Stellar Kayaks ST21 Review

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Video of my adventure with an Advantage layup Stellar ST21 tandem kayak. Ordered it for a race, but it was heavily damaged in shipping. Two holes through the hull, crushed coaming, broken rudder, and multiple gouges and scrapes throughout on all four gelcoat colors. After watching many online repair videos I completed interim repairs for the race with West Systems epoxy products. After the race I addressed remaining cosmetic issues and customized the "Honeybee". Bottom line: I've paddled many tandems, and this is by far the best tandem available on the market. Perhaps not a great kayak for a beginner, but with one experienced paddler it is very easy to manage. The 56 lb weight makes this easily transportable, and the light and stiff build accelerates instantly on the water. Footpeg system allows a similar leg drive as a surfski, albeit with a slightly inferior seated position. Storage is water tight, but hatch lid style is a pain to properly seat. I replaced the abrasive seat backs with a Seals brand kit, and added hooks to lift it to my garage ceiling for storage. Custom vinyl was provided by DIYLettering.com, honeybee graphic from Etsy, and racing stripes were low quality vinyl from Amazon that I don't recommend. Replaced the cracked rudder with SmartTracks' Race Rudder; it includes a metal housing and is spring deployed, which is opposite the original (spring retracted). The tandem rudder foil is also smaller than the original rudder but still very effective. Worthwhile upgrade available only from Stellar's website. Speed will depend on you and your partner, but this is probably similar to a beginning surfski (Epic V8, Stellar S18S). For us it's about a minute per mile slower than my Stellar SEL, very similar to my Necky Looksha3.