Sun Dolphin Aruba SS 12-Foot Sit-in Kayak

This is my first kayak, and I couldn't be happier. I wasn't looking to spend an exorbitant amount of money but wanted specific features. The first kayak came and was in shambles. The replacement was straight from the factory with all of the stickers pointing out the features. No paddle came with this one like it did with the first one. They also vacuumed out all of the shavings from the machining process unlike the first one. Overall, I am completely satisfied with the purchase and would recommend this kayak.

UPDATE: I've taken my kayak out 3 times, and I must say it's getting easier to feel stable in the water. This last time I took my two small dogs with me - they did well and we didn't flip! Looking forward to more adventures this summer and fall - and beyond! ☆ Like what I'm seeing. The seat is a little snug around my hips, getting ready to go out and play. Lots of room for my two small dogs as well as plenty of storage.

These are awesome Kayaks. I purchased the 10' and being 6'02" and 220 pounds it had a 250 pound load limit. So adding water, pack, clothes and paddle, etc...I was sitting way too low in the water. This one has a load limit of 395 pounds and has two fishing rod holders and more storage.

4 Stars but...... this kayak needs a bit of work. It arrived quickly and was delivered professionally. Coming from a manufacturing background I am realistic as to how these are built and the type of people that build them. As expected there was a lot of plastic shavings and debris inside the kayak and all the cutouts for the cockpit opening, compartments etc. had rough and sharp edges on them. Those I cleaned up with a razor knife and sandpaper. There are two foam pads, one on either side of the cockpit, to protect your thighs against scraping on the edge of the cockpit. Those were halfway peeled off but being as how the kayak was delivered in Arizona I am sure that being stored and delivered inside of hot moving vans the heat just warmed the glue up and it gave way. That’s not too big of a deal because it actually allowed me an opportunity to move them to a better position and permanently secure them with gorilla glue. There is a really cool covered console right in front of the cockpit. I have an Iphone 8+ and even out of the case it will not fit in it. The cover was not fitted very well over it and I’ve had to trim off quite a bit of the sides of th cover to get it to drop down all the way. Additionally the two screws that hold the cover to the hinge protrude from the bottom so far that they impact against the tray and keep the lid from closing down all the way. I’m going to hit the bottom of them with a little sander/grinder which will hopefully allow it to close further. I’m also going to apply a strip of sticky-sided foam (maybe a half inch or quarter inch wide) all around the console area to see if the lid will provide a more water tight fit. There is a space about 2 inches tall from the bottom of the seat to the inside of the hull so when you sit in the seat it sags down to the hull. I’m going to get a chunk of closed cell Styrofoam ( not the crumbly white stuff) and set it in place under the seat and glue it in position. I purchased a length of 5/16 fuel line and slit it lengthwise. This was glued to the edges of the cockpit so that when I get in and out of the kayak I don’t scrape my legs on the plastic I will probably do this around the exposed edges of the seat area as well although it’s not that critical there. The seat pad may be a little thin so I can’t really give that a review until I get on the water for a couple hours. There is a small round hatch in front of the cockpit that just opens up to the interior of the bow of the kayak. It’s a 6 inch opening so you’re limited as to the size of the items you can put in although it’s probably a couple cubic feet of space. Behind the cockpit is a large “box” with an aproximately 8 inch diameter opening that appears to be watertight. That watertight compartment can be removed from the kayak if you wish to have the recess it sits in open for a small pack or something like that. The bungee cord on the front and back are at least quarter inch thick and appear to be very sturdy. There is a foam bulkhead in front of your feet between your feet and the front compartment but I can guarantee you it is not watertight. It is a big piece of foam that has been slid into position and held by mere pressure. I will probably take some very strong glue and glue it into position leaving gap at the bottom for water to drain through to the front drain hole. This appears to be a pretty decent kayak and I’m excited to see how it handles on the water.

Great kayak, I have no issues with that part. The problem is getting it delivered --- don't expect miracles. Mine came with some decals ripped and one of the bungees broken. It's more of a pain to send it back for minor details like that, but it arrived in a condition that I wouldn't have bought it in the store in.The kayak itself is really nice. I've taken it on a few trips around a local pond and a couple of rivers. The tracking is pretty good and the seat is nice.

This kayak is durable, easy to put on the roof of your car and go.

For right now I'm NOT happy. I am missing the smaller dry hatch cap that is a must, and it came with a deep cut and some scratches. I paid FULL PRICE. It wasn't supposed to come all banged up. Trying to reach the vendor and gave them send me hatch cover that FITS.

These kayaks will not come with paddles but they will come to your door step and they will have shaving in the bottom of the kayak but who cares. It's a great deal. I gave it five stars.

Had this kayak out several times now and it's great. Mine too had a dent as well as a hole just above the waterline on the stern.....kind of annoying but I fixed it no problem. Kayak is super stable in the ocean and fantastic for fishing. Tracks quite well (depending on how good you are at paddling) but I could see myself installing a DIY skeg to make tracking 100% straight.Overall, very happy with this as my first ever kayak :)

Nice kayak. Missing the drybag in front hole and the rear of the kayak had a dent from being dropped off a truck.