I have been out demo'ing a few yaks in the last few weeks. Kayaks for me are hard to settle on cuz I am a big bloke of 130kgs.

Perception Swing: Best all around for the little guys under 100kgs. Fast Stable and Vesatile

Cobra Tourer: The most impressive to be for stability, speed, and tracking. you can see the potential for this kayak. Best factory finish of the Cobras I tested. Imagine a fast Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT

Cobra Fish and Dive: I looked forward to playing with this for almost a year and when I finally did, it left much to be desired. The wind kills it, it's too wide for an efficent paddle stroke, and the foot wells were too narrow. you sit pigeon toed with your knees pointed inward. The positive thing was that it was a dry ride.

Cobra Explorer: Pesssssshhh NOT IMPRESSED you're better off with the Perception Swing by far!

Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT: Roomy, semi slow but faster than the Fish and Dive by a long shot. Very comparable to the Cobra Tourer for stability. I've heard that this one is a top choice for landbased boys that use kayaks to get to their spot.

Will be trying out a couple more from Kayak Direct shortly!

FYI, Kayak direct has a top secret design coming into New Zealand from Aussie shortly. I've seen the pics and it's impressive looking. comes with an electric trolling motor. It's called the "Tempo Fisher"

well I have a SEKAT from farmlands for around $400 I find it a good pratice yak,

I'm built like hellfish so need  reasonable stability and i find the sekat really good coming back through the waves.

will look at a newer model latter when the budget allows

I'll have to look into the SEKAT. It sounds interesting. There's one more high budget yak i'm interested in trying out. I hear it's not the best design for fishing but very comfortable. What makes it bad for fishing is that it doesnt have a tank well for your catch. You have to open a major hatch, and if you land a decent Snapper, good luck fitting his big head in there.

Wilderness System Tarpon 160. It's a 4 metre sit on top with a hull design much like the Swing. From my research, there is only one in the country down in Palmerston North. It's only $2000 bare bones <cough wheeze hak>.

No KingfishSi I havent tried that one yet. I'll look into it.

Cheers

Has anyone tried the escapade? I am looking at buying a kayak at the moment budget around $1,000 and someone recommended the escapade.I will check out the tempo as recommended by kingfishSi.

Any feedback would be most welcome.

stew

Stew,

I hope I don't offend anyone... Steer clear of the Escapade mate it's a bit junior. Like kingfish was saying, for your budget, take a look at the viking kayak (a.k.a. kayak direct). best bang for the buck it looks like. Another one worth the look is the Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT

When I was looking around the best mix of form vs functionality vs price seemed to be the Tempo and then Scrambler XT.

I also liked the POD arrangement with the Tempo.

As it is I have been using some Ocean River 4m sit on's and have taken over ownership of these for substantially less than the $1k I would have been up for for new ones.

Ocean River definately fit into the extremely stable but not ideal for decent length journeys as they are buggers to steer when in a bit of wind. Great fishing platform when 2 are strapped side by side

Pland

Thanks for the help just checked out out vikings website I think Iwill go with the tempo. I have seen on some american sites people using a echo sounder anyone here using one if so what model?

stew

Stew,

Go with a Lowrence sounder. get the best you can afford mate.

ive tryed out the scrambler xt and the scupper pro. i was really impressed by the scupper pro which had rudder systems and back rest. it also had sealed compartments and they(fergs kayaks) that they would throw two rod holers in (flush mounted and sealed). i weigh 62kg so wouldnt be able to comment on that aspect. i found it easy to paddle tho and comfortable to sit in.

b.m

stew, i've got the escapade, i like it. i would likely go with a larger kayak next, maybe even a double. i like lots of space when i fish.

hellfish, what didn't you like about the escapade? i'm curious as i only tried out one other before buying. i'm hoping to try a few kayaks in the next year to compare.

has anyone looked into building one? i know some of the best sit-in kayaks are hand made plywood, i wonder what a home built sit-on would be like?

G'day CJ

What I didn't like about the escapade was "For Me" the whole package. I know that some people are quite comfortable in them. I wasn't. It didn't carry my Kgs very well. The one I demo'd didn't track straight and was very reactive to the wind. The seat that is available didn't appeal to me much and when I got out my back hurt.

