Old Town Otter Plus Kayak - 2009 BCS

I know the otter is great on the local lakes here in Pennsylvania and it is not made for big white water, but I had to give it a try. I took it out on the Stoneycreek river a class III and IV rapid river and it did great. Not sure how long it would last under those conditions. It took a beating, lots of scraps and scratches. But it was a blast.

I have had my Otter XT now for 5 years. I absolutely love it! I have NEVER tipped it over, as it is extremely stable. Friends who have never been kayaking in their lives have used it, and been amazed at how easy it is to maneuver. I have taken it on rivers, streams, and lakes, in still and fairly choppy waters, and it has never let me down. It can go almost anywhere, and works even in extremely shallow water, and narrow streams. The foot pegs are fully adjustable, and there is quite a bit of "carry room" behind the seat and (since I am only 5' 3") in the front part as well.

I bought my first Old Town Otter at the Old Town Outlet in 1997. The Otters track extremely well, even in wind, much better than other kayaks of their size class and better than longer, more expensive kayaks that I've paddled. One person can easily load an Otter onto a car rack. They handled well in a moderate current (NW Iowa, Raccoon River), on lakes, and on tidal creeks. At 9 feet 6 inches and about four inch draft, you can turn around on tidal creeks and paddle where no other boat can go at low tide! It's not a boat for an Eskimo roll--large, loose cockpit is comfortable on summer days, but you'll do a wet exit if you turn over. The kayak is hard to flip; I did it once deliberately (checking out the kayak) and once in a swift current trying to rescue another kayak. (I should have beached my boat and admitted I was going to get wet.) You can keep warm under a spray skirt in colder weather. The price is right, too!

We own two Old Town Otter XT Kayaks and just love them. We were new to kayaking when we bought them and wanted something that was easy to handle and something that wouldn't tip over very easily. We love that they are light enough for us to carry, and really love the big opening as we don't feel trapped in the kayak. Also my 5 year old daughter has plenty of room to ride in my lap. Simple to maneuver and they move plenty fast through quiet waters. We have even used them on a few rapids and they did really well. Foot pegs are easy to adjust, and there is plenty of storage behind the seat. I was looking for an inexpensive kayak to have fun with...and the otter xt is perfect!

This is a steady kayak when using the adjustable foot pegs. I was so excited to use the kayak that I forgot about the pegs and the kayak was wobbly, but once I used the foot pegs there was no problem. I am 6'feet tall and fit just fine with plenty of leg room. The kayak does have styrofoam in the front and if I remember correctly the back as well for stability. The adjustable back rest is nice and provides good support. So far I have only used this on a high fast river with no rapids.