Pelican brand Kayaks, are they any good?

Question

I am looking at the "Burst 8" Pelican Kayak. It is a sit-on-top kayak. Anyone own one or used one that could give me some info. as to if they like them or not?

Answer 1

Pelican has been around for a number of years - they specialize in manufacturing low end / affordable canoes and kayaks.  This particular boat has a max weight capacity of 200 pounds, it's 8 feet long and has a beam of 27", so it's rather wide for it's short length.

Sit on Tops are definitely the easiest way to get into kayaking - they're inexpensive, and very very stable for a beginner.   Before buying any boat, you should think long and hard about what you really want to do with it.   Will you be using it only to put around on a pond or small lake?  Do you live near the ocean and want to go fishing?  Do you think you might really want to "get into" paddling and go out every weekend?  Do you want to learn to run rivers and maybe do a little whitewater?   Do you want to find new fishing spots out on the lake?   Think about what you want to do MOST of the time.  Boats are designed for different functions - and an 8' x 27" boat isn't going to be right for all of them.  

What typically happens with a newbie kayaker is that they buy the least expensive boat they can get into, and within a few months or maybe even a year, they dislike kayaking in general.  However, it's not the sport they don't like, it's their boat in most cases.   Buying the cheapest boat can mean that you're buying the wrong boat for your needs.   Short boats can be turned easily, which is great if you're on a slow winding river and don't want the boat to track too hard.  And wide boats are slow, so if you have friends into kayaking, and they have a boat that's even 1 foot longer than yours, you'll work harder to keep up with them.

The best way to buy a kayak, is to try out the boats you're interested in prior to handing over the cash.  The problem with Pelican products is that they are rarely sold via retailers that will allow this.  Find a paddling shop that carries some of the higher end boats, and "test paddle" as many as you can.  Maybe even rent one for an afternoon.  You'll find that many boats that appear similar in size and shape will respond very differently to you.  See what you like, and you can scour Craigslist, garage sales, and ebay to find a used one.  You stand a great chance of getting a lot more boat for about the same money as the Burst.

Good luck!