Not very positive aye? Well. here's a positive note. It's inexpensive and it would be great for kids!

Don't let my negativity about your particular rig sway your opinion or be offended. When it comes down to it, what suits one person does not suit another in comfort, style, and usability. If you're happy with what you have then don't change. BUT if you're in the market again for a new rig definately try before you buy!

I was a gnats @$$ from buying a Perception Swing before I tried it out. I think it's an awesome rig, but after a test... Definately not for me.

Hope that helps ?

Sure CJ, we'll have to do that sometime.

Been out for a fish yesterday. Caught a biggun' Wooo hooo!!!

Tested the Viking Kayaks Tempo. Comfy seat, not wild about the foot positioning, a bit on the slow side, feels tippy although stable, a good bang for the buck for the average jo blow beginner on a tight budget. Vesatile hatches and deck space which is important. Nice Tank Well that can easily hold 40kgs of fish.

I think the Scrambler XT has it for speed and stability. and the XT also has a better seat if you go with the Deluxe Seat.

CJ you're in Auckland , track down a dealer with a Scrambler XT, have them put a (deluxe seat) on it and use a Northwest Passage paddle on a 75 degree adjustment and go for a paddle. There's a dealer in Northshore off Constillation Drive at the Accencion PL intersection. While you're there paddle the Cobra Tourer. You're wife will love you cuz you'll have a boner for a month! Just don't say it's not because of her.

BFH, Stephen paddles a Percetion Swing fitted with Scotty 250 rodholders, Lowrance Fishfinder/GPS Plotter, aaaaand a 25 WATT VHF radio with stern mounted whip aerial so he can still talk to shore when he's 20k + out to sea!

BFH,

Heh Heh Heh...

Mate whenever I look at Steves Yak I just stand there in awe of what he's done.

It is a Perception Swing. He's fitted just about everything imaginable to it. He has a running anchor system, Lowerance Chartplotter, live bait tank, NAV light, fish stringer etc... I have a digital picture of it I could send you if you wanna see it, just PM me your e-mail address. Same goes for anyone else.

Steve paddles into open ocean. Cavallis, Poor Knights, Hen and Chicks. He's not a body builder looking type but he's in good condition for what he does. Often doing 30km round trips!

I think that like a lot of things different Kayaks suit different people. I mainly fish Islands & rock ledges using a scrambler XT for access picking that over the standard scrambler because it was slightly wider & could carry more. Now I weigh not much over 70kgs & my load for landbase fishing would come to around 40kgs making a grand total of 110kgs give or take. If I take the load off & go for a paddle I notice a huge diff in the way the yak paddles & handles. Now if the Hellfish weighs 130kgs even before he puts anything on his yak it will perform differently for him than for me!  

fishing from them could mean different requirements again!

I was playing around last weekend with my son on the back of the kayak & I slipped over the side with my wet suit, weight belt, the works on. No probs & got back on again no problems, so the XT pretty much does it for me, but maybe not for you?

cheers, P.C.   

Nice on BFH !!!

Well look at value and resellability for money. Scrambler XT has it. Center of gravity placement, Scrambler XT.

Easy on the pocketbook, Escapade...

sometimes for some people it is all about dollars and cents. Dont think I am some yuppie scum out to show everyone else up either!

For me the best compromise was the XT. The Cobra Fish and dive carried my big butt better, the Perception Swing would have been my first choice if it could have carried me so I went with the XT. I wasnt keen on the suspending seat of the escapade. It didn't carry me well, and it just wasnt "Me"

It might work bitchin for someone else though.

However think about how you're going to use it. What kind of tools will you have on it?

Even the XT provides some challenges for placement of tools

Hi ya toad, It sounds like your a simular model to me so try them out, you will be able to handle the XT just fine. Test them out & if you can't decide go with the more stable. There's not plenty of spots up coro there's more than that!

cheers, P.C.  

