Pelican Sprint 120XR Lightweight Sit-in Kayak

Hubby and I purchased two of these this summer as our first hard sided kayaks and we absolutely couldn’t be happier!
We opted for the Sprint XR over the next model down as we care a lot less about stability than maneuverability. Because these have the narrower hull the are a bit tippier on entering and exiting but they don’t feel super tippy in action.
We are newbs and these boats are a perfect fit! They are light weight but sturdy. The cockpit doesn’t feel oversized for, smaller, me or undersized for, bigger, Hubby.
They track beautifully and we are more than satisfied with the speeds we’ve managed to get up to which for us is not super fast but I can get a good front wake curling back now that my technique is improving.
We like the locking storage hatch and the extra space around the cockpit for stowing small items.
The foot rests are easy to adjust and feel sturdy.
We added an eyebolt forward starboard on each so we can lock them.
Two minor negatives the front water bottle holder is too small for standard Nalgene type bottle and the front cubby/well with a screw lid is kind of pointless as it’s not a dry keep and is just a sack hanging through the deck between the legs so it can get in the way.
All in all we have had a great summer with these boats and are looking forward to many more paddling adventures.

July 2023 115 miles in-UPDATE: Pelican DOES NOT MAKE a rudder for this Kayak. Straight from their mouths! (e-mail) Even though it has indents for it. NOBODY makes a 5 inch wide gudgeon, who designed this ? Check for yourself. The 2 screws on rear black piece cannot be used for gudgeon mount bracket, not sturdy, will rip right out of boat, if attempted. Is not reinforced there and uses wobbly rubber mounts.

even pelicans website is off–color is WAY duller than every picture, subdued even. the shape is great, the bottle nose is helpful bc is doesnt care about waves or current it just cuts right through. doesnt care about wind either, so no drift issues. stays put in place when stopped. i river kayak upstream and this did very well in high and fast water. however being a dart, it goes forward with minimal effort, but does not like to turn. so when going downstream, brake and turn early cuz this will push you. has indents for additional rigging such as a rudder. but i dont think it needs one, handles very straight.

only downside is the cockpit dry bag lid is a mofo to close. the threads are tight, but it will close. needs a spinner handle. other than that, its nice and thick plastic and doesnt feel flimsy. i travel with this upside down on my roof car rack. straps down easy and doesnt move at all. however, the backrest is taller than the tub, so when upside down make sure not to smash the seat in the rack.

i also recommend shoes for the foot pedals, while plastic, has grooves for traction but it will kill your bare foot (and or cheap shoe) it is sharp

i also recommend you keep your gear in the rear of the boat and inside. its center of balance is low in the water, when gear is on top using the provided bungees, it quite top heavy and a bit unstable. the compartment in the rear is a good size to accommodate most everything anyway. bow (front) weight seems, so far, to be okay. i was expecting nose-dive, but it didnt/hasnt. there is also a good about of space directly behind the seat within easy sitting reach. ) about 1.5 cu ft.

overall i give this a 8.5 – 9 rating.

There’s alot of kayaks out there but for under 1000 this one stands out def more than a basic pelican 10 ft kayak but not quite a high end touring kayak Mid-low range . I’d like to see 2 bulkheads in these premium pelican models for the extra money only comes with 1 bulkhead but can’t complain too much when some kevlar kayaks run 7000… fast n tracks nice the seat is decent foot pegs work good cup holder n dry hatch on par .. its a lil smaller cockpit than the normal huge wide open cockpits this one geared lil more towards touring design but still easy to get in n out for a bigger guy … it’s also lil heavy 51 lbs but manageable for 1 person to lift on vehicle . I’d say if ur over 5 11 220 pounds go for this 12 ft boat over a 10ft it’s a much better fit n higher weight capacity worth it …. Is there a better kayak ? yes Delta 15.5 GT touring Sea kayak but it’s also
$ 2699 plus tax this kayak 1000 with tax and gets you out there for 1700 less.

I love my new kayak. I looked at a few in person and on line. This kayak is going to be well used for years. Very happy with the seat, storage and overall performance of it on the lakes.