I bought a used Heron 9XT for my teen stepdaughter to learn the basics of paddling in. Her first boat was a Liquidlogic Stomper 80 whitewater boat, also used, because I thought a whitewater boat would grow with her as her skills improve. The Stomper was way too much boat for her, and she couldn't track straight to save her life, so I decided to start her out in a rec boat. I still haven't gotten her into the Heron yet, but I took it through its paces on a local large lake. The boat turns on a dime, not to the extended off a rockered WW boat, but at 9.5 feet I expected it to. It tracks like a dream and moves fast, but that's years of paddling experience pulling good performance from this boat. It also handles well in choppy waves and motorboat wake, but water will splash in over the cockpit rim without a skirt (Seals makes decent skirts for rec boats, and this particular model uses a size 4.2, btw). The width of the boat makes it extremely stable. Im 5'9/180, and I'm pushing the limit for cockpit comfort and fit in this boat. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but I can see that a larger paddler may want a larger boat. The seat is extremely comfortable for a boat in this price range and the thigh/knee pads on the cockpit rim make it easy to "lock in" for greater control. The foot braces are easy to adjust and comfortable. My used Heron was extremely dirty when I bought it, and washing the interior was a great test of the rear bulkhead's water seal. With the boat resting against a wall standing on its stern, I hosed the interior down. The water pooled on the bulkhead, but no water managed to leak into the storage area in the stern. Overall, I'd say this is a great boat for learning to paddle in. I'd have no problem letting my kid run class I rivers in it, and possibly lower class II rapids. While I have read positive reviews of the Heron's performance in class III water, I'd have to say that anyone trying that is a fool. Rec boats aren't designed for class II or higher whitewater. The hulls aren't as thick and the lifesaving inner construction that WW boats have are not present in these types of craft. Overall this a fun little learning, goofing around, and light exploration boat. It's well made for its intended purposes and does what it was designed to do well, without breaking the bank. I did remove 1 star for the paddle holder. Mine was broken by the previous owner and I've seen several reviewers say that their paddle holders have broken as well.
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Sale & Shipping Restrictions. 
Requires scheduled delivery. Assembly options may be available. 
