Looking at other reviews, there is quite a range of satisfaction. I think it depends on your expectations. I think the Burst is a great starter kayak. This is my first one and I'm happy with it. I'm 6'4" and 175# so I'm a little big for it but it fits my wallet, my car rack, and my shed for storage.
I bought it last summer (2009) and took it out at least 10 times on Lake Michigan and rivers in West Michigan and had a total blast! My kids and I both enjoy it. If you are looking for a good starter kayak to get out on the water and on a tight budget, this is a pretty good deal. If you are a serious kayaker and plan to spend more than 3 hours at a time on the water, you might want to try before you buy.
Okay, tried it twice, both times on a calm, small lake. Loved it the first time; yes, it felt tippy, but it didn't tip. I thought it tracked pretty well, with a bit of side-to-side, and wasn't too hard to move along compared to the Otter. Second time, I must've gained some weight or else the cooler I brought along that time was really heavy, because when I got it flipped over inside the car, I could see a big DENT in the bottom where I was sitting! That might explain why I felt it was more work to paddle that time.
Overall I'm happy with it -- anything is better than a kayak you can't get out of the garage -- but the test remains to be given on Class I-II...
Stay tuned...
I had originally wanted the no longer made, Pelican Zest (I won't do the new almost identical Viper, the color is hideous!) when I saw this kayak (spur of the moment as I usually overly do research first and check reviews) at Dick's...Long story short...I tried it on the water, just made sure to be careful about it (as to return it since in between buying and trying it, I had looked up said reviews)...And sure enough, HATED it!
This kayak IS a complete joke! I'm about 160 pounds and 5'9...I am too heavy AND too tall for this ridiculous little thing! I think the people who are saying they like this don't realize what a real sit on top should feel like...They just say, wow this thing is light and I don't even need any kind of a roof rack system, how great! BTW, I dried it off, went straight to Dick's and they DID take it back! Of course when they asked, "has this been in the water"...I said, oh noooooo.
Moral of story...Don't buy this...Not even for your child! And btw, a friend of mine ended up buying that Viper and we don't even like that one too much either...It's not tippy, just too bulky...I now no longer want the Zest and am looking into purchasing a Cobra Escape.
I purchased this kayak at Dick's sporting goods for $199. I purchased it because of its price and size (8' long). I've used it twice already more than one hour each time. On both occasions I've used it in very calm lakes. At first it seems very tippy, so much so that I thought about getting out of the water quickly. However after a couple of minutes it feels fine.
I would probably not use it in a lake where there's boat traffic as the wake caused by those boats would probably make it feel unstable. However, having said that, I'll give it a try soon.
I think this is a decent kayak for the price you pay for it. By the way, I'm 180 lbs.
I bought this Pelican Burst for $250 (Canadian) including a decent paddle.
As some reviewers said, it does SEEM tipsy when you first use it. However, it does not really tip without applying lots of lateral force.
It fits inside my station wagon, so there is no need for a car mounting kit. And for a few hours of kayaking in calm water, it is easy to recommend.
I got this kayak as a birthday present and I am NOT happy with it at all.
I've been kayaking in different countries, different boats, and different water conditions and none have ever felt me so unsafe.
I went in the boat and almost fell out. I got out and refused to go back in. It is soo tippy, it's ridiculous. I sit so high above the water and this is tippy. My husband tried it and he said it was uncomfortable as the backrest pushed his life jacket up and choked him plus he also thinks it's too tippy.
Of course the dealer won't take it back, unless it's a product problem.
What a waste of money.
I bought this kayak for my 7 year old son and I think it was the ideal purchase for him. He is about 75 lbs and rather tall for his age. This kayak is rated for up to a 200 lb capacity but I tried it and (at 165lbs) I found it rather tipsy. This kayak is narrow and very light, an absolute dream to pick up and load. I liked the narrowness of the hull for him and he handled it very well on the water for his very first time.
I was considering a W/S Ripper, but I thought they might be too wide and not particularly light for the size as a child's kayak. I was not even looking for this Burst SE, but stumbled across it at a local store on clearance and could not pass it up. I would not consider the hull material to be as durable as typical hdpe but it should last long enough to hand down to his little brother and with a 200 lb rating I should be able to play with it in the surf too!