There’s a new guy in town, fellow sit-on-top kayaking amigos…
And he goes by the name of “Paddleyak”…
It appears to be a fine SOT, and one that in addition to performing better than most SOTs, is really well set up for yakfishing. It’s a 16’ long, 22" wide, poly South African.
Check out
http://www.ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=61a7fb27222e311419eda773987e7080;act=ST;f=8;t=790
and
http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/paddleyakkingfisher/paddleyakkingfisher.html
for some shots of this newest sea kayaking SOT from South Africa to grace our shores.
The bad news -I don’t know the price yet (shipping’s bound to raise it), and it weighs 57 pounds (sorry 'Cuda & friends…)
The good news? It’s a roto… and I infer that like most poly boats, it’ll take a beating -maybe as much as the Tsunami Scramjets & their ilk…??? -and come back for more. Down here, especially along the SW Florida coast and in the Ten Thousand islands and in Florida Bay, that means oyster beds and here in the southeast, coral rock outcrops.
I hope to give this one a try in the next few months or so, and hopefully, to also give it and the (glas) Skua a side-by-side.
These look to be two fine examples of what it sure would be nice to have available here -against the grain of most of the market, I fully realize, as the mainline manufacturers concentrate on mass-appealing models that feature low cost, stability, and immediate/quick and relatively no/low skill paddleability…
This one, however, looks to be an SOT with FAR more performance to
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami
Frank, This is a bit of good news
that makes some of the SOT bad news (see the thread on "New Kayak Company Formed" http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=446881) a little easier to take.
I just wish these foreign imports had a better dealer networks in the US.
Let me know when you Paddle On the Paddle Yak!
Craig
Nice!!
Is there a dealer in the US?
If you have to order from S Africa, how are you going to paddle one?
Since we’re on the subject
of Loots’ designs, I like this one better than the Kingfisher: http://www.paddleyak.net/kayak_store/gallery/gallery.asp?ProductCode=PY2038
The Swift is about 17 ft. long versus the Kingfisher shade under 15. Both are about 24" wide
Frank, you said the Kingfisher is available in roto. I only saw reference to composite by Captn Jimbo and the Paddleyak site?
Nice Looking SOT!
This looks like it might be just the right thing for a lot of boaters!
As for myslef, I am not really doing much fishing anymore, and I try and maintain the 50# cutoff point. Lighter if I can find it.
I do prefer a tankwell to a rear hatch and that is hard to find…