Apex watercraft (looks to be full carbon)

[FishMoken]

For those that didn't know Eric Jackson decided to step down from president of Jackson kayak last year. From what I read he wanted to be able to spend more time with family and out on the water. Then late last year a new kayak company shows up Apex watercraft with VERY little information. And still to this day there isnt very much know about what all they plan to do but from the looks of it they will be releasing a full carbon fiber fishing kayak next month.

https://paddlingmag.com/paddling-bus...w-kayak-brand/

How do you feel about this? Would you spend extra money for an ultra light weight fishing kayak? I know at one point someone on here was thinking of making a mold from a pro angler and making a carbon or fiberglass version. I for one am excited to see what all apex watercraft will make and maybe we will see a trend of more sales in thurmoformed fishing kayaks as well. I know I have my eyes on the slayer lt.

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[ski357]

For those that didn't know Eric Jackson decided to step down from president of Jackson kayak last year. From what I read he wanted to be able to spend more time with family and out on the water. Then late last year a new kayak company shows up Apex watercraft with VERY little information. And still to this day there isnt very much know about what all they plan to do but from the looks of it they will be releasing a full carbon fiber fishing kayak next month.

https://paddlingmag.com/paddling-bus...w-kayak-brand/

How do you feel about this? Would you spend extra money for an ultra light weight fishing kayak? I know at one point someone on here was thinking of making a mold from a pro angler and making a carbon or fiberglass version. I for one am excited to see what all apex watercraft will make and maybe we will see a trend of more sales in thurmoformed fishing kayaks as well. I know I have my eyes on the slayer lt.

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This is very intriguing. Very exciting. I remember looking at this thing a few years ago:

https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=43937

[Mark]

...How do you feel about this? Would you spend extra money for an ultra light weight fishing kayak? ...
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Absolutely. Hull weight was one of the most critical factors behind the selection of the three fishing kayaks I presently own. I wish Mr. Jackson well in his quest to produce even lighter kayaks. I indeed believe there is a market.

[J.A. Veil]

I think there is a market for ultra-lightweight kayaks. But just being light is not enough. An expensive kayak must offer seating comfort as well as easy paddling and stability in order for customers to spend a large incremental amount. Like Mark, my kayaks (with the exception of my new Ultimate FX15) have been short (10-11 ft) and under 65 lbs. For me, ease of handling on land and transporting were really important criteria. But if a kayak is not comfortable or if it performs poorly on the water, it is not really a good choice.

Sometimes the ultra-lightweight models feel different in the water than other models. This can be either good or bad. The original poster mentioned his interest in the Native Slayer Propel LT -- a thermoformed pedal-drive model that is built by Native's sister company Hurricane. I did a test drive of that kayak when it first came out. It looked gorgeous and pedaled beautifully. It was somewhat less stable than a comparable rotomolded kayak. I like to bolt rod holders to the deck of my kayak. The thin and rigid thermoformed deck seemed less amenable to adding accessories.


I offer the example of the Native Ultimate 12. This model is already a lightweight hybrid kayak (<50lb) that is easy to use and transport. It has been around for about 15 years. At one point Native decided to push the envelope even further to make the same hull design using a special polypropylene fabric that is also used for ballistic armor by the military. That kayak was called the Ultimate Tegris. It weighed only 36 lbs but was considerably more expensive than the regular Ultimates. It was offered for a few years but soon was discontinued, presumably for poor sales. Occasionally used Tegris kayaks come up for sale -- the asking price is still high.

Tegris.jpg

I hope that the new Apex model meets usability criteria along with having a low weight. If it is successful, it should increase competition among other manufacturers to make similar models.

[Big Mike]

Design and price released. $8000 and looks like a Klingon warship. I think only making 5 to start, put your money down quick.

[Slackdaddy]

While they may be fine for tidal waters, lakes, ponds, etc,, I know of no light weight material that would withstand the blows of rocky class 3 rivers.

[dsaavedra]

Planned retail price of $11,000 and the chair on the thing is an abomination... pass

https://gearjunkie.com/apex-watercraft-fishing-kayak

[PigPen]

I have to imagine the weight and hydrodynamic are amazing but the magnets seem like overkill. Not sure why gear track is undesirable. I was thinking about making a fiberglass version of my current yak but if it's going to come close to that price forget it. Oof