# Buying my first kayak.



## fishfinder05 (Jun 25, 2011)

So im buying my first kayak and having trouble choosing. My options and a wilderness systems tarpon 10ft or 12ft. I've also looked at a pelican castaway 10ft that is a good bit cheaper but also doesn't have as many quality features compared to the Tarpon series. Anyone have personal suggestions? I really want a Hobie with mirage drive but don't want to spend 1800 bucks. If anyone has a hobie for sale let me know.


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## smlobx (Jul 3, 2009)

I have the T120 and love it. I looked at several and eventually bought this and have been happy with the purchase.
If you have the opportunity you should try whatever models you are thinking about before you buy it.


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## NaClH20 (Sep 27, 2010)

save your money and get the hobie! Do it right the first time!


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## laser88 (May 24, 2012)

Consider Ocean Kayak. I have two of the Prowler 13 and love them. The tarpons are nice too but the main thing that steered me away from them was they were around 80 lbs! The P13 is on 54 lbs and can be a bear sometimes transporting so I can't imagine trying to do it with a tarpon. The boat is very stable and I can easily stand and fish. I hear the tarpons are much more difficult if you want to stand and have to have great balance. Consider the fact that a longer boat will be faster and if you are planning on going any distance I would not recommend the 10 ft in any brands. Look at the 13-14 ft range. The OK P13 is cheaper compared to the Tarpon too and west marine will price match if you find a better price. 

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=50596&subdeptNum=50620&classNum=50621


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## FishyFingers (Oct 30, 2010)

Tarpon 13 has my vote too!


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## Croaker D (Apr 18, 2010)

hey laser or any one else who can answer! i here alot of guys say no short yak if your going any distance, but what do you guys consider distance to be? and is an 11' boat pretty much in the same category as a 10' or at what length do you consider to start trying to paddle a nice distance?


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## Croaker D (Apr 18, 2010)

I am 5' 11'' 165lbs and that is soaking wet! i want to be able to go the distance but dont want wrestle with a grizzly yak everytime i go out! what do you guys suggest?


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## MetroMan (Mar 7, 2009)

12-13' has the best versatility IMO.


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## MetroMan (Mar 7, 2009)

NaClH20 said:


> save your money and get the hobie! Do it right the first time!


I agree with the sentiment that if you can't afford what you really want at the moment...WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN. You will buy a "starter kayak"...not like it, and end up selling it later. I've always wanted the torque. I couldnt afford it at the time. I purchased a starter yak....sold it after 6 months or so.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

*Wilderness Systems does not make a Tarpon 13...*



FishyFingers said:


> Tarpon 13 has my vote too!


The 120 is 12'3 and is perfect for most, great diustance Yak as I do about 100 miles a week in it.. It is wider then the T-140 by a few inches and is way more stable then the 140 or the 160.. There is a T-130 but it is a tandem.. 

JAM


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## Croaker D (Apr 18, 2010)

where do u paddle mostly jam? any rough water?


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## laser88 (May 24, 2012)

By distance I mean anything other than launching in a small lake or fishing close by. If you want to do the HRBT, CBBT etc I would suggest you go around the 13-14 ft. Longer waterline means that it displaces the weight over a larger area which equals the kayak being faster with less effort. Width also factors into this because this is the drag on the kayak. Usually the small 10 ft kayaks are pretty wide so it adds a double negative to the equation. Shorter kayaks do offer the ability to maneuver better but everything has a trade off. Guys that fish the CBBT all the time tend to lean towards the 15-16 boats because the increase in speed and effort. Like I said the weight is the main reason I went with OK. Tarpon 120 weighs 10 lbs more that the Prowler and the 140 is almost 25 lbs more! I'd seriously consider the weight as an important factor before you buy especially if you will be carrying and loading by yourself after a long day paddling. Like others stated... buy right the first time.. if not your just gonna end up rebuying before the year is over.


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## fishfinder05 (Jun 25, 2011)

I Went to a demo day and tried out a Hobie and I fell in love with it. The tarpon was a great boat to though. After I left the demo I saw a pelican castaway 11'6" that was an incredible deal so I bought it. I really want he Hobie but I'm getting married next month and can't justify spending so much on a kayak. The pelican is still nice but you can definitely tell its leans toward the entry level by lack of features.


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## FishyFingers (Oct 30, 2010)

FishyFingers said:


> Tarpon 13 has my vote too!


I'm an idiot, Trident 13 is what I wanted to say. I have a Trident and love it.


