FeelFree Aventura V2 – 14′ Sea Kayak Review
I celebrated spring by buying a 2021 FeelFree Aventura V2 14′ kayak with skeg!
After being wait-listed for over a year, I found that Oak Tree Outfitters in Gloucester VA had stock on many FeelFree and Vibe kayaks in their shop. Owner, Travis Jenkins, had the Aventura in stock and in my color. He has a great selection of fishing kayaks right now – but you know they will go fast!
I have to admit that COVID-19 has had an effect on me! I am 6′ 1″ and have swelled up to 245 lbs. But the Aventura 14 is going to help me with that. Not prescribed by my doctor directly – but he did say to drop 10 to 20 pounds! Prescription: Sea Kayaking At least that’s what I heard!
As you can see in the picture, the Aventura has a sharp bow to break through the waves, and good secondary stability. With the skeg down, it tracks straight and true. But mostly, I’ve been paddling this kayak without using the skeg because the boat turns and handles easily in any breeze. It does help when surfing downwind.
The new lighter weight super-linear plastic used in this kayak has reduced the weight for easier handling. I have a kayak trailer, but I had no trouble loading on the roof of my SUV either. For a longer over-the-road vacation trip, I would probably carry it on the roof and not have to worry about the trailer.
I’ve made 5 trips so far – each lasting about four hours. The seat is very comfortable and the low back-band allows freedom to rotate the torso with each stroke. She turns in her own length as the tail-end swings around quickly with just a little edging.
In my home waters on the Rappahannock River in Virginia, storms and high winds can come up with little or no warning. I added the spray skirt for just such weather conditions. This little sea kayak gives me the opportunity to practice rolls and improve my overall paddling skills.
The bow locker has remained bone dry even though I always use dry bags in the holds. The back section kept showing a bit of water, but I realized that it was because they fitted two holes in the end for the addition of an optional rudder kit. I put stainless steel screws with rubber washers in the holes and the problem went away. Even when rolling, the hatches haven’t leaked.
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