With popularity of kayaks, how come no company put a motor in it yet?

Bushy and Poulton nailed it, perfect 1-2 combination

Poulton: ”Kayak is not suppose to have a motor”

Bushy: “Nothing beats the self-propelled adventure and satisfaction of kayak fishing for me.”

I know people put trolling motors on kayaks; but it is very bulky and clumsy, and hard to handle on water

If there is a model with a motor that is nicely integrated, electric or gas, I really would be interested in such a product...  Why is there no such product yet?

there is.  It's called a skiff.  There is something ineffable about getting there, getting fish and then getting back on your own physical strength and balance. i'm more a purist I guess.   I've had power boats. Nothing beats the self-propelled adventure and satisfaction of kayak fishing for me.

Bushy

bouché

This debate is a bit like whether a photoshopped photograph is still a photograph.

My angle is why not have the best of all worlds?  A skiff is fine and very useful.  Here we emphasize so much the safety factor; having motor power is major safety enhancement.  But a kayak can be made unsinkable which is also a big safety feature.  Kayaks are also lightweight, can be carried by one person, can be launched from just anywhere, and much more streamlined so it takes much less effort to move.  If we go from the other side and improve the skiff to acquire these additional qualities, we may still end up something like a sit-on-top kayak.

I know people put trolling motors on kayaks; but it is very bulky and clumsy, and hard to handle on water

If there is a model with a motor that is nicely integrated, electric or gas, I really would be interested in such a product...  Why is there no such product yet?

there is.  It's called a skiff.  There is something ineffable about getting there, getting fish and then getting back on your own physical strength and balance. i'm more a purist I guess.   I've had power boats. Nothing beats the self-propelled adventure and satisfaction of kayak fishing for me.

Bushy

bouché

This debate is a bit like whether a photoshopped photograph is still a photograph.

My angle is why not have the best of all worlds?  A skiff is fine and very useful.  Here we emphasize so much the safety factor; having motor power is major safety enhancement.  But a kayak can be made unsinkable which is also a big safety feature.  Kayaks are also lightweight, can be carried by one person, can be launched from just anywhere, and much more streamlined so it takes much less effort to move.  If we go from the other side and improve the skiff to acquire these additional qualities, we may still end up something like a sit-on-top kayak.

I think the answer you are looking for is that kayaks are all a compromise.  Every kayak is going to compromise one thing to prioritize something else.  It really sounds you don't know what you want, especially when looking at your other threads. 

There are already fantastic motorized platforms out there, many already mentioned here. 

I would adopt the inboard design, having only the propeller peeking out at the bottom of the kayak. And the motor and battery can be much smaller and lighter.

A smaller motor would not be useful.  A certain amount of torque is required to move a kayak, and motors smaller than what currently exist would not have enough.  Remember, you aren't just moving yourself and a kayak, you are moving yourself and a kayak against wind, current, and waster resistance.  That's why the 24lb thrust Watersnake is the smallest motor I've seen - any smaller than that wouldn't be able to get or keep a kayak moving, and even that would probably struggle against the wind and currents we commonly see here, both in the ocean and on the Bay. 

For the battery, Lithium is the way to go to reduce size and weight, and most people seem to agree that 100AH is about the smallest that makes sense.  The key here is to have enough power for your trip, with an ample reserve in case your plans change or you go further from launch than intended, without depleting the battery.  There are things that can help with battery life, but ample battery reserve is always a good thing. 


As for rigging, there are 5 options right now.  Through the drive hole, on the bow, on the stern, over the side, and connected to an outrigger.  There are pros and cons with each. 

Again, there is no perfect setup, but TONS of options to customize to best suit your individual situation. 

My vote is setup whatever rig you have with a motor and get out there.  Let us know how it goes.

My vote is setup whatever rig you have with a motor and get out there.  Let us know how it goes.

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost.  I do so many things that I cannot afford to do everything "the right way", which typically is costly.  Often it is improvise or no game for me.  I hope our purist friends don't get upset with me.

I am in the process of replacing my dryer right now; I will disassemble the broken machine and strip it of any useful materials which may go onto my vessel at some point as a hack. My wife says I'm "so 'Sanford & Son'".

My vote is setup whatever rig you have with a motor and get out there.  Let us know how it goes.

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost.  I do so many things that I cannot afford to do everything "the right way", which typically is costly.  Often it is improvise or no game for me.  I hope our purist friends don't get upset with me.

I am in the process of replacing my dryer right now; I will disassemble the broken machine and strip it of any useful materials which may go onto my vessel at some point as a hack. My wife says I'm "so 'Sanford & Son'".

That's all fine - I DIY a ton of stuff too. I just think you should really consider what it is your end goal is. Often it can be less expensive to just save up and buy the right tool for the job rather than try to patch something together and still have a compromised rig.  Also keep in mind that when things go wrong on the water, it can have dire consequences, very quickly.

There is a great YouTube be channel you should check out - @kayakhacksfishing

He does a lot of DIY stuff, mostly the expensive little things that can make this sport inaccessible to some folks. I don't think I've ever built any of his stuff 100% the way he did, but more use it as a start point, and then customize to my needs.

