In the market to buy, stuck between two kayaks

I am going to give you my advise. It just happens to be the complete opposite of what most people on NCKA will tell you. But I'm not trying to play devils advocate. Just stating that there are other ways to go about your business.

The most important factor in a kayak (for me) is the price. I don't have a thousand bucks to spend on a kayak. I have owned 4 kayaks so far. And never paid more than 400 for any of them.
The first kayak I paddled was an OK Malibu 2 tandem with my friend Mahito. It was his kayak and we surf launched a couple times to fish for rockfish. Then I started borrowing his kayak to go fishing by myself. Looking back, the thing was too big for me (I'm only 6' and 200lbs). But that didn't seem to matter, mainly because its all I knew and I wasn't paddling very far. I didn't test-paddle any kayaks, at all. I just wanted to get a decent kayak for cheap, and I did. Test-paddling would probably be beneficial. I am not saying that you shouldn't test-paddle various kayaks. But the reality is that you can buy a used kayak, paddle it around, then sell it for the same price you paid. Thats the type of "test-paddling" that I did.

I finally bought a kayak of my own, an old OK Drifter. I loved the stability and roomyness of the cockpit. Plus, it had a nice big hatch up front. This thing worked fine for me; it was an upgrade from the tandem, thats for sure. So I appreciated the subtlties of its manueverability. Its almost like: if your parents give you a Corvette for your 16th Bday, you will not be able to fully appreciate it....whereas if your parents gave you a 1984 Nissan Pulsar, you would totally appreciate the 'vette. Not sure if that works in this scenario. But you get what I'm saying.

Now I have a T140. It might not be the fastest kayak on the market, but its plenty fast for me. I mean, its not like I'm trying to race anybody across the bay. A strong, efficient paddler on a crappy boat can outrace a weak paddler in a fancy boat anyways. But we're fishing; not racing.
So that bring me to my point. You should definitely take into consideration the type of fishing/paddling that you will do. If you aren't going to paddle very far, then a 14-16ft boat might not be necessary (especially if you're launching on the levee solo. Those boats get heavy) because you won't benefit from the speed+tracking qualities. A shorter boat would provide better manueverability in the brush/tullies, and it w/b easier to manage solo.

I think the WS Ride might be a good fit. Otherwise, the P13 or T120 would work too. Heck, an OK drifter might be the best choice for the type of fishing you will do. But don't feel obligated to spend beyond your means: just because everybody on NCKA says that you need to buy a new thousand-dollar boat doesn't mean its the best option for you. 

Alright. Now I'm just rambling. Good luck with the kayak search.
PK

That all makes perfect sense. I dont mind buying a used kayak, as long its not drilled to death or anything. Im going to scratch it up, etc anyways. The kayak I have now I bought used and paid $200 less then it would have cost new. Its a kayak, not a car show.  . I do travel long distances in my kayak. Paddling all the way across Mildred Island was a workout in my 10' yak. But I love being able to go up into the tules etc. with the smaller one. But I plan on keeping my smaller kayak for other types of fishing where the bigger one wont be needed.

Jeff - you are welcome to try any of these from my personal fleet:

Prowler 15
Prowler Trident
Scupper Pro
Tarpon 160

I have access to other Ocean Kayaks - through Aquan Sports / San Carlos. Just send me a PM for a demo.

looks like you have lots of advice here, best of which is to try as many boats as you can. For what it's worth, I'm happy with my Tarpon 140. I'm a big guy, 6' 5" and 210 pounds. I like the leg room, just removed the foot pegs. Some say it's a wet ride, maybe more so for you, but I always wear neoprene, and a bit of water on my ass is okay...it's a water sport.

Best wishes,

Paul

Pretend you're buying a pair of hiking boots. Listen to all the advice, but try them on first.

I would definitely take up SCAllen on his offer. You can try out the three best OK fishing kayaks.

