Kaku Kayaks

[dsaavedra]

That is a pretty neat looking kayak. It does look wide open for fly fishing and/or going after snakeheads.
The pedal drive system looked like the Native propel type if I saw the correct video.
That seat back is kinda interesting. What is the deal with the really curved back part?

The curved back is so you can actually sit on the back, and put your feet on the "seat" part of the chair, for an extra high vantage

[DanMarino]

Wow! That is really neat. It must be super stable. I can't wait to see some reports of it in action.

[Memory Maker]

I’m really interested too. That seat looks like it doesn’t fold down. I’m wondering if they have a different seat that could be used. I would love to see it. The website does not give you much detail.

[J.A. Veil]

I fished today out of a Kaku Wahoo 12.5 kayak in Ozello, FL. My guide, Jacinda Rose, works at Kaku when she is not guiding. She provided the kayak for my use. Here are some observations.

Pros

- roomy (lots of space in front of the seat and in the tank well area)
- the cockpit floor is mostly flat to allow easy standing
- the kayak was wide and stable
- the elevated seat was comfortable
- it paddled well once I got it moving


Cons
- the cockpit area has no cupholders or small recesses to hold a few lures. I had to lay any extra plastic tails and jigheads on the flat floor. Almost every other kayak I have been in does have some built-in areas for small tackle storage.
- the foot rests were small and not angled well; however, they were readily adjustable front to back
- I noticed more hull slap than on many other kayaks
- the kayak did not turn well from a stopped position (it took more effort to move it 90 or 180 degrees than many other kayaks)
- the gear tracks in front of the seat are not level (they tilt outward a bit). This made the rod holder position less than optimal.


All Kaku models other than the Wahoo are based on an SUP design. Since I cannot stand for long, none of those appeal to me. Other users may find those models desirable.

[Memory Maker]

Thanks John

[gliebig]

Took the Zulu out on it's maiden voyage over the weekend. Love peddling! Had a few times I got clogged up with weeds. The Zulu is the most stable thing I've ever been on. I can stand on the seat and the thing barely moves. I had to raise the rudder to clear some weeds so I climbed over the seat and knelt on the very back of the boat....it didn't move/tilt/teeter. I stood on the back section for a minute and just said to myself "holy shit, this is stable".
Only neg is that it's a tank. I had to drag it about 50ft to the water over soft ground and the keel dug in to the ground making pulling it a pain in the ass. I ordered a set of boondox wheels for transporting. Can't wait to get that installed.

Got the Wahoo delivered yesterday. Feels like a feather compared to the Zulu. Will try and get that one out in the next few days.
zulu.jpg

wahoo.jpg

[DanMarino]

Awesome report! Very cool to hear how it is going with the new kayaks. Did you catch any fish? I'm looking forward to seeing how the boondox goes for transporting it.

[gliebig]

Awesome report! Very cool to hear how it is going with the new kayaks. Did you catch any fish? I'm looking forward to seeing how the boondox goes for transporting it.

As usual, I didn't catch shit. Did have a redneck threaten to hit me with a sinker...so I got that going for me...which is nice.

[dsaavedra]

Awesome to hear about the stability, it's about what I would have expected. Boondox will make it easy peasy to move that kayak around. If you launch in loose sand or mud often consider getting the inflatable Wheel-Eez balloon tires. They roll right over the soft stuff that normal hard tires would dig into

[xtian996]

I missed it in the first pic you posted... But slow clap for the NSX. I'm tilting my glass to you good sir. Also, great to hear about the new yaks!

[harryjulia54]

It's a fisher, skewer angler, swimming, plunging, and kayaking heaven. In this space is a town called Tarpon Springs, the Sponge Diving capital of the world. This is the place where the makers of Kaku Kayak were brought up. This is the place where the thought for our fishing kayaks and fishing paddle sheets were conceived.

[gliebig]

Took my Wahoo 10.5 out the other day for the first time and caught a few snakehead.

wahoo2.jpg

wahoo3.jpg

[DanMarino]

Yes, sir! I never get tired of people posting snakehead photos. Such cool looking fish and your kayak looks neat too. How wide is that deck area? I assume it's great for standing up?

[harryjulia54]

Tarpon Springs

Its a fishermen, skewer angler, swimming, plunging and kayaking heaven. In this space is a town called Tarpon Springs, the Sponge Diving capital of the world. This is the place where the makers of Kaku Kayak were brought up. This is the place where the thought for our fishing kayaks and fishing paddle sheets were conceived.