Why We Like The Heron 9XT Kayak
Old Town's Heron 9XT Kayak is a recreational boat built for fishing, and something we recommend for paddlers looking for comfort at an affordable price tag. The Heron features just enough stern storage for an afternoon on the water, adjustable seating to accommodate a range of paddlers, and a hull that feels rock solid in all types of conditions. You get a few extra bells and whistles and a simple, reliable boat that'll bring you and your family years of fun for seasons to come.
Details
- Recreational kayak constructed for novice paddlers and fishing
- Adjustable Comfort Flex seat with padding at the back and seat
- Support Track foot brace, thigh pads, and paddle rest for comfort
- Stern hatch with Click Seal cover for water-protected storage
- Cup holder, paddle keeper, and two rod holders add storage
- Item #JOPF117
- Hull Material
- polyethylene
- Length
- 9ft 6in
- Width
- 28.5in
- Deck Height
- 13in
- Maximum Load
- 300lb
- Cockpit Dimensions
- 19.39in
- Hatch Cover
- Click Seal
- Rudder
- none
- Skeg
- molded-in
- Paddler Skill
- beginner
- Claimed Weight
- 39lb
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited lifetime
- Activity
- recreational paddling, fishing
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
4 based on 8 ratings
Review Summary
What do you think about this product?
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageAugust 7, 2022
Love this kayak!
Great kayak for calm waters. At 9ft I can just get it into my Jeep Grand Cherokee (as long as nobody’s in the car with me). I can really go fast in it. Comfortable. What else can I say? Love it!
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
July 9, 2022
Bit of a Tub
I’m 5’4” 125lbs female. The rear of this kayak does not touch the water when I’m in it. This means that it’s a hard paddle and will not hold its course. (I have no trouble in our necky rip 10). I have only used this on small inland lakes in good conditions. I have found putting a small bar weight, 8lb, in the rear hatch helps to push the stern down into the water. While there is nothing wrong with its quality I wouldn’t recommend this kayak and would definitely prioritize a better shaped hull and skeg over kayak weight.
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
September 1, 2021
Service and tracking
This is the worst service I am pretty sure I just got scammed out of 849.00 dollars
June 25, 2021
Quality and lightweight
I have 4 kayaks, and my old town haron9xt is by far my favorite. Great tracking, comfortable, only 37lbs, very well made and, an all around great kayak. I love it.
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
June 21, 2021
Light, Sturdy, Responsive.
So excited to receive my new kayak. Did extensive research looking for a lighter, yet well designed boat, in my price range. I've been kayaking for a little over a year, in a Lifetime Zenith 100, which I still love, but am passing it on to my brother for his introduction to kayaking. My sister owns an Old Town Puffin and during our several trips on the Rock River in Illinois and on the Mississippi, it was very hard for me to keep up in my Zenith. During these trips observing her boat, I was impressed by the many qualities of the Old Town brand. Tried out my new Heron 9XT, in the Photic color, which is so pleasing to my eye, on Lake Carlton in northern Illinois. A perfect place to experiment. At first I felt a little "wiggly ", but quickly realized it was my core balance getting used to the different type hull. About 20 minutes later, it was like the boat was a part of me. So responsive to shift in weight and paddling! Love the attention to detail in all the features. Seat, thigh pads , CUP HOLDER ! (perfect for me...), gasket around hatch with indented hand accesses and rounded edges! Easy on the hands. I'm a 65 year old female, 180 lbs and 5'5". The cockpit is smaller than my other boat, but for me, that's a plus. Has a cozier feel. Really like that the seat is separate (not molded in) from the boat, in the event I would want or need to replace it. I expect this boat to be my best buddy for a long time to come.
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
August 9, 2020
Nice boat. Tracks fine. Little tight for tall folk
Ive had this model for 3 years. Ive launched about 40 times and probably spent a total of 100 hours paddling it in a large open lake. For its length, it tracks fine. People have to understand geometry and assume it wont track the same as a 12’ boat. The one thing Ill say is that comfort may be affected depending on a persons height. Im 5’10” and experience a bit of pain in my left ankle due to how the hull causes me to tow in my foot. The beauty with the shorter hull though is that it saves me the annual boat registration fee required with vessels 10’ and over. Overall I think the heron is a good value for someone under 5’10”.
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
July 12, 2020
Great Value, awesome kayak
Just bought last Wednesday, made the mistake of buying a Pelican last year, was terrible in the water, so my sister looked up Old Town Kayaks (she has a Necky RIP10) for me, settled on the 9XT due to the features being more in line with what I need for river and lake kayaking, no fishing.... Had trouble locating one nearby, they must sell like hotcakes, but we found one, they held it for me and we drove over to look it over. It was exactly what I was looking for! We took it out on the lake that afternoon, this time I was able to keep up with my sister with no excess paddling, it tracks extremely well, has just enough room in the compartment for my extras, is comfortable to sit in and actually lighter than the Pelican. I'm in my 70's, so weight would be an issue. All in all, I am very pleased with the purchase, I would recommend the 9XT to anybody looking for a great kayak for lakes and rivers without a lot of work to paddle it!
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
October 5, 2019
Good beginner boat
I bought a used Heron 9XT for my teen stepdaughter to learn the basics of paddling in. Her first boat was a Liquidlogic Stomper 80 whitewater boat, also used, because I thought a whitewater boat would grow with her as her skills improve. The Stomper was way too much boat for her, and she couldn't track straight to save her life, so I decided to start her out in a rec boat. I still haven't gotten her into the Heron yet, but I took it through its paces on a local large lake. The boat turns on a dime, not to the extended off a rockered WW boat, but at 9.5 feet I expected it to. It tracks like a dream and moves fast, but that's years of paddling experience pulling good performance from this boat. It also handles well in choppy waves and motorboat wake, but water will splash in over the cockpit rim without a skirt (Seals makes decent skirts for rec boats, and this particular model uses a size 4.2, btw). The width of the boat makes it extremely stable. Im 5'9/180, and I'm pushing the limit for cockpit comfort and fit in this boat. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but I can see that a larger paddler may want a larger boat. The seat is extremely comfortable for a boat in this price range and the thigh/knee pads on the cockpit rim make it easy to "lock in" for greater control. The foot braces are easy to adjust and comfortable. My used Heron was extremely dirty when I bought it, and washing the interior was a great test of the rear bulkhead's water seal. With the boat resting against a wall standing on its stern, I hosed the interior down. The water pooled on the bulkhead, but no water managed to leak into the storage area in the stern. Overall, I'd say this is a great boat for learning to paddle in. I'd have no problem letting my kid run class I rivers in it, and possibly lower class II rapids. While I have read positive reviews of the Heron's performance in class III water, I'd have to say that anyone trying that is a fool. Rec boats aren't designed for class II or higher whitewater. The hulls aren't as thick and the lifesaving inner construction that WW boats have are not present in these types of craft. Overall this a fun little learning, goofing around, and light exploration boat. It's well made for its intended purposes and does what it was designed to do well, without breaking the bank. I did remove 1 star for the paddle holder. Mine was broken by the previous owner and I've seen several reviewers say that their paddle holders have broken as well.
Originally reviewed on Johnson Outdoors
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June 7, 2020