Malabu ProExplorer

[wazza68]

hey guys

anyone got any reviews on the Malabu Proxplorer???

i just bout one and yes i love it, wanna start kittin it out with GPS and Echo Sounder and wondering if anyone has done this and if so how they went and where they put stuff????

[maccayak]

I too am waiting for some reviews on this and some other Malibu's. I stumbled accross them in bcf and they have me interested. I am a Hobie owner, but you cant use them everywhere. Some of the new Malibu's looked really good.

Geoff

[nowie88]

yeah i was just going to ask this same question what do you guys think about them i wanna get an offshore yak for fishing around south west rocks and port macquarie, dont really wanna spent to much but this looks good any info would be awesome! thanks guys

[jokinna]

they look big and heavy

[Mullie]

Ive got one of these on layby at the moment, they look like a solid rig and from what Ive heard they track well but turn slowly and are very stable.
I have a viking nemo rigged for fishing and its fine in the noosa river but no good out in the bay at noosa

[nowie88]

so i just bought one! took it off south west rocks yesterday in some pretty lumpy jogglie seas and it handled it quite well. they track well and are stable but the down sides are.... they take ALOT of effort to turn around! and to get to the front hatch is a mission to put a fish into, it didn't go as smoothly as i was thinking while i was in the shop. speed wise i think for the weight and stability its not to bed i think my friends scrambler is a tad faster but the pro explorer is alot dryer in a 2m whitecaping southerly.

[Mullie]

Well Ibought my kayak off layby and have had it out in the water a few times now.
The pro explorer weighs about 35 kilos which still can be lifted by a person fairly comfortably with the side handles ( I lift mine onto the car and off the car alone).
Kitted out with the basics What is supplied ex store is enough to get you started in the water.
Now on the water its the dryest ride of your life bar the scupper holes under your backside, but the chop deflects off the front as you paddle and you dont get covered in water paddling around. The way they sit on the water sit fairly high and give a stable ride and track well which means easier paddling infact it is a lot easier to paddle than my nemo but steering is a lot harder ( how often do you need to sharp turn paddling to your destination). Well Ive caught a few flathead off my malibu and I must say it is a dream to fish off.
Good luck if you are going to buy a pro explorer Idid and Im very happy with it.
See ya

[Daserdark]

Well Ibought my kayak off layby and have had it out in the water a few times now.
The pro explorer weighs about 35 kilos which still can be lifted by a person fairly comfortably with the side handles ( I lift mine onto the car and off the car alone).
Kitted out with the basics What is supplied ex store is enough to get you started in the water.
Now on the water its the dryest ride of your life bar the scupper holes under your backside, but the chop deflects off the front as you paddle and you dont get covered in water paddling around. The way they sit on the water sit fairly high and give a stable ride and track well which means easier paddling infact it is a lot easier to paddle than my nemo but steering is a lot harder ( how often do you need to sharp turn paddling to your destination). Well Ive caught a few flathead off my malibu and I must say it is a dream to fish off.
Good luck if you are going to buy a pro explorer Idid and Im very happy with it.
See ya

Hi mate. I saw one of them today and it really got my attention. I was reading that you were very happy with yours, any updates??? still happy with it??? cheers.

[Larry]

I have had my Pro-explorer for about two years. I wanted a kayak that was versatile which I could use in open water, estuaries, rivers and lakes. I found this craft in BCF and it was in the budgetary limits my wife had set me. I have found it great for the purposes I use it for and I think that's what you have to consider along with the budget.

I have not used it in open water, however have done considerable fishing in estuaries, river and lakes and have found it great. My brother has a Tarpon 120 and another mate I fish with has a Hobie both of which are faster in the water as I find myself paddling quite hard to keep up when with them (though I think they push me a little to). The Pro-explorer tracks well but has hull slap in choppy water. It is very stable and I find this a bonus as I sometimes forget what I am fishing out of and shift my weight quickly.
It is a heavy craft though I am a big bloke and don't have a lot of trouble lifting it, however a smaller bloke would find it difficult (suggest try lifting one before purchasing).

I don't put anything in the front storage hatch that I may require when fishing. I mainly store stuff in there that I use when I pull into shore for a feed or if I get cold. Plan to do overnight camping and would find the storage great to fit all the gear. The back storage area behind the seat is narrower than some other yaks so keep that in mind if you want a larger esky in the back.

All in all I find it good value for money and I enjoy fishing out of it.
If you find it won't suite your purpose and you are on a budget I suggest looking at second hand yaks.

[gongkayakgamefisher]

Hi guys, I have a Malibu Pro Explorer and for open water, it is the most stable kayak I have used with out outriggers. The only thing I have found is that paddle selection is very important for this kayak. The stability of this kayak is a slight trade off for speed that other kayaks have. With the right paddle, you will not have to flog your self so to speak to get up to speed. I have also made my self a V-sail for mine costing me less than $30.00 and this is the shiz! Once this bad girl is deployed, it allows me to troll, and get to where I need to go. I take my beast out through the Illawarra and have managed some good sized pelagics and even had a sleigh ride attached to a tiger shark just smaller than my yak and still felt safe as houses.

[gongkayakgamefisher]

PS here is a pic of my sail set up

Home made V sail