13 feet or 15 feet

So I have decided on getting the Ocean Kayak Trident and I have one more question.  How much of a difference will I see between a 13' and 15' kayak.  My concerns are as follows:

1.)  Will a 15' be too long for running down rivers like the American, Yuba, or the Moke?

2.)  I understand a 15' will row better on the ocean, but is there really that much difference between 13' and 15' on the ocean?

3.)  Is their more stability between the two?  I have great balance and will more than likely try to stand up and cast every now and then.  Will longer provide better stability?

Rivers and the oceans are my 2 main places I will be using my kayak.


Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks everyone for all the help.

Freshwater 13
Saltwater 15
Fresh and salt 13

I think it also depends on what you fish for. A good fishing friend has a 15' T, and got it after realizing that he wanted a bit more stability & size in a kayak to target big gamefish like seabass & thresher sharks. On land it is a bear to move around & he's looking for a lighter yak eventually.
I say paddle both, think on it a bit & get the one you prefer. My personal opinion would be the 13, as GB@ suggested, for a good choice in all waters.

Rivers and the oceans are my 2 main places I will be using my kayak.

then you'll be wanting two different boats lol.

maneuverability is at a premium on swift water.  which is an opposite concern on big blue, where you'll be putting in mileage.  i've been on the wrong end of this calculation, and it royally SUCKED! 

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=13125.0

Personally, I'd go shorter, if you can get just one.  It won't kill you to strongarm a shorter boat across big ocean mileage, with good cardio and paddling technique.  But trying to horse a long boat through swift river water and you could get KTFO

I have the 15 OK Prowler T. I can stand in it, but I need a bit more width in the foot well to be comfortable for casting and standing for periods of time. I really like my boat OTW, but sometimes think its just a bit too big when transporting or storing.

Lots of good advice here, and a couple great choices.
But before we decide on either, Your personal size needs to be factored into the equation. I for one am on the larger side and would have a difficult time standing in a smaller 13ft.
Deffinatley would seggest you demo each and see what works best for you.

See Ya Soon,
Eric / Yakhopper

I figured the 15 would be tougher on the river.  And I have no issue paddling all day with a 13 on the ocean.  I actually enjoy the workout of paddling.  When I am in my float tube I am pretty much kicking all day long so the workout is one of the ways I have been losing weight.  So far I have dropped about 25 pounds and can not wait to see below 200 pounds again.  Just 15 more to go and I will fit into more clothes items that are correct for my height.  Being 5'9" and 215 I am right on the cusp of fitting into an XL wetsuit, but it is a little tight.  XXL's are to tall for me.

Now that the 13 looks like the better option, I can save a couple bucks and have my kayak sooner.  Sweet!!!

Thanks everyone, I hope to see you on the water real soon.  I fish a lot so you will be seeing me a lot, I'll be the guy fly fishing.  Headed to Davis tomorrow for big trout in shallow water.

Now that you narrowed your options, this might be of intrest:
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=41839.msg457589#msg457589

See Ya Soon,
Eric / Yakhopper

I had both the T13 and the T15.  I found myself reaching for the 13 every time, so much that I sold the T15.  The T13 windcocked less, was lighter, and responded better to my paddling style.  It worked for ME for an all around boat.

But it's not like I get drawn to the shorter yaks.  I have both an Ultra 4.7 and an Ultra 4.3.  I'm more often than not reaching for the longer 4.7.

To each their own!

-Allen

You and I are pretty close in the height/weight category, we can generally fish the smaller boats and not be cramped but muscle the larger yaks no problem.

I gotta echo gb2's advice.  If its gonna pull double duty (with more time in freshwater) you will be hindered by a 15' boat....especially in tidal/river conditions. Yakhopper has some killer deals, id be all over them if I was in the market.


 

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I can guarantee I will be in the river a lot more than the ocean since I live in El Dorado Hills.  Especially once shad season gets here, I was out there every other day after work, I love me some shad action on the fly rod.

I figured the 15 would be tougher on the river.  And I have no issue paddling all day with a 13 on the ocean.  I actually enjoy the workout of paddling.  When I am in my float tube I am pretty much kicking all day long so the workout is one of the ways I have been losing weight.  So far I have dropped about 25 pounds and can not wait to see below 200 pounds again.  Just 15 more to go and I will fit into more clothes items that are correct for my height.  Being 5'9" and 215 I am right on the cusp of fitting into an XL wetsuit, but it is a little tight.  XXL's are to tall for me.

Now that the 13 looks like the better option, I can save a couple bucks and have my kayak sooner.  Sweet!!!

Thanks everyone, I hope to see you on the water real soon.  I fish a lot so you will be seeing me a lot, I'll be the guy fly fishing.  Headed to Davis tomorrow for big trout in shallow water.

Scott,
I just returned from fishing Davis, 3 times last week. Outstanding all day long. There are lots of fish in tight, very shallow, Parachute adams and Martis creek midges worked well. Also casting to shore and retrieving black buggers on an int. line worked well. Out in 13-15fow, an int. line with sheep creek specials/wooly worms and snails was the ticket. Some rising in the middle, but sporadic. Three of us averaged 15 per day, all feisty in the 17"-22" range, all at the shallow end of the lake.
Frenchman's was not as good, but we caught fish there too, just a little smaller.
If you can, go to the E. Carson. The flows were low, but fishable with lots of willing trout in the 12"-18" range, with 1 lost toad around 24".
Good Luck, Jim

Split the difference and get a T13 w/rudder. The rudder will make up for the loss in tracking that you would've had w/a T15...while still maintaining a smaller profile for river fishing. And IMO a rudder is very helpful on a river.

I've got the 13 w/ rudder and couldn't be happier with it for most of my needs.  Like you, I was also undecided between the 13 and 15 for awhile and ultimately settled on the 13 for the reasons these fellas are spelling out, namely an all around boat for salt and fresh.  I'm a bigger guy and feel quite at home in the 13.  I've taken it around Monterey Bay, Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, Spicer, San Pablo, Lake Chabot, SF Bay, Delta, Moke,...more than 30 times this year since it came on a truck last March or so.  It's been a friggin' awesome entry into this sport and I've learned a lot with ole Fishgr.  The T15 is friggin' huge,....

That said, I'm now in the market for a smaller boat for the Delta and river applications, as well as lakes,...because that's mostly where I fish, so a smaller, easier to handle boat makes sense.  I've settled on a Jackson Cuda 12 because of the awesomeness and thoughtful design.  Jackson also makes an equally awesome Cuda 14 on the larger end, and the Coosa, a wee little river boat.  All awesome and way easier to stand up in than the T13.

What I'm really saying is that this is an f'ing madness,....these guys are not kidding.  i didn't really believe any of them.  But it is,...madness.

I float a Tarpon 140 (14') and it is scary going through rapidy sections.  Trying to keep that nose in control is difficult and if you don't fight it and keep it straight you will automatically get turned sideways. Getting the nose turned back around forward is almost impossible.  That being said, once you get your feel for it and you do repeats on sections of the river, it becomes a no-brainer.  I'm 90% American and Sacramento River and 10% salt so would vote 13'.