Shorter Kayaks

[summersoff]

I picked a Native 10’ over Covid and I have to say, I’m having a hard time ever going back to my 13’. I have had a a bunch 12’-16’s and all were great, but always massive. The 10’ is sooooo much easier to maneuver, load and store. I can pick up the 10’ easily and chuck it on the roof, with no damn assist bars or extra crap to load. It is also small enough to stick inside my Outback with only 3” sticking out. When I strapped down the trunk you can’t hardly tell there’s a yak inside. I have a Malone trailer, but I never see using it unless I bring both yaks - my 13’ has been regulated to a guest yak. Any storage I have lost between the 10’ and 13” is mostly unused space that I don’t notice. And the speed difference has never been an issue when anyone was using my 13’, for I am always easily keeping up side-by-side. Yeah, I quess I would lose in a race, but, ummm who’s actually races when fishing?
After a year of use, in my opinion, if you ain’t doing big water, the 10’ is perfect for the back bay stuff from LBI to Jekyll.
just my too stinky scents.

[J. Rentch]

I had the Native Slayer 10 for 4 years. Great fishing platform. I had it in some really squirrelly water and never really felt unsafe. The one problem I had was my leg position. I could not get a really comfortable position with extended trips. I would get leg cramps after 3-4 hours on the water. Finally sold it and got a Hobie Revo 11. My leg problem has been solved. As your statement about smaller kayaks- I am 5’8” and weight 185, and am over 75 years. I load my Revo 11 in my truck bed with ease. I know I couldn't do that with the bigger kayaks. Am glad there are kayaks out there for folks like myself.

[summersoff]

I think my Revo was a 13’ - is that right. It was a great fast yak, and relatively light, but a tad narrow. I’m liking the fat light butt of the native. I too get the leg cramps but not as bad. It’s funny, I bike a lot, but I do prefer the Hobie penguin flippers over the slayer bicycle crank. Surprisingly more efficient and easier in skinny water, but the 60lbs Slayer’s can fit in the glove compartment not mention REVERSE, and those will win every time.
My greatest obstacle to fishing, is getting there, and the small yak really lowers that hurdle.

[J.A. Veil]

I have owned many different kayaks ranging from 8' to 15'3". My current fleet consists of two different 11' paddle kayaks (Native Manta Ray 11 and Native Falcon 11). I can slide either one into my Toyota Sienna minivan and close the rear hatch. Loading and unloading is fast and easy, and all my kayaking and fishing gear can be locked inside the van for night storage. Even though I am a large guy, the 11' kayaks fully meet my needs.

[summersoff]

I have owned many different kayaks ranging from 8' to 15'3". My current fleet consists of two different 11' paddle kayaks (Native Manta Ray 11 and Native Falcon 11). I can slide either one into my Toyota Sienna minivan and close the rear hatch. Loading and unloading is fast and easy, and all my kayaking and fishing gear can be locked inside the van for night storage. Even though I am a large guy, the 11' kayaks fully meet my needs.

I have to say, a minivan is my next ride. I don’t care what looks I get, they are so damn practical for camping, biking and kayaking. The new Sienna Hybrid is on the short list when the Subbie dies. I have to ask, when you load the yak is the nose below the windshield. For my Subbie the nose is pointed towards the windshield and would bounce towards the glass, which has me nervous on bumps and potholes, despite tying it down super tight.

[J.A. Veil]

I have to say, a minivan is my next ride. I don’t care what looks I get, they are so damn practical for camping, biking and kayaking. The new Sienna Hybrid is on the short list when the Subbie dies. I have to ask, when you load the yak is the nose below the windshield. For my Subbie the nose is pointed towards the windshield and would bounce towards the glass, which has me nervous on bumps and potholes, despite tying it down super tight.

The nose of the kayak sits a few inches from the front windshield. I fold the two rear seats into the floor and remove the second row right seat. The front right seat is reclined as far as it will go with a carpet strip laid on top to protect the upholstery.. I do not tie down the kayak -- it sits firmly on the carpet strip. If I want to carry a passenger, I can slide the kayak out, put the front seat up and be ready in about 2 to 3 minutes.

For an 11' kayak, like the Falcon 11 shown below, it must go in diagonally. But when I had a 10' Slayer Propel 10, I could slide the kayak straight in.

