The Seaward seats, which double as a paddle float, are comfortable if you fit them to your size. I've made a sail from a triangular tarp and have deployed it with good results. Why roll when you can brace has been my mantra for decades. We can lean and brace easily and I'm sure we could roll it, if we were silly enough to try. The rudder is a bit spongy, but it is turning a 22foot long vessel, and I guess that is ok. We use the rudder in following seas or when we are lazy. Handles well, even when coasting among the rocks near shore. You must use the space in front of the pegs for anything longer than five or six days - tarp bag, bear can, fire pots.

The hatch covers are great and have proven to be effective even in rough water. Dry storage is adequate for a five day trip. We also tend to take the shortest route in crossings rather than hug a coast if there is wind.Ĭarries a surpsringly large amount of gear. We can cut our time to known points by 20% over our singles. We've had our boat for two summers and have used it on a dozen multi-day trips as well as sharing it with friends who have less experience on the water than we. I'd recommend it.Ī wonderful double and well suited for medium range (up to 10 days or 200 nm) trips here in Southeast Alaska. Overall a great boat that I'm really happy with. Also if you're a person with large feet you might have an issue with space since the hull tapers down on the sides quite a bit for the aft paddler. However if the pedals were slightly larger that would make them a bit more comfortable and easier to operate. I prefer that over the sliding pedal system. I'm currently modifying the seats to add a tad more contour to make them more comfy. I'm currently adding additional deck lines along my cockpit in the rear. Haven't rolled the boat over yet but front hatch was bone dry after taking a number of waves over the bow. Here's some of my thoughts about the boat: I've been paddling now for about 6 years. IMO few boats could live up to a 10 rating. Two experienced paddlers could probably paddle and maneuver without rudder in calm waters.

Tracking and turning have been primarily by rudder input at this point. It has a pronounced tendency to turn up wind but I was able to keep us on course with a little pressure on the rudder. We've only had the boat out 3 times but one of the times was in 20knot wind. The seats are also bolt-in foam cushion on plastic seats as opposed to previous foam flotation seat. I like this much better than the traditional rope pull setup. Most notable the slider rudder control - very nice. We ordered ours at the end of Jan/09 and received in 2nd week of March. The Passat feels very stable but yet more lively than most doubles. Over the years I've rented various models. I would say this is the nicest double I've paddled. The Passat is a capable kayak that will, as one of our reviewers put it, â€œtempt a pair of motivated paddlers to perfect tandem rolls, braces and other advanced kayaking skills.â€ Loping along at a more relaxed pace, it is easy to sustain 5 knots. The Passat will make good headway in sloppy water and a pair of strong paddlers can get the Passat moving at 6.5 knots. On the Passat G3 the cockpits are even farther apart, making room for a bulkheaded cargo or kid compartment in the middle of the kayak. The distance between the cockpits keeps paddles from clashing. The narrow beam creates good clearance for paddlingâ€”especially for the stern paddler who sits just at the widest part of the kayakâ€”and feels very much like paddling a single. The narrower beam gives the Passat a bit less stability than wider doubles, but it still has a feeling of stability greater than that of most singles. Its 26â€ beam is narrow in comparison to other doubles, where a beam of 28â€ to 30â€ is typical. It is a very comfortable boat to paddle in rough water and is a well thought-out and sensibly equipped double.â€ â€œThis kayak will kick the pants off of other doubles.â€ It had none of the bulky feel of many other doubles. We reviewed the Passat in 1999, and it was a hit with the reviewers: â€œThe Passat is a rewarding boat to paddle.

Tandem kayak