Kraken 13.5 review

I've been paddling a Kraken 15.5 for almost 2 years now and love it.   

My only "complaint" was that it was heavy out of the water, so when I heard JK was coming out with a 13.5 version I ordered one ASAP.   

After using the 13.5 and comparing it side by side with the 15.5 I have been VERY impressed with the 13.5.

All the same great features as the original 15.5, lighter, more nimble and maneuverable around kelp beds, and still handles the weight of a diver/gear/fish with no prob.

Here is a professional walk through vid from JK/Jim Sammons:



And two reports of recent trips I did with the 13.5:

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/10/30/kraken-13-5-surf-launch/

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/11/23/andrew-sheephead/

If you have any other questions just let me know.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Jackson has really been listening to their customers and put a lot of great features in their designs.  I really like the layout of the 13.5 and I can totally see why you yourself would be hot to pick one up right away.   

The scupper behind the seat for the bait tank pickup is genius for those that run with live wells.  Not something I have really needed to date, but can see it being a very useful feature for those that do for sure!

Nice looking yaks. 'Splain the stringer thru the eyeballs technique. [emoji89]

Nice looking yaks. 'Splain the stringer thru the eyeballs technique. [emoji89]

I do the same thing when I surf fish.  Surf perch have really soft mouths and a stringer will rip the lip/gill plate right off if I'm wading in the surf.  Through the eye ball sockets is solid.  The skull is thick right there and the best way to stack fish on the stringer.

I would venture to guess Jim does this as it stacks the fish nicely as they hang from the stringer. 

Sweet vid Jim!

Nice looking yaks. 'Splain the stringer thru the eyeballs technique. [emoji89]

I do the same thing when I surf fish.  Surf perch have really soft mouths and a stringer will rip the lip/gill plate right off if I'm wading in the surf.  Through the eye ball sockets is solid.  The skull is thick right there and the best way to stack fish on the stringer.

I would venture to guess Jim does this as it stacks the fish nicely as they hang from the stringer.

Yeah, so I use a spike and line stringer on my weight belt and on my yak when diving...waaay easier to run the spike through the eyes on Lings and rockies (and poke through eye and out bottom jaw on cabs and butts...), and then you don't gotta be messing with putting your fingers in mouth (sharp teeth suck lol) while floating around in water...

I used to do through eyes on cabs but then heard a horror story from an old timer of a guy doing that on a monster cab and then it started thrashing so hard it ripped through the narrow space between the eys and he lost the fish. 

Also, once through eyes with spike no chance of the spike coming loose...if through mouth and spike is not secured and just hanging it could work its way out the mouth.

Just personal preference I guess!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

The 13.5 looks similar in form and function to an OK Trident 13. Any chance you've paddled that and can make a comparison?

The 13.5 looks similar in form and function to an OK Trident 13. Any chance you've paddled that and can make a comparison?

Great question, I was curious of the same.

Looks like Sammons just asked them to build an OK  hull with some really cool angler specific features.  And great colors too!  Maybe hobie will take note.    But then it would be a 3k revo.

Looks like Sammons just asked them to build an OK  hull with some really cool angler specific features.

True, but JK has the seat. OK is still living in the last decade with their seats. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of OK, but there's just no comparison to JK, Wilderness, Hobie, etc. with regard to the seat.)

You're right, ok might as well sell their kayaks w/o a seat at all; the stock seat sucks something awful.  But I love my STS pro seat that I put on my Trident; super comfy and it really feels like I'm in the boat.  I still think the lawn chair style seats are great for cruising, but not appropriate for surf launches and gnarly ocean conditions.

You're right, ok might as well sell their kayaks w/o a seat at all; the stock seat sucks something awful.  But I love my STS pro seat that I put on my Trident; super comfy and it really feels like I'm in the boat.  I still think the lawn chair style seats are great for cruising, but not appropriate for surf launches and gnarly ocean conditions.

I hear you, but it depends on the design. In my 2015 Hobie Oasis with the "lawn chair" in the lowest position my butt is every bit as low as it was in my 2014 soft-shell seat, and there is no difference in stability, and I still get all-day comfort and the option to put it higher on flat water.

The 13.5 looks similar in form and function to an OK Trident 13. Any chance you've paddled that and can make a comparison?

Great question, I was curious of the same.

I had a T15 for many years and have paddled several T13s as well.

Both the T15 and T13 are awesome yaks for sure!

The last time I paddled a T13, I felt I was riding low and pushing water up through the scuppers by my feet (I'm a big guy and with dive gear etc it's a pretty heavy load for a yak that size)....I don't feel like that when paddling the Kraken 13.5...not sure why, but that's just my impression...I think having the ability to move the seat forward or back may be helping distribute my weight better?

 

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...took the Kraken 13.5 out again on Saturday in some big swells...no big fish found, but it handled the launch and landing great!