Kayaking, Diving, Skiing, & Surfing Forum. - Big Mans Kayak and performance

I know this has been addressed a bit before but here goes again. I am looking for a good fishing Kayak. I weigh 270 lbs. but I am in relatively good shape. I am considering among others the Ocean Kayak Big Game and Trident, Malibu XFactor and Extreme and the Cobra Fish N Dive. Of those Kayaks which has the best combination of performance (speed), stability and fish ability? I am looking for a fishing Kayak but I do not want something so slow that it will take me forever to get back to the landing or dock after a day of fishing or to beat out a thunderstorm.

Are there any others I should seriously consider?

First off I will start with saying that I own a malibu X factor and have been paddling it for a coupel years now. The trident is a good boat it just wasn't out when I bought mine, I have paddled one and it was a good boat. I almost bought an eXtreme last week strictly because I've been wanting a 3rd yak to the fleet. The eXtreme is a great calm water boat that is quick. It is very little rocker on it and has very little hull slap, my only issue with it is the bow likes to punch through waves instead of going over them. It was a very stable boat, but with malibu's new boats coming out I figured I would wait to see what else they had coming out soon. I did not like the OK Big game. The Crobra Fish and Dive is a good boat if you aren't going to paddle far at all and fish solely in nasty rough water. At 36" wide it is a S L O O O W boat to paddle. I also have big feet and could not comfortably rest my feet in the wells of this boat. I did however LOVE the HUGE center hatch. I bought the X though why you may ask? Well, I fish everything from back bays to the surf in nasty rough seas that requires paddling out throug hthe breakers. The X is long enough that is tracks very well in the bay (even wihtout the rudder) and is very stable. It has huge opened footwells in it with adjustable foot pegs. I am 6'1 290#s and I reguarly stand and sight cast to reds in shallow water. With a little practice you can turn your paddle into a push pole and be good to go. IMO the X factor is the best boat out there for a big guy who wants a littel speed. I can comfortably paddle my X at 5mph according to the GPS. Do not skimp on a paddle and PFD. A good paddle will make your life soo much better and the pfd will save your @$$ if something were to happen

I am 6'5" tall and just under your weight. I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 130T tandem. I paddle it solo and with the wife. I works out awesome solo too.

Thanks. I am actually still undecided on a Kayak. I had rotator cuff surgery and had to recover prior to taking Kayaks for demos. I paddled a OK Big Game, Trident 15 and Heritage Redfish 14 this week. I liked them all but I found the Big Game was the most stable but slow with significant hull slap. The Trident 15 was fast and quite but did not feel all that stable. The Redfish 14 was fast, quite and pretty stable. I would say from a paddling standpoint I liked the Redfish 14 the most. I did not fish from any of them. I have had someone recommend I also look at an Emotion Grand Slam kayak as is was designed by the person who originally designed the Heritage Redfish kayaks.

If you are worried about your shoulder check outthe Hobie pedal kayaks.

Thanks. My shoulder is completely healed with no issues (knock on wood). I am not certain I want a foot paddling Kayak. I think it may kick up the bottom in shallow flats areas?

The fish and dive is our best seller with guys your size who want to paddle. The Hobie outback is our best seller with big guys. Once you try a foot drive you laugh at the guys still paddling and trying to fish. Take a close look and demo the Hobie quest its on eof the best paddling yaks on the market and will float you high and dry.

I guess I could demo a Hobie foot paddling Kayak. I have noted they are much higher in price than other Kayaks. Are they worth the extra money??

Find one person in the world who owns one and says they dont like it? You wont be able to. Now there is a new model coming out next March designed specificaly for big guys. If your not in a hurry you might want to wait for it.

I am not in a great hurry but I did want to get a Kayak to use for "winter fishing" in the Tampa Bay and Tarpon Springs areas. That is the time of year for good fishing in the flats and creeks. I am intrigued about this new big mans kayak though. Where can I get information on the upcoming new model?

Hobie Outback sounds like a good fit!

Hey EzzRider,

I agree while you are doing demos of all the different kayaks do not pass up trying out the Hobie kayaks. For fishing they are hard to beat being a hands free troller and casting. And yes you can paddle them too some paddle better than others. I have the Revolution and I love it. I am 6'-2" 205#. I bought a Malibu kayak primarily and began fishing with it though I had a small boat with trolling motor I always used. I gave the Malibu to my wife and I bought a Hobie mainly for the dual exercise capabilities paddling and pedaling since I would rather pedal a boat than ride a bike. I rigged it out for fishing and bought the sail kit as well as the sidekick amas (outriggers). I LOVE the Hobie kayak. I tour, exercise, fish and sail with it. Such versatility and what adventures you can have. The pedals act as flippers below the hull so even in shallow water utilizing just 1/4 pedal strokes you can still move right along with the fins barely going 6" below the hull never making the full sweep. The Revolution is a very dry and stable kayak as well.

The Hobie kayaks also outfit very well. Yes they are in the upper price ranges but I feel worth every cent. I posted pics of mine in another post so if you wish to see a revo outfitted take a look here:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=218635&posts=7

Demo as many kayaks as you can before buying and you will find the one that meets your kayaking needs.

If you can find a dealer who handle many lines, spend an afternoon doing demos. I went to my dealer thinking OK Big Game and possibly the Hobie. I came home with a Tarpon 12. The Big Game was stable, but paddled like a truck. I fish skinny water a lot and the Hobie concerned me about draft.

I bought the Feelfree Moken this Christmas in Gulf Shores. I've tried a few different kayaks, and the Moken seemed to be a good fit for me. I've paddled around here in Tennessee since returning after the holidays, and I like the boat more every time. It has a pretty nifty storage area in the bow that becomes a fish box, and decent storage. I am amazed how different 'yaks fit people differently. I couldn't get a test drive in one of the paddle Hobies, so I can't pass judgement on them.

I am 64, 6'5" and have a Hobie Revolution Outback and love it. Hands free fishing is the way to go. If you want to padle there is one on board but my paddle is only used to launch and land the boat in rocks or surf.
They are about 800 more than lesser kayaks but worth the $$ in my opinion.
It might be worth the wait to see what they are designing for big mans' kayak. Mine is adequately sized in every way other than leg room which is a little skimpy.
If the new one is much improved, my wife may inherit the Outback.

I as a dealer am still sworn to secrecy on the new model. The company doesnt want us leaking any info on it till it comes out now in April. It will have new technology but will be the most expensive model. I have a buddy who lives in Tampa and has been fishing the Hobie outback I sold him 10 years ago. Drop me a line and Ill give you his phone number. He will be glad to take you out.