Best kayak

[rrstj]

What is the best fishing kayak ?

I am 6ft 4 and about 15 stone. Still want it to be fast and stable as I will be fishing off shore as well as piking on Lincs drains, mostly on the fly rod.

Been looking at the prowler 13 or the perseption caster 12.5

 

Any help, Richard

[Moonyaker]

Hi Richard

 

The P13 is generally acknowledged on this forum as being 'the best allrounder'; it has a good sized tank well, it has a good sized cockpit (which should readily accommodate your height (according to the American posts I have seen), it is easier to turn in tighter spaces than the longer kayaks (P15, Elite 4.5 and Scupper Pro), it comes with a fairly high specification and is also reasonably quick (though not as fast as the longer kayaks). For a combination of sea and inland use; it really does look like a good choice. Sadly, I do not have any first hand experience of the Perception Caster but from my limited knowledge it does look like a serious contender for the job. The Elite 4.5 looks like it may steal the P13's thunder in some respects (speed) but time will tell on that one.

 

Best advice is to try and get a ride in both of your current favourites and see how they feel to you. Most folk on this forum are only to happy to let you have a paddle if they are able and if you indicate where you are based you will probably attract some offers.

 

Yakkity Yak who has had a fair stable of Kayaks bought the P13 specifically for fly fishing and that has to be a good endorsement; perhaps he might be able to confirm this?

 

Hope this helps some.

 

Moonyaker

[SpeciMan]

Hi Richard

 

Welcome.

 

How far offshore are you planning on fishing and in what area?

[rrstj]

I plan to take it off the Guernsey reefs and some open water, but well insight of land whilst on holiday with the family in the Channel islands. But mostly fly fishing for bass around the rock edges at low water.

 

Richard

[Grant]

Richard,

 

If you are based in Guernsey, they are a few others on this board from round there who may be able to help.

 

I am from Jersey, but you are welcome to take my Caper out! For what its worth, went for that over the Prowler as it is more stable, which is important in the CI waters, but most have Prowlers I think.

 

Getting through the tides is an issue, and here the Prowlers would be better.

 

Cheers

 

G

[Simon Everett]

So the old stability myth is still going about then.

 

A wide kayak does not necessarily make a stable kayak, and it certainly doesn't make for an easy to paddle kayak. A narrow kayak is a stable kayak for rough water - or a kayak with a rounded hull. Stability comes from centre of gravity and the height of that centre, not from beam - indeed normally beam is a product of instability in that a maker has to add beam to counteract the high C of G created by the high seating position.

 

For a kayak to be stable in rough water (and even a 50cm wide surf ski is stable on flat water) it needs to be able to mould itself to the shape of the wave as it curls. A flat bottomed, or wide kayak stays flat to the wave and as it curls - over you go. A narrow, round bottomed kayak can edge against the wave and so stays upright - or as you would stay remains stable.

 

DO NOT CONFUSE A KAYAK THAT MOVES WITH ONE THAT IS UNSTABLE. A kayak that can move is VERY stable, but it rolls from side to side a bit - but yu don't fall out/off. One that can't move due to its beam or flat bottom is very stable while the water is calm, but very quickly becomes unstable as the waves show up.

 

If you don't believe me, add a couple of inches of foam padding under your seat and go out in some waves - you will find that your kayak has altered its behaviour noticeably and you will find it very much more unstable, despite the beam. That is because the padding has raised the centre of gravity.

 

The Prowlers, Scupper Pro and composite, specialist fishing kayaks (Dorado and Pelican) are less beamy but more suited to rough water because of their hull shape.

 

Wider kayaks seem more appealing at first to newcomers because they associate them with stabilty - but they are also pigs to paddle. The water has to flow further round the hull and it is YOU that provides the energy to do this. On top of that, the water is way below you because you are sat up high in an attempt to stay dry - WHY? You are in/on a kayak for heavens sake, you are going to get wet! Learn to like it.

 

Instead of making life hard for yourself, learn how to kayak, it isn't difficult - you can ride a bicycle can't you? So, you can balance a 2-wheeled contraption on 1" wide supports (called tyres) and you can lean it round bends - but it won't stand up on its own - and you say a narrow kayak is unstable!!! I think a bicycle is very much more unstable - at least if you put a narrow kayak on the water it floats the right way up. The bicycle does what when you let go?

 

Learn to kayak and you will appreciate the difference in the required paddling effort between a wide ("stable") kayak and a narrow (also stable) kayak. Then there is the wind factor of the higher kayaks....some are very difficult to paddle in a wind - the bow gets blown downwind and it is the devils own job to paddle into a stiff breeze.

 

To show you what I mean by a low seat here are a coupleof links to low seated, but VERY, VERY stable, narrow kayaks:

 

http://www.kayak.co.za/kaskazi/pelican.htm

 

http://www.anglersafloat.co.uk/Review_KaskaziDorado.html

 

I hope that has helped to clear a few misconceptions. Don't forget to look at Boat Fishing Monthly for my features on kayak fishing - hopefully on a monthly basis from the October issue onwards. Technical features, rigging features, kayak tests and fishing exploits for various species - read about Martin's heroic capture of a 22lb-25lb tope on his bream gear.....I won't spoil it!

[nomoretequila]

I guess your guernsey holiday is over for the time being otherwise you're welcome to try out my prowler elite. I nearly bought the 13 at the start of the year but, having seen the elite on the net I waited until they came out in the uk. (then waited another couple of months until I had some money again) I found the elite faster than the 13 and just as easily driven, but turning it is another story. waterline length and minimal rocker for those technically minded. In English - definitely needs a rudder when the wind gets up past a 4. Yet to try it in the surf but I suspect I'm going to make an a**e of myself the first time. All in all though I'm chuffed to bits with it.

[Simon Everett]

I didn't find it overly troublesome to turn - leaned it a bit and she went round OK - if you wait until the kayak is on the crest of a wave you will find it turns very happily.

[Martin Hurst]

Heroic !!! not the adjective i'd have used!!

Edited August 30, 2006 by Martin Hurst

[rrstj]

Thanks for all the advise and kind offers of help,

looks like the prowler 13 is the one and after looking at a lot of the other post it seems about the best for me

 

 

thanks Richard