I’m looking into adding a shorter surf kayak to my fleet. I already have a Stealth Fish-Ski that is fun in the surf but it’s heavy and more of a longboard type ride.
I’m keeping with the sit-on-tops and have been seriously contemplating a Wilderness systems Kaos as it has gotten great reviews.
But I recently found a Cobra Wave Witch on Craigslist.com that is local and will save me a considerable amount of money over a new Kaos and additional accessories (fin set, thigh straps).
From what i’ve read about the Wave Witch it has a habit of pearling for most people and that makes me wary of getting it, even to save money.
Any surf kayakers out there familiar with either of these boats to give some insight if the Cobra is a worthwhile boat or if the Kaos would be a better choice?
Some Info
The pearling problem is pilot error. The wave witch is a good little surfer, if you have mostly small short period waves, I would go with the Kaos. You don’t say anything about your weight, the wave witch works better for paddlers under 200 lbs.
Thanks for the reply
Thanks for the reply. I'm a bigger guy at 6' 240lbs.
At the moment I also have a Dimension Typhoon that i'll play in the surf with, it surfs very nicely and has the flat bow very similar to the Kaos which makes me lean more towards it. Only reason I don't take it out much is because it is outfitted for fishing with cleats, anchor systems and other clutter. Also it has no scuppers and the cockpit fills up making it sluggish until dumped back out.
I love my fish ski, great surfing boat, but at 15ft and 78lbs, it's a beast to get to the beach by myself and also limited on manuverability.
I'm on the east coast of florida so our surf is pretty flat with a second bar swell/sometimes breakers, long slough and a short shore break. Waves are normally 1-3 at most unless storm conditions.
I'm thinking that the Kaos is the better choice than the wave witch for me and I would rather pay more money to get a boat that performs well than save money for a boat that performs boarderline/poorly for me.
Between the Kaos and the Cobra Strike
I liked the Strike better. The Koas footpegs were uncomfortable.
I never tried a Cobra Wave Witch, but I surfed a Hunt Johnsen Wave Witch and I didn't like the rudder.
At 240#, you might also consider a Cobra Revision. It has more capacity. Its more like a long board. I haven't surfed one, yet.
Cobra Wave Witch
The Cobra Wave Witch will outsurf all other boats. It is based on a surfboat built by Hunt Johnson designs in Oahu. All the Pearling problems are pilot error, there is a learning curve. If you just want to ride straight, get any of the other boats. If you want to go down the line on good waves, get the wave witch.