The Stratos from Dagger is a fun, versatile new sea and touring kayak from Dagger Kayaks. See them in action at the beautiful Bitches tidal rapid in Pembroke, West Wales. For more information visit daggereurope.com
I got the 14.5 L and am very impressed. I’ve been kayaking for about eight years and wish this boat was available back then. I may not have bought some of the other boats as this is so versatile. First up- it’s the most comfortable boat I’ve ever been in. You can really dial in the fit and the foam padding is firm enough to keep you in place but memory foam like so it conforms to you. I’ve taken it out with my paddling group who have Tiderace, NDK Romanys and cedar strip kayaks 17-18 feet long and stayed right with them which surprised me some. I worked a little harder but it was a 12 mile paddle in chop and I was fine. The spring loaded skeg really tightens up tracking and will just glide over rocks and underwater obstacles no damage. The hull is fairly flat with a shallow vee and hard chine and moderate rocker. It is super responsive and edges great. There is real sea kayak outfitting and spacious hatches. It doesn’t have a day hatch but that leaves a lot of space behind the seat for my pump, float and other small items. I have an 18 ft Wilderness Tempest and a 16-8 NDK Romany Excel and this boat is a mix of the best features of both of them without the weight. And it’s only around $1300 new. If you’re new to kayaking buy this boat. You can grow into its abilities as you progress in your skill set. If you’re experienced buy this boat because it will do most of what your fiberglass $4000 boat will do without worrying about scratches and scrapes on your gel coat. It’s a blast is rough water and a great boat to introduce your friends to the sport with. No. I don’t own Dagger stock. 😎
Jeffrey Job I tried 5 plastic sea/touring kayaks for an outdoor magazine 2014 and the Stratos was by far my favorite.Perhaps not very surprising I've paddled mostly white water since back in 1981 :)
I paddled one of these for 9 hours on Washington's Northwest tip. I will buy the first one that comes up for sale in New Zealand. Super comfy, extremely responsive,agile and incredible stability in lumpy water. It inspired confidence and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun kayak for playing round rocks and caves. Thanks for the loan Bob.
Got one a month ago, was recommended for rock gardens etc but by god the Plastic seems very very soft and gets scratched very very easily with some deep gouges getting easily made in my one. Lovely boat to paddle though but hard to keep pristine.
We think so yes. If you're looking for a boat you could pack for an overnight camp, cruise along the coast or lakeside for many nautical miles and also be fun in the surf or rock hopping, the Stratos 14.5 and 12.5 are both great choices.
Whether you go for the Stratos 14.5 or the new 12.5 you'll be the right size for the L (large) version. It's the same length as the S but the cockpit space and overall volume is a little greater. A Stratos would be a good boat to learn in, but there are also more beginner friendly boats like the Axis E or Katana which are more stable. The best thing to do is to get down to a shop and sit in one, or better still take one out on the water for a demo. Visit Dagger.com and look for 'Find a dealer' to locate a shop that carries the Dagger Stratos near you.
@@palmequipmentI'm aware best thing would be going directly in a specialized store and, whenever it's possible, _wear_ one by one until you get the right one. Unluckily the closest store is several hundred miles away. I appreciate your advice but I'm looking for a sea kayak - a for tall potbellied beginner, rigid, non for fishermen, fast sea kayak. Of course a SOT could be the easier first step and almost certainly I'll go for one of it, even if some _sit in_ ones are deeply goergious. But Katana is not the right choice for sea, I'm afraid.
