Santa Cruz "Raptor Sit On Top" Hot

Bought one in February 2018.Starting mid March took it out every day for at least 3-4 hours open water in Great Lakes,wind and waves very often.You can’t paddle in side winds,I mean fresh breezes,6 knots or higher,flat hull in fore section sliding sideway ,so you must paddle only in one side to keep the kayak turning leeward.Paddelind against the winds charging the waves the flat hull is pounding the water with unpleasant and scary vibrations.No damage of the kayak yet,hope the structure is solid.Now ,in surf is a challenge to keep it straight,eventually you’ll be at 45degree to the waves and capsize. I will install a small baw skeg,to keep the nose turning .I use a universal kayak seat and my bottom is in a small pond created by the indentation under the seat , never dry. .Now the good things, amazing mobility on land with a nose wheel.Very easy to get in from the water,you don’t need to be acrobat to do it .very stable and comfortable.
If you don’t like the nasty weather with winds and waves then is a perfect choice.

I wanted a kayak that was light and stable, and, these are "all that."

Recently bought two of Jim Martin's Santa Cruz Kayaks (SOT Raptors). My wife and I have kayaked a little bit in the past, but every time she gets in one, she immediately turtles it. She told me I could buy a couple, but I had to find one that she couldn't flip. These Raptors are about as close as you can come to a kayak that just won't turn over. You have to intentionally try to turtle these things.

My hat is off to Jim Martin and his design prowess as a boat builder. One of my buddies saw ours and he's ready to snag one for himself. One more addition to the fleet.

I've been fishing out of my Raptor now for 10x or so and I have to say this is one freakin sweet kayak. I might look slightly "different" but it tracks well, has great stability and is pretty fast.

Have I said this thing is stable? It is super stable just as stable as boats that have twice the width ad the center but is 100x easier to paddle.

They can be a little hard to get your hands on one, especially on the East Coast. I recommend just getting in contact with the company directly.