Not including my wife’s, I have two kayaks at my home. Today I’m reviewing one of them which is the field & stream AXE 100 kayak.
Features
This is a sit-on-top kayak. Unlike a sit-inside kayak where your legs are boxed in within the kayak, this sit-on-top frees your legs. The reason why I personally prefer a sit-on-top is it’s more comfortable, in my opinion, to have my legs free. You also won’t get stuck inside of the kayak in the rare case that you flip over in rapids. On the other hand, you’re legs usually get less wet with a sit-inside-kayak. Another reason I prefer a sit-on-top is when I want to be lazy, I can prop my feet outside of the boat.
One of the features I love is the scupper holes embedded within the floor. So whenever water comes in, it instantly escapes through the holes of the floor. However, I never have water come up holes from beneath. Both the front and the back of the kayak provide a bit of storage space with bungee cords to hold your items. The front is meant for smaller items, but the rear is certainly large enough for most drybags and able to fit up to a 5-pound bucket.
A few other key attributes are the integrated footrest, center drink holder, carry handles on each side, rod holders, and attached seat. But I must say, the seat is mildly comfortable. Nothing to brag about, but not enough to complain about.
Coming in at 10 feet long, this kayak is reasonably weighted at 49 pounds with a max weight limit of 280 pounds.
Performance
When it comes to its performance, I think this kayak exceeds its price range. It’s very stable, provides great maneuverability, and you’re able to move quickly while the ride remains smooth. Even in choppy waters or current, this kayak performs better than my original expectations.
Primary Downside
Now for the downsides. When I first got this kayak before taking it in the water I left it in my backyard without a cover. Considering it rained for a few days and couldn’t use it right away when a sunny day arrived and I went to my backyard to load the kayak I realized that there was water stuck within the body itself.
After flipping it upside down to drain it and a quick diagnosis, I found the few spots that were allowing water enters the rear body. To be clear, I’m not entirely sure if it was designed that way or a manufacturer defect for mine particularly, but personally, I hated the idea that water was able to enter and get stuck within the body. Rather than returning it, I decided to do some research to patch the holes myself.
So I got a blow torch and a plastic bucket from home depot and began welding. While it doesn’t look very appealing, the kayak never held water again for the year I’ve had it. Other than that, I couldn’t find any other downsides with this kayak.
Overall | Field & Stream AXE 100 Kayak
So after fixing the defect, my experience of the field & stream AXE 100 kayak has been relatively positive and I’m happy with it. But before getting it, see the side by side comparison of all three of my kayaks here.
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