it is of good quality. I believe cdn tire sells the paddle separately for about $85. I would give this kayak 5 stars if it had better floatation for when/if it swamps, had a little more storage/accessories and if it tracked a little better. The tracking isn't terrible but not as good as it could be. For the money, especially if you can get it on sale, its a pretty decent little kayak. For what its worth, if you look for information on pelican kayaks online, you'll see that they are not looked fondly upon. I think they are comparing them to kayaks that cost 2-4 times as much though.

I've kayaked a bit before and wanted an all-purpose boat that would get me on the water and build some skills. This is a great kayak for calm waters. My first run was down the torch river; it was high with fast running water and lots of rocks. The boat survived, but wouldn't be my first choice if I had to purchase it again. 1) I found that the styrofoam floatation in the rear of the kayak comes out. (there is no bulkhead separating front and back). The rope handles also snapped with a good pull while hauling the capsized kayak boat out of a strong current. 2) The cockpit cover fits poorly; it slips off all of the time. Spray skirts don't fit this kayak well because the cockpit is so massive and shaped a bit like a peanut ( that is a mild exaggeration). In my experience, this is a necessary accessory. It keeps water out. The cockpit is too large for most spray skirts; very few skirts fit at all. You CAN NOT get a skirt that fits from Canadian tire.I finally found a Harmony synergy 4923 spray skirt that fits. However, the shape of the cockpit allows the skirt to slip off easily. When waves hit the side of the kayak, poor cockpit shape and shallow cockpit combing allows some water in at the sides. Don't even think about learning to roll with this setup. There were also things I liked: There is a ridge around the edges, where the plastic pieces fit together, which is very nice for lifting the kayak alone. The paddle sold in the package is solid, and feels good to me.