Introduction

I just spent a week in Gualala and watched as kayakers came in with rock fish, Lings and abalone. I want to play too and am now in the market for a suitable kayak. What do you think of the new Jackson Kraken 13.5?

Welcome  to the madness. I took a class from California kayak on kayak fishing safety on a Kraken. It is a very nice boat. It is just a little bit too heavy to drag on and off your car. Why don't you try renting it for a day for $75. You can pick it up the day before at 4 p.m. and return it the day after by noon. They have a site in Half Moon Bay as well as Jack London village. After trying it for the 3  days, you should have a very good idea.  Or here's a better idea, why don't you take the safety class and ask to use the Kraken for125.00. I was very impressed with the Kracken..

Welcome to NCKA Marc 

Welcome Marc!

I've been paddling a Kraken all year and really enjoy it! Attached a few pics of some of the fun I have had on it this year!!

I'm excited to check out the new 13.5 footer because the standard Kraken is pretty heavy and can be cumbersome for trickier launches etc...

But, before I switch I want to see if the loss of 2+ feet significantly affects paddling performance so I can decide if the tradeoff of less weight is worth it for me...

Demo before you buy is always good advice because there are a ton of great kayaks out there!!!

If you have any questions about my experiences with the Kraken or anything else just let me know!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...I've got a bunch of reports and pics and vid posted on my JK blog, and all the ones from last November until now have been in the Kraken:

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/author/jimrussell/

Hey Marc welcome to NCKA.

Thanks for the welcome. Bought a radio, have a personal flotation device. Now all I need to do is buy a suitable boat. Anyone want to buy my QCC 700 X?

Welcome to NCKA, Marc.  Great talking to you the other day.  If we meet up I'd love to get you on a Malibu X-Factor for a try.   

Welcome Marc!

   I too have been paddling a Kraken 15 and absolutely love it. It is heavy as hell but I manage to car top it reasonably easily and the addition of the wheeleez cart has made it reasonable to drag to the water. Basically I would have no other boat on the water and wish for any other boat when dragging the thing back to the car. The 13.5 might strike a good balance, go test one!