I agree, I have always wanted a duck boat which this thing is basically a modern version of, I have no idea why accept the beauty in it's functionality. It is perfectly suited for what it was designed to do. Sneaking through weeds in coastal marshes.
I will never own one because the kayak is more versatile. It basically comes down to weight and configurability. The kayak was originally designed for open water and a closed cockpit kayak with a rudder and keel does that better than the original design. It's pretty simple to add a rudder to a kayak, I know because I added one to my Perception Mirage. In theory you can add outriggers to any kayak for stability and remove them when control is more important in say a stream. Kayak if they are light take the pain out of portage even if they can't haul as much as a canoe. What a cockpit kayak will never be is comfortable.
All that said if I ever had the room in my garage that modern duck boat would be my third small boat. Room in my garage is never going to happen because my wife likes me to build stuff she wants which requires a lot of tools.
JayByrd LIKED above post
Wolfhnd...
I agree. I still get the itch to have a nice fishing kayak for quick trips after work when time is short
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Well brownboat if youre wanting a kayak I'm sure we could come to an arrangement..lol
I have Old Town Vapor 10
PROS-light weight, 45 lbs.
Easy to paddle, tracks well
Being a sit in you stay pretty dry
Stock seat is comfortable with added cushion
Affordable $399
CONS- lack of gear room
Not good for standing
No way to completely dump water when cleaning ( have to use a large sponge)
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Schins, teamflannel LIKED above post
For those who have complained about kayak weight, I hear you. I, like some of you also have back and neck problems and at age 75 also having leg problems. What I did to help solve the problem is build a wooden table 3.5' x 6' with a storage shelf below. Put carpet on top. I store my Wilderness 115X on this table in the garage. The table height is level with my truck tailgate when lowered. I also have carpet in the bed of my truck. I forgot to mention that the table is on wheels. I just wheel the table/kayak up to the truck bed and slide it in on an angle. Not much of the kayak sticks out, bungee cord the kayak down and I put a red flag thru the handle. Pop
Perception Striker 11.5/WM Cayman 11.5
Pros:
-$300 (on clearance)
-Stable. Can stand on it.
-Sit high on the water, very buoyant feeling
-2 seating positions
Cons:
-Weighty
-Tracking
-Sits high on the water
-Not much for console storage between the feet
I think I need a longer paddle....with this one sitting higher my 220mm struggles to reach the water, and then dumps the water on my legs in between strokes
2015 Ascend FS128T $850
Pros:
-Very Stable (It was stable to begin with, but I mounted the Scotty Outriggers anyway. It's unflippable now)
-Tons of storage (Two huge in hull compartments, two small compartments at bow and stern, plenty of space on top for tackle,coolers, bait)
-Able to mount a trolling motor without any mods
-5 factory rod holders
-Very comfortable seat
-Lots of Room (There is plenty of space to move around, and plenty of space to mount gear)
Cons:
-Very heavy at almost 100lbs empty
-Tracking is sub par
-Storage hatches aren't the greatest. (New year models are greatly improved)
Schins LIKED above post
Vibe SG110
$830
pro
stabilty good to go, stand and cast with no issues
A lot of storage
seat has two stages / high and Low
nice adjustable seat
place to mount transducer under the yak
came with paddle, rudder and nice seat standard
place to mount Plano boxes left and right of seat
came with track system
Con
heavy
after 4-5 hrs seat could use foam bottom
Plano box will slide under seat if tilted
I cut a Polly pad and slid it into the seat mesh for more padding and added some 550 cord at the bottom of the Plano boxes to keep from slipping sideways. Got some wheels to move from truck to water but still heavy.