Emotion Envy Sit-Inside Kayak, Red, 11'

First Kayak - Found on sale locally for a lot less. Storage is decent although I think I would have preferred a solid hatch instead of the dry bag style. Tracks well and is pretty fast in the water. Nice size at 11ft - a decent compromise of weight and stability versus a 12ft. I found 12ft kayaks to be too heavy and 10ft is too small with not enough of a load rating to really carry anything. Paddle is fairly light and works well although I did add some paddle grips for comfort. I also chose this one over the cheaper ones due to the better seat and knee pads. The seat bottom is a little thin and I may eventually upgrade it to something thicker. I like that the seat back has some adjust-ability to it with the strap. I wish it had a built in wheel as I did have to carry it nearly a 1/4 mile one time and that got old quick. I may buy a lightweight dolly or just avoid excursions where I would have to carry it far. Initially I was against a sit-in kayak because I was concerned about being trapped if it rolled over. After viewing sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks locally my fears were eased as the cockpit is pretty open and I'm unlikely to ever get a splash skirt with the calm waters I'll be on. This one also doesn't have a drain hole which most others seem to have so I may eventually drill my own. With a few modifications it makes a nice inexpensive kayak.

Handles well, stable and fast.

I just returned mine after a year and a half. If is cheaply made and kept falling apart. The hatch lid never shut well and eventually fell off. The handle screws kept coming out as did the bungee straps. I did like the tracking and cockpit size. Looking for similar one that is better made.

I'm very experienced with canoes, but not so much with kayaks. I found this one and loved the look of it as well as the enclosed storage compartment in the stern. The hull form looked outstanding and it just 'felt' right. So I took the plunge. I've had it in the water twice - first time in a small lake to learn the boat and a second time on the Willamette River here in Salem, OR. I love it. It's stable enough - though very easy to roll with an aggressive tip to the side. For a gentle lean, once the deck is awash, if you're not leaning upright, you're going over. I'm looking forward to getting a skirt for it and learning to roll properly. Once swamped, the boat goes nose down and you are NOT getting back into it until you bail it out. The only negative I have for this boat is that the bow Styrofoam flotation booster pops out immediately upon being swamped - It's only screwed in. LOL Pop it out and gorilla-glue it in and you're good to go. The stern Styrofoam bulkhead is similarly leaky. The bilges will end up in the stern compartment. I'm planning on running a bead of caulk around the bulkhead to resolve that issue. But, once bailed, you can easily get in over the bow or stern as long as your balance is good. Handling is outstanding. It's very maneuvrable and quick. Compared to the canoes I'm used to running (I solo camp a lot in NE Canada and use everything from a Kevlar single-jack to a big 3-man aluminium beast that is NO fun to portage. LOL), this thing is a fighter plane. I love it. It feels quite stable, even with power-boat wakes going by. Just roll with the hips and you're fine. My only future concern is that there is a seam running down the keel and the overhead. I wonder how long that will last - but I believe that used the way it's intended (flatwater recreational use), it'll be fine. I'm very satistifed with this purchase. Pros: Quick, agile, docile, low price, excellent cargo capacity. Cons: Styrofoam in nose is poorly secured, stern Styrofoam bulkhead leaks. Conclusion: Oh my yes, this is a good boat. I'm pretty sure I can load a fair amount of gear in this and kayak camp to my heart's content! EDIT: In the water a couple more times - Love it. The thigh pads are well placed, the seat is very comfortable and quite adjustable. My 6'4" friend finds that the foot rests don't adjust far enough out for his comfort though he still enjoys his. It portages easily on top of the head - the seat is perfectly placed for balance. Love it! VIDEO EDIT: Just got done with an overnight camping trip on the Willamette River near Independence, OR. We made this video to give you an idea what the boats look like in the water. Two Envy 11s (Red and Tiger-Striped) and a Glide (Green). They handled the gear with capacity to spare and no loss of maneuverability. We were all thrilled with the boats and the trip. Enjoy the pictures, some video, and the music I set it to. You can really see how the boats look and handle.