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Here is the Slayer Propel 10.

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In 8 years of transporting kayaks inside the van, I have damaged the windshield only one time. I was driving in Key Largo, FL and had to stand on the brakes to make an emergency stop. The kayak shifted forward rapidly leaving a spiderweb crack on the right side of the windshield. I was worried that the van might not be drivable for the 1,000 mile drive home. But it was fine -- no water leakage or road noise. Safelite replaced the windshield a few weeks later for a $50 deductible.

windshield crack 3.jpg


Another way to reduce the likelihood of windshield damage would be to place a padded bag (think lunch bag or 6-pack cooler bag) over the nose. I tried it for a while but found the visibility to be reduced.

My Sienna is a 2015 model. I get 26 mph or better on the highway. The following model year offered a slightly more efficient engine. The newest version of the Sienna has a hybrid engine that does even better on fuel economy.

[Mark]

Few of us have one fishing rod. Different line weights, lengths, and types of rods (conventional vs. fly) are helpful dependent on conditions, species saught and the kinds of fishing we prefer. Similarly, many kayak anglers have more than one kayak and they use them based on where and how they fish.

Kayak speed to me is more than a mesaurement of knots or miles per hour. It's the physical effort required to propel a kayak through the water and its ability to track true.

My 13 ft. Hobie Revo is a fast boat when it comes to actual speed. It requires little energy on my part to propel it. I can sustain a 3 mph cadence on the pedals as easily as if I was walking on a level sidewalk. I can go a long way without resting. Also, its length and low profile helps it to hold the line in wind and waves. It's a very efficient boat in those respects.

My paddle kayaks, a Native Ultimate and Ultimate FX, are each 12 feet long. They paddle easily and track straight without needing a rudder. I like the open decks on each which facilitate fly fishing more than my Revo with its pedals consuming much deck space and inevitably attracting my slack fly line.

But I can say without doubt in having owned and paddled a 14 ft. Ultimate, that the longer kayak is both faster in actual speed and it paddles easier than its 12 ft. versions. There are hydrodynamic principles at play (which I do not deem to understand) that make longer boats more efficent to propel. Touring kayakers understand this. That's why their boats are 16 and 17 feet long. They're built for distance, speed and tracking and ease of paddling over maneuvability and stability.

So, I use my kayaks accordingly. The Revo is my choice when I venture into larger waters subject to wind and waves. My Ultimates are reserved for creeks and ponds. I travel farther and faster in my Revo than I do in my Ultimates probably with less caloric expenditurue although I have no way of measuring that.

Finally, after years of cartopping my kayaks on a van, I bought a pickup truck two summers ago precisely to carry my kayaks -- an expensive kayak cart. It has made a tremendous difference in the effort required to transport my kayaks. I miss the ample secure storage for my gear provided by my van. But I've learned to cope with that with efficient packing of my gear in the truck. Not having to lift my 70 pound Revo and 50-plus pound Ultimates to the roof of my van has made my kayak outings much more enjoyable.

[Slackdaddy]

I indulge in 2 distinctly different types of kayak fishing: Small mountain rivers chasing Small Mouth bass and local tidal rivers and creeks for Bass, Strippers, Snakehead, etc.
We have a truck with a full 8' bed, I can easliy fit 4 kayaks in there.

My Smallmoth trips are often multiday trips,, The Jackson line of boats are the only boats that have sizable front and rear hatches to pack gear INSIDE the boat.
We run The Coosa, Coosa HD, and Cuda12,, all ~12 foot boats. The CoosaHD is a pain to man handle by myself.

Until recent, I was using my Coosa HD for the tidal fishing,, It was a pain, I had to time my travels, as paddling that thing against tide is a pain.
The Coosa HD is also a major pain trying to launch at some of the counties "Kayak Launches",, weight and size do not fit well with the counties absolute waste of money launches.

I now have a Native Slayer 10 Propel,, and a OT Sportsman 106PDL,, they are a dream to load, unload and launch solo for this ~60 man.
The ~10 foot peddle drive boats track fine and function great in the tidal rivers I use them in,, I no longer even worry about tide when traveling.

[Red_Beard]

While I prefer my 12' Hobie Compass for big water fishing, my first kayak was a 10' Perception Pescador Pro, and I still feel like that was a better kayak for float trips.