I need the perfect fishing/surfing kayak…(for under 700 bucks)
My priorities are (in order):
-small size (under 11 feet),
-good to fish out of,
-stable
-surfs well
-and…reasonably fast
By the way I’m 6’2’’ and 180lbs.
I think the 11 foot criteria is going to
be a problem. Not much that meets all those qualifications in that range. Think about going 13 ft. A used OK prowler may fit the bill. Ask the question on a kayak fishing forum, the one I’m most familiar with is texaskayakfishing.com. There’s a saltwater section and those guys should be able to help you. About all I can think of is the OK Frenzy and I’m not sure how stable it is.
You can’t always get what you want …
– Last Updated: Dec-14-05 10:42 AM EST –
"small size (under 11 feet)"
This will be easy to carry but won't track well.
"good to fish out of"
By this I'm assuming that you mean it should be laid out in a manner that will allow comfortable sitting for fishing, not to mention the ability to "rig" a little. By the time the designer/manufactuer builds enough volume in the boat so it will carry 250 lbs or so, that will significantly reduce cockpit room and tank well room. That usually means the paddler will be sitting higher on the boat, reducing stability.
"stable"
Stable in an 11 foot boat means a relatively flat bottom. That kills the speed as well as the tracking.
"surfs well"
That implies some rocker and an upswept bow. Again, these things take away from speed and tracking.
"reasonably fast"
... ain't happenin' ...
For your height, you'll see that smaller boats don't have the leg room you'll likely need. Your height will also make a shorter boat a little tippy because so much of your weight is above the water line.
I think you need to decide which activity you'll be doing most. ANY kayak can be made into a fishing kayak by adding a rod holder.
If you want to mainly play in the waves and occasionally fish, check out the Charger by Emotion. I had one for a while and mounted a rod holder on it. The tank well will also accommodate a milk crate for you to carry gear. It's a little over 9' long.
However, if you plan to fish but will occasionally hit the surf, then check out Malibu Kayaks. Their boats are made in CA, where surf and fishing go hand in hand.
Close?
You might look at the Hurricane Aquasports line. For a SOT the Pheonix 12 or for a SINK the Santee 116. The Phoenix would cost about $750 delivered and weighs in at 36 lbs. Riot also has some interesting crossover boats.
The Hurrican now comes in a 14 ft
version. Its about $100 more expensive.
fishing kayak
Look at the Ok Caper, I have one and it works very well for fishing. There is no perfect kayak made for fishing, or any other use.
You described a Velocity
– Last Updated: Dec-14-05 11:35 PM EST –
Check out the Velocity. It is 13 feet long, but otherwise fits your description exactly: great surf play boat, stable, fast. I fish salmon in big rivers and salt water in mine, and kayakers keep telling me what a great surf boat it is, though I haven't tried that.
Take a look at my description of the Velocity under the thread titled "Thoughts on buying another kayak for..." BIG cockpit to fit a guy your size.