Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Sun Dolphin Bali SS Sit-on top Kayak (Blue, 10-Feet)

Great solid kayak, fast shipping, and good product

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2018

We purchased for the express use of using in small swampy waterways and lakes. We took it to a decent moving fast river waterway this weekend. It worked well! The side drink holder, middle drink holder, and various dry cubbies worked really well! I strapped my bag to the front. Seat was comfy; we did purchase bilge balls to plug the holes on the seat; and also purchased a gel seating pad. It's a smaller length, so it requires righting and paddling. The weight is really manageable (big selling point for us). I didn't realize it came with a paddle - yeah! Unfortunately, the paddle wasn't long enough for me, personally, but it's an extra one if needed. GREAT Amazon deal! Note to Amazon: The local shipper was not good (their system didn't jive with Amazon's and they double confirmed with a robo call - then cancelled out our order delivery!. My husband got a different color - and they used a different local shipper - who had no problems just delivering it within the said time.)

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Bryan McClung

Great kayak, excellent delivery service

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

Excellent shipping, arrived within the selected time window for delivery, no scratches and all pieces attached as expected.
The kayak itself worked great! I'm 5'8" 190 pounds. My legs comfortably stretch out all the way with the foot peg at it's last setting. The padded backrest matches up against the molded backrest for a very stable upright sitting position. I can lean to the sides quite a bit with no worry of tipping. It's fairly easy to get in and out of as well. The kayak transports well on top of a Jeep Grand Cherokee strapped down to the standard luggage racks.
For larger framed people: my younger brother gave it a try, he's 6' 280 pounds and has a high center of mass. This kayak tipped to the sides too easily for a person his size.

26 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

The only thing I don't necessarily enjoy are the adjustable foot rests

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

I don't have many complaints about this kayak, especially not for the price. The only thing I don't necessarily enjoy are the adjustable foot rests. Perhaps with a large surface area they might be better but if you're kayaking for a prolonged time barefoot, they can get a little painful. Otherwise, tracking is fine for a 10ft kayak. There is some left and right action but with the size, that's to be expected. It's easy to maneuver and I can carry it with ease on one shoulder from my patio to the water. This weekend I took it around the harbor and even got a little open ocean action here in California. I found that it was very stable and was quite comfortable. Easily worth what it costs.

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MK

Great for beginner kayakers, needs a few modifications though. All around, solid product!

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

I bought this kayak a few years ago after my original kayak (of a different brand), had been stolen. So far I’ve been more than impressed with it! It’s a great beginner kayak and for those who might even be experienced but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. I shopped around for months and settled on this model in blue.

Now here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly:

It’s a great kayak, however it needs some personal modifications to make it more practical for everyday use. Since I bought mine almost 3 years ago, I’ve been customizing mine to better suit my own personal needs.

First and foremost, I added some carry handles on the port and stbd (left & right sides) to make it easier for transporting and launching. It only comes included with bow and stern handles. Next I added some D-ring tie downs to it so that I could attach some accessories and tethers so that I don’t lose any of my personal gear I carry with me on it. I’ve attached a couple of small paddle craft cleats for purposes such as mooring, etc. I’ve also added a kayak anchor davit system as well. Soon I’ll be rigging it for fishing as well, by adding flush mount rod holders and track mount removable rod holders.

The deck part can get quite slippery, so I recently added some nonskid tape to the deck near the foot rests, and some small tie down points into the deck and the side wells where there is accessory storage. I’ve added a bungee cargo net over the aft storage compartment to keep my gear in place and prevent it from falling out, and I’ve also attached some paddle clips for extra protection as well.

Now for the negatives:

The seat is quite hard and needs a cushion of some sort. I’ll be custom building an alternative seat for longer paddle trips.
None of the attached hardware is stainless steel, so any metal portions, will rust! To combat this, I sawed off the D-rings that hold the seat back in place, and fabricated my own using stainless steel hardware from my local marine store.
The kayak doesn’t track perfectly straight and tends to turn once you stop paddling. I’ll be custom fabricating a kayak rudder I bought to help with this issue.
When the kayak sits for a while unused, water seeps into the hull somehow and needs to be drained using the included drain plugs...not a big deal, just sometimes a slight nuisance.
The portable accessory carrier collects water and is basically useless until I figure out how to attach a drain plug to it.
The hull material scratches easily and I’d recommend getting a hull guard if this kind of thing annoys you. If you use it near rocks, it will definitely scratch and possibly even breach the hull if you’re not super careful.

I’m still in the process of customizing it to better suit my own paddling needs, but overall it’s a great product and I’d recommend it to anyone. I’ve even been adding my own decals to it just to make it look more personalized.

Pics to come soon!

27 people found this helpful

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K. Massi

This is a great kayak for the average kayaker

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a great kayak for the average kayaker.

I've owned a few kayaks and this one suits my personal needs the best. I live in an easy where we can kayak out to an island a couple miles out and hang out. This kayak is perfect for that.

