153 of 154 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent first kayak, June 22, 2010
This review is from: Emotion Glide Kayak (Sports)
My wife wanted this for her birthday. Actually she wanted any kayak. After coming here and checking through the list most were inflatable. It was only Emotion that had a real hard shell kayak at this price range. The fact that it is available in so many different colors you can find the perfect one that your boater would enjoy.
Her first trip out. We went out to the Erie Canal and found several people kayaking up and down it all day. She was nervous to go out in it her first time, there are no natural waves on the water in the canal, yet she was still timid, due to not knowing how to maneuver and paddle. Eventually a person came in that had what appeared to be a professional kayak. I asked him for a lesson and he heartily agreed to show her the basics.
Where this is going is that once he got in the Emotion kayak I thought he would comment on its "cheapness" instead, he remarked that it was a fantastic kayak, balanced and very easy to maneuver and move. This made her and I very happy to know we purchased such a good kayak. She took off and paddled for over an hour and came back remarking how easy it tracked and how stable it felt in the water. I gave it a try and was thoroughly impressed at how stable it felt.
Pros:
+ Its light and easy to carry
+ Well balanced
+ Carrying handles make it easy to carry with 2 people
+ Included strap and indented area beside where you sit hold the paddle.
Cons:
- Seat bottom could use about 1/4 inch more padding but its really good for a couple of hours after that it can feel hard.
- Doesn't come in puce, just kidding the color options are awesome.
Accessories:
Emotion Standard Paddle, 220cm- You should stand up and your hands should curl over the top of the paddle for the right size. My wife is 5ft 7in and the 220 is too long for her but not by much.
Can Panion Drink Holders - this is handy and pretty cheap
Stearns Gatsby Canoe & Kayak Vest - Super comfortable and easy to wear in the kayak due to the open back and sides.
Tips:
Get some sort of kayak rack for the roof of your car/suv. Reason is transporting this on the Yakima bars on my SUV during a hot day sort of deformed the plastic a little. It has since sprung back but you should have a proper kayak rack to avoid this.
Summary:
This is an intermediate kayak at an beginner inflatable price. The only reason you shouldn't get it is if you need the inflatable to put in your trunk vs carrying this on your car. Inflatables puncture, thats a fact, this will stay firm and strong for many years to come.
Thanks for reading my review.
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57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent runabout kayak, June 25, 2010
This review is from: Emotion Glide Kayak (Sports)
I've been paddling inflatables for a quarter century. Every one of them has gotten a puncture, often leading to me taking an unexpected swim. It was time to move on to a hard shell.
My friends have thousand-dollar 16-foot kayaks that never leave the garage. I wanted a boat that I could easily throw into the water. At 38 pounds, I can carry this kayak short distances with one hand. With a length of 9'10", I can fit it inside my minivan so I don't have to mess with a roof rack. And since it's under ten feet, I don't need to buy an Oregon launch permit.
I have a fragile back and require good back support and adjustable foot pegs. This kayak has them.
The boat handles better than I expected. I can paddle in a straight line as fast as in the longer boats. It's a little more work to make a turn in still water, but I got used to that pretty quickly.
Bottom line: I'm buying a second Emotion Glide kayak so my daughter and I can paddle together.
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52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Kayak - Worth Every Penny, September 15, 2010
This review is from: Emotion Glide Kayak (Sports)
Emotion Glide Kayak
I bought this item from Amazon for $399.00 which included "Free Super Saver Shipping" and "no sales tax".
I ordered it on Tuesday August 24th and the estimated ship date was Monday August 30th. I was really
thrilled when I got an e-mail from Amazon on Thursday August 26th saying my kayak had shipped and would
arrive on Monday August 30th. It was delivered by ABF and it arrived in perfect condition. To get it on
the day it was originally scheduled to be shipped was great "Special Thanks to Amazon".
I am new to kayaking. I bought it simply to lose some weight and hopefully have a little fun. Since I was
new to kayaking I had no ideal if I could do it, or even if I'd enjoy doing it. I decided to buy a cheaper
inflatible kayak to see if kayaking was something I would enjoy.
I bought a Sea Eagle SE-330 to try out kayaking. The Sea Eagle SE-330 is a really nice inflatible kayak,
and I enjoyed kayaking the moment I hit the water the first time. I live next to a lake so I only use a
kayak for exercise and being out on the water, not for white water or shotting the rapids. I used the
Sea Eagle everyday for about 5 weeks, usually staying out on the water anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.
My lower back started hurting, I've had ongoing lower back problems with L2 & L3, so the kayaking was
becoming less enjoyable. The Sea Eagle SE-330 I bought was the Pro Package which included the upgraded
seats for better back support. The Sea Eagle SE-330 is a great inflatible kayak and I highly recommend
it for anyone who does not need strong back support and does not have back pain issues.
I did a lot of research looking for a hard shell kayak that was both affordable and offered good strong
back support. Everything I read about the Emotion Glide Kayak was positive including lots of talk about
how nice and strong the back support is. I also liked that most reviewers said it was stable, that it
tracked straight in the water and it was light enough for one person to carry a short distance to the
water.
I decided since I enjoyed kayaking and being out on the water I'd order one. I bought a Blue one and
the color matched exactly to the photo Amazon uses with the listing. I have used it everday since it
arrived on August 30th, and on somedays I've even taken it out twice, once in the morning and another
time in the afternoon. I usually stay out for 60 to 90 minutes and I've not had any pain at all in my
lower back. I do use a flat floation device from Wal-Mart to add cushion to the back rest, seat comes
with very thin padding. I am amazed how good my back feels using this kayak and I'm very pleased that
I went ahead and ordered it.
I am 5'9 and I weigh 235, weighed 256 when I bought the Sea Eagle SE-330. So I've lost over 20 pounds
having fun kayaking while also getting plenty of exercise. I like that! The Emotion Glide Kayak is very
stable. The lake I use has a pier that sticks out in the lake maybe 50 feet. I take the Glide out to
about the middle of the pier, set it in the water, than climb in holding the edge of the pier. I'm able
to climb in and out without tipping over or falling in the water. The large opening makes it really easy
to climb in and out of.
The Glide tracks straight and true through the water. I use it on flat water and I have no problems of
any kind paddling or steering this kayak. It does well when we get wind accross the lake, I've never
taken on any water or really gotten wet out on the lake. I enjoy every minute I'm using the Glide!
I highly recommend this kayak for anybody looking for good back support while kayaking on flat water
such as a lake like I do. I give it 5 stars ***** all the way!
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