Jackson Kayak Coosa

I agree 100% with him on the weight issue. i would much rather have a yak with a durable and rigid hull that weighs more. I often hear people cry about boats being heavy. Those extra pounds dont even exsist once you hit the water.LIGHTER IS NOT BETTER!! I once took a friend to a kayak shop  to look-at/buy an ocean kayak. The salesman had some boats on sawhorses outside. We flipped the boat over to look at the hull and there were 2 big creases where it sat on the saw horses. And it wasn't even hot out. The boat was however, nice and light.

I think the weight helps bracing through some waves even small white caps for the most part, but maybe that's because this yak has a pretty flat on the bottom.  Therefore cutting away 4-6lbs of weight is not something on every yaks diet.  But then again I don't build yaks.     

Thanks for all the good input. Has anyone seen or paddled this yak? Seems like it would be a really good boat for where I paddle. Inland rivers and the Delta. I grew up on a bass boat so I like the idea of standing up and fishing as well as the rod stages. Also a lot of times when i'm sneaking though thick brush on the delta to get to some back slough, where I dont like my rods sticking up in the air. The only thing that worries me is the 11' length by 32" wide would make a pretty slow ride. I will just have to check one out in person. It may make a nice addition to my store, for the river and delta anglers in the Lodi/ Stockton area.

Gosh, this boat has drawn tons of attention and specualtion.

here's what your brethern from the north have been saying, and doing, with the Coosa.

BTW, Basser Drew in this threadline is the guy in the promotional video. haven't checked, hopefully he's also a visiting member here @ NCKA;http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,5604.0.html

I bit the bullet today and ordered myself a brand new camo Coosa! I'm way stoked, I've been following this boat for a while and it seems like its going to fit the bill for a lot of my paddling. I wish it was a bit longer, but something tells me with the success of the 11 footer it will only be a matter of time before Jackson puts out a 13 footer. I will post a review after I get it out on the water.

After 6 trips out in the Coosa I think I'm ready to give an opinion. First impressions, The boat is STOUT. Its apparent that they are a white water company. Everything about this boat feels stout strong and built for abuse. The deck layout is a lot different than any sit on top I have even been in. The cockpit is wide open with nothing to get snagged on. Also the high seat position is EPIC. It feels very comfortable to be up this high and paddling. The boat is still stable and easy to paddle, even for my friend who is in the 300lb range. I seldom paddled with the seat in the low position except when I was playing in some river currents. I used a AB Manta Ray Paddle 240 and it seemed to do the job for both the high and low position. I really like the ability to store my boxes under the seat and have easy access without having to reach around the to my crate. I also really like the rod stages and clips that allow your rods to lay flat on the deck or in the cockpit. Next to the ability to stand this is my favorite feature. Its a wonder more kayak companies don't do this. I would like the rod stages on the hatch to be larger because the rod does seem to slide around on the little grooves. I saw they had a short video on the Jackson Kayak page to do a upgrade on this. I did do the dog leash and drift chain anchor setup that Drew suggested in the video. It has worked well for most my paddling. I used it mostly in shallow lakes like Lodi Lake, Rancho Seco, and a little bit on the Delta. It worked really well on lakes with a medium breeze but I would like my larger anchor for the delta. The lawn chair style seat is super comfy, and I like the ability to take it off and use it as a seat. By far my favorite thing about the kayak is the ability to stand from the high seat position. I spend my my time fishing standing up. Its absolutely amazing how easy it is stand and fish from this kayak. After a few minutes you don't even think about it. It offers awesome viability and a ton of flexibility while casting. (I have mainly been using it for large mouth bass) I can't wait to get it in some bigger white water in the next month or so and see how it does. It opens up the opportunity to fish so many rivers here in valley that otherwise would be tough to access.
Now about the performance OTW. The kayak is very stable in all conditions I had it in, even in the high seat position. It turns in its own length, and it tracks really well for a yak of this size. The down side is the speed. Its not a fast kayak by any means. It's designed as a river boat, and for a river boat it does all things well, but if your mainly paddling flat water or in the salt you will want something longer. I did paddle it 11 miles on the Delta in a group and I had no problem keeping up, however I was working harder than some. If your not in a hurry it moves along fine. I have high hopes for a 13 or 14 Coosa, because I think this will be the ultimate fishing platform for the paddling crowd. It reminds me of a mini Pro Angler.
With that said I would encourage you to come by and test one and develop your own opinion. I have a couple demos in the store and I would be happy to take you out fishing on the Mokelumne if your in the Lodi area.

Props to Drew Gregory and the Jackson guys for thinking outside the box on this little yak. I have my pick of a bunch of boats and I always seem to have this one on top of my car.