Thread: New to kayaks

Ok so I have been looking for a new boat and think I may try a kayak. I have paddled a yak but it has been a couple of years. Any suggestions on a new yak. I'm leaning towards a Hobie PA14. Just wanted some real life experience from someone who does fish from them. My yak will be mostly freshwater with a few trips to the coast each year. My freshwater will be both slow moving rivers and a large lake. My saltwater will be bays and as I build up to it some close offshore trips. Any thoughts?

The Hobie PA14 is an awesome yak no doubt. They are very pricey though and weigh a ton. If I would have had the money, I would have bought one, but I could not afford the close to $5000+ it would have cost me to set it up with all the stuff I wanted. I love my Malibu Kayaks Stealth 14 though. It may not have the pedal power, but for me it beats out a Hobie any day, not to mention at a fraction of the cost and weight. Native Slayer Propels are awesome as well. Their pedal system uses a propeller so you have forward and reverse. Haven't really priced one but I do believe they are a little cheaper than a Hobie. As far as paddling yaks, Malibu Kayaks, Jackson Kayaks, Native Kayaks, and Wilderness Systems kayaks are some of the best kayak companies right now carrying awesome products. On the lower end, Ocean Kayak and Perception have some pretty good kayaks for their low pricepoint, but the modifying options you have on those is a little more limited. There is no real kayak that I can say that you should get over another however because everyone is little different. Find a kayak that will cover the activities you plan to do with it. If you are able to test out a few different kayaks befor you buy is even better to get a feel for what you like. I started out in a 10ft sit in kayak that costed $250. It was all I could afford but got hooked from a friend and found a way. After having that for a few years and getting more familiar with other kayaks as well as what my personal tastes were, I was able to pick out a kayak that best suited me. Sorry if this got long winded but kayak fishing is something I am very passionate about and live to share the knowledge.

Well said rockinchef88 I love the PA but the price is a killer.I got the Malibu stealth 14 same as your and love the stable ride and feel safe out in the gulf.Getting older and tuffer to paddle.But once im out there it's worth the trip.I think if your young you should be able to paddle all day but when you get older the pedal drive yaks are better.If I was to buy a new kayak I would want to try it out in the water first.
Firehouse good luck with your kayak whatever you pick.If I were you I would check out some kayak clubs now like MBKFA go on there Webb site talk to these guys and get every answer you have.
I can say one thing any yak will perform well in a calm lake but when you take it out in rough water that's another thing.And never take off your life vest.Firehouse the Pa is a great choice.If you ever want to go out in Gulf Shores area send me a private message.
I have a boat and a kayak but just getting out in the water makes me a happy camper.
Take care Firehouse and best of luck with your choice.
And hello to rockibcheff88 .

One more thing Firehouse if you want to try my Malibu stealth 14 you can meet me this weekend.I have a house on rt 180 that is Fort Morgan road and have a private boat ramp behind my house on mobile bay.I will be there Friday and probably all week not sure yet.Great place to kayak and good spec water.Send me private message. Tom

Thanks for the info and the offers. I'm going to keep looking and researching to try and find out what will suit me best. Ok what gear do you guys consider a must have?

I have an outback, not as pricey as the PA but still an awesome fishing machine. Ive had mine several miles off shore.

Used you can find them at a pretty decent price. I also really like the cuda. It's really an ideal fishing machine and I like the way it is setup better than the outback, but its hard to not give the advantage to the peddles.

With peddles you can easily troll all day offshore even in pretty tough wind.

Originally Posted by Firehouse108

Thanks for the info and the offers. I'm going to keep looking and researching to try and find out what will suit me best. Ok what gear do you guys consider a must have?

Fish finder is a nice tool to have. Helps you find holes and areas where fish might tend to hang, and if you want to spend the money get a combo machine with GPS so you can mark those spots and come back to them. A good anchor for those windy or high current conditions to keep you on the fish. I like using a catch cooler opposed to a stringer. Hate dragging things in the water, makes it harder to paddle plus can attract unwanted guest. Also no matter what kayak you get, get you a comfortable seat. On the safety side buy a paddling life vest or an self inflating life vest to give you more movement for paddling. I think that about covers it for now.

These guys have steered you in the right direction. I will add that if you live local you could go by Fairhope boat company. They have everything and many models of kayaks to choose from. And I believe they let you test drive them also.

I've had my Native Manta Ray 11 since 07 and love it, it's light enough for me to carry and small enough to throw in the back of the truck. Great for rivers lakes and ponds. wider than most so really stable. Not sure how it would do in the Gulf but I think all right. The negatives are you do have to paddle, and it is slow but tracks well. As far as gear besides what was mentioned I would add a paddle leash, anchor trolley, rod holders etc. in fact I would pay the extra and get the fishing package, I think most kayaks offer that. I just use a crate and plenty of bungie cords. The best life Jacket made is the one that you will wear so get a comfortable one and never take it off.

I fish from a PA 14 and fish both salt and fresh inshore and offshore and your going to be hard pressed to find a better more stable platform to fish from. Yeah it's a little heavy but with a nice set of wheels you won't notice it and if you have a trailer you don't notice at all. It's more expensive than a paddle yak but the mirage drive is worth every penny. Next someone is going to tell you you can't go as shallow because of the drive that's a load of crap the fins fold up next to the hull I fish in 8" of water on a regular basis in mine I just stand up and pole around like a flats boat. But the propel boats have a reverse so does the hobie you just flip the drive around and pedel. It's all relative to how much you can spend because eventually everyone wants a mirage drive. When I started fishing with the MBKFA a few years ago there was only a handful of Hobies at the launch every month for our monthly gathering but now it looks like a Hobie owners group every time we launch. There is a reason you see mostly Hobies at all the big tournaments and its not because everyone is sponsored by them.