Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler Review
Bottom Line:
The Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler is one of the best-rated fishing kayaks in its price range. It’s well-reviewed for its stability in fast-moving waters, its ease of movement, and the fact it’s amazingly light and easy to carry around!
However, anglers over six feet tall may need to look for a boat with a bit more length for comfort.
Price Comparison:
Specs:
| Brand | Pelican |
| Size (length x width) | 9'5" x 30" |
| Weight | 44 lbs |
| Capacity | 275 lbs |
| Material | Polyethylene |
Comparison to Similar Kayaks:
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| Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler | Old Town Topwater 120 | Hobie Mirage Outback | Vibe Sea Ghost 130 | Vibe Sea Ghost 110 | |
| Expert Rating | 8.4 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Size | 9'5" x 30" | 12' x 33.5" | 12'9" x 34" | 13' x 33" | 11'6" x 33" |
| Weight | 44 lbs | 82 lbs | 85 lbs | 75 lbs | 84 lbs |
| Handling | |||||
| Stability | |||||
| Comfort | |||||
| Onboard Storage | |||||
| Portability | |||||
| Durability | n/a | n/a |
Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler Review
- Handles waves and choppy waters with confidence
- Tons of storage options
- Extremely customizable
- Very light and easy to carry
- Extremely stable
- The default seat isn't the comfiest
- Not ideal for taller anglers
Performance of the Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler
Overall, reviewers are most impressed by the Sentinel X’s portability. It’s one of the lightest boats in its class, and the fact it arrives with carry handles front, back, and to the sides is a major plus point.
You can easily lift this kayak one-handed, and storing isn’t ever going to be a problem if you only have limited space in the garage or on a roof rack.
The light build also means this is a kayak that’s easy enough to launch right into the water. You certainly don’t have to drag it!
On the water, the Sentinel X immediately surprises experts – it seems to be a little more stable than it looks! On faster-moving waters in strong weather, this kayak holds its own – though you should probably experience some splashback.
With regard to handling, reviewers seem to agree that it’s a fairly responsive boat, again, even on big waves and undulating water. That’s all thanks to the design of the kayak – and thankfully, you don’t really need to give it much power to get to where you need to go.
Comfort is a contentious issue, however, if you’re investing in the Sentinel X. The scupper holes across the boat should easily drain water through with ease, but there’s a dire need for additional drainage below the seat. Your butt’s at risk of getting seriously wet!
The seat itself is reasonably supportive, experts say, though you’ll likely start to feel numbness after four or five hours riding. While the foot braces are reportedly easy to adjust, they’ll only do so much if you’re more than six feet tall.
Storage and customization potential get big thumbs up from reviewers, with the variety of holds and compartments earning praise. There’s some concern over watertightness, however, so using dry bags is a must.
It seems to be an easy enough kayak to set multiple rods up in and to upgrade with tracks. The paddle securing system also picks up praise from experts – it’s not always a given option on kayaks of this size and type.
Overall, the consensus appears to be that the Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler is a great boat for the money, with tons of features and a lot of reliability on the water. That said, it’s not the comfiest, and is missing a couple of essential upgrades to truly break the “all time best” list.
