Need info on older Native Kayaks

[CHOC]

John and other Native owners,

I'm interested in getting back into kayaking. My center console is great, but the whole package would be the kayak and the boat!

The kayak I'm interested in is the 2011 Native Ultimate 14 Volt. It comes with a Volt motor, I'm assuming you can put a propel drive in it, right?

There's also a 2009 Ultimate that I'm interested in. Both the 2009 and 2011 have the port for the pedal drive. Has the propel drive changed since then? If not, am I going to have a hard time finding a pedal drive for it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-Grant/Crazyhorse

[J.A. Veil]

Grant -

I joined the Native Pro Staff team in 2013. I have limited familiarity with their products prior to that year. The Ultimate hull has been around for a long time. Early on, Native offered an Ultimate Multisport model that could do a pedal drive (an earlier version of the Propel that is no longer available) or an electric motor. They were interchangeable in the same hull opening. It sounds like that is the one you are looking at. That model has not been made in many years. I see an occasional one popping up for sale as a used kayak, but would be hesitant getting one that old because parts may not be available. I do not know if that older hull design will accept a newer Propel drive. You can post on this Facebook page for more information about Propel compatibility https://www.facebook.com/groups/slayerpropel.

Native made a major upgrade to their Propel drive about 2013 to be more efficient and dependable. Since then, the Propel has had a series of minor upgrades to improve performance. Native does not offer its own electric motor, but does have motor mounts. Particularly if you are looking to use this as part of a business operation, you may want to find something newer than 2011 or 2009. I have fished with a guide in the Keys who uses a Torqueedo motor on his Ultimate FX 15. He is happy with that setup and has towed me quite a few miles during my trips with him. There is a new Motorguide xi3 kayak motor with spot lock that is getting a lot of buzz. Some folks are using it on the Slayer Max.

[CHOC]

Neil has a torqeedo now? Good for him!

[Mark]

Glad to see Ultimates getting some love on this forum -- even if the discussion is about motorizing them.

Seriously, they are excellent fishing kayaks. I think they are overlooked in our area because they are not SOTs. They're lightweight, yet roomy. Stable, yet not so wide in the beam to make paddling difficult. They handle choppy water with ease and they track well.

I use my two Ultimates vastly more often than my Hobie Revo which is great boat also.

The fact that you've located older Ultimate models is good, Grant. They don't show up for sale on the secondary market often. I think that's a testament that their owners do not like to part with them.

[J.A. Veil]

Neil has a torqeedo now? Good for him!

I use several different guides in FL depending on which part of the state I am in. Neil Taylor of Strike Three Kayak Fishing does not use any motorized kayaks in his guide business. Randy Morrow of Lower Keys Kayak Fishing switched over the Native Ultimate and Ultimate FX kayaks. He runs a Torqueedo on the Ultimate FX15 that he guides from.

[J.A. Veil]

The Ultimate kayak design has been around for roughly 15 years. It is not a sit-on-top design in that it does not have scupper drain holes. But it is very stable, lightweight, and roomy -- ideal for fishing in waters that are not rough or if fishing primarily in shallow water.

I learned two weeks ago that Native is not planning to make any more Ultimate kayaks because the national sales are insufficient to support the cost of maintaining inventory and components. So if any Snaggedline members want to own an Ultimate 12 or Ultimate 14.5 kayak, consider talking to dealers to find one already in inventory or look for a used one to come up for sale.

About 5 years ago, Native came out with the next-generation version of the Ultimate called the Ultimate FX in 12 ft and 15 ft tandem versions. I use the FX 15 (with seating reconfigured for solo use) for my longer trolling trips. These models offer a more comfortable seat, more gear tracks, Hi-Lo seating, and other amenities that the original Ultimate do not, but they are heavier (light weight is one of the strong points of the original Ultimate). Native plans to continue making the Ultimate FX at this time.