I’m a big guy, 6’4" 250lb, and have been paddling a CD Storm on the Great Lakes and East Coast and Gulf for the last three years. I’m seriously considering the Prijon Kodiak, but can’t find one in the area to try. I know this group favors Brit design boats, but I’m partial to a rudder. Tried the Impex Assategue, and felt it was just too much effort to keep it tracking in a rear quartering sea. I also want to stay with plastic because of the SHALLOW rocky area I primarily paddle (Saginaw Bay)and have someone interested in my Storm, so a boat change is possible.
I think the longer waterline, and stiffer plastic of the Kodiak will provide a bit more top end speed. Most of the reviews seem to be from first time buyers which makes me hesitant. I do a lot of camping out of my yak. With the wealth of experience on this site, I’m looking for some first hand feedback. Only one dealer in all of Michigan and he doesn’t even carry the boats, cause they’re not “sexy”, and don’t sell!
Thanks in advance for the input.
You didnt say why you wanted another
boat. Any reason you dont want to stay w/CD? Although it doesnt have a rudder you should try a plastic sirroco. It should fit you well. As far as the skeg, I think if you got used to one you’d never want to see a rudder again.
I’m not sure, but riverside kayak in wyandotte may carry the prijon’s.
good luck,
kurt
Kodiak for camping
I own a Prijon Calabia and like the quality of this company. Don’t know about Kodiak’s personally, but Renata just used a Kodiak to travel the entire United States. You can read about her on her website. Here is the link http://www.renatachlumska.com/
I also own a Sirocco and love it. Good Brit type boat with good camping room. I am 6 ft and 195 and it fits me well.
Liked it OK
I’m 5’8 205 lbs, plenty more room. I’ve gone on a couple of long weekend trips on the open coast and crossings in Northen Baja in a Kodiak. It performed well in choppy water and big following seas. Held my gear and all the food and cooking gear for 5 people. The hatches are cheap pieces of junk and the rudder cable broke. It was a rental boat and had seen a lot of use, so the rudder cable was probably an anomoly. I think if I was going to be camping a lot I would be happy with this boat.
Got to spend 4 weeks paddling one
(At the time I was going about 252 on a 6’ frame) several seasons back and LOVED the boat.
Had I had the $$$ or been able to find a used one I’d have bought it outright.
I now have the Artic Tern and I still think the Kodiak is a better boat (for my needs)
Great boat!
I go to Lake Cayuga quite regulary and I take the Kodiak whenever possible. I find the hull has a good amount of speed and is quite efficient. It handles boat wakes and chop effortlessly.
Addressing your criteria, the new rudders that Prijon / Wildwasser put out a couple of years ago are an improvement. They are simple to install and can handle abuse. You cannot beat the Prijon plastic. I scrape mine over rocks and drag it around on a regular basis. I have loaded the boat down with a significant amount of gear and it still performs well.
One thing to note, over the past year, the cockpit has been redesigned for a large paddler and one of those stupid day hatches has been included just in front of the cockpit. There are ups and downs to the different cockpits. The newer one is much more comfortable over longer paddles. I do think the result is less contact with the boat and by extension a little more difficulty with controlled rolling. I still have not found anything useful to put in the dayhatch and I believe it adds weight to the boat for no purpose. For my two cents, I would try and buy an older model without the deck box, however, if you can buy the new design I think you will also be well pleased with the performance and durability.
I would also note that I am 6’8’ at 290 pounds and I couldnt fit better into a boat.
MDM
I have two Kodiaks
Here's my review.
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=534
I truly adore them. I bought the second because it was such a screaming deal on a great boat this past summer, fast and fun, that I could not pass it up. I have posted one on Pnet advertisements only so my wife doesn't wring my neck for buying so many boats, and if it sells, great, and if it does not, that's fine also.
I second your thoughts on the Kodiak, original poster. And if you are ever in Central Illinois and wish to test paddle one, let me know.
As for the boat not being sexy, I --and Renata--disagree. I think it's a super streamlined and sexy boat.
http://www.adpr.co.uk/clients/helly/Renata%20Chlumska%20branded.JPG
Your ad
"Prijon Kodiak, like new, 17’ 1", 60 lb, German rotomolded kayak."
It’s blow-mold, not rotomold - the inferior kind. You should know better.
If I live near your area, I would buy it right away. Good deal.
Yea, Kodiak!
This should be a good subject and needs more input. I am very interested in the Kodiak also after paddling the Calabria and Touryak. The Touryak really does glide for the amount of effort it takes as far as paddling. It sounds like the Kodiak is that much better. I see Cooldoc has both a Barracuda and Kodiak for sale on this site but the 13 hour drive may be a little more than I want to take. Don’t be surprised Doc if I contact you in the near future, especially if you’re willing to deal!
