[thehairynurse]

gday everyone. well i saw that article in NSW fishing annual and after finding this site have decided it may be time to get a kayak. after looking at those posted i have a few questions-
a)which is the quickest to paddle-
hobie outback
prowler elite
viking espri
perception swing
b) most stable or sea worthy of these
c) with the hobie peddle system does the flippers pop up flush to the hull for beach launches, going through shallow waters etc
d) do i need a rudder? or can i wait and get one latter if i think i need it.

most of my paddling will be done in the goerges/ botany bay / port hacking area and once i get comfortable will prob be trolling around the headlands of said waters. yes, so many questions. hopefully i will get a chance to test paddle all of these i hope as i wont have the money to buy one till after christmass due to a trip to canada then which i am still paying for. all help is much apreciated

cheers.

 

[thehairynurse]

forgot to add- im 6ft 2 and weigh 90-95kg

 

[YakAtak]

Gday mate, welcome to the forum.
I've only paddled the Espri, but have paddled along with people in most of those kayaks, and am also 6'2 and roughly the same weight as you. The espri is probably the slowest in your list, being the shortest and widest. Having said that, it's served me very well, and is one of the best value for money kayaks on the market imho, coming in well under $1000 even fitted with a few optional extras.
I don't know the waters around sydney, so I'll leave comment on what you will need for that area to those that know.
Happy shopping.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

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

 

[Peril]

Welcome THN,

All of the yaks you've listed are very seaworthy. In respect of stability, read this article. In summary, a kayak may feel very tippy (primary stability) but be almost impossible to tip (secondary stability). Secondary stability is the most important and they all have it in spades. Don't know which has the best primary stability.

Have a look around as you have time. Maybe come along to one of our outings and have a little paddle of the yaks there. The ones you are looking at cover a fair price spectrum and there are many others around.

Good luck with your search

 

[Dodge]

.

most of my paddling will be done in the goerges/ botany bay / port hacking area and once i get comfortable will prob be trolling around the headlands of said waters. .

Welcome THN

Any of the yaks you mention will be able to work the areas you have nominated, although the espri would be dampest [but not risky] ride if the sea got sloppy.

Having said that on a value for dollar basis, I would place the espri well up the list, test paddling is the answer as you indicated in your post.

Finding to right boat is a nightmare with so many options available, but rewarding in the long term

 

[Yakabe]

Welcome THN,

Another that you may be interested in is the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160i. I am 6'2" and balancing in the 100 club. I find mine to be very stable, very quick for a sit on, and a well thought out design as far as deck space and fit out ability. It would belong in with the Elite and the Swing for all the features you mention.

Most important is to try as many as you can and get a feel for what suits you.

Happy hunting,

Yakabe.

 

[Davey G]

G'day HLN..

Have to disagree with some of the above posts. The prowler Elite at 15 feet and the Wilderness Systems T160i (16 feet long) are much faster kayaks than the others mentioned. The swing and outback comes in somewhere after that and then the Espri is probably the slowest of the bunch you mentioned (although still adequate)

Basically longer/thinner yaks will outpace shorter/wider ones every time. The Hobie mirage drive system is the exception to this rule however and it does generate some good speed, even on the shorter Hobie models.

For mooching around in Port Hacking or the Georges River the 13 foot Swing, a 12 foot Tarpon, the Hobie or Espri would be perfect for you. If venturing offshore (eventually you'll want to) a longer, faster yak is the ticket and the Prowler Elite, WS T160i and Hobie Adventure are at the fast end of the SOT spectrum. Also, make sure you consider the Prowler 13 as this has been (and still is) probably the most popular allround SOT yaks available.

The only problem that we have here in Australia is getting access to try out these boats. There's a serious lack of choice for us and sometimes it's a matter of 'getting what you can' rather than 'getting what you want'. As others have said, you are usually more than welcome to come along to have a look at other members boats during any of the trips posted on this site. Good luck.

 

[Alex]

Hey THN,
welcome to the site.
If your looking at a prowler elite, you might like to have a look at a viking predator as a comparison. They are roughly the same size, but the predator is alot sleeker in design, comes standard with a retractible rudder which i have found to be particulary handy, and loads of storage.
Have a look at mine in the rigged kayaks section.
I was up at anaconda here in brisbane last weekend having a look at prices of other craft, and the prowler was retailing for $1499 without a rudder, the predator cost me $1495 including retractible rudder, large front hatch, quality seat and viking paddle, pretty good value for money i thought.
They also have a longer cockpit than most other kayaks and i have seen someone of about 6'5 tall fit comfortably into one, also have a look at some of ' fishbrain's posts and his awesome travally catch.
Worth a look

regards
Alex

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

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

 

[thehairynurse]

thanks fo the help fellas, gives me a better idea of what to get. after daveg reply regards the prowler 13 i will def look at it to and put the money saved towards a sounder. was on the list but thought may be small for my size. can test paddle the prowlers and swing from a place at caringbah that sells them, the others will have to track down for a paddle. will keep youse posted on decisions. as for photos of fish, as i dopnt have a digital camera you will just have to belive me when i say they are huge

 

[YakAtak]

I don't think you would be disappointed in either the swing or P13 mate, both well proven yaks from all accounts.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWaJWsVsAADhfgAAScIeAAgwgUgo/7/6gMAE7bFQ1TwqemTUepkxk00mmIARTTxQxpDQAAAA1PQk9EaEwKaZNNqNqbKEQxmFgQwjz16/qcKno+yu/dWL87LlvU1fEuZCq54yMETyVDMWyOJDUo4uhAu1iIG6MFS5aksnsY9jULkpzGQIphaIMfXRIa7p7IXHe/LzGsaPOr5JYKfMOsrIyQYni23yFwmO0Qxe68FL/PupdKCM3EwoRHLr9UvyB1IxzzQkfjWbdEA1a5YI9MddMXwWQYZstKBMh806G1IW457pPCtIgllVBc0liTxpB6kjkNtLdOkw3BKgxEBSUpGzswWla/lVfv9wdo46YRszY2EyzVIqGtMgkCwYD0jSrEavgxMIUMMrEcOR2pyIwRkNEhDvFDJP4u5IpwoSFErWK2A==