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## landlocked (Jun 10, 2001)

fishfinder. I have a tarpon 100 and have fished it for 3 years. Its slower, less stable and doesnt track as well as others but the way I have used it in lakes I dont really care. I start fishing near the ramp and fish the shoreline so speed and tracking doesnt really count. If I was going miles to a spot I would be thinking differently. When I say its not as stable well I havent tipped it in 3 years but Im careful. No way can you stand in it. Im considering getting something newer but I not in any rush. Good luck in what you buy.


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

There is a Demo Day In armville Va. This Sat .Good opportunity to try out just about any kayak you want to! For more info www.paddleva.com (Appomattox River Company I'm going to be there looking at the Tridents, Tarpon 120 Ultra lite etc. Its at Wicks Lake


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## landlocked (Jun 10, 2001)

I will be in farmville also checking out the coosa and ride 135, possibly a revolution.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Croaker D said:


> where do u paddle mostly jam? any rough water?


Depends what you call Rough Water, I live and Paddle on Hatteras Island, so I can be found in the RIP at Hatteras Inlet most days but I also have been known to go out into Diamond Shoals, off of Cape Point in Buxton.. I would say the Roughest water on the East Coast.. LOL.. 

here is a Link to my Adventure's page it has an Archive going back to 09...

http://www.fishmilitia.com/jam 

JAM


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## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

I'll open by saying that I'm a Wilderness Systems Pro Staff member. I've also owned and paddled over 50 kayaks in my nearly 30 year paddling history from nearly every manufacturer. Liquid Logic, Hobie, OK, Native, Wildy, QKW, Dagger, Epic, ... the list goes on and on

laser88 FYI the Tarpon is NOT around 80 lbs. The T140 is 68, T120 is 64 and the T100 is 55 and those are rigged weights, nut bare hull, so lets compare apples to apples. 

Speed, tracking and stability are all functions of hull design including hull shape, waterline length, wetted surface area, and prismatic coefficient.
The Prowler 13 is 1'1" longer and 1" narrower than a T120. The hull cross section is pretty similar between the two designs, so the P130 will be slightly faster, but there is nothing in the hull shape that makes it inherently more stable.

The T140 vs the P13 the T140 is 8" longer than and the boats are the same width. Speed advantage Tarpon 140. Stability is a coin toss.

What the Tarpon does offer for the additional weight are real adjustable foot braces and a multi point adjustable seat.
I'll take the extra weight and be happy as a clam in my Phase 3 seat and flat foot wells.


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## bbcroaker (Jan 6, 2005)

I didn't mind the molded in foot rests in my OK Prowler 15t. Let me extend my legs when they got tired of one position. With the fixed footrest my legs would cramp at times.


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## FishyFingers (Oct 30, 2010)

The Tridents have real adjustable foot braces as well


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## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

FishyFingers said:


> The Tridents have real adjustable foot braces as well


Yes it does and it's a nice boat. I'm not knocking OK, just trying to clear up a couple mis-statements from earlier in the thread. 

Put a Trident on a scale just as it's pictured and let me know what it weighs. I don't think it's 56 lbs. If it is, then that's a whole lot of missing hull thickness.


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## FishyFingers (Oct 30, 2010)

Too Busy said:


> Yes it does and it's a nice boat. I'm not knocking OK, just trying to clear up a couple mis-statements from earlier in the thread.
> 
> Put a Trident on a scale just as it's pictured and let me know what it weighs. I don't think it's 56 lbs. If it is, then that's a whole lot of missing hull thickness.


I feel the Trident is a little more than 56 pounds, but I still like it. I had a Tarpon 140 and wasn't a fan on the stability or the tracking but to each their own for sure.


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## laser88 (May 24, 2012)

I dont mind the molded in foot rest either... the only disadvantage to them is it does make standing up somewhat awkward but it is very do-able in the Prowler.

I do disagree however that the hulls of a OK and tarpon are the same. Unless you consider they are both long and rounded, there are many features different with the tarpon that makes the OK more stable. Don't see many people able to comfortably stand up and fish from a tarpon. The Ride is much better for standing but the tarpon has a normal kayak shape hull. The OK has a bulbous in the center of the hull that directs the majority of the weight over the center line of the boat and then side on either side of that act almost as a catamaran stabilizing the entire boat. Additionally, the deck and side are flared out almost all the way from center to the stern and bow creating additional surface area and secondary stability. The tarpon relies more on chines


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