Old Town Canoes & Kayaks Vapor 10 Recreational Kayak

Enjoyable toys .... If you are a serious kayaker hoever, they do not track well in the water ..... A right stroke always requires a left to remain straight

I bought this Kayak (red/black color) a couple of days ago at a local retailer (SpAuth), and it was cheaper than here. I read lots of good reviews about it on paddling.net. and I recommend you head over there for lots more reviews and details on most any Kayak.After going out 2 times for a total of about 5 hours of paddling, I have some preliminary comments, and they are pretty much the same ones on paddling.net. The boat handles great, and has a good cross between some straight line stability (more than my wife's SunDolphin), and maneuverability. It seems a little tippy just off center, but the secondary stability is good. The seat is comfy enough (slightly padded bottom), and keeps my butt off the wet floor well. The seat back angle adjusts on the fly with a quick release cleat on the starboard gunwale. This single adjustment line is actually in front of you, so you don't have to contort to change the back recliner. Nice.I accidentally dumped the Kayak today while getting in at a boat ramp. My fault from poor technique. Aside from some wounded pride, it did show some negatives of the boat. The open cockpit is nice, but when the boat is full of water, the ridge around the opening actually holds water IN the boat even when you turn it upside down. Gallons of water wouldn't come out by turning it upside down. There is a water drain plug on the top on one side, but the location is terrible for actually finding the perfect position to get water out. You strain like crazy trying to find the right spot, fore/aft and side to side tilt to actually get the water to run out of that hole.The other negatives are that this boat has zero attachment points to hold anything. There are no bungees, hooks or eyelets anywhere, except for the very good carrying handles on the front and back. In addition, they tout the paddle holder, but it's more of a resting spot and doesn't hold the paddle securely at all. You could easily lose the paddle overboard without some kind of a lanyard (not included).Overall, I like the boat, and for the price I paid (less than here), it was a good value.

After doing tons of research online, I chose the Old Town Vapor 10 because of the extra large cockpit. I wanted to paddle with my 3-year-old daughter but didn't want a tandem kayak. This is perfect. Enough room for me (and I'm on the bigger side) and her in there. We sit her on a little life preserver pad and that seems to work great. It's a beautiful kayak, and Old Town knows what they're doing. The seat adjusts easily, but could be a teensy bit more padded. I love the handles for carrying. As a novice paddler, the Vapor feels a bit tippy when you first set off, but the more I got used to it, the easier it was and more comfortable I felt. My daughter understands that she needs to sit still or she'll end up in the water! To me, the Vapor seems a tad heavy, but I think I'm just a weakling and I'll get used to it. I would recommend the Old Town Vapor 10 kayak to anyone wanting to paddle with their young child on calm lakes and slow moving rivers.UPDATE: After 3 months of use, I'm perfectly comfortable in this kayak. It no longer feels tippy to me. I've since learned about primary and secondary stability. The reason this kayak felt tippy to me at first was because the primary stability allows the kayak to tip to the side in order to curve and turn faster. However, secondary stability is what kicks in when you lean it over too far. It simply won't go past a certain point, unless you're trying to leap out of it or stand up in it. So now I enjoy leaning over the side to look at the bottom of the lake. Even my daughter can move around in this kayak without worry she'll tip it over. I'm even more happy with my kayak now than when I first purchased it. You will NOT be disappointed in this kayak!

I bought one of these two summers ago from a local retailer and have used it a lot. I borrowed and rented many different kayaks before buying this one. It was my favorite recreational kayak in its price range. One thing I ended up adding was some riveted on tie down eyes around the storage spot in the back so I could use bungee cords to hold a cooler in place. Here are my pros and cons.Pros• Very stable / great for beginners (I've even taken mine in the ocean with 4ft swells and had fun)• More durable hull than a lot of other recreational kayaks• Pretty comfortable seat that you can adjust the angle of the backrest• Very easy to get in and out of (large cockpit opening)• Cup holders• Not too heavy for being a pretty thick hull• Good trackingCons• Drain plug in an awkward place• Wish it had a side mounted paddle holder (though you can add one easily)ConclusionThere is a reason why the place that rents kayaks on a river near my house has so many of these. It is a great boat for the money. Everyone I let borrow mine really enjoys it.

Over the years I've owned quite a few kayaks and canoes and I've found "Old Town" kayaks to be an excellent product.The 'Vapor 10' are excellent boats for lakes and slow moving rivers as their size makes for easy maneuverability and it comes with a number of convenient features that won't be found in less expensive boats, e.g. thigh/knee pads, adjustable foot braces, and the stern well which beats keeping things in the boat bilge where they're somewhat inaccessible.A great kayak for it's purpose. Before purchasing, though, consider it's weight as plastic boats are a bit heavy and sit in it to ensure the fit is right as, like people, "Old Town" boats come in all sizes.