Why did you choose what ya chose?

Slow day at the office...  just reading over some threads in the Safety forum, and I got to thinking about my choice, and why I chose it.

I have owned and paddled the following:
-Scupper TW, (paddles effortlessly, fast, nice glide...  but very tippy in a chop, with me overloading it).
-Liquid Logic/Native Systems Manta 14, (not very fast, but very comfortable and absolutely dry ride, high freeboard, very stable).
-Ocean Kayak Drifter, (low freeboard, extremely wet ride, slow, but short and maneuverable, and extremely stable).
-WS T160 DH, (extremely fast, tons of storage, wet ride, somewhat tippy).

So why do I paddle the Drifter most of the time???  Because:

1)  It has a low profile, almost no freeboard, so it's the easiest  to self-rescue on.
2)  It is the most stable kayak I have ever paddled.  This means I can switch positions during a long day, sitting Indian-style for awhile, or side-saddle, or even lay down and take a nap.
3)  I see it being a wet ride is a plus, since A) I will most assuredly dress appropriately for the conditions since I'll be getting wet for certain, and B) bait can just swim around my feet, (no bait tubes or live well to mess with).
4)  Versatility, and handiness.  Being 12' something, it's light and easier to manage than the others, and it is equally at home in ocean swells or little ponds.

So why did you choose what you chose???

I went initially with a 13' Dagger Cayman SOT. I bought it because it was the "black sheep" of SOTs at the time and kayak Connection gave me a screamin deal on 2 of them. I paddled the orange one I have for years & caught many nice fish from it. I liked it because it had a built in rudder & was not too heavy.
When I went to upgrade I paddled 6-7 different boats and I ended up going for the Tarpon 140 because:
1. its a much faster kayak than the OK SPTW
2. it was faster than the other boats (except for the OK SPTW)
3. it was a bit more manageable out of water than the T160
4. I liked the day hatches

I wanted something that was a compromise between stability, speed, and a real touring kayak hull. I've been very happy with my tarpon, and will paddle it for another season in 2011. I'm thinking 2012 will be my upgrade year for a yak, but it will be hard to beat my 14 foot "old reliable"

PS: I'll say that the old tarpons and Eric's Drifter are both tough boats. They have both survived the out of water, "fall off the vehicle" test.

because it was 650.00 used and pick up was just across the bridge...........and alot of other NCKA'ers were paddling OceanKayaks and were catching fish on them. I had no idea it would be the best choice i've ever made........next to picking out my wife

My first boat was a 12 "Caster". It had good reviews and I didn't know much. Actually I've been pretty happy with it and still use it in "small water" where maneuvering my Tarpon 160 wouldn't be fun. Very, very stable ... lands in surf better than my Tarpon. Down sides would be it's at least as heavy as the Tarpon (though almost 4' shorter), it's a wet ride (never bothered me) and it's slower than my Tarpon (but not bad).

I bought my Tarpon 160 based on reviews as well. If it had something remotely like a rod pod it would be *perfect*.

I recently bought a Revo. After a couple years my shoulder strength had really improved so I thought I should work on my legs. So far I have as yet to fall in love with it. Compared to my Tarpon it's kind of a tub. The mirage drive is cool and the hatches are far superior to the Tarpon. It's also superior for trolling ... but not *that* much better. Deck space feel s cramped and unfriendly, but I'm still getting used to it.  I think that it will paddle well enough to replace my Caster in "small water" without the mirage drive.  I don't need three yaks 

I used to be a Kayak whore myself (before I was even with the OK Pro Staff) . I went through several Cobra Kayaks, Wilderness System and Malibu. And I also worked for the Kayak industry for a few years and got to demo all sorts of other kayaks. I was torn between the Tarpon 160 and the Prowler 15 but ended up going with P-15 due to it's weight and other added features that made it more fisherman friendly - mainly the introduction of the transducer mount through the scupper hole (made available only on the second generation of P-15's). I also liked the buckle down hatches over the tupper wear type. The P-15 also had a lot of flat areas for additional rod holders and other pimp up jobs. I was also very happy about the weight of it. It feels lighter than it's listed weight of 56 pounds. But more importantly, it fits me very well and I can sit on this kayak all day long.

