4
I paddled my Expedition 140…
Submitted by: danielbickers on 3/12/2012
I paddled my Expedition 140 extensively all last year and found it to be a real joy. Very good balance of tracking, maneuverability, stability and glide. No leakage at all. I've been in chop large enough to break over the bow but took no water in the co*ckpit. The appearance after a coat of automotive wax can only be described as striking.
I give it a 9 because of one shortcoming for me, the seat. At 5'9" and 160 lbs. my bony butt hurts after 2-3 hours. Don't have this problem in other brands. The addition of a YakPad solved the problem. I recommend this kayak.
5
I'm 74 years old. 6 feet 4…
Submitted by: paddler233810 on 11/10/2010
I'm 74 years old. 6 feet 4 inches tall & weigh 205 pounds. I had a Perception Captiva 16 foot with rudder for 10 years & loved it. As I got older it became harder to lift to my car top. Looking for something lighter I bought a Hurricane Santee 116. Had to remove footrests for leg room. This didn't work, so I bought a Tampico 140L with rudder. It was light, but paddled heavy. It felt like pushing a plow through water. It seemed reluctant to turn & the rounded bottom lacked the stability I want. The raised deck gives more leg room, but makes it hard to reach the bow rigging. Used it 6 times & traded it for the Expedition 140. This is what I've been looking for.
It tracks great & feels light. The bow rises to meet waves & the co*ckpit stays dry, even with the 38 inch opening. The extra 2 1/2 inches in width allows me to carry my camera bag between my legs. I can paddle with my legs straight out. The rudder works very easy. The bow rigging is closer & easy to reach.
Hurricane builds beautiful boats with attention to detail. I'm 74 & if I keep this one 10 years it will be my last.
4
After researching numerous…
Submitted by: paddler233362 on 9/10/2009
After researching numerous manufacturers, styles, kayak models, etc online - and then demo-ing three different boats (courtesy of our local outfitter store), we fell in love with the Expedition Sport. My wife and I each bought one (arrived just a week ago)and have spent three days straight on the water with them. Great kayaks both in performance and in appearance! They look like composites yet cost just marginally more than their more traditional roto-molded competitors. It doesn't hurt that they weigh about 10 lbs less than their counterparts either. They draw attention on the water too. The high gloss finish and the quality of the workmanship just stands out. We're very pleased.
These are our first kayaks, and we wanted something that we could enjoy for a long time. The Expedition Sport is a perfect balance of great looks, swiftness, stability and tracking. Even more important to me was it's ease of entry. The larger co*ckpit was a necessity for me. I'm 6'3" so getting in and out of a more traditional co*ckpit was challenging to say the least! Although my wife could fit in just about any kayak made, she also opted for this larger co*ckpit version - and has no regrets. It just works great for us.
Only negative (and it's minor) is the seat backrest adjustment. It's an extremely well made and comfortable seat in general, but both of us like the back raised up. This seat has a simple ratcheting system that allows you to raise the back several inches. Problem is that it doesn't like to stay up! I found an easy fix by tying some string across the ratcheting part so that it will no longer spring open - but I shouldn't have to "fix" anything on a new boat. A minor design flaw that is quickly overlooked in what is overall an absolutely wonderful kayak!
4
I've had my new MANGO…
Submitted by: paddler232659 on 6/16/2008
I've had my new MANGO Hurricane Expedition Sport since mid April. My third kayak. Paddles like a dream. Can maneuver as good or better than any other kayak I've been in. (I also have a Santee 11.5)
5
I've owned my Santee…
Submitted by: paddler232569 on 5/15/2008
I've owned my Santee Expedition for about a year now, and love it. It's not my first kayak, in fact I have several, but this is my favorite. So far I've completed a 3 day trip down the St Joe and and easily pulled ahead of the other boats in the group. I've been on the Sturgeon River (Fastest flowing river in the lower Michigan) and it has the able to turn on a dime. I've taken my dog for rides, she's a golden, and no I did not get the Sport edition, I have the smaller co*ckpit. I've been of several other rivers and lots of in-land lakes. I've found this kayak to be very good in all the different conditions I've been in. Even Lake Michigan was fun in this boat.
5
First yak I've owned and 3…
Submitted by: paddler232105 on 6/18/2007
First yak I've owned and 3 days later I've been on 3 rivers, lake Huron, and Higgins lake. I've spent about 13 hours in the past 3 days paddling around and the Expedition is definitely for me. It has HUGE storage capacity in the front and back. There is just as much in the front as in some other brands all together. There is enough room to pack a weeks trip supplies. I've been told it can take 5 foot waves. So far I've only encountered 1 foot swells. Navigating is a breeze even for an inexperienced paddler as myself. Very sweet deal.
4
Loved the boat! It's light,…
Submitted by: kor4pres on 5/22/2007
Loved the boat! It's light, it moves very well, and it was easy to keep on course. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get moving and keep it there. I'm sure full touring boats would get up to speed easier, but as for keeping the boat moving, it was a breeze.
Plenty of storage, a little tight for my size 13s, but nothing unmanageable. The foot pegs could stand to be able to go down one or two more notches. The seat is really comfortable, too. Given my size (6'1", 280lbs--probably the reason it took a little work to get it up to cruising speed....), the boat has been nothing but a perfect choice for a rec kayak that goes fast (or an entry touring that keeps up just fine). They designate it a hybrid. I designate it excellent.I was using mine on a nice calm lake, and was able to sneak up on turtles and herons with impunity. I've not taken it out in inclement weather of any sort--just haven't had the chance.
It's gorgeous, too! It's a nice, bright yellow, with a hint of lime green that comes out on the portions that catch the light. Very shiny, like the more expensive composites. The 52lb weight is definitely a shoulder-saver when car-topping.
Basically, if it just had a little more foot-space, and slightly longer adjustments for the foot-pegs, it'd be a 10.
4
After an inspection at my…
Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/27/2006
After an inspection at my local paddling shop last week and a good bit of time doing research online, I arranged for a demo of Hurricane Aquasports new Expedition today. At 14 ft long, 26” wide and 46 pounds, I would call this a light touring or day touring boat. As with all of Hurricane’s models, this one is made of Trilon…a form of plastic with an appearance more like that of fiberglass and a density slightly less than standard poly. The Expedition is available with two co*ckpit options…a standard style co*ckpit of 38” x 21” and a “Sport” or rec style co*ckpit with a larger 50” x 24” opening. The well padded seat offered multiple adjustments and was very comfortable. Rudders or skegs are optional add-ons. Both versions have front and rear bulkheads with front and rear storage compartments. The front compartment on the “sport” version has to be accessed from inside the co*ckpit instead of from the top. The hatches are rubber and seemed to be a little difficult in getting on and off. The boat didn’t get up to speed as quickly as I would have expected but once it did, it coasted along well when I wasn’t paddling. It tracked and maneuvered well, especially when I leaned into some of the turns. Even when leaning into some of the turns, I felt very stable and not at all “tippy”. I’m not sure this boat is the one for me but it’s one not to miss if it falls into the category or class into which you might be looking. Since I had a relatively short demo in this boat and I have paddled other boats in this class that I felt were superior I'm only going to rate this a 7. Overall, it was better than average but not outstanding in any particular way.
