5 Kayaks Under $300 Reviewed/ 2024 Edition

[@andrewfett142]

👍🏼 I just got that pelican rally yesterday. $253 after tax. No paddle. Threw it in the water w/o paddle just to feel it. Very stable. Felt great. Love the seat! Maiden voyage tomorrow!

[@LakeVermilionDreams]

Thank you!! Responsive to feedback, I like it! This is the quality this channel has always delivered, thanks for fixing a mistake like that!

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Sometimes you gotta own your mistakes. I was in a hurry to post that other video before I left on the trip didn’t listen closely. My apologies

[@raa1566]

I totally agree. I really apprecaiate review of all price levels of the kayak. I ended up with a Lifetime Tamarak because I'm a big guy, it was at the price range i could aford, and had many of the feature i was looking for. It's nice to review these kind of boats, because there are many people that can't even afford $600-ish for a boat. Thanks for keeping everyone included.

[@lysan1445]

I really appreciate your efforts to get people on the water!

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Our pleasure!

[@annetow9664]

Thank you so much for reposting this!!

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Happy to do it. Thank for watching it again with the better audio

[@joelgallun5447]

I'd like to encourage everyone to look for used boats. At least around here, every spring Marketplace is full of kayaks for sale, from P&Hs to the big box store ones you reviewed in this video. About paddles, my first upgrade was a fiberglass Chute Vapor from Dicks. It was only $20 more than the junky aluminum paddles I had been using and a huge improvement. It was even better after I removed the vinyl sleeve and the bump on the right side, which also knocked a couple ounces off the advertised 38oz weight. It's not in the same league as my carbon Manta Ray but for $70 it seemed like a good deal to me. My wife and I both started out with Onyx PFDs from one of the big boxes. I think you can't go wrong with them. She's still using hers but I upgraded because I wanted more pockets, and we use my old one for guests.

[@heathen_7]

And it was still worth a rewatch!

[@mre4875]

Your $500 kayak video a few years ago got me on the water. I still have and love my Lifetime Tamarack and still want but have not invested in a peddle kayak.

[@parzable]

Thank you Dan for all that you do. ☝️

[@JohnSmith-ut1hq]

Great video and very educational in new at kayaking and I’ve been wondering about the quest also I’ve ran into online and never heard of the company before but read all these good reviews on it I’m so thankful you do these videos it really helps especially when someone doesn’t want to drop 600-1500 on a kayak when you don’t even know if you’re going to fully enjoy the experience or not.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

It’s a dicks in-house brand. Which means they have another manufacturer (Lifetime out of Salt Lake City) make boats for them.

[@WisGuy4]

Bought a pelican sit-in kayak from Costco six years ago for $300 with paddle. It was the equivalent of a $480 kayak elsewhere. The one real problem is that it does not track very well in any kind of current or wind. I remedied that by gluing a skeg on the bottom.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Cool.

[@D3f1anCE]

Great video Dan 😎 still waiting to see a vid with you in the stratos 14.5l and get your thoughts on it :)

[@monkeykoder]

Just picked up a West Marine Angler 12', equivalent to the Sun Dolphin Journey 12ss or that Ozark Trail Angler you didn't pick up , going to 12' made a huge difference from my old 8' Aruba and it actually all around seems like a decent kayak. Probably a bit expensive at $500 but it did include a cheap paddle.

[@GaryThesnell]

I thought I got a deal on my lifetime chargers at $145 each but $89?! Wow what a deal

[@toddolatheks.1328]

