Sitka LT

Having purchased a Skylark back in 2022 I decided to look out for a used Sitka. Luckily one was available in January 2024 but 5 hours away and in another country. I was able to get a good price on a 5 year old Sitka LT in good condition and after having it now for the past 4 months I can say that I am quite happy with the kayak! The cockpit fits snug (reference, I'm 5'9 165 lbs medium build) and the seat is comfortable for a few hours and then my butt starts to feel numb. Tracking is great and having the deployable skeg really helps with crosswind waves. Compared to my Skylark it does feel tippy, especially when waves are coming from the side, but it is a joy to hit the waves head on or ride them coming from the back! The two hatches carry plenty of gear and the small hatch is convenient for a snack bar and a microfiber cloth, unfortunately it's too small to fit a water bottle. Last but not least is the performance, it tracks beautifully in calm water and is so smooth that you don't realize how fast you're going! I easily passed my friends who were in 10-12 ft. kayaks and could maintain above average speed of 7.2 kmh!

I absolutely love my Sitka LT. Felt a bit tippy when I first took it out since I was used to wider kayaks, but I knew that before I bought it and in no time it felt comfortable. It's fast, I can carry it alone if I have to, it loads easily on my Rav4, it has enough cargo capacity for a several-day camping trip, and I looooove the convenient little hatch right in front of the cockpit. The skeg really helps in currents or cross-breezes, and I've enjoyed it's maneuverability and speed/easy cruising so much more than the more recreational kayaks I had tried before. Seat is comfortable for maybe an hour or an hour and a half, then I go through a period of needing to stretch my legs a little at least, which I can actually do from in the kayak thanks to the keyhole cockpit, and then I can go longer with no complaints. I'm actually getting kind of annoyed by the back of the seat, think I'll switch to a backband, but other than that I have no complaints about this kayak, highly recommend. I kayak with a partner in a slightly shorter, slightly wider kayak, and I can actually take breaks and just enjoy the scenery and look around without paddling and still keep up when they're paddling the entire time. The hull has held up well, and I look forward to a lot of years with this baby.

Just get one, you won't regret it. To my mind it's the perfect compromise between a true, longer, sea touring kayak and a rec boat. Its length is easier to store and move around than a longer kayak, but it's just an enormous step up from any rec boat or even a rec/touring 12-13 footer - the glide on this baby! I can paddle, paddle, pause and look around at the scenery, stretch my arms, whatever, look around, paddle again, and still keep up or pass friends in a rec boat without any effort. When I first got into it, yes, it felt tippy, but I was upgrading from far wider rec boats and I knew that was going to be an issue. Few hours in the cockpit, and I was feeling pretty comfortable. It's pretty fast, has great glide, handles wind and currents well with the occasional help of the skeg, and is more comfortable than the supposedly cushier, fancy loungy rec boats I tried out. And it just handles so much better. Tracks straight, glides, but still maneuverable and turns when you want it to. I can carry it comfortably alone if I need to, or even load it on my Rav4 alone if I have to. To be fair, I wouldn't want to portage this baby for a quarter mile or anything all alone, but I'm not fit, lol. To and from the water, no problem. I'm on the bigger end of the size recommendations but I find it comfortable and just right, responsive without ever feeling tight. The deck is low enough that I don't bonk my fingers when I'm carelessly paddling while looking at scenery etc, and although I haven't rolled in it, I think it would be perfectly doable. I can go about an hour and a half or so and then I start feeling a need to stretch my legs a little, but I can do it without getting out thanks to the keyhole cockpit, and then keep paddling comfortably again. And even that time limit is more about me sitting in that position and less about the kayak being in any way not ergonomic or comfy. It's a kayak that's luxurious on flat water, and still safe to tackle bigger water if you want to. Enough room in the hatches to camp for a few days comfortably, assuming you pack well. Loooooove the little extra hatch in front of the cockpit - just love it so much. I understand it's more of a "luxury, all-flash" sort of feature that isn't essential, but let's be honest - it's just so convenient! Love that it has full perimeter lines etc and is safer for open water, but you could spend your entire kayaking life on flat water and still love this kayak, for sure.