The "Yak Man" Prowler.

YakMan · 2005-08-30

The following pictures are of both my P15(Yellow) and my brother Pauls(Green).

G

· #2 · Aug 30, 2005

Hi Phil just having a look at your yak i think i like the option of one hatch at the front and hatchless at the back to put a milk crate setup .Do you have a fish finder setup on your yak.And what sort of situation do you use your Handlines sorry about all of the? 8) are you going to post some more pics of your Yak
Regards Ben

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YakMan

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 31, 2005

Hi Ben,
Mate I try to keep things simple so no fishfinder.The rods are for trolling and the handlines for bottom bashing.

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G

· #4 · Aug 31, 2005

cool. I think when i get my SOT i will get a fishfinder i like things nice and simple but i am a very curious so i would find it interesting knowing the depth and temp and if i had one which would mesure the distance traveled i think i would get alot out of it. 8)
Regards Benjamin

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Scott

· #5 · Aug 31, 2005

Goodaye there Phil, horny looking boat mate, thanks to your advice previously when i was in the market. I ended up scoring a Prowler XT Angler Edition and couldn't be happier with it.

Tell me something though, i believe you used to own a swing prior to the prowler. As it seems that they are the two more popular SOTs used for fishing in Australia, can you give us all your pros and cons on both boats. Do you regret moving the Swing on for the Prowler?

Catch ya Bent

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G

· #6 · Aug 31, 2005

I agree with Bent Phil would you be able to give us all the pros and cons of both since you have owned both i am sure others would be interested .Thanks Bent good ? 8)
Regards Benjamin

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YakMan

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 1, 2005

Hi Guys,
I owned and fished from my Swing for over 4 years and still rate it as a quality kayak.For me I feel it was a good move trading it for a Prowler.I still believe that Perception build a better quality kayak than Ocean Kayak.It concerns me that if you weigh over 100kgs and have a center hatch fitted to the Prowler 15 it will leak and sink your kayak.No amount of sikaflex or silicone will stop this happening.This is a very bad design fault and to the best of my knowledge has not been addressed by O.K.This problem has been rectified on the Prowler 13 with a completely different hatch configuration.If you weigh under 90kgs there is no problem.
I like the speed of the Prowler and also the cockpit and rear tankwell set up.

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G

· #8 · Sep 1, 2005

Thanks Phil it is good to get an opinion from someone who has owned both 8) Thanks again
Regards Benjamin

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Scott

· #9 · Sep 3, 2005

Come on Phil, more details/comparrisons mate, how do they compare as far as seconadry stability? Top speed? Amount of effort required to get it up to top speed? Hull slap? Things like that mate. What is the biggest thing you hated about the prowler/swing? What was the thing you loved the most about the prowler/swing? Since swings are not available in the US anymore they are not included in the comparrisons between the tarpon/prowler/malibu ect. It seems to me that a lot of us that are relatively new to yak fishing are torn between a p13/15 or swing and as you are the only dude on the site that has owned both i would (as would others i would imagine) value you in depth comparison.

Thanks mate

Catch ya Bent

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PoddyMullet

· #10 · Sep 3, 2005

G Day Phil, I was mainly wondering about the storage capacity comparison, if you could add a line on this. Hope the building's on track.

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YakMan

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 4, 2005

Hi Guys,
The Prowler is a fast kayak due to its LWL and as result requires alot less effort to get off the mark and to maintain a good hull speed.
As it is a large kayak that carries beam through its length it is of course very stable.
With the Prowler being larger but not heavier than the Swing, a sacrifice has been made in hull thickness.Reduced hull thickness equates to reduced strength.

Poddy the stowage on board the Prowler is very good both above and below deck.It is a bit of an art to access the front hatch whilst on the water and made even more difficult in a swell.I have found by far the best method is to straddle the kayak and shuffle forward.With practice it becomes second nature.
The rear tankwell is great as it is located right behind the seat as opposed to the Swing where it requires a fair amount of effort to access.
I have found that you can load the Prowler up with gear with very little detriment to the kayaks performance.However I must again point out the problem of the leaking center hatch and caution people on adding too much weight.
There is maybe a little less hull slap on the Prowler as the bow is finer and carried more aft than the Swing..Hull slap I have found is as much to do with technique as it is to do with the kayak.
The Swing would suit a first time offshore kayak fisho more than the Prowler as it is smaller , easier to handle and more forgiving.
In our club we have 50%Swings and 50%Prowlers.Those who have Swings would not change and those who have Prowlers are very happy with them.Most of the guys with Swings bottom bash and those with Prowlers spend most of their time on the troll.

To conclude,these are two very distinct kayaks with totally different characteristics and therefore I would advise a test paddle before a purchase.

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