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Topic: Malibu x factor reviews  (Read 13024 times)

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Boogied-D

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hey guys just wondering what you all think of the new Malibu x factor. i saw it the other day and wanted to know more from others who might own one. it looked like a good boat to me with lots of storage. i read somewhere that it turns into a sail when its windy. does anyone have experience in rough ocean water with this kayak. aloha thanks for the help. aloha Boogie-D


mooch

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glderguy

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I have one, my wife has an OK Caper.  Those are the only two kayaks Ive been on.
The Xfactor is like say a Caddy, the Caper like say a Mini Cooper.  Xfactor is very stable, much drier than my wifes Caper and quiter too, lots of hull slap noise on her boat.  Hers will accelerate quickly but once up to speed the Xfactor is a real cruiser
taking less paddling to get somewhere vs her boat.  Once up to speed the Caper just cant keep up.  Lots of storage but I worry a bit about the huge front hatch, doesnt seem that water proof and its a really big hole!  I have no issues with it in the wind and love the stability, room, and the ease of paddling once in "cruise" mode.
If you do any kayak camping be prepared to be the "mule" as the Xfactor has massive carrying ability......guess who ends up carrying all the gear!  The two things I dont like are:  its one heavy puppy....not an easy hoist onto the car roof....I bought a trailex trailer because of this.  Secondly, the quality, compared to the quality on my wifes OK boat doesnt seem quite as good....the molding/casting, whatever you call it seems more "cottage industry" like vs the sleek refined look of my wifes OK.  All in all though I really like the beast.  It certainly looks the part, I get lots of "wow, thats one serious looking boat" from people.  Yes and like I said before, seriously heavy as well, I feel a RollEze is almost a mandatory option for this boat as well, I go nowhere w/o mine. 
Walter
« Last Edit: January 27, 2008, 10:21:16 AM by glderguy »


LoletaEric

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X-Factor = Battleship.  I felt good in the wind, BoogieD.   :smt001
I am a licensed guide.  DFW Guide ID:  1000124.   Let's do a trip together.

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Boogied-D

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I am going to demo one soon on a rough day and will give a hawaiian review. thanks.


mooch

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my two cents:

pros:

lot's of storage
very stable
dry ride

cons:

heavy
more effort to paddle

* If you can paddle this kayak for long distances and on windy days, you can paddle ANYTHING :smt002


ZeeHokkaido

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For a big guy there isn't any other yak than a X-Factor aka "Caddyak." I'm 6'6" 230 and this yak fits the bill to the T. Then again there's a lot of people out there that are a lot smaller than me that love it too.

Like others said, storage for days, legroom for days, slow to start up but steady as she goes, and stable like a coffee table.... literally. As for weight, I think it's up there but not by many pounds more than others. Mooch... homie, you gotta work out more. :smt002

As to the "sail" concern:
Had it in serious seas w/ plenty of wind and it definitely was not a sail. The Hobie Outback IME (In My Experience) was. But I think when a yak is effected by wind it has to do more w/ the combination of your weight and the design of the kayak, rather than just the hull itself.

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mooch

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Quote
Mooch... homie, you gotta work out more

I hear that a lot  :smt003


SBD

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I have paddled a zillion hours in one, and generally agree with every thing above.  If you are over 6-2 and/or 200 there isn't a better boat. 

Pros:

-SUPER comfy-especially the seat base and tons of legroom
-Super dry
-Super seaworthy-I have had mine in absolutely gnarly water with no issues
-Storage galore
-Super ez to rig-great lay out for ff and flushmounts

Cons:

-Heavier than most-but if your big enough to need this boat you should be able to pick up 75#s
-On the slower side but not as bad as folks will make it sound
-"cottage industry" finish-getting better all the time but still not as nice as others




Boogied-D

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right on guys it sounds a lot like my cobra fish n dive. I am fairly big guy 6 foot 225 pounds. i like the fish n dive except you cant rig a rudder very well on it. i think the malibu x must be easier to paddle than the cobra fish because of the rudder. cant wait to check it out i like all the storage room and the large front hatch for icing down big mahi. thanks for the input soon as i demo one i will let you know how it went.