[Jesse_Ape]

Now that that heading got you attention...

Has anyone ever heard of Steath fishing skis? They are South African made and look awesome. Has anyone seen one in OZ and does anyone know where they sell them?

Check out the Supalite X -2006

http://www.stealthpp.co.za/Products.asp?Product=1#59

then check out http://www.stealthpp.co.za/Gallery.asp# for pics of it in use.

I was having a yarn to my mate in SA and he said people have landed marlin with these bad boys. He said they were so shlick when you first get them that when retreiving a big halco lure the ski wil go backwards

Anyway the thing i like about them is the hatch that is in the center of the ski you can fit heaps of fish in them kind like an ice box(check out gallary). But best of all my SA mate says you can fit all your dive gear and spearing equipment in them

So yeah i think they would be the ultimate kayak to spearfish from plus you can fit a 40kg spanish in the hatch (i saw a pic somewhere)

Cheers

Jesse

 

[SharkNett]

There has been a bit of noise about quality fiberglass SOTs form SA.

The main concerns seem to be getting the boat into Australia as shipping and taxes can seriously add to the initial purchase price and making sure that the supplier packs the boat sufficiently that it is not extensively damaged during transport. Some damage however does seem to be innevitable.

Assuming all goes to plan though, those who have taken the trouble seem to be extremley satisfied

Rob.

 

[Guest]

Heya Jesse,

One of the QLD guys who frequents this forum will be releasing a fibreglass superyak here in Australia in the next few months......pricing sounds very attractive from early reports as well.

It is made is South Africa, designed by guys from both Australia and South Africa. I may be wrong but I think it is actually made by the crew at Stealth??......a pic posted on this forum had a Stealth logo on the boat.

Stay tuned......

 

[Jesse_Ape]

Yeah they should be pretty reasonable the ski's in SA are only about 1000 AUD retail so i can't imagine that they would or should be that expensive when the come over hear if they order a bulk lot.

 

[DGax65]

I've looked at the Stealth, Tomski and Macski; all look to be very nice rides. I would love to get one. I would think that they would be a blast to paddle, even if you aren't fishing. My only concern is the load capacity. I'm a pretty big guy (OK, I'm a fat bastard) and I am not sure how stable they would be with my fat arse perched on top. I might get one just for playing in the surf. I guess I could also learn to fish without taking 30kg of fishing gear with me :roll:

 

[Jesse_Ape]

that loading capacity is huge aparently. If you look on the tommy ski website check out he photo of the guy with a marlin on board. My SA mate says you can fit 80kg of fish in those skis plus they are disigned so that even when filled with water they float cause of the sealed internal bouyancy. I think they have really low center of gravity to make them more stable. Plus just simply put a leg over each side for more stability if needed.

How could you possibly need 30kg of fishing equipment? Simple is best. I simply take 2 spearguns I to shoot fish and the other one a backup/ put a second shot on this 20kg fish. But even still if i was line fishing i would only take 2 rods, a dozen lures and a gaff.

 

[DGax65]

I may have been exagerating about 30kg of gear, but not by that much.

5 rods/reels~20lbs
2 tackle boxes with large selection of crap that I rarely use
fishfinder/GPS/transducer(+spare transducer)~4lbs
hand pump~1lb
storage crate~1lb
2 VHF radios~2lbs
Camelback w/water, flares, other survival gear~6lbs
gaff~1lb
insulated game bag with 20lbs of ice
camera~1lb
about a dozen leashes for all of the junk that I carry~3lbs

I've also got probably 30lbs of stuff mounted on my kayak

Internal live bait tank with 4 gallons of water ~35lbs
RhynoBar~2lbs
4 rod holders~4lbs
battery/battery case and electrical switch box~10lbs

There are reasons why I carry so much crap and why my kayak almost weighs too much to drag down the beach into the water.

I learned to fish on the overnight sport boats fishing for tuna. Its common to take the whole tackle box and lots of rods.
I'm a tech geek and I love mounting cool things on my kayak
I'm a serious pack rat
I hate leaving the beach thinking that I'm not going to have that one special lure that is catching fish that day...so I take them all.
I'm pathetic :roll:

If I ever get a ski, I guess I'll learn to do some minimalist fishing.

Does anybody know where I might find an unbiased comparison of the major SA fishing ski brands. It seems as though several of the SA fishing ski forums are associated with specific manufacturers. I'd like to see reports from those whom have paddled/fished several types.

 

[reefcheck]

Hi

I'm based in Perth and have been using a Macski for about 6 months, out at sea trolling and in the Swan River casting lures. The ski looks very simlar to the Stealth, maybe slightly wider. 4.3m long. Same central hatch, 3 rod holders, live baittank/dry well, rudder steering etc.

It is a good fishing platform and paddles well. A relaxed 5-6km/h requires little effort, even with a very basic old paddle, for all day sessions. I love the stealthy fishing it can provide.

Handles going through the surf well, as you can put rods and everything inside, then set up once out the back. The foredeck has antislip and a bungy net, which is perfect for sliding a big fish under.

