In today’s world, we are surrounded by things that do not fit into the “traditional” school of thinking for what is high-tech. Kayaks have no computer parts, no wires and, in fact, many of these items do not have electrical components. However, these yaks are still high-tech in their own ways, from design to operation. In this segment, we will do our best to review the Elie Sound 120 kayak from Pelican Sports, and trust us when we say it is impressive.
The Elie Strait 120 kayak could be the best choice for beginners. It is a sit-in kayak, as opposed to a sit-on-top model, which we really appreciated. For a complete novice to kayaking, it feels much safer to be inside the yak. Being inside the kayak puts you lower in the water, which makes it more stable, which is a great advantage for someone new on the kayaking scene.
Fishing kayaks are designed to be more stable just because of the way they’re designed, and the Elie Strait 120 really shows that. We managed to tilt to an angle of about 40 degrees, but the kayak always went smoothly.
Getting the Elie Strait 120 kayak in the water was easy, as it weighs only 23 kg and has two carrying handles. You will need to have another person with you if you plan to use the handles as there is a place at each end. However, when you are alone, it is extremely easy to lift it by the cockpit and carry it down. We’ve seen that many people have trouble climbing into a kayak once it’s in the water, but we haven’t had such problems with the Elie Strait 120. It has remained stable throughout the whole process.
Once we took the Elie Strait 120 away from the dock (was tested in a lake) and tested how stable it was, we really wanted to see how fast it could go. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any equipment to measure exactly how fast it was moving, but this yak certainly cut directly through the water.
As we said earlier, the Elie Strait 120 is primarily a kayak for anglers, and although we didn’t actually fish when we took it out, we can certainly appreciate the features it has. For starters, it comes with a nice locking bracket for your rod. The holder slips into a hole in the kayak (the hole has a rubber bung to cover it when not in use) and allows you to set the angle on which the rod rests so that your hands are free. Another nice feature for the fisherman is the watertight storage compartment, where you can put whatever you want and it will still be dry when you head back inside. Perfect for a long road lunch or a change of clothes if you go out in the rain.
The Elie Strait 120 kayak has an extremely comfortable cockpit that has knee pads, easily adjustable foot pads, and the “Ergoflex seating system”. Ergoflex is definitely the center of attention in the cabin and once you sit in it and paddle, it’s easy to understand why. The backrest actually flexes with the way you move when you are paddling, providing support no matter what your movements are.
You will not have any hot spots in your back or troubles like that, thanks to the EVA padded seat. What is one of the best features we loved? The Elie Strait 120 kayak has a cup holder that is a luxury vehicle must-have. Yes, even though it has a perfectly good bottle holder in the center of the chair, Pelican chose to go beyond luxury styles and add a cup holder itself. Next to the cup holder is another small watertight compartment for something like a mobile phone or camera, which is useful when you are on a long trip.
Along with the kayak, we were sent a carbon fiber Symbiosa paddle to test and it worked beyond our expectations for a paddle. It splits in two when you need to store it and can adjust the length extremely easy to fit people with different lengths of arms. The Symbiosa carbon fiber is also extremely light and pushes much more water than we thought it would.
Quick overview:
- The V-shaped, suede-shaped hull and extended keel help the Elie Strait 120 kayak slide through the water, and the sturdy china improves maneuverability
- 3-layer polyethylene includes a special resin in the top layer, resulting in an unusually rigid, light and responsive kayak
- The special thermoforming process combines the bridge and the body under high pressure and heat
- The soft upholstered chair provides a fun and comfortable palette
- The backrest supports the stroke of the blade with a visible flex and you can adjust the height to form in the support
- The upholstered cabin offers comfort for the knees and thighs
- The large straps are adjusted to ensure a comfortable paddling position
- The extended keel improves tracking
- The day hatch at the rear of the cab includes a small dry bag to help protect splash-sensitive items
- The hatch covers with quick locking on the bow and stern hatches have an articulated design and a locking lever. To open the sunroof, simply slide the lever to unlock the lid and open it to access the tools
- The watertight arch and stern wall helps keep the contents of the hatches dry and organized
- Includes bottle holder, perimeter reflective lines, bungee storage, and carrying handles that fit in your hands
On a final note
Elie Strait 120 is the perfect kayak for beginners and experts alike, with enough comfort to make sure you don’t feel bad after a long day on the water and have one of the best and why not daring travel experiences.