Hey, I don’t know if you have a Tractor Supply around you. You’re the only guy that I think that I might be able to talk into doing this.😮 so Tractor Supply has just gotten in a huge quantity of different types of kayaks and a lot of them are modular two piece kayaks and you can even with one of the products you can buy a single kayak and buy another mod. That is another section so you can make it at tandem kayak. I’m only interested in the fishing. I think they call it a try Hall two piece modular kayak. It would solve so many problems but if I could tell before I buy it if it’s a piece of crap would make me so happy I live in an apartment in suburban hell I don’t know why you say that Olathe Kansas is a very nice suburb. Anyway, if you could get a hold of one and do a review on it, I’m thinking it’s gonna be pretty popular. It’s pedal drive fins in the only video video I’ve seen on this particular design was an Asian girl somewhere in Asia. I don’t like to say the country I think it is Only because for some reason that can get you in trouble I’m gonna make it freaking book out of this question and you’re not gonna read it cause it’s gonna be too long and I just can’t shut up. Please do video modular kayaks. Thanks. 🙏

[@Funkayak-p8i]

Learned so much from you. Whenever I feel unmotivated to paddle I watch your vids and next thing you know I'm on the water. Any chance you could review p&h especially the virgo. Even if it's just you discussing p&h.

[@Lammielu]

Between the Quest Outlands 100 and the Pelican Mustang 100 which would you recommend for a beginner? I was set on getting the Mustang but availability isn't great around my area, I'd need to drive about 70 miles to get it. The Quest Outlands is closer at 35 miles. Both Kayaks are very similar so I'm having a hard time deciding. I'm a short paddler (5'2) if that helps your recommendation. Thanks! I love your videos, it 100% pushed me to finally get on the water =)

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Both are similar. The pelican is a little lower and sleeker for someone of your size.

[@chrispetersen4863]

Up here in Washington the Tahoma is at 334... and the Tamarack is at 398, if I am remembering correctly. I ended up grabbing a Pelican Saber at 234... it is sitting still wrapped in my garage because I am trying to convince my wife to let me take it back and get a better one, lol. (Also because I need to grab a paddle and a good PFD).. I am watching FB marketplace like a hawk... I think that other Pelican you looked at was 298. My son was interested in the Ozark Trail sit-inside Angler that was 315, but my wife is an RN and has been hearing horror stories about the sit inside ones and their lack of bulkheads causing them to sink and be hard to get out of.

[@BobBohner4851]

That’s a fantastic video. What’s the same category results for sit on top yaks?

[@Trivski]

I might have to just get a cheap pelican, I was going to wait for a Facebook marketplace deal but damn I can't wait any longer

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Sometimes you just need to hit the water. Keep an eye on marketplace though because it’s a buyers market for sure.

[@michaeljohnston4167]

Picked up a very clean 2015 hobie outback mirage drive on marketplace for $400

[@duanebledsoe7566]

That blue Pelican Rally 100XP that you didn’t see a price on is $334, as of now, two months later. I just got one for under $300 out the door though.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Nice things get cheaper as we move into fall. Congrats

[@peterbedford2610]

Thanks

[@mastrtonberry2]

Great video but if you're using the camera mic in the stores like this it might be easier to hear you without background music

[@peterbedford2610]

Used on CL

[@Wandering_whatsnext]

Much better.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Thanks 🙏

[@ddraiss]

Fyi, Walmart has an app, that you can scan any product in the store and it will give you the current price.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Good to know. Hopefully I won’t have to go back there for a couple of years.

[@vendettarules1]

Any inflatable ones you would recommend for around the same range?

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Unfortunately no

[@Yowzoe]

The aquaglide Chelan 140 for $500, less than 50% of the usual cost, on the aquaglide website. I just got one. If you want a more beginner boat, their Deschutes 130 is now $300.

[@chrispetersen4863]

Dan, quick unrelated question for you. Thoughts on the Eddyline Samba for a person roughly your size 6'2 220?? To small? Feasible? Any input and thoughts greatly appreciated.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

To small for sure. It’s a Sitka ST.

[@chrispetersen4863]

@@HeadwatersKayak - Thanks... Appreciate the quick response.

[@Ahlathein]

I still love my blade by field&stream which I found on your review a year or 2 ago. Too bad they don’t seem to make them anymore

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Yea it seems they switch boats up every few years. How’s your Blade seat holding up?

