Paddle-Fishing.com

I had a friend call me yesterday, he has been looking for a kayak. He saw one in Sams Club. We went up this morning, he and I both bought one. With tax, $277. It is a 12 foot, sit-on-top. Meriwether Explorer. Two rod holders in the back, comes with a paddle, and foam blocks and straps for transporting. Not a bad deal if it floats.

http://www.meriwetherkayaks.com/products/exp12.shtml

Who knows how long it will last, but for that price, I couldn't pass it up. The wife was wanting a kayak, so now she has one.

There are three more at Sams in Brandon.

Gotta go try it out now......

EDIT: They are not on the floor. You have to ask someone to go to the back and get it out.

I've always thought a thousand dollars for a piece of friggin plastic was highway robbery.

Nice price, waiting for the review.. Here are some other people's reviews ..looks mixed but possibly biased due to user lack of experience

$277? Is that a typo? That's is super cheap. Is it stable enough for you to stand on?

For a first kayak and a first paddle, or even a transitional kayak, you can't beat the price. At least you have a functional fishing craft that you can use till you decide what you would like for your personal style of fishing and paddling the areas where you like to fish.. And if this craft is exactly what you want long term?, My hats off tooya!!

Saw one of those somewhere the other day. I was struck by the resemblance to a Redfish 12.

Chief1600 wrote:Saw one of those somewhere the other day. I was struck by the resemblance to a Redfish 12.

Wow, that does look very similar.

Was the plastic composition similar to a Heritage, WS, etc., or more like a Pelican?

$277.00!!??

Did it float? Please post a personal review!

Thanks for the info.

Weight capacity of 320 is too little for us fat boys.

I only got to paddle it out in the canals by my house for a couple hours before I had to go back out of town for work. The wife took it out Sunday, and said it was fine. It is very similar to the Redfish 12 that I have. And yes, I could stand in it.

Pros:
Price
Paddles easy, even with the supplied paddle.

Cons:
Does not track well, a rudder would probably fix that.
Still trying to think of a good place to mount a scotty up front.

Is it as good as a wilderness or heritage or any other top brand? No. Fit and Finish are not up to the same level. Is it a floating boat that someone else (a visiting friend, neighbor, wife, child) would enjoy to go out in? Yes. I would not hesitate to go out and buy another at that price if I needed to. I would not go out and buy it as a primary kayak to use a couple times a week, only as a back-up or a once in a while boat.

Once I get back home in a few weeks, I will try to get out in it to fish. The wife took one picture when she was out at Simmons with a friend, but the Redfish 12 is in front and you can't see the other boat, so I will have to take some other pics later.

You may also find that the quality of material that the boat is made of to be sub-par. A lot of boats in that price range only last a season or two before they start coming apart at the seams or warping beyond the point of usability.

I've seen one of them. My local Sams has them too. The plastic doesn't look that bad. Same class/ quality as some of the new yaks marketed by Bass Pro.