OK t13 and Tarpon 120

I have been looking at Kayaks for a little while and now feel it is time to try a couple. So the wife and I are heading over to Big Break Kayak City this weekend. My plan is to rent a OK T13 and a Tarpon 120. We will be renting them for about 4 hours so I plan to use each one for a couple hours.

I am mainly interested in getting a kayak for fishing first and paddling around/spending time with the wife (don't tell her) second  . Is there a different model Tarpon I should try? Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome! You should try out all the kayaks you are interested in. Everyone has a different preference in kayaks. But the tarpon models are different lengths. 12,14,16. Longer the boat the faster it is. I just went with the middle one, Tarpon 140. Because i like to use it in bays. So i would need to cover more water. I also like the slide trax on the tarpons. They allow you to put rod holders, bait tables, fish finders, downriggers, etc.. And then remove/adjust them easily. Hopefully somone of the other members can give you some advice.

Thank you, I think I will give the 140 a shot. I was kind of thinking the 120 might be shorter than I wanted.

all 3 are solid yaks. I like both the T140 and T13 for what we do out here in saltwater.

I found that places will often credit you the rental cost if you buy from them. But ya gotta mention it

I own the T120 and T160.  I use the 120 in rivers and the 160 on lakes/ocean.  The 120 is very stable at 32" wide and I did paddle mine in the ocean last year.  It worked, but I felt like I was the slowest guy on the water.  The 160 is a dream on the salt, you can get to the fishing grounds much quicker, but at 28" wide you need to pay attention or you might swim.  The giant rear tankwell will easily hold your limit of salmon or some white sea bass.(if you can find them)   The OK 13 could be a good all around boat, but I have not had much experience it OK boats.  I have also paddled a T140 and it is a great middle of the road option.  Decent speed with a little more stability than the 160.  DISCLAIMER-I am a big fan of WS boats as they have a great seat, and the slide tracks are awesome.  I think you are doing the right thing by trying multiple options before you buy.  You should know this going in-, if you choose to make this your hobby its very likely that in time you may need more than one boat.   Take your time and look around, test boats, and keep reaching out to folks here.  This is a great community full of helpful paddlers and a wealth of knowledge. the new Predator looks awesome and I would take a look at Jackson too.  Welcome and enjoy the adventure!

Aaron

Awesome, thank you. Funny you mention it, I can already see myself owning a couple.

I loved my OK T13. Wish I still had it, but it was proving to be too heavy (around 65 lbs. dry) for me to transport -- I'm very old, so I switched to an Eddyline Caribbean 12 (around 45 lbs. dry). I love it, as well, and it is much easier to transport. If the kayak weight were not an issue for me, I'd still have the T13.

If you are planning on going to the bay or ocean get the 140 or 160. Also the longer OK for the same reasons. If you get a Tarpon the stock seat is good. The OK you will most likely want to upgrade. Slide trax are nice on the Wildy. The center storage is nice on the OK. The Tarpons are quieter rides too. When you demo at Big Break, talk to Jed. Tell him I sent you and he may hook you up on the demo, or charge you double.  . Good luck and if you have Wildy questions get in touch with me.

I have the t-120 and its been a great kayak for me. I use it on lakes and the ocean. This year I also used it for Abalone diving on the north coast as well. I'm not a long range ocean guy yet, so the speed for me has not been a problem. I recently took it to Tahoe  and paddled from Baldwin Beach to Emerald Bay and back with a stop at the sunken barges for a short dive. It was about an 8 mile paddle and the T-120 handled it well. Try as many different kayaks as you can and pick the one that suits you best.
Have fun,
Dave

The Tarpons are quieter? What is that based on Rob? Please try to paddle both brands in wind chop if you can. The OK boat will be considerably drier as the forward design of the hull wont plow through waves and chop. The rod pod feature is an amazing thing to have right in front of you for access to tackle, lunch and to stow rods and reels in the event of a wet launch or landing in the surf. I use the comfort pro seat made by ocean kayak. I has a low back so I can turn around easily when getting stuff out of the rear tankwell. 62 lbs is right for the bare bones T-13. Paddle a lot of kayaks over there. Good Luck and have fun!

The Tarpons are quieter? What is that based on Rob? Please try to paddle both brands in wind chop if you can. The OK boat will be considerably drier as the forward design of the hull wont plow through waves and chop. The rod pod feature is an amazing thing to have right in front of you for access to tackle, lunch and to stow rods and reels in the event of a wet launch or landing in the surf. I use the comfort pro seat made by ocean kayak. I has a low back so I can turn around easily when getting stuff out of the rear tankwell. 62 lbs is right for the bare bones T-13. Paddle a lot of kayaks over there. Good Luck and have fun!

After owning 4 Tridents and 3 Tarpons (and no sponsorship affiliation), I can honestly agree the Tarpon is "quieter." Although, that's probably not very important in the scheme of things. Quietness is not one of the features that will ultimately determine which kayak is best for me, personally. In my experience, there is considerably more "hull slap" in a Trident due to its profile. But that profile has benefits too, like being a dryer ride and better at cutting through waves.
Btw you can easily stow a 7'6" one-piece rod inside the center hatch on a post-2009 Tarpon. Those Orbix hatches are pretty nice.

Like everybody says, each kayak has its place. You just gotta figure out which kayak is best for the type of fishing/paddling that YOU are going to do.

I've been in calm and rough water on both. The ok pushes more water and does create more hull slap and drag. Also the new Tarpons are much drier than the older ones. They ride a little higher in the front than the older model. I do like the rod pod on the OK boats for easy access. The t120 weighs 63 lbs. the 140 68, including hatches, seats etc. Do the new OK's come With the comfort pro seat?

Awesome guys, thank for all of the info! I am looking forward to taking them out this weekend.

We took them both out today. I started off on the T13 then switched to the 140. After using both for about about an hour I preferred the T13. I thought I would like the seat on the 140 better but I found it to be less comfortable than the T13. The T13 also seemed more stable and seemed to track better in the choppy water (though that could have to do with paddling skills).

Good news is when we got to the shop the wife decided she wanted one so now I got two T13s in the garage. Now its time to start rigging. Thank you everyone for your input.

Good news is when we got to the shop the wife decided she wanted one so now I got two T13s in the garage. Now its time to start rigging. Thank you everyone for your input.

Congrats!
The T13 is a great boat you will love it. Now its time to get some fish on its deck.