Old Town Vapor 10 Review

Hey everyone were back with a another review, the old town Vapor 10 review. Before I talk about Old Town 10-Feet Vapor 10 Angler Recreational Fishing Kayak, I must start by saying that I am generally a canoe man. I prefer their stability over the speed and agility of a normal kayak. A number of my friends wanted to go on a kayaking trip while visiting a friend who had moved to live on the shores of a rather large and choppy lake. They insisted that I have a kayak as well and I wasn’t going to use the wobbly beasts they favored. I found the Old Town 10 Foot Vapor 10 Angler Recreational Fishing Kayak at a mid-range price within my budget and after reading over the information, bought it. It did arrive quickly, but I couldn’t use it right away.

Once I got it in the water, I have to say I was quite pleased with this model. The Vapor 10 seemed to fit my needs perfectly. I especially enjoyed the leg room and stable base. Despite being 6 feet tall and a weight that is embarrassingly close to the maximum weight of this model, I found that I didn’t get uncomfortable nearly as quickly as I do with the models my friends all prefer using.

If we were  to name a single brand of kayak that always provide quality products it would have be Old Town Kayaks. The company founded by A.E. Wickett constructed its first canvas and wood canoe in 1898 based on the Native American birch canoe but much tougher and simpler to take care of.

Old Town are still making technological advanced kayaks today though still building the kayaks with the same attention to detail as the originals.

The company is  situated  in the Northeast of Maine on the Penobscot River so you know you are buying from a business that has a true American Heritage.
So let’s look at the Old Town Vapor 10 Kayak and who we think it would be suitable for.

Old Town describe this as one of their get in and go kayaks, you just grab the items you want to bring with you pack them in the kayak, get in and your good to go.

Great Recreational Kayak That Tracks Well

Especially nice was the fact that the stability and open top allowed me to prop my feet up and stretch from time to time so that I didn’t have all of the tingling that seems to plague me when using other kayaks. I didn’t end up doing any fishing out of the kayak itself, so the paddle rests weren’t needed. Having them there would have worked well if I was fishing from actual craft itself. The light weight of the Vapor 10 was very nice, since it is only about ten pounds heavier than the backpack I use to go hiking with. I swear I was getting dirty looks from my friends about how easy it was for me to move the thing around when we went inland for a bit. The only thing I really didn’t have much use for was the drink holder. I keep camel unbottle, which I ended up strapping in with my gear in the back. I am sure it is useful for some people, just not really for myself. It would make a good spot to keep spare lures or a pair of pliers while fishing from though.

This is a recreational kayak and is suitable  for gentle water paddling on lakes, ponds and class I rivers. If you are looking for a white water kayak we’d advice you to look elsewhere if you are an experienced kayaker you’d have the knowledge not to buy a recreational kayak for that purpose anyway. So if you want a   kayak  that is superb for paddling or fishing in rivers or  lakes  the vapor 10  tracks really well in these sort of environments.

Suitable For The Bigger Kayaker

With a maximum load range of between  275 to 325 pounds we though it would suit the larger kayaker

Reading some of the user reviews of this Old Town Kayak there were a lot of positive comments about its roominess such as this these;

“If you are looking into kayaking and not sure which one to buy, this is a great one to purchase, especially if you’re a little on the big side like me and need a roomier kayak.”

“First, the large cockpit is fantastic for a bigger guy like myself to get in and out of. There is plenty of room in there to put some cargo.”

Specifications:

• Length: 10 feet
• Width: 28.5 inches
• Cockpit Dimensions: 19.5 by 48 inches
• Depth: 16.75 inches
• Weight: 48 pounds
• Capacity: 275 to 325 pounds

Features

• Stylish kayak
• Stable, comfortable
• Maneuverable body is well suited for lakes and ponds
• Comfort Flex XT seat with padded seat back
• Adjustable foot braces
• Integrated Cockpit tray
• Cup holder
• Stern day well
• Integrated paddle rest
• Measures 10 feet long
• Weighs 48 pounds

Sample Customer Reviews

There are not an abundance of reviews out there for the Old Town Vapor 10 Kayak, but most reviews we have located have been outstanding.

Positive Customer Reviews

The bow is higher than your normal kayak which makes it handle great. I'm always getting compliments on this kayak. The rear storage is perfect for a small cooler and other gear you need to carry.
-- W.S.

Very happy with this kayak. Sturdy, tracks great, and fits in the bed of my truck. Only thing, you will probably want a long paddle.
-- P.S.

Negative Customer Comments

I've had kayaks that handle better.  Seems to be a bit of rocker with each stroke.
-- M.B.

Features of the Old Town Vapor 10 Kayak

There is a choice of two sporty  colors for this kayak either sunrise red or cloud blue either choice would let your kayak stand out on any water way. The Kayak offers a stable and comfortable trip and comes with an adjustable padded seat aas well as adjustable foot braces and thigh pads to maintain a comfortable paddling position.

It also has a paddle rest molded on to the kayak so you can rest your paddle when your chowing down, fishing or taking some photos.

There is a cup holder and storage space for small items in the cockpit dash as well as sturdy grab handles built in to the kayak to make loading or unloading your gear really easy.

Similar to other vapor models the really great design feature of this Old Town Kayak is the stern day well, the way it is constructed means that your gear remains dry and above the waves and not in the bilge of the Vapor 10.

There is an  upgraded pricier model of this kayak the Old Town Vapor 10 XT

The main difference is that it has a cover on the Day Well to protect  your gear from the weather. it also has an additional seat and for your portable electronic items and iPad it has a bungees storage area.

Recommendation

We thought it was a great user friendly,  lightweight, stable kayak from a company with a great reputation for making quality products. The Old Town Vapor 10 recreational Kayak is in our books a great investment with solid consumer recommendations. User-friendly kayaks for those who just want to get out on the water. Recreational kayaks are stable and easy to maneuver, making them .

It isn’t going to be the sort of kayak you take out into rapids, but then again it isn’t really designed for that. For what I was using it on, it did admirably well. The waves were surprisingly big thanks to the size and windiness of the lake, but it managed to span them without issue and I never felt like I was going to tip over if I moved wrong. Compared with the canoes I am used to using, the kayak was certainly much more maneuverable but without the loss of aspects from a canoe that I love so dearly. I doubt I’ll go back to using canoes again now that I have this.

You might be interested also with our other kayak reviews below;

• Hobie Revolution 13
• BKC-UH TK219 Review

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