Its pretty sturdy. If you're looking to race, I wouldn't go with this Sun Dolphin. If you're looking to throw a few towels, small cooler and other belongings to take to a beach or snorkeling, this kayak is perfect. It's a little over 40 pounds so it can start to get heavy if you're not used to carrying a lot of weight but in a group, we have no problems carrying it out to launch.

It has a couple water tight compartments. A small one for your phone, keys etc. and a bigger one for clothing or other things you don't want to get wet. We tie our snorkel gear to the back and it has a few cords to hold down life jackets, coolers, etc.

For the price, you can't really go wrong with this particular kayak.

19 people found this helpful

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kevz71243

Looks nice. Wish I could keep it tracking one way!

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

You could live with it. If your not planing on using it everyday.? If so try something else. The people who are saying it doesn't track well wasn't kidding by any means. It's exhausting trying to keep it going straight. It's almost like trying to paddle yourself around in a round tub. I'm serious that's how bad it is. It keeps wanting to spin around on you on the first stroke. Also if u don't wanna be sitting in about 1.5 inches of water? U better get you some scupper hole plugs before u take it out. And Do not sit in your kayak unless your in the water it will crush the scupper columns. Do not put anything in the hatch holes!!! U don't wanna get soaked!!! They will fill up with water once u have the 1.5"inches of water in the kayak with u. And the rear one leaks around its lid also.

12 people found this helpful

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D. Williams

Awesome! Great kayak

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018

Verified Purchase

Awesome! Great kayak! Easy to use and very stable. Just relax and it you will be fine! Make sure you store it upside down. The various attachments are water resistant but not water proof. If you store it right side up water will pool and seep inside. That's easy to take care of. There are 2 drain ports for the inside one at the bow and one at the stern (front and back). Worth every penny. Remember do not drag on pavement of gravel the hull will scratch. Grass is fine.

8 people found this helpful

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Alex

Not overly impressed with this kayak. Arrived damaged in ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

Not overly impressed with this kayak. Arrived damaged in shipping dented, scratched, strap attachments broken off.

I am 5'7 160lbs. Using a Carlisle Magic Plus with this.

Stock seat connectors broke out of the kayak on my first trip, oh well. I ordered a real seat.
Thigh pads are in a weird spot for me and I have to slouch in order to properly use them.
A bit hard to control. I usually ride 12' sit on tops and this 10' gave me stability issues even floating on a calm creek. So many issues with this design and its instability that the fact you can turn tight corners is annoying because it seems thats the only mode this kayak operates in.
Drybox is not 100% a drybox as I found out the hard way.
Hooks for straps are weak/loose from factory and can't really be tightened.

Overall if you're looking for a cheap solution to get out on the water this is it. I would not pay more than $300 for this kayak under any circumstances and I did not due to the kayak arriving damaged. I think I paid around $200-250 after the sale of $350 and a partial refund. Look forward to replacing rivets or sealing holes from existing hardware.

Update 7/27/2016
I've given up on this and have just gone back to renting kayaks. Poor design.

19 people found this helpful

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kk3833

Great price. Seems to be built very well (durable

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

Pros: Great price. Seems to be built very well (durable, looks attractive). Lots of storage that so far has been completely water tight - I can fit my car keys, wallet, phone, shoes and an extra water bottle with no problem in the storage compartments.

Meh: self-bailing drain holes are roughly right under your butt, so the back of your shorts will get wet - I'd recommend using a seat cushion and/or drain plugs to stay dry. Tracking is a bit difficult, as with any kayak of this size and weight, but I was able to get the hang of it with an hour or two of practice.

Cons: Not many handles, makes it difficult to load/unload out of the truck. Foot rests seem built for short people. I'm not real tall (5' 10") but it still feels like the foot rests are too short, even at their most extended position.

Keep in mind, this is an inexpensive, entry-level kayak. Its great for a beginner and/or a leisurely paddle around pretty still water. If you're looking for something more than that, you'd be best spending a little more on a higher-level model. But for what you get for the price, I've been very pleased.

84 people found this helpful

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T. Barnella

great beginner kayak, almost 5 stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019

Color: LimeVerified Purchase

I just recently took up kayaking and wanted an affordable kayak to learn on. I really like this one, with a few issues keeping it from 5 stars. Because it is a 10-foot kayak, it has some slight stability issues. Even on a calm lake, it will spin if you stop paddling. There are also some cost-saving aspects that lost it a point (no seat provided, no scupper plugs, etc.). I do really like the removable storage bin (although it is not water-tight) and back-rest. Seating position and paddle that came with it are both effective. I can also hear plastic pieces moving around in the hull of the boat (possibly from manufacture) which is slightly concerning. Lightweight, about 40 pounds, I can carry it solo to and from the truck. I love the compartments and storage areas. Pricing is great for what you get. Transports easily, love the color and would gladly own another Sundolphin product.

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Sun Dolphin Bali SS Sit-on top Kayak (Blue, 10-Feet)

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Sun Dolphin Bali SS Sit-on top Kayak (Blue, 10-Feet)

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