So at the moment I came across a deal on a Mad River Synergy 14 kayak, brand new for $600. I havent heard much about them, but after sitting in it, it has the room I need. I know it doesnt have a lot of dry storage compared to the prowler, but that isnt a concern of mine at all. Does anyone have an opinion on these?

http://www.madrivercanoe.com/synergy-14

This is the exact color it is in as well.

I looked at one of those pretty boat but no scuppers so you will be sitting in a lot of water, and not really very safe in rough water. Its called a canoe I guess that's the diff. Be great for a lake though.

I think the comment about inseam length is a good one - I'm 6'3" 190 with 34" inseam and my P15 works fine for me with a rudder. If you have longer legs, I can see that you might be cramped, but remember, your knees should be bent quite a bit in these things for paddling comfort.     

So at the moment I came across a deal on a Mad River Synergy 14 kayak, brand new for $600. I havent heard much about them, but after sitting in it, it has the room I need. I know it doesnt have a lot of dry storage compared to the prowler, but that isnt a concern of mine at all. Does anyone have an opinion on these?

http://www.madrivercanoe.com/synergy-14

If this style meets your needs, consider a Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. Probably get one brand new for a little better price than the Mad River , and will have the scuppers so will not be limited. I have two Scramblers. Very good versatile kayaks. Just my 2 cents. Good luck - Ben

After looking into it more it doesnt to seem to support what I need and want. So far the Trident is looking good, the cheapest one I found is $1049, So we'll see. Thanks for the support and opinions guys!

I think the comment about inseam length is a good one - I'm 6'3" 190 with 34" inseam and my P15 works fine for me with a rudder. If you have longer legs, I can see that you might be cramped, but remember, your knees should be bent quite a bit in these things for paddling comfort.     

I am 6'4" 210lbs, and I too have a 34" inseam, but I sometimes like to have my legs almost straight so I can use a low angle stroke for the long distances. I have very little bend in my knees for my cruising stroke, it allows me to hold my paddle quite low and relax my back more. I bring my feet closer and get my knees up and engage my back for a more powerful stroke when I go for speed or acceleration. On long trips it is really nice to be able to change up my positioning. The P15 works OK for me, it was my main boat until I got the Trident, but the cockpit does limit my options for positioning compared to the P13 and Trident.
 
Everyone is a little different and has different preferences, I strongly agree with people that say to try a few out before buying.

This was a fun read.  Jeffrm20 - I agree with PK in that you can find something that's an upgrade from your current boat without necessarily going full-tilt and buying a thousand dollar boat.  I bought the $1000 boat (X-Factor) and am loving it, but I still use my other boats in their specialized niches and I'm really glad I came up through smaller, cheaper, less functional boats first because it taught me a great deal about the sport, my abilities, and that the bottom line is me being on the water.  Part of me laments that the boats have gotten so complex, expensive, long, heavy, and specialized.  KISS is a good rule for many reasons.  Good luck with your choice, and have fun on the water.   

Eric

Ok so I have officially decided to go with a OK P15. One thing I am curious, the P15 only comes in Yellow according to OK site? Can anyone enlighten me on the colors?

Jeff,
   A quick thought about colors.....One of my yaks is a camo T120.  The other one is an OD green Scrambler Xt.  Neither one of them would be an easy find for the Coast Guard.  The bright, almost garish, colors would be a lot easier to see on the open ocean.  If there are other colors available, I would stay with the bright ones.  My next yak will be a nice bright color.

BTW, my son and I use the yaks for duck hunting, so the muted colors work for us.

Jeff,
   A quick thought about colors.....One of my yaks is a camo T120.  The other one is an OD green Scrambler Xt.  Neither one of them would be an easy find for the Coast Guard.  The bright, almost garish, colors would be a lot easier to see on the open ocean.  If there are other colors available, I would stay with the bright ones.  My next yak will be a nice bright color.

BTW, my son and I use the yaks for duck hunting, so the muted colors work for us.

I have a dark green P15. Great for hiding in lakes, but terrible on the ocean. Nearly invisible. I fly an orange safety flag, and that's all you can see from a distance.