Vibe - Sea Ghost 13' Kayak

[CountryMan]

Well I'm new to the kayak scene but have been doing my fair share of reading. I'd love to own a hobie but with that price tag it's a hard pill to swallow! So after days of reading I thought I had settled on the jackson big rig. Based of that kayaks reviews I was confident it would serve me well with the hi/low seat and nice gear track options.... BUT last night I stumbled upon a kayak made by vibe. (I think it's sister company is feelfree) it's a 13' hull with a rudder installed a descent center console and has the option for an upgraded seat. At $800 I wanted to come to the experts here to see if anyone had an experience with these. Any info will be greatly appreciated!

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/bod/5081570048.html

[kevinfry]

Go for it......

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Salty Dog]

Welcome to the site. If you are new to Kayak Fishing, I would suggest as others will to rent a few different makes and model and take them out for a spin. You can always find something used but suggest taking your time to find the one that best suits your needs.

[CountryMan]

I don't really have many(if any) options in my area for trials... apart from driving down 2-3 hrs towards the bay.

[dasher]

As others have said, it pretty important to try a kayak out before making a purchase. A yak that is uncomfortable won't get much use. I drove a long way to try what I was considering, and am happy with my purchase. Had I not spent some real time, I would have purchased something else, and while it may be an excellent yak, it was very uncomfortable for me. very happy I tried that hobies.

[hookmeup]

I don't really have many(if any) options in my area for trials... apart from driving down 2-3 hrs towards the bay.

Would you buy a car without a test drive? Buying a kayak isn't quite analogous, but if you bought one that was difficult to transport or is unsuitable for your fishing styles or body type you wouldn't use it as much as a kayak that fit your needs. On the other hand, if you take your time and try a few different kayaks out, the informed decision would likely guide you toward the right decision.

It's totally worth it to invest the time into a trial or a few trials. You might even decide kayaking isn't for you at this time and that would be a big decision and an important one.

[CountryMan]

Ok...ok I'll go try some lol. The real question is do any of yall have any experience with this vibe kayak?

[kevinfry]

Sure trying one out would be best.....but at that price im 99% confident you could sell it at cost if it does not fit you. The boat has alot of features. Your other options in that price range are availablemthrough west marine....the new pompano and several ocean kayak models

[DonV]

Lokks like a lot of boat for the money. Reviews I am seeing are very positive.

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/show...html?prod=3498
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFfRo992yOE

This one is particularly interesting.

I had a Tarpon and a 135 Ride and loved those yaks. Then I saw these and they got my attention. I spent 3 weeks trying to test one from a couple of local buyers. I wasn't convinced and wasn't about to buy a 3rd yak without really wanting one. I finally got to get in one and paddled it for less than an hour. I was so impressed, I went home and put both my kayaks up for sale on Craigslist. I contacted the company and arrangned to buy not two but six because I knew they were a great buy and would sell quick if I was able to get people to try them. I was right. Almost every person that I was able to get on the boat bought one and couple bought two. Then most of the other 28 boats I sold came via referrals from the original buyers.
This is not my job nor do I need to sell kayaks but it was so refreshing to see a boat equipped like the SG 130 for under 800.00 that I just wanted to share the excitement.

I fish off shore and I have two of these yaks for my daughter and my self. If anyone is in So. Florida and wants to try them out send me an email but be prepared to go fishing. I hate loading and unloading for an hour sea trial. This company is committed to these yaks and they have implemented several upgrades. The people at Vibes aren't your typical sales people, they are kayakers and anglers.

[CountryMan]

Dude that's exactly what I wanted to hear!!!! I'm damn near convinced the vibe is the route I'm taking. Truely appreciate the posts yall!

[rob-kayak]

Free shipping is worth some bucks... a paddle included... although you might in the long run get another one... is chunk of change...
Looks like a decent seat... that's worth some bucks.

Included flush mounts... a few bucks there... although you'll probably change them in the long run...

Rudder... not to sure if you need that, but hey... why not.

You didn't mention where you would be fishing... but all in all... looks pretty good to me...

If you can... I would suggest the Orange color... in my opinion, if you are anywhere that there are boats...
the more visibility you have the better. Having a flag helps too.

If you can... just do a quick, or more, inspection of the kayak at the pickup facility... that way
if something dumb happened during shipping you should be able to refuse delivery.

Have fun and good luck... looks like a winner to me !

[hookmeup]

Lokks like a lot of boat for the money. Reviews I am seeing are very positive.