The only minor negative is the weight, at around 29kg, which means a bit of a snatch to get it onto my head then onto the roof racks. Very strong though. If advanced contruction, like carbon or vacuum bagging etc, could shave 5kg it would be well worthwhile.

 

[shayned]

Hey Douglas, couldn't you fit a microwave oven on as well? :lol:

 

[couta1]

you sure are right.i brought my ski over with me from s.a.it is not a stealth but an erics canoe(similiar).heeps of hatch space,were i can put all my diving gear.it is no problem to fit a big spanish in there.i have easily fitted jewie,heaps of tailor,tuna in my hatch no problem,just open the lid and slide them in.there are a few floating around in australia,but that shape not manufactured here yet.i did suffer a bit of damage when i shipped mine out,but nothing a bit of fibreglass didnt fix.wait and see,as there are plans to get some over in the future.

 

[Safa]

You guys are 100% correct,fantastic ski's I brought 2 in from S.A about 7 months ago,they were bubble wrapped and covered in packing cardboard
I brought them over in my cotanainer with all the house hold effects and 1 ski had a slight ding but nothing abit of epoxy couldn't fix.
I spoke to the guys at Erics Conoe in Durban before I immigrated to Oz as a mate in New Zealand wanted to bring some in.There seems to be huge market in N.Z Funny thing is Erics Canoe did not seem very interested?
If someone does manage to bring them in to Oz it will be great as the price will be very appealing for a fibreglass ski (about $1000 is correct)
They paddle well and really do have heaps of storage and are very stable,for the slightly larger guys there is no problem with weight.
Most SAFA's brought there skis with them but forgot to leave there wife's behind!
Cheers
Safa

 

[DGax65]

Safa
It's good to hear that "slighty larger guys" can fish from these skis. I might have to drop a couple (or 20) kilos to feel stable on a ski. I still want to get one. I really like the looks of the Stealth, but I want to get more info and opinions on other designs before I make a decision.

Shayned
No room for the microwave....the fridge takes up too much space :lol:
I got issues.......
I am getting better. Every time I go out I take a little less crap. In a couple of years I'll probably be down to 3 rods and one tacle box.

 

[Salty Dog]

G'day Jesse_Ape, I like the way you're thinking. I like the look of the Kaskazi boats from South Africa. Here's something that you might enjoy:

http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/superyaks2/ultimatesuperyaks.html

 

[Jesse_Ape]

Thanks for the link salty dog...

http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/s ... yaks4.html

the fourth one is the fishing ski I am talking about

some quotes from the site:

"A whole new breed of serious fishin yaks from (where else) South Africa. These are called fishing ski's: purpose built for punching through the heaviest surf, fishing for big game and surfin back in safely and with dry equipment. "

"The no nonsense design is complete: from bow to stern this is nothing more or less than a serious fishing machine. Specs: 14-1/2 ft. x 25 in x (don't ask). Capacity "348 lb. plus catch" (doncha just love that). Glass. Made by the leading manufacturer of surfboards in South Africa. This is a craft designed to launch and return in almost any surf condition. Every element is focused on fishing."

Now that's what I want.... To go out thought the surf put all my dive gear inside catch big fish and come back in safely. A truely sea worthy vessel that is all about catching big fish. I want one.... I am going to learn the ropes on my espri and mark my words if i am still yak spearing in a year i will have one of these.

I got an email from stealth in SA and he said that they would cost 1050 AUD spankers plus shipping. Hmmm i want one.

this ski/kayak is all about what I want

 

[Shoey]

Andrew's (Fishmatics) kayak that he is bringing into Australia is made by Stealth and largely based on their ski. There are some photo's on the forum of it. Should be here before Xmas.

 

[Jesse_Ape]

I will have to run into him when he gets it so i can have a look

 

[Fishmatics]

Hi Jesse_Ape

I have the Stealth Supalight - X here(Brisbane) if you want to take her for paddle PM me.

With the help of some forum members, I have had a yak desigend that is better suited for local conditions.

As I type this reply, 3 Yaks are being put through their final tests in Mozambique this last week. I will post pictures as soon as they are available.

Regards
Andrew

 

[troppo]

Keep us posted Fishmatics. There is a lot of interest being shown on the forum for this type of craft.

 

[Jesse_Ape]

Thanks for the offer Andrew. I would like to take you up on that later down the track. I think i said this before on another thread but the ski is my dream yak. I will get one next year if all goes to plan. I have an espri ATM and I am currently fitting it out with GPS, sounder etc so i can mark cray and trout holes when i find them . I am keen on this new yak that you are making. What adjustments did you make to it for Australian conditions.

Another thing how long is the inside of your fish hatch on the stealth?

Cheers

Jesse

 

[Fishmatics]

Hi JA

The essential differences are that the new Yak is faster and is a better all round craft for both Off-shore and In-shore use. My current Supalight X is an out and out Off-shore yak. It is designed specifically for large surf launches. We have also included a crate/eski recess on the new yak. Photo's have been posted under the heading "New Yak Design".

How long is the Hatch on the Supalight? +- 7ft, I have included a photo of a Jewie that weighed 22.5Kg and fitted comfortably into my hatch.

Regards
Andrew