I tried out this boat at the Kayak Festival in Charleston,SC. I was going to buy it and then ended up getting a Current Design Vision 140. I paid twice as much for the Vision.
After getting home, I still kept thinking of the Strait 140. The boat seat seemed very comfortable. The boat was very responsive. At 14' it has 3 hatches and makes a great Day Touring kayak. At $1049.00 the price was also right. Within a month, I had bought a Strait 40th Edition. It is the Limited Edition of the 140xe.
I have now put it thru the paces on a lake with some very rough water. The boat handled great. The plastic in this boat is much stiffer then a rotomolded poly boat. It handled the waves just as well as my composite boat and all at a fraction of the price. Pelican had just come out with the Elite Series this year. It is not the same boat that you find in discount chain stores. Pelican has a winner with this model. I know I made the right decision.
This is my first kayak and I love it! On the water it is easy to handle and turn, also has great tracking and excellent stability. It has lots of storage room including a day hatch. The rudder helps a lot in windy conditions.
On the minus side the boat is a little bit heavy (but not much) maybe it is the price to pay for the great stability and storage room; another thing I found is that it tends to deform very easily when carried with foam blocks, so you need to buy a good rack system to carry your Strait.
I must mention that I paddle on quiet rivers and small lakes. Overall a good kayak I am happy with it so far and I would recommend it as it makes your life easy on the water.