Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

I bought two of these boats at the same time. Found a good deal at Gander Mtn. I sold one to a friend. 1st couple of trips everything was great. Kayak is comfortable for a beginner and although heavier than I would like not too hard to carry to the water. Outfitted nicely. Seat and paddle alone saves you [$]. Lots of storage. The only bad thing I have to say (which is the death sentence for a boat) is that it sank on my third outting. I was making a 3 mile river trip and began taking on water. One of the scuppers failed at the point where the lower hull meets the uper platform. It was the scupper just behind the seat. It appears that the material was not sufficiently bonded at that point and broke loose allowing the hull to fill with water. [...] On a side note my friends castaway has had a lot more trips on it than my has and he has had no problems whatsoever with his and loves it. So I guess I just got a bad boat. Anyway, after my experience I could not recommend this boat.

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

Walked into a store in Santa Rosa few yrs ago... only yak on the floor... asked sales guy if it was sea worthy, he said "I think so" I said do u think it will sink, he said "its got those holes in it" was on the water the nxt day... and it rocks for the money... been out in 10-12ft swells and scared myself big time... but the fishing was huge!!! only thing is tighten the straps tight on the hatch... was way out felt sluggish, headed back in... and had taken on quite a bit a water...

Never fliped yet and this is my 3rd season fishing it... Great yak to start with...
Show No Fear!!!

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

after reading some negative reviews i wasnt sure what i was getting myself into but after trying this kayak out in the surf in south texas i am very pleased. it handled very well and was easy to get in to at about waist high water with 2 foot swells. was on the kayak, i had no problem going through and over waves. the only problem i noticed was that it liked to turn back towards the ocean when i was going back in. this could have been due to the current or possibly bad tracking on the kayaks part. i have read many reviews about it taking on water through the storage hatch.....first off, im not sure why the made the storage hatch open when the lid is off, i.e. it goes throughout the kayak and isnt just two or three inches deep thereby making it possible to fill up with water and sink.....however, after spending 45 minutes getting bombarded by waves that were coming over the hatch and hitting me, it only took in about a quart of water total.....all i did was tighten the straps down as tight as possible and made sure the hatch was covering the entire hole. a little foam insulation will cure the problem. definitely not a reason to give this cheaper, yet promising kayak a bad rating by any means. i got it with an employee discount from my sporting goods store for 322 which is simply unbeatable.

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

I am a recreational kayaker who bought this boat as a starter boat about one year ago. It is easy to maneuver and more comfortable than I thought it would be. It is also light enough to put on the vehicle by myself. The tracking could be better. I am extremely satisfied and the bottom line is, for the price you won't find a better value.

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

I have had my kayak for two weeks and have purchased one for my wife. We love them.The weight isn't an issue.I fish from mine and it
works great.

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

The kayak was about what I expected except for the footrests (which are difficult to adjust and tend to slip). The worst problem was that the kayak was shipped shrink-wrapped (!), not in a box. When it arrived, it was scuffed, dirty, and had a six inch gash in the hull. Oh for a little cardboard!

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

I have had this kayak for several months. It tracks reasonably well and is pretty stable. My primary concern was to be able to fish from it and modify it for diving. While it is a pretty good boat to fish from,[...]

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

This kayak is great for those looking for a multi-purpose kayak. It's stable, inexpensive, and extremely sturdy. I have used it in lakes, rivers, bays, and ocean (with about 3' swells). I stayed remarkably dry considering that it's a sit-on-top. This kayak offers ample storage, both for dry and on deck.

The only downside to this kayak is its 60lbs. weight. It may prove difficult, but not impossible for a single person to load and unload it from a taller SUV. I am 5'6" (155lbs.)with a Toyota FJ Cruiser (it has a bit of a lift on it, stock) and can load and unload it by myself in about 5 minutes each time, so it's not impossible. Another point worth mentioning is that the dry compartment is not 100% waterproof so placing water sensitive objects in a plastic zip lock bag may prove helpful.

Overall, this kayak is great all around. Specially for the price! Goodluck!

Comments about Pelican Pelican Castaway 116 Kayak:

The Castaway is an excellent kayak for the money. I have used it in lakes, rivers, bays, and ocean (with 3' swell). It's great for fishing, touring, or for some leisure paddling, as well as camping because of ample storage. I stay remarkably dry for a sit-on-top kayak.

cons: It's a little heavy but do-able for a single person loading on top of an SUV and the dry compartment is not 100% water proof.