Any reason not to go with a prowler angler 15?

I am new to the forum and new (3 weeks ago) to sequim. I have been reading, watching dvd's, dreaming a lot about kayak fishing and my wife and i are on the path to getting wet and cold. Bought the racks for the subaru and my wife just got her dry suit and is having it modified I am next and then come the kayaks. We are looking at a couple of OK angler prowler 15s. Dave up at Olympic raft and kayak is giving us a good deal on some that were rented out last year. Most people are talking about the trident 15 it seems and I just want to make sure that I am going to be ok with the old prowler angler. We will both have dry suits and want to fish/crab the area around PA, Sequim, Hood canal and the bays. We will be smart and connect hopefully with some of you in the area to learn the ropes. I know we will get wetter in the yaks we are looking at but we will have dry suits. If i go with these rather than the trident i will have an extra 500 or so each yak  for outfitting and gear and right now that seems important. Am i going to be ok with the Old style 15's. Thanks in advance for the answers. This is an awesome forum and I think i feel myself getting sucked down the yak fishing vortex.

doug in sequim

The pic is what we wake up to looking out from the deck of our apartment. Sometimes i think i can see the fish

Welcome to NWKA and the cure Doug. There's plenty of people who like the OK line so sure there'll be some good info coming your way.

Z

Personally I like the P15 over the T15.  The Prowler 15 is sleeker and it shows in the speed and performance you get out of it.  However, it is a wetter ride, with water coming in through the scupper holes into the footwells.  The T15 has a better cockpit layout, especially the rod pod.

-Allen

Thanks guys, As far as the water, If i am in a dry suit and neoprene or similar boots for a bit of insulation does the water in the footwells  really pose any problem.

I've never had issues with the water in the footwells.  I usually don't get cold so the water never bothers me in that regard.  And it doesn't bother me to get wet, you are kayaking after all.  I am also 220# so I get more water in the wells that lighter people.

-Allen

Hey Sequim Salty, There's lots of cool places to paddle in your area. I've taken my Native Ultimate 12 out in Sequim Bay and around the entrance (can't see if I'm in your pic, though I'd be too small a speck, anyway), launching at the county park at Port Williams. Great spot to paddle.
My parents live in Sequim just a little over a mile from that park, so that has become one of my favorite places to go walk the beach or paddle whenever I'm visiting them. I'll be packin' my yak more often now when heading to Sequim. Either my U-12 or my Tarpon 140, depending on whether or not I plan to hit up a lake for trout fishing (I prefer my U-12 for lakes and trout fishing).
You've got a lot of good water to explore nearby. I'll let you know next time I'm heading up that way with one of my yaks, just in case you want to meet up for a go-out.
I currently wear my surfing wetsuit when in my Tarpon, but I think I'm going to have to get a dry suit. I have to crawl into my surfing wetsuit thru the neck hole, which requires that I assume the form of a contortionist. Don't ask me how this is even possible, but I do it.

Hey Salty!

That P-15 was also MY first kayak to purchase.  I bought it maybe 2 years before there WAS such a thing as a T-15.  Since that time I've bought 4 more SOT kayaks, and what do you know?  That P-15 is still my go to boat, ESPEcially on open salt water like the Straight of J. de F.  Just like yourself, I am always wearing my dry suit or gore-tex waders and I always have long underwear with pants under them, or more likely a pair of fleece wader pants.  So that 1/8" to 1/2" of water that I usually sit in doesn't bother me at all.  Myself, I'm probably at about 200# when I'm suited up for the kayak, but I tend to carry a lot of gear with me too, and that's how it is that I sink down into 1/2" sometimes.  But it's that low, low center of gravity that is going to let you remain stable in one of the more narrow SOTs, which in turn is going to make it a faster and easier ride to paddle.  Oh, and for your feet I'd reccommend a pair of hunter's socks, maybe over top of some normal socks, and then just use and extra large sized wader boot or tennis shoe or they even make cheap sandals for scuba divers that would work.  Neoprene will tear up unless it has some kind of tough sole, and your wader booties are probably already neoprene.

The way you asked your question though, was something like "any reason to NOT buy a P-15?"  Okay, the rod pod has been mentioned.  Myself, I see the rod pod as an obstruction (I'm SO sorry Ocean Kayak) more than a plus.  It's an obstruction if you are wrestling a large salmon or even a small halibut on your deck.  And I am fully expecting you to catch some halibuts over there off of the spit.  Most T-15 owners are going to say "no way!", but it's "to each his own".  And I don't miss either the access to the center hull or the easy stow of my rods.  I nearly always stow my rods in the rod holders, or it turns out that it's not that hard for me to get into that large fwd deck cover when I want to.  To reach the center hull, I have made the installation of a 6" T-handled deck hatch from Tom's Kayaks.  It won't quite fit, but I'll show you how I made it happen in another post that I have been needing to put together.

So if it's so great, why did I ever bother to buy 4 more?  Okay, I bought a Cobra F-n-D right after my P-15 so that I could always take a newby out any time I wanted.  It is much wider, a dry ride, and will carry 600# compared to the P-15's 325#.  Then I bought Polepole's ex-Malibu X-Factor from Floating Cowboys over near you in Port Angeles.  That was for those times when I want carry a lot of weight down a river like the John Day in Oregon, or maybe the Yakima in Wa.  It also carries 600#, but it doesn't ride nearly as low in the water as the F-n-D with it's deep keel.  And it's longer than the F-n-D so it'll track better too.  And then I picked up 2 Mini-X's so I can take a buddy and go play around on those same rivers or any small bodies of water.  I use them sometimes just because they are SO light at 40# each, so I can easily tote them around.  I've used those for just CROSSING a river sometimes.  Why not?  They're easy to get down to the rivers edge.

Long answer made short (too late!), if I were in your position and could pick up those P-15s, for real they'd be my #1 first choice over any other... even without the monster savings.

Fishin-T

  And I am fully expecting you to catch some halibuts over there off of the spit.

I promise that I will come over some time this coming May or so and go out to the end of the spit with you and your wife for halibuts if you'd like.

Fishin-T

Thanks guys for the info. sounds like i am fine to move ahead with the plan.  This is really getting fun.  Oh.. and Fishin -T and Cone head. I will love to take you up on an offer to head out with you should you be up this way to go out with you. I still have to work a regular job so it would need to be when it stays light longer evenings in the summer or on a weekend.  I'll buy lunch for your teaching a new guy. Thanks again to all for the responses. doug