Yeah, Kodiak.
SOmeone just emailed me about the Kodiak, wanting to come to Champaign to see it and for pics. I am happy to send them, but the person did not say one thing about themselves, not even a name. Was it one of you all?
I do indeed have a Barracuda and a Kodiak for sale, and would likely sell one but not both. I nbeed one for when my next door neighbor or brother decides to kayak with me. They are both steallar boats, and again, they were both found on blowout sales (one from an eBay retail paddleshop in NY, one from a local paddleshop) and I really couldn;t pass them up, and they were both purchased here brand spankin' new.
I am not very flexible on price because I have them discounted already from the retail by about $500 each, and they are brand new (hit the water 6 times for one, and none yet for the other). Plus, if they don't sell, then they are kayak racked and I can circulate my use of the boats. I sure love these Prijons, and indeed I made a major goof on the ad; they are blow molded, not rotomolded. Still plastic.
Obviously I vouch for them both because, even if I sell them, I will have one Cuda and one Kodiak still for myself. Yea!
Kodiak
I’m the guy who emailed you about the Kodiak. I’m also the guy who posted this question originally. The Storm I currently have is a GREAT boat, but…(always a but)…I’d like something a bit faster without moving to glass, becuase of the durability issue. I think there are stiffer plastic boats out there (Storm is pretty soft compared to my wife’s Capella).
Since the wife is frowning on my multi boat habit (the Storm, canoe, sit on top for fishing, 3 sailboats)I’d like a yak with better cruising speed, but I’m also starting to play in the surf a bit, so performance is an issue. I originally planned on buying a “day boat”, but when I tried the Assategue (for a week) I found that I missed the rudder on a lot of occasions. Speed wasn’t all that much better than the Storm. I know skills have a lot to do with it but…I’ve been raised on Lake Huron, and have been wandering it’s shores in all types of weather, in small boats for the last 40 years, and frankly, I’m just not a fan of the effort required to keep a decent heading in 2-3 foot breaking waves (not the least bit unusual) without one. And on many occasions…I’ve got to get back for work in spite of what the weather’s doing, so playful is a great idea, but secondary stability in all situations, is the most important. I do NOT have a decent roll, and have yet to need one, but I know it’s only a question of time. Heck…I’ve only had to high brace on a couple of occasions. The Storm and I are a great fit.
When I saw the article on Rita Cha…?? and John Turk’s ad for Prijon, the Kodiak suddenly made more sense. UNFORTUNATELY Michigan only has ONE dealer (according to the Prijon site) and he doesn’t handle their boats because of appearance!!! So…Ohio only has one dealer down in Cinncinatti, Illinois has two, I called the one in Chicago…no Kodiak.
Being 6’5" x 250lb, I can’t count on everyhting fitting (tried a P&H Quest, 16’Capella, Impex Force 5 all NO GO).
I ordered a QCC500…my “dream” boat, but wasn’t happy with the fit. Couldn’t get comfortable (I know I could have done a lot of padding etc to improve that) and most importantly if felt like I was sitting in a canoe, rather than wearing my kayak. Know what I mean? Too voluminous,just wasn’t what I was looking for, and for the $3K…didn’t make sense. The improved speed was nice, but I was SHOCKED at how much the hull (kevlar layup) flexed just sitting on my roof rack. The Impex boat was MUCH stiffer.
So…the “blow molded” seems like the perfect medium (pardon the weight) but I can’t even find a boat to sit in, let alone paddle. Wrong time of year I guess. Anyway…I’m pretty interested in the Kodiak you are selling. It’s even orange (same as my Storm)
Thanks, y’all.
I sent you some photos. Hapypadlyn sent me a one line email asking for pics too, and I replied.
Here's a pic just like my Prijon, yellow as is mine, the only difference is I don't have the skull sticker on the front deck.
http://www.joelwatersports.co.uk/contents/images/sh/kodiak/kodiak.jpg
You can see the beam and profile. It's a pretty sleek vessel.
I know much has been posted about the Kodiak, and it is a super boat, as everyone is saying, German plastic. My local retailer, who also stopped recently selling german Prijons, said nothing about them being unattractive, but instead said everyone oohs and ahhs at them, but cannot pay $1500 for a blow molded 17 ft 1 inch sea kayak for central IL when the Pungos at Dick's sports are only $300. So, he had mine on display for two years, and finally sold the yellow one to me for dealer cost.
Anyhow, I emailed you, and thanks for your interest.
