My brother and I both have Elie Gulf 120xe's.

The hull construction seems to be excellent and water leaks are minimal (some hatch leakage when sprayed with a water hose under pressure, no leaks on the water so far).

The 120xe tracks pretty well for a 12 footer due to the extended keel but it still turns well.

I haven't had it on rough water yet but it seems pretty capable for it's size. I'm 235+lbs and water only rose to within about an inch of the top of the scupper holes in front. Some water does rise into the tank well for me. My brother is a little lighter and water barely topped the rear scuppers. Overall it seems to be a pretty dry ride. Adding weight to the front might level it out but I haven't carried any more than some fishing tackle, water, and a snack.

The sides sit a littler higher above the water than some other yaks and catch more wind as a result. It likes to point down wind.

Stability is good, a newbie might think it's tippy until they have been on it for at least half an hour, but that just means it isn't barge width. It's also a lot faster than the over 30" wide models.

I haven't tried standing but I'm sure shorter guys could do it. I'm 6'4" with bad knees so it might take a little effort for me to stand in it. The standing area is pretty limited vs something like the Stealth 12.

The non-angler version comes with molded in dimples that mark where to mount everything to convert it into an angler version. I really don't need the rudder so the savings is well worth drilling for rod holders myself. The plastic guides for the rudder cables appear to come pre-installed so adding a rudder shouldn't be too difficult.

Complaints...

The "Gulf 120 xe" sticker on mine had wrinkles in the 2 and the sticker was non-existent on the port side. I just pealed up the 2 and stuck it back on to fix the wrinkle. The stickers are bound to come off eventually. I suggest Elie switch to paint if they want their lettering to last. The emblem on the console was also missing from my kayak. I don't care but it seems to indicate something lacking in QC.

The seat starts feeling kinda thin after a couple hours on the water but was otherwise comfortable. The back is slow to adjust and you pretty much have to turn sideways to do it. The screw with the knob should be replaced with a spring loaded pin with a knob. Pull knob, slide seat back up or down, release pin, done. It could be adjusted just by leaning forward a little with no more screwing and unscrewing. I also think the back would be better if a stiffer plastic support on a hinge were used. It would make transportation and entry from the rear of the kayak easier if needed. Mine had stress marks just from shipping, I can only imagine what it will look like in a few years. The adjustments for thigh support didn't operate as easily as I'd like while seated.

Scupper plugs come pre-inserted under the seat when you buy it, but the plastic seat pan doesn't seem to have holes... so why do you need scupper plugs? This also means if you get water in the seat it doesn't drain out and you spend the day sitting in water. In the future, they should leave the scupper plugs out and place at least one drain hole in the seat pan offset from the scupper holes. A small hole in the foam might be required as well.

My kayak came with the bracket for the rudder installed on the rear of the boat, but my brother's came with empty holes he had to fill with sealant. We are going to contact Elie to see if they will send my brother the bracket for his but that appears to be another QC issue.

Since the boat is basically two pieces welded together, there is a flange inside the scupper holes that reduces their diameter. I can't fit the cable for my fish finder's transducer through the flange and water certainly won't drain as fast as it could without a flange. I wonder how much I can safely drill the holes out.

I love the quick release hatches but they should use a larger cord to hold them from flopping all the way open.

Chris,

They're relatively new but they're hot. Very much like a Tarpon or Manta Ray but much less. I sell them at my new shop and will be able to ship them soon. Where do you live? jonsbaja55@yahoo.com

Jon