potomac Kayak

Hi, wondering about the Dick’s sporting goods Potomac Kayak if worth $199Thanks

Are you sure…
…it came from Dick’s? I don’t see it on their website.



Also, what do you plan to use it for lakes, rivers, open ocean?

Depends
If you question is whether that kayak is worth $199, then I think it must be since that is about the cheapest kayak I’ve heard of in a long time. If your question is whether it is any good, then the answer depends heavily on the intended use of the kayak.

No.
You would do yourself a favor to find a rotomolded kayak rather than a molded and seamed one. For a little more money, you can get a much stronger kayak that will last longer.



If you only have $199 and you really, really want to get on the water, check Craigs list for some used kayaks. A Wilderness Systems Pamlico and a Perception Swifty and an Old Town Otter are similar in design to the Potomac and much, much better in quality. I’d rather paddle any of them used rather than paddle a new Potomac.


  • Big D

Potomac Kayak at Dick’s
Dick’s has the sale for this kayak for $299. I know you suggested others, e.g. Perception for longer-term use, but what about a beginner who just wants to paddle around in calm water for some excercise, enjoyoing the outdoors…how long would a kayak last in comparison to the others you mentioned…I know you mentioned Craig’s list, but I don’t have that kind of time to make phone calls, look around, etc…unless you really think this particular kayak is a complete waste of money, do you think I should try to make that effort…thx!

Potomac kayak
I mentioned this kayak for $299. It’s $199…in the sale add this past Sunday…thx. again…

kayak at Dicks
If you are refering to the Patomac, 100ES at Dicks then I highly recomend not getting this kayak. My friend got this kayak without being able to test it first, and found out that it is EXTREMELY unstable. With every paddle stroke he is worried that he is going to flip it over. Additionally the dry storage compartment is very small and doesn’t stay dry due to no gasket around the edge.

Potomoc Kayak
thanks for the info. icecold183…i appreciate your feedback, definitely convincing…guess i won’t be looking into the patomac at dick’s…

$199.00 at dicks potomoc
I bought the potomoc from dicks for a 2nd boat, they had 2 one was rated for 225 lbs and the other 275lb I bought the later $229.00 - 20% . It took 20 min to get over the tippy feeling but worked well after that. It great for what it is a slow float on the river or lake it works well. You can prop your legs on top and it is still manageble. Draw back the back support is bad, but put a life vest behind the seat back and is great.

Yes Its worth it
Potomac Kayak is worth $199. I am a beginner and its a very basic Kayak. I find that its fairly stable. Its easier to turn. I think its a great no frills Kayak. It gives you more of a lower and upper body workout.

Potomac kayak
We just bought two Potomac kayaks and took them out on a big lake yesterday. Felt tippy and unstable at first, But we quickly got used to it and now they seem quite stable. This was just a first impression, but we really enjoyed them and the low price made it affordable for us to get out in the water. I would recommend the kayak to someone that needs an inexpensive kayak. We have begun to modify them. Bought fishing pole holders and are installing them. Next trip is to salt water.

Yes, worth it.
One more point: We were at Fort Desoto park and when we went to rent kayaks, they were quite expensive and we did not do it. The Potamac kayak will pay for itself in about 6 uses. After that, it is all savings. Also, lightweight and easy to carry. Since I don’t have a roofrack yet, we put both in a PT Cruise by puttin down a backseat and the front passenger seat. We had to leave the back gate open, but they only hung out a little. The other passenger sat behind the driver as the two kayaks filled the entire passenger side of the car, but if you have a cruiser and no roofrack, you can transport these little babies on the passenger side of the car. :slight_smile:

Fine for your use

– Last Updated: Jul-17-12 8:53 AM EST –

I just bought two Potomac Vortex 80DLX kayaks (Sale $159.99 each) for my kids (6 and 8) to learn in. We live on a lake and these are their first "solo" kayaks. Had them out yesterday and they quickly had the hang of them. Stability was not a problem as they are used to being in our kayaks...as a passenger. Being that these are short kayaks and have little to no keel, they do not have very good directional stability. I figure this is good for the kids learning though...it will foster better control skills for them. I am happy with the purchase.

UPDATE: We were out yesterday and had a great paddle. The "turn-ability" of these kayaks makes it easy for my kids to recover from an errant manuever. On our return trip up the lake the wind kicked up and was blowing the kids/kayaks around. Keep in mind this is "hour two" of their experience level kayaking. After a bit of whining we got them dialed-in with repetivive "right"-"left" commands and they made great headway upwind in a slight chop. We eventually made it back home and the kids labeled the experience "awesome"! I am truely happy with these kayaks. The kids love them so much they got out buckets, sponges and soap to wash them after the trip! I just wish they were as enthusiastic about cleaning their rooms.

I loved mine.
This was my first kayak and I thought it was great. It seemed really stable to me. I paddled a lot of open lake water, even in some winds with no problem. It was small enough that I just opened the hatchback on my Honda Element, threw it in the back and went. I did buy a flotation bag to stuff in the nose since it doesn’t have any sealed chambers to keep it afloat. I sold it about a year ago when I upgraded and last time I talked to the guy who bought it, he was still paddling around with it. If you’re sure you like kayaking and are going to stick with it, you may want to save up some more cash and get something bigger but if you’re just testing the waters to see if you like it, this is a great inexpensive way to get into the sport.

Pelican 100 ES
I’m probably way late on this, but maybe someone else will benefit from it. I bought one from Dick’s on sale for $179, I have a friend who bought two from Dick’s, and another friend who has one. The two friends are well pleased…we all mostly kayak the Etowah river in NW GA…some small rapids, occasional falls, some shoals, etc… The kayaks perform well. There are a couple of drawbacks…as someone stated, the dry well is more like a wet well, there is no access to the area behind the seat, and the cockpit opening is small and sharp edged. Mine has been relegated to the roll of carrying visitors, but not for the reasons mentioned above…I bought an olive green boat and it gets really hot to the touch. If you get one, get the blue or the yellow. A better alternative would be the Perception Swifty II which Dick’s often has on sale foe $269.