"I had the opportunity to try kayaking as a kid some 40 years ago. I remember my parents trying to get me to come in cause it was getting dark but I wouldn't . I ended up with the worst sun burn of my life that weekend and a love for the sport. Last year gave me the opportunity to try it again and I loved it. I spent the rest of the year doing my research and decided on a Seaward Tyee XLC. I live in Calgary and had some concerns about getting one out here. The person that answered the phone was Jacquie Ree of Seaward Kayaks. She was very helpful and knowledgable which made my decision an easy one. Shipping costs were very affordable and my new kayak arrived well packaged in just a few days. The quality and attention to detail was evident upon opening the box. On the water the kayak handles very well with its many great features and gets a lot of attention when I have it out. The only issue I had was I had ordered a spray skirt but the wrong size was accidentally shipped. I sent Jacquie a quick message about it and without any hesitation she had a new one sent out to me which I received within a few days. When I sent the other spray skirt back in the mail Jacquie quickly sent me a cheque to cover the return shipping. Absolutely one of the best companies out there making a world class product with world class customer service. The Dragons could learn a thing or two. " ~ Darrenn Bennett

"Tyee XLC I purchased a Seaward Tyee XLC about 3 months ago. After about a year of looking at over 20 different kayaks, from multiple different companies, we decided on the Seaward Tyee’s. Our objectives for sea kayaking were to have a fun and stable boat not only for day tripping, but a boat that we could load up with a week or more of food and camping equipment and head out to explore on the Pacific coast. The Tyee fit the bill for having these capabilities. We choose Seaward to build our kayaks for several reasons. Firstly, I preferred a boat built in Canada. Additionally, I am planning to retire on Vancouver Island and should the boat need any repairs I could take it to the factory for these. After looking at multiple kayaks from various manufacturers I could see that Seaward build their kayaks to the highest standards. The staff at the factory was very helpful in helping us choose the correct boat and helped us outfit it. I choose the Tyee XLC because of the larger cockpit. I am 6’4” and over 200 lbs. My aging knees make it difficult to get into kayaks with smaller cockpits. The XLC is very easy for me to get in and out of. I also have bad memories of doing a wet exit from a river kayak many years ago when my legs got stuck and I had problems extracting myself from an overturned kayak. The Tyee XLC has proven to me to be very easy to wet exit. Having paddled about 15 days in the kayak now and having recently completed the Paddle Canada Level 1 course, I am please with how well the kayak handles. The kayak is very stable, edges very well and turns easily for a 17’ boat. The seat and cockpit are comfortable, the foot pedals and rudder are easy to use once you get the hang of them. The boat also tracks very well, as it really wants to go in a straight line. There are a few things that I have noticed that could improve the kayak. The kayak has a large cockpit without thigh braces, there is some padding added for your knees. This padding is very slippery and thus it is a bit harder to brace your knees in the kayak when edging or bracing. A rougher pad would improve this. The rear deck lines as the kayak as rigged go from the stern to the just behind the rear hatch. While practicing deep water re-entries I found that I needed to hang onto the rear hatch to re-enter the kayak. Extending the deck lines to behind the cockpit would make this easier and safer. Also it would give you a something other than the rudder lines to hang onto while in the water. Overall I would give the Tyee XLC an excellent rating, it is a great boat that I am sure will give me many years of great service and has the capability for me to grow into as my paddling skills and experience improve. " ~ Peter Haase

"Recently traveled to Vancouver Island to pick up my new Tyee XLC, which Steven & Co. kindly custom-fitted to my aging and unbending body. A beautiful boat, made and sold by great people who obviously care about their customers and their craft. This is one of the last hand-made boats, and it shows! Heart-felt thanks to Steven, Jaquie and Francis!" ~ John Powers

"My wife and I picked up our Tyee yesterday and are extremely pleased. Being new to kayaking we had limited knowledge. The service provided by Seward was outstanding. The owners personally helped us find the right boat for us. This process took several days and numerous phone calls. They were always friendly, supportive, informative and no pressure.....very pleasant experience from a customer’s perspective. They even offered to meet us at the shop after hours to accommodate us. After the sale we got a full tour of the shop, complete explanation of the boat and we were introduced to all the staff (family dog included). My wife and I feel GREAT to have joined the Seward Kayak family. No need to describe the quality of Seward boats....just google reviews and the praise never ends." ~ Joe Vidal