[@Ahlathein]

@@HeadwatersKayakfine! I tend to paddle with a friend and I use the Eddyline Sky10 and put them in the blade. The blade is nice and stable with good tracking for newbies. The Quest Outland has a similar shape and features to the Blade.

[@melgoolcharan6816]

Hey, thanks for the great reviews. I have an unrelated question I hope you have time for. I live in the Caribbean and i want to order about 3 or 4 kayaks online. My thoughts have been on inflatable kayaks because using a reshipping service is expensive. I also dont have a roof rack and backpacking to some river access points may be necessary. Can you point me to any online retailers of affordable inflatable kayaks? I learned about Dick's sporting goods and Walmart kayaks from you and if the inflatable kayak line of inquiry fails, its probably your reviews on affordable kayaks that I will use to make my decisions. Thanks again.

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Find a closeout AQuaglide online. They are going out of business and lots of places are closing them out. I have three of them and they’re awesome.

[@melgoolcharan6816]

@@HeadwatersKayak Thank you!

[@wpkennels3555]

I just bought the quest canyon from dick's. It was on sale, but the putlands were still 379, and I couldn't justify the extra 200 bucks for a 6 inch longer kayak, and it was still only rated at 275lbs. I'm 5'11" 295, and the canyon is the most sturdy kayak I've paddled so far, compared to a sit on top sundolphin, I think a bali. And a sit in pelican 10 ft. The canyon seems to sit higher up out of the water for me, but it does seem a little slower, could be that I was using a better paddle with the others. My wife just got an 11 foot lifetime stealth used and it seemed like I was having to paddle pretty hard to pass her while she was just leisurely paddling. If I would have known other states had the outlands on sale I would have made dicks price match. They price matched the kids "shark" kayaks to 99 to match tractor supply. Love your videos, thanks for the reviews.

[@scottpfeifer7782]

Never kayaked in my life but I want to go exploring a small river near my property. No rapids, very shallow and narrow in spots. From a video posted years ago, you had me sold on the F&S Blade...discontinued. Now this video has me sold on the Pelican Mission 100...unavailable. My main criteria is stability and maneuverability. I'm 5'10" 170 so the smaller cockpits won't be an issue. I would prefer a sit in because I don't want to get that wet. What to buy???

[@Mr.Bryan1234]

By the way in a sit inside you will get wet unless you use a sprayskirt

[@fisker4jc386]

Neat video. My question is how do you figure out what capacity you need? I'm 245 and 6 foot add some fishing g tackle one quickly gets to269 lbs. How much margin does one want?

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Your weight should be no more than 2/3 of the kayaks capacity.

[@fisker4jc386]

Hmmm, so weren't you over weight then for some of the kayaks you tested?

[@fisker4jc386]

Or does that also account for equipment?

[@xsarchitect]

Only thing on my bucket list right now is to paddle as much of Pee Dee river in NC as possible, I am looking for a kayak right now, anybody wants to suggest please let me know, hopefully the nonsense that is going to happen Tuesday won't get in my way

[@surrelljr]

I would like to have seen the ozark that was sun faded he didn’t get, I bought one from Walmart just like that. Except mine isn’t faded and it cost $319 plus tax. I understand, especially if this channel isn’t sponsored. I’ll have to look for a review where it’s tested. However I am watching the one purchased at Dicks, it looks very much the same and I suspect many of them are produced by the same manufacturer with slightly different features for the company purchasing them.

[@surrelljr]

Just got home from the lake with my Walmart ozark kayak, and it preformed very well , just about like the one you purchased from Dicks. I watched the review and you liked that one best out of the group you reviewed. It was stable and did well even when chop started to develop, trouble is it made for a lousy fishing day. The stability was good enough that my 62 year old could enter and exit pretty well, it was worth $319, and I look forward to more fishing trips.

[@jibjreelharris3697]

Im 6'2 would love fit into a sit in pelican

[@andrewnichols1240]

Life jacket?$

[@HeadwatersKayak]

Yes always.

[@andrewnichols1240]

6 man rafts?$

[@HeadwatersKayak]

More of a kayak guy.