Yak Board or Ripper ?

I am new to kayaking and decided to get my own. Due to various conditions in my life, I am limited to an 8’5’’ or shorter kayak.

I am going to be in the Ocean on the Florida South-East Coast and paddling on the intra-coastal, hopefully also doing some fishing. I have paddled the Frenzy on the Ocean and liked it very much.

Based on the reviews and some research I am down to two kayaks and wonder which one would be the better choice - the Ocean Kayak Yak Board or the Wilderness Systems Ripper Kayak. - Any input and sharing of experiences would be appreciated !!!

I have a Ocean Kayak Yak board, and
it is a fun yak to play in surf, but I wouldn’t want to use it for fishing, unless you could outfit the hell out of it, and even then there would be no room for gear, rods, and that really big fish.



Cheers,

jackL

Maybe post some more info …
You might include how much you weigh and your size.

You might also include why it has to be 8.5’ … maybe some of us here could give you creative solutions, if you have a space/storage problem.



The Frenzy is a better boat than either one you mention for paddling. It has a much bigger capacity than the Wildy knock off. The yak board is made to surf, but is not that great of a surf craft. It will paddle around, but you won’t be very happy with it.

more info…
good idea - thanks !!!



I am 5’3", about 123 pounds. Living on the 5th floor, the elevator only allows 8’5" diagonally and unless I keep it on my car, there is no other place to store it. Also VERY small apartment has 8’ ceilings… so 8’ kayak would be ideal.


different tack
I think if I were in that living situation and didn’t want a folder (the ideal), I’d look at one of the displacement hull white water boats, like a creek boat. They aren’t fast, but they are stable and strong. You’ll have to work on your paddling skills regardless as no boat that short is directionally stable.



Bill H.

Yeah …
You might want to look into a whitewater boat with such a small space to use. I have a necky jive that I use for coastal paddles where I am just knocking around exploring… there are several models made for smaller/female paddlers … you might be able to find a used one for ~300 $. Does not seem like the best alternative for Florida … (hot). An SOT sounds better for your area, especially if you want to fish.



An good quality inflatable may be the way to go. If you posted and asked about the best models, several folks here use them.



A friend of mine also just bought an inflatable stand up paddle board and really likes it. It’s not a kayak, but it would get you out on the water, with no space issues.

Conclusion
Since none of the local dealers had a Yak board actually available to look at and the decision was very close between the Ripper and the Yak board, we decided to go for the Ripper.

My husband and I have been out on the Ocean twice in the last three days and had a blast for several hours each time. We managed to get a 1.25 inch pipe into one of the scupper holes and made it a holster for the fishing pole. I went off and on snorkeling several times to reefs I hadn’t reached before just by swimming. So far we experienced calm waters as well as medium sized swells. No problem at all getting off and on - in short, we are thrilled with our purchase.

Thank you all for your input !!! - Happy Yakking.