Jackson Kraken?

The Coosa was the only kayak that we had to retire from group outings. It was the only kayak that rolled at every event .

Shannon is also short,  so big tuna probably works better for him and Drew Gregory for example.

Shannon is also short,  so big tuna probably works better for him and Drew Gregory for example.

I may be short but at least I'm slow!  That is correct Lee I'm 5'7 and weigh 245 so I have a low center of gravity, as I might have mentioned before everyone is different and the best thing you can do is try a few before you buy and pick the one you are most comfortable in.

Shannon is also short,  so big tuna probably works better for him and Drew Gregory for example.

I may be short but at least I'm slow!  That is correct Lee I'm 5'7 and weigh 245 so I have a low center of gravity, as I might have mentioned before everyone is different and the best thing you can do is try a few before you buy and pick the one you are most comfortable in.

How do you feel about geese?

The Coosa was the only kayak that we had to retire from group outings. It was the only kayak that rolled at every event .

During HOW outings I've participated in, the capsizes I've seen have been in Jackson's and yet no one has managed to flip my Scupper Pro which is like 26" wide!

Shannon is also short,  so big tuna probably works better for him and Drew Gregory for example.

I may be short but at least I'm slow!  That is correct Lee I'm 5'7 and weigh 245 so I have a low center of gravity, as I might have mentioned before everyone is different and the best thing you can do is try a few before you buy and pick the one you are most comfortable in.

How do you feel about geese?

Don't know do they taste like chicken, rabbits good if you cook it right.
If your talking about water speed I have kept up with hobies , actually beat them out of the surf. Never rolled on the landings either.

I think he was referring to Drew Gregory getting attacked by a goose.

I think he was referring to Drew Gregory getting attacked by a goose.

Holy goose crap that's funny...... Had that been me I might know how goose tastes. 

Been paddling the Kraken for a few weeks now and digging it.  I was hoping for something just a bit more narrow (28ish) but it still works for me.

You can borrow mine for a paddle if you'd like, or at the Vancouver Lake Paddle Fest on the 25th/26th.

I've been paddling the Kraken for about 6 months now and really dig it.

I was out last Saturday in some sloppy conditions up North and made a little vid...

Vids never make it look as bad as it really is...but if you have any doubt you can PM my NCKA buddy fuzz who was out there with me. 

Fuzz was in a scupper pro and while neither of us were trying to really go fast, neither of us was left behind...

We both noticed that his lighter scupper pro (and lighter butt   ) were going up and over swells and slapping down, while my heavier kraken and fat butt) were kinda just riding through em...

Also at one point I was in front of him and he was looking off to the side and paddled ahead and rammed me...Kraken won the ramming battle and he got flipped off his scupper pro.   

Course...he had a lot easier time carrying his lighter scupper pro to and from the water by himself...but then again he did hide his weightbelt inside my Kraken. 

 

Anyway, here's my little vid:



As far as stability goes....I'm 6' 4"ish and about 245-250 and find the Kraken to be super stable...I jump off and on my yak all day long so having a stable yak is super important for me...

Here's another video showing some fun I've had with the Kraken from January through March:



If you have any other questions about the Kraken please feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

It looks like Jackson may have made a boat that doesn't completely suck!
For those that had paddled the Trident and the Kraken, how do they compare? Likewise how do the Cuda 14 and the Kraken compare?

For those that had paddled the Trident and the Kraken, how do they compare? Likewise how do the Cuda 14 and the Kraken compare?

I have paddled T11s, 13s and 15s but have spent the most time on a T15 that I won at GS4 in 2010, and liked the T15 the most out of those three size Tridents.

I had a ton of fun on my T15 and had a lot of great adventures and caught and shot a lot of nice fish with it, but I like the Kraken better in terms of layout, accessories and paddling.

Same with the Cuda14. I have owned and paddled 2013 and 2014 Cuda14s and while I had a ton of fun on them, I think the Kraken is head and shoulders above them.

The front hatch of the Kraken has a neoprene gasket/skirt on it which is great for keeping water out when punching through surf and when you take water over the bow on sloppy days.

The Kraken's center hatch opens forward instead of to the side like the T15 and older model Cudas and it is way nice to pop it open and be able to easily stow all your gear in there. It also has rails on it for mounting GPS/FF etc.

The Kraken's seat is adjustable to move forward/backwards to compensate for weight in tankwell or bow, and the seat locks into the kayak on a rail and is super stable and I can't wiggle it at all. Seat is also super comfy and has a lower back thermarest support pad which is great for guys like me that have a history of lower back problems, and I personally don't feel COG is an issue at all, even when I'm paddling between dive spots with my weight belt on.

The Kraken's tankwell is huge and has rails on the side for easy mounting of flag mounts or whatever, flush mount rod folders and RAM tubes behind the seat, and it comes with a krate with additional rod holders and a plano box, both of which attach to rails so they won't go anywhere...since I primarily dive instead of fish those and the rod holders are sitting in my garage, but I might fish in shelter cove this year so will probably bring em up. 

In terms of stability and paddling, I feel the Kraken is faster and paddles smoother and easier than both the T15 and the Cuda14, and while I'm not trying to stand up and fish or nothing I have not felt tippy at all in the Kraken and have had zero problems hopping off and on all day long while out diving and exploring.

Hope this helps answer your questions, and I encourage anyone interested in the Kraken (or any kayak) to find a local dealer and try one out for yourself and see how it feels for you and your style of paddling/fishing/diving/hunting etc.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...FWIW I actually really enjoyed my time on the water with the previous JKs I owned as well: Cuda14s, Cruise12s, and BigTuna. I had the least amount of fun on the BigTuna because I bought it to take my daughter out and she was more into ballet at that time so I sold it pretty quick. 

The Cruise12s and the Cuda14s were both really solid boats though IMO and well worth a look/test paddle for anyone interested. 

Here are two vids showing clips of all the JK yaks I have used over the past 3 years...some of the same above water clips in both though but more underwater fish porn in second one  :

I agree 100% with FG. I sold my Coosa for a reason, and the Big Tuna is borderline dangerous as a tandem for two paddlers over 6ft X 200#. It took very little to completely capsize, and then it was challenging to reenter. It would be easy to handle with a 120# adult, or my kids, but far from ideal.

I weigh in at 240 smilingkayaker is 160ish range how much gear over the 200 lbs was in that thing or was it full of water the boat has a 500 lbs weight limit. We are nowhere near that low in the water.

I agree 100% with FG. I sold my Coosa for a reason, and the Big Tuna is borderline dangerous as a tandem for two paddlers over 6ft X 200#. It took very little to completely capsize, and then it was challenging to reenter. It would be easy to handle with a 120# adult, or my kids, but far from ideal.

I weigh in at 240 smilingkayaker is 160ish range how much gear over the 200 lbs was in that thing or was it full of water the boat has a 500 lbs weight limit. We are nowhere near that low in the water.

Bill and I combined are somewhere around 450lbs give or take 5#. There was no gear on board, nor water in the hull. In fact, this was the first day it had ever gotten wet. I'm sure our combined height of almost 13' didn't help the CG either

I just posted in another "Jackson" thread before I saw this one. But I just picked up my Kraken this weekend. Haven't paddled it outside a demo or two, so I can't say much about it yet in the water. But looks damn good on my car... and looking good is half the battle..