Quote: Originally posted by BFH on 30 January 2004

---

Good  to see yah back HF have missed jiving yah,i would say the perception swing would be my choice if i had the reddies for sure its a smooth beast.......Hows that good ship hellfish has it been decimating the stocks of big snaps in the north,is yah fish finder doin wot its supposed to?????????

---

Nah mate, been too busy lately with our move and getting this house organized. About the only thing the yak has decimated, is the marine life that was once alive in my swimming pool.

On the note of kayak reviews, Ocean Kayak, "makers of the XT" have released a new platform in the states called the "Prowler"

The look and setup is impressive. I cant wait till the are released over here for a test run.

FYI: I use a scrambler XT and like it particularly for it's stability and large amount of work and storage area.  The down side to this is that it does weigh a lot (about 24kg - although I've just made a small trolley to solve that problem - the trolley folds up and can travel with me at sea) and isn't the most stream lined kayak and the wind sure does shove it around. That being said it's a small compromise - because of it's all-round usability.   I often take out my 2 kids (3yr & 18mth) together with me with no worries, and even my fat 45kg dog enjoys a ride.  Have not yet used it for diving (snorkeling), but I plan too - and it's ideally suited for that too.

As for price, I ended up buying a factory second from Johnson Outdoors (who makes them) - it was $100 cheaper.  From memory the xt was 799 + paddle & seat special of 100 (or 120?) + rodholder (30) + rubber hatch cover kit (30ish?) + foam roofracks & straps ($45) and they threw in a shoulder strap which has proven invaluable.  

Saved a few extra $$ by fitting the rod holder and centre hatch cover myself.  Oh, also worth mentioning, Johnson Outdoor sell the flush mount rod holders for $30, that includes a few special rivets, but you can get the same rod holder down the road at Mikes Marine in silverdale for $14 - you just need to get the special rivets from Johnsons.

Tim

Hi Guys, I use the Espri which is another Viking Kayak.

It is fast and stable and a great price for only $849.00.  I got mine with rod holders ($25.00 fitted) and the easy cart so I can put all my gear on the kayak and pull it down to the water.

The guys at viking were really helpful and were able to deliver it to my door.

I've been hearing some positive comments about the Viking yaks of late.

Still no-one has tried the tempo fish'r yet.

The Vikings are a good bang for the buck at under $900 with seat and paddle.

I saw in Fishing News that Mavis (Fishing Rocks vid) uses an Espri.

Tim, I know what you mean about the Scrambler XT being heavy. 24 kg does not sound much but for some reason a 24 kg kayak feels like it's about 48 kg. I'll need a cart. Canoe & Kayak want me to buy a $300 stainless trolley. Too much.   There's nothing major wrong with the factory seconds? 

I think Mavis has used a number of kayaks over the years including the tempo. I look at one a couple of years back at a boat show & they looked pretty solid can't remember the weight of it. Toad & Tim are you guys carring your yaks a fair way? Hench the need for a trolley. I think it is the length that makes them a bit awkward to handle, esp if there is a bit of wind. Normally pick mine up & stand it on the front end & then find the centre balance of the kayak & pick it up from there onto the car roof rack.

P.C.     

There are some Kayak trundlers on the market for about $150.

I've been having the Misses help tote the boat. 24kg is nothing to start with but by the time I put all my crap on the boat, FORGET IT.

It weighs about the same as an aircraft carrier when I am done.

There is honestly nothing that you can do about it. just accept it and work with it.

For a trailer for my Scrambler XT  (after seeing the price of them in the stores) I went to a riggers and got them to make up a stainless axle (which they got out of the recycle bin and charged me $10 for. Then plastic wheels from the lawnmower shop (they might have been $30). Made a plywood cradle with a webbing strap and clips that goes over the yak and holds it on ($2-$3 at Ikes Emporium in Browns Bay.) I also bought a half a dozen ss screws.

Instant trailer, works good and I use the clips to attach it to the back of the scrambler when I go paddling so it's always there no matter where I come ashore.

Haven't used it for fishing yet, my main boat's been expensive with needing some repairs.

HF - I think why my XT was a 2nd was because there's a dip in the bottom of it - that probably makes it a tad harder to paddle - but suits me because I bought it for exercise (as well as fishing etc).  Thought the $100 I saved could go towards the new fish finder I imported from the US.