I had a Tarpon and a 135 Ride and loved those yaks. Then I saw these and they got my attention. I spent 3 weeks trying to test one from a couple of local buyers. I wasn't convinced and wasn't about to buy a 3rd yak without really wanting one. I finally got to get in one and paddled it for less than an hour. I was so impressed, I went home and put both my kayaks up for sale on Craigslist. I contacted the company and arrangned to buy not two but six because I knew they were a great buy and would sell quick if I was able to get people to try them. I was right. Almost every person that I was able to get on the boat bought one and couple bought two. Then most of the other 28 boats I sold came via referrals from the original buyers.
This is not my job nor do I need to sell kayaks but it was so refreshing to see a boat equipped like the SG 130 for under 800.00 that I just wanted to share the excitement.

I fish off shore and I have two of these yaks for my daughter and my self. If anyone is in So. Florida and wants to try them out send me an email but be prepared to go fishing. I hate loading and unloading for an hour sea trial. This company is committed to these yaks and they have implemented several upgrades. The people at Vibes aren't your typical sales people, they are kayakers and anglers. .

It does look like alot of for the $.
KAYAK PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• 2-Piece lightweight aluminum paddle
• Deluxe kayak seat with rear storage pouch
• Rudder kit (installed)
• 4 flush mount rod holders
• 2 hatches with hatch liners
• 1 utility hatch with rod holder mounting slots (fits Scotty and RAM mounts)
• 8 scupper plugs

If the above review is true, someone here will have something to say based on angling AND yakking experience. Internet reviews, how do you know what to believe? The lack of negative reviews either means insufficient experience (there is no perfect boat) or it's all propaganda. I favor the former. A few members on this site might have seen this boat somewhere and I would be interested in their opinions. What do I see in the pictures? I see a low-placed seat with a bowl shape like in an old style Hobie Revolution and that means a wet ride. I know this cuz I have a Revo.

Paddle length is an issue for efficient paddling. I didn't look very hard for the info. The company says it's 230 cm but that one is OOS. What would they send you?

Is there any info in the reviews about waterproofness of the hatches? Something to consider. What about info about scupper suitability for fish finder transducer mount and/or scupper cart. Does the kayak scupper support inside the kayak suitable for a scupper cart and what size(s) of scupper cart. Are the scupper plugs self-bailing? The flush mounts next to the seats look too low for use while trolling and I would be concerned about constantly dunking the reels. It looks like the flush mounts would be okay for holding rods when removing a fish or changing lures. A scotty rod holder on the utility hatch might work as long as it wasn't in the way of your paddling.

These are small and not so small things that might contribute to your overall experience.

Since you are new to this, consider trying a peddle boat before you commit to a paddle. It's a very different type of angling experience. I'm not saying it's better. Different strokes for different folks.

[CountryMan]

I too worry about the low placed seat. At first glance with no first hand experience the seat is the biggest negative of the boat for me. They do offer an upgraded seat that looks to be about a 3" thick bottom pad which would raise u slightly but I'm not sure it's a 100% dry ride even with the new seat. I'll be doing a mix of river and bay fishing so anything from the Potomac to the chesapeake. I'm not too concerned with paddles or the flush mounts. I'll adjust those as necessary. I do however agree with everything for mentioned about the reviews. Hopefully time will produce some first hand experience. I've wrote to vibe n waiting to hear back. I will however ask the same questions to them that u brought to my attention. Ty very much for the insight of an experienced angler... all of u have been great. Awesome forum with fast responses.

[Mark]

Just a thought but if a "100% dry ride" is important to you a kayak, most any kayak, might not be the best fishing platform for you.

You're going to ship water occasionally even in moderate waves and your paddle will drip water into your boat. The act of landing a fish or fishing itself will often bring water into your boat. I fly fish from my kayak and when I strip (retrieve) my line it soaks my lap.

On top of that I have an older model Revo and wet butt is a fact of life on many (not all) trips. But I can tell you a wet lap and wet seat are far from disastrous experiences when it comes to the joys and benefits of kayak fishing.

In cooler weather it's not a problem at all because I wear waterproof pants. In hot weather it's sometimes a cooling feature of kayak fishing.

Further I walk into the water usually up to my knees to launch either my Revo or my Jackson. I'm wet before I start!

So I just wanted to point out that a certain amount of wetness comes with the hobby. It's not as bad as you might think and I wouldn't let the prospect of low seat (which may offer you welcomed and needed stability in choppy water) deter you from choosing a particular kayak.

Good luck,

[sparky1423]

It's a sharp looking kayak. If you do not have the ability to test out the vibe or any other kayak, take the chance. If you are new to kayak fishing or kayaking in general you wont know the difference on the performance. Maybe this sounds like a premature decision but with all the members on the forum, we have entry level kayaks all the way up to Cadillacs. As long as you are not miserable paddling and catching fish...that's all that matters!

If it wasn't meant to be, all kayak sales move rather quickly on the forum. I purchased a used Moken 10 lite for smaller trips and to take my son out. It's slow, does not track well, and a strong wind will blow me off course...but its mainly used for close to shore perch fishing and quick trips. I'm still happy getting it wet.