The scupper pro was another favorite of mine but the seat was not comfortable enough for my wide ass. I also liked the Cobra Tourer because it was lightest of all the 15 foot kayaks in the market. But I found that the toggle type hatches leaked and the yak would nose dive through big swells.

* If had $$$ to build my own kayak, it would be a cross between a Tarpon 160 and a Prowler 15

Hobie Adventure b/c of hands-free to fish while I pedal.  no complaints yet.

Trident 13 b/c I had Rod-pod envy and saw thousands of posts praising its virtues.

Hobie Sport b/c the short yak is a good fit for my son, and be my freshwater yak when son doesn't use it.

Malibu II for family camping - even though it doesn't get much use, about 4 families make use of it during summer camping (it's a great ambassador to the sport).

My 5th yak?  depends on what Darius has for sale... 

Started off with a Vitog fiberglass dive board in the late 70's for tank and free diving. Later this evolved into fishing off these between tank dives to kill time. Later we just free dove and fished off of them. I still have two of them and try to take them out every now and then as they are fast and sleek but with no scuppers it's sometimes a wet ride.

Later a buddy loaned me a Hobie Outback ....I was hooked ....bought one. Served me well.

Eventually demo'd a Revo....hooked again.... bought one. Kept the Outback as a buddy boat.

Further down the line I sold the Outback and picked up another Revo for a better buddy boat.

Just lately I acquired a  demo Hobie Pro Angler which is being transformed into a fishing machine. Hope to get it out this weekend and  put it through it's trials....including sailing it!

Wilderness Ride because of stability under loads it will carry me camping gear and still has room for my deer on the back. Just tried a Hobie at HOW and want one just for fishing

simple....

Scrambler = Cheap entry boat on CL (got it for $225)
T13 = because of Mooch
Revo = Leepin dominance of AOTY

Actually, the T13 because of the hatches and ready to fish great rough water boat (surf). Revo b/c I am a slow ass paddler and the increased range. Oh and i can use my hands for fishing.

Love the Outback for its stability and roomy but considering to add a Revo to my fleet for its speed when I can affort it 

Scupper pro tw...rented it at sf kayak city and thought it was really fast.
Trident 15 because my friend got one and I just had to get one myself...
sold the scupper but i miss the speed and weight

Tarpon 13T= Because I have a big ass.

My first SOT was a Mallotte Scout 2 bought in 1974.I bought this thing for diving specifically. Around 1978 We finally said," why arent we bringing the rods, DUH?" Had that for years. Then bought an inflatable Achilles SD124 fished and dove the shit out of that thang. Got divorced and had to sell. Then I bought an OK Scupper Pro TW.This was my dive kayak primarily and also fished from it.  Love it and thought about selling but now? NEVER. I also have a WS Pamlico 13.5 tandem SIS I love this boat for smooth flat water. Lakes and such. T-15 for the stability and fishing abilities and COMFORT. I can sit on the kayak for hours on the hook in the bay. OK caper for the rivers and streams. Plus a newly acquired T-11 from Sansano that will fit the bill for rivers, Tomales Bay, Paradise, ARW. Light and easy to paddle. I cant wait to get a big hali on this boat. It wont bust my balls on the paradise hill either.

Oh no! I shouldnt be here. .honestly Love the Wilderness Ride 135 (thanks to Chadrock) got it super deal cant refuse and I am stressing out lots of folks finding a kayak, caught lot of fish, I love the boat but it was a beast to paddle super stable I can pee standing up sell it to James, I tried buying it back but a little too late, Prowler 13 super deal from Eric (yakhopper) besides I was yakless that time sold it to John (Hamachi), Trident 13 shicken introduced me and Eric loan me one GS4 love the RodPod cant go wrong...hmmmm next on the list another T13 a T140 and lastly a revo

I chose the Malibu X-Factor.

I needed a Big Boy Boat and was looking for a wide stable Yak. The X-Factor is very stable and has a large amount of storage area. Amazingly fun to paddle and has served me well on lakes, bays, and the deep blue sea.



S.