WRT weight, yeah 24 kg can be a bit much - especially after paddling for 45 mins against a 25 knot wind & 1.5m swell.  I have 3 solutions for that: The main one is the shoulder strap - I use that for carrying it around at home (on my shoulder), but mainly use it to hold in my hand when carrying the kayak to/from the beach/carpark - because the kayak is loaded with fishing kit I need to hold it level - so I hold it against my hip and hold the shoulder strap with my arm stretch out in front (I ways have the strap really short)  - I also use it to help me throw it on the roof - because I always leave my fishing sh*t (so the smell stays out of the car) in it and need to keep it level.  the 2nd solution is simply to drive the car onto the beach - I've given up caring about rust. 3rd solution is my new trolley - which I've just built for $0 out of some old wheel barrow wheels (bought them a year ago from ikes imporium in browns bay), aluminium tube and garden hose (all riveted together).  It's very light, assembles in 2 seconds and sits on the kayak no worries when on the water - can even carry my son in the kayak down to the beach in it - and hook the kayak to the bike (could I be more white trash?).  I simply sit the kayak on it - no straps required - so is extremely quick to get going (way quicker and much easier than putting on the car).  It's very simple - I'll post a picture..

That'll be really good Tim.

The Tempo weighs 29 kg. XT looks to be 1 of the lighter big capacity sitontops.

OK - resorted to ASCII art - view as courier new font (hey Kerren - how about an upload facility?  I can get you the code if you like - just name what language you want it in)

The top 'H' part is 2 aluminium tube and the cross bar part (that sags) is a short piece of garden hose rivetted onto the tubes (2 rivets each side).  This top part is independant of the axel and slots into to short peices of slightly wider tube - this is so it can be stored easier on the kayak on the water.  the top parts of the tube slot into the scupper holes and the kayak rests on the hose.  The wheels can also come off too(split pins).  The tubes rest at an angle facing down towards the back of the kayak - this is what gives it it's rigidity and holds it all in place - it rides over road curbs really well and takes the weight of the kayak, fishing kit and 15kg kid in the seat (I've trimmed the tubes so they dont stick out too far).

    |      |
    |\____/|
    |      |
||  |      |  ||
||==U======U==||
||            ||

Intersting Tim. Ain't Ikes a great place to get stuff. I like the idea of the through scupper parts - saves having to clip it on.

Might be a good mod for my trolley.

>>>>>>>HF - I think why my XT was a 2nd was because there's a dip in the bottom of it - that probably makes it a tad harder to paddle - but suits me because I bought it for exercise (as well as fishing etc).  Thought the $100 I saved could go towards the new fish finder I imported from the US.<<<<

Yep most seconds have some slight flaw some have too much plastic in the hull and not enough on the deck, some didnt come out straight. They always have seconds lying around and they can make a good affordable boat.

I imported my Eagle SeaFinder 320DF fishfinder from the States for $320 NZD

The same from ENL is about $900

Made a simple kayak trolley today.

Bought an axle & wheels from the hardware store for about $25 & a broom handle.

Mounted axle on a bit of 4x2 & drilled 2 x 22mm holes on top to take 1/2 a broom stick.

Broomsticks fit through holes in kayak & works a treat

Pland

Hi Guys,

I got my wife a Sekat from Farmlands for her birthday, it cost $343 including the paddle and with the addition of a $29 game harness as a back support from the warehouse we have a great little toy for the waves and the ideal implement to take out the longline, the g/kids think its neat.

now as far as paddling it goes its a bit low and slow but we figure that its worth it for the exceptional stability, the thing seems to be pretty bullet proof and light to drag about. I have had a Min Kota electric outboard for 25 years and if i can find it in the shed I might try to attatch the motor part and a timer so it can go out on its own.

Anyway we think its good value for money for the uses we have for it and while we were away on holiday saw a great variety of Kayaks all most likely better than ours but almost certainly twice the price.

Sounds good R-Sup,

Make sure you keep us informed of your progress???

Cheers