Sea Dart 17'

The Sea Dart 17 is an ideal kayak for year-round use for larger paddlers. A "Greenland" style kayak, it was designed for a high sustainable cruising speed. Reviewers noted the boat "responds to leaned turns surprisingly well; no need for a rudder" and "holds a course well in all directions." Paddlers who get uncomfortable in closed-in spaces appreciate the feeling of freedom in the open cockpit. The cockpit's high sides give a dry ride for a sit-on-top.

This 17'4" kayak is 26" wide at the buoyancy sponsons, and only 22" wide at the waterline. The extra stability provided by the sponsons automatically engages as the kayak is edged. The boat weighs 73 pounds, and is rated at 300 pounds capacity.

Ms. Kayak says: This kayak has a low rear deck, which makes re-entry easy if you can't hop directly into the cockpit. We use the Sea Dart all winter for touring. It was voted "Best SOT Kayak" by Sea Kayaking magazine's Readers' Choice awards for 2005. The manufacturer, Heritage, discontinued the model for 2006.

Here's Rob, paddling our Sea Dart 17 on Long Island Sound (this kayak is for sale). 

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This is a front view of the same model, with a 6'2" paddler.