Keep in mind that when using any type of motor and venturing out that if if quits, you must be able to paddle/peddle back.

Knowing tides and wind direction for the area you plan on going to is a must in returning safely.

Alex

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost.  I do so many things that I cannot afford to do everything "the right way", which typically is costly.  Often it is improvise or no game for me.  I hope our purist friends don't get upset with me.

I am in the process of replacing my dryer right now; I will disassemble the broken machine and strip it of any useful materials which may go onto my vessel at some point as a hack. My wife says I'm "so 'Sanford & Son'".

That's part of the madness as they say  . I'm a big fan of making my own tools or solutions for kayking as they often come out how I want them, for a price I can afford and have a huge satisfaction when used.  That said, I wouldn't try and make my own PFD, paddle, seat, or bilge pump.  I'll buy those things to trust they are in good working order.  Starting out with something and progressing is how most people do it, but if you are aiming higher you might also stay on land longer, and there is a lot of fun to just "being out there" 

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost. 

You sound like you enjoy more of the tinkering more than the fishing?  That's cool if that's your thing.  For others, the less build, maintenance and support, the better.  I'm guessing that would be the majority of the yakfishing demographic, and therefore, you won't see many mfr's indulging the high end motorized, build around motor, design ethos.  Instead, they'll do retrofits on existing platforms.

The design and regulatory history of e-bikes gives you a relatively close precedent for motorization of yax.

Pls do post though what you sanford & son together, as nearly every yakangler at some point wishes they had motor-assist instead of having to paddle.

   Here's an interesting mod someone did.     I just did some searching for video's I've done in the past and came across this for  the first time.       The Fin drive makes for a great keel.      Bixpy makes a motor that would drop into place where the Pedal drive is..     
      I've tested the Bixpy ,, liked it.        I have a Torqeedo mounted in place of the rudder.  I've been using since 09... it still works great.

         

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost.  I do so many things that I cannot afford to do everything "the right way", which typically is costly.  Often it is improvise or no game for me.  I hope our purist friends don't get upset with me.

I am in the process of replacing my dryer right now; I will disassemble the broken machine and strip it of any useful materials which may go onto my vessel at some point as a hack. My wife says I'm "so 'Sanford & Son'".

That's part of the madness as they say  . I'm a big fan of making my own tools or solutions for kayking as they often come out how I want them, for a price I can afford and have a huge satisfaction when used.  That said, I wouldn't try and make my own PFD, paddle, seat, or bilge pump.  I'll buy those things to trust they are in good working order.  Starting out with something and progressing is how most people do it, but if you are aiming higher you might also stay on land longer, and there is a lot of fun to just "being out there" 

Yes I do prioritize safety.  Which is why I spent the money to get Nissan and Suzuki motors -- so they are less likely to die out on water.

Combining motor and kayak, to me, is one extra layer of safety.  My SeaKing can sink with a big enough wave; kayaks can flip but won't sink.  If stranded, paddling a boat back to shore will be much more difficult than the kayak.

Just this morning I saw in Facebook advertisement this fishing kayak with a built-in motor mount.  Not sure if this is new or not.  I think it is very very nice; would love to have this.  BUT it's at $1249.  It is at this point that my DIY gene turns on...  All I need is just a mounting bracket.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/pelican-catch-pwr-100-single-person-fishing-boat?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CBoating%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&gclid=CjwKCAjw_YShBhAiEiwAMomsEL4mFuIBab3XIA1lD-k1h78FY170x5cHzz0hrFwU49JBd-qVHPnTDRoC02sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This unique Pelican boat will carry a total weight of up to 450 lbs.—and at 78 lb.

Nice stats for capacity and weight: Don't let the

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9'9" length fool you. . That's really short, and I would not say it's sea worthy in length or design. 

Combining motor and kayak, to me, is one extra layer of safety.  My SeaKing can sink with a big enough wave; kayaks can flip but won't sink.  If stranded, paddling a boat back to shore will be much more difficult than the kayak.

Just curious, what makes you think a fully loaded kayak with a gas motor will be any different than a boat when motor dies?  I can almost guarantee that you will likely be calling for Coast Guard assistance if your motor dies on the water.

Also, who told you kayaks are unsinkable?  What will you do when your yak flips over from a big wave and you can't upright it with the motor attached?  You are working with a lot of faulty assumptions.     

My vote is setup whatever rig you have with a motor and get out there.  Let us know how it goes.

I'm kind of a DIY guy and I'm just constantly thinking what hacks I can create to enjoy the water more with the least amount of cost.  I do so many things that I cannot afford to do everything "the right way", which typically is costly.  Often it is improvise or no game for me.  I hope our purist friends don't get upset with me.

Who cares if a "purist" here gets upset...it's your rig, your time, and nobody else gets to tell you how to enjoy yourself  provided your choices fall within the bounds of the law and good ethics. If you spend all of your time trying to ensure you don't offend somebody on these boards you are going to be a busy fellow.

How many purists started buying Hobies after a few years