New "kayaks"?? from Ocean Kayak

I'm glad to see that they added an emergency shut off switch you can attach to your PFD  (little orange thing mid-deck).

Brian

i was looking forward to a peddle drive from OK to. i guess i might have to look at the Hobies for my second boat.

Ummmmmmm.........yeah.................. 

When I first started yakin I rigged up a 53 lb thrust minnkota motor for my fish and dive, complete with battery storage and brackets etc. Just drop it in the tank well and screw the turnbuckles tight..  It is a great little add on.  The yak scoots along, stable as all get out, way faster than you can ever think to paddle it.  I don't use it much as its heavy and I like the work out from paddling.  I have never used it in the salt as I am worried about the extra weight of the battery and ruining the motor in case of a huli, but in somewhere simple like PC it might not be much of an issue.  It sure would make trolling for silvers a piece of cake

Just a thought but OK could have chosen a better model to power up. The Tridents are great paddlers but not the most stable IMO. I think the Big Game would be a lot better suited to the demographic they're trying to reach (PB'r fishermen looking for a cheap alternative). It would be a lot more stable and you could also probably stand and sight fish as well. Hey where's Sonar Shield??

Z

I think the Big Game would be a lot better suited to the demographic they're trying to reach (PB'r fishermen looking for a cheap alternative). It would be a lot more stable and you could also probably stand and sight fish as well.

Great point!

I have a question I thought I'd throw out there. This may vary from state to state, but would a kayak with a trolling motor need to be tagged & registered the same way as any other vessel under power?
....Or no because it's simply a trolling motor?? ....Or because it's battery powered?

It would considered "powered" if was petrol powered or over 16'.  I agree that they should have picked a less efficient or larger model to put a motor in...

I'm sure it is only due time before Hobie does this to the Pro Angler.  Honestly I am surprised this didn't happen before OK made the move.

I have mixed feelings about the powered route.  I worry that the power supply and motor will significantly reduce the weight capacity for gear and the actual "driver" while at the same time I see myself exploring parts of the larger lakes that are just too far away to paddle to, fish for a few hours, and then paddle back.

In oregon any motor, electric, gas or otherwise on any floating craft would require registration with the state marine board.  I registered mine (got the numbers and everything ) when I first did the motor thing but have since let it lapse as I never use it.

The sad part is that a 35 pound 17 foot sea kayak costs more to register than a 16 foot 2000 lb boat with motor.  Unless I read the regs wrong, I believe it is $3 per foot.

I believe in Oregon anything with a 10hp motor or greater needs to be registered.

I believe in Oregon anything with a 10hp motor or greater needs to be registered.

To legally operate any motorboat or a sailboat 12 feet or longer on the waters of Oregon, it must be titled and registered with the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) and display current validation decals. Motorboats include any type of boat (e.g. personal watercraft, canoe, inflatable, rowboat) with any type of motor (e.g. gasoline, diesel, electric).

http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/statelaws/Oregon.html

Arrrrrgggghhhh. What a bunch of lameness. I think they should market this stuff under another name like a bad spin off TV show. Leave it to America to find a way to take the exercise out of exercising.

I got nothing against motors, and my feeling is neutral about pedals, although I will never boat one, SUP I think may be the lamest thing I've ever seen, unless you live at the coast and are learning how to surf. Seems dumb to SUP around a lake unless you were sight fishing. At least they don't call them kayaks. Thanks for that SUP manufacturers!

I just don't understand why we need to F up kayaks when there are a million different boats with trolling motors. When I was a kid we had some little two seater bass boat, basically foam with a plastic shell, and a trolling motor. Worked great, not a kayak. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when the newness of SUP and trolling motors on yaks wears off and companies return to designing better kayaks rather than trying to blend them with other watercraft.

As always, not meaning to offend anyone, just voicing my opinion.

Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about motorizing a kayak.  Seems that in the quest for accessibility, OK lost a bit of their soul.  I'm all for getting people out there, and realize that some folks - due to disability or what have you - just can't power their own craft, but c'mon.  Training wheels are one thing, but paddling isn't not too difficult of a skill to grasp.  This just reeks of a way to make easy money off of sedentary fishing types. 

"Leave the bank-bound lawn chairs behind and become a kayak fisherman!"

Awesome.

The SUP thing is fun, even on flatwater.  And a lot of kayak companies are making affordable rotomolded boats with stability and durability in mind.  These new ones, however, are starting to look a lot like toys.  Seems like an attempt to flatten the sometimes steep learning curve that SUP can bring.  But at least they are people powered and still involve a bit of physical exertion. 

Whatevs.  Hopefully they won't sell too many.

This just reeks of a way to make easy money

No offense intended but coming from a multi billion dollar corporation trading on the stock market what do you expect?

Z

Yeah, I know.  Gotta make money.  Especially in these times.  Can't blame them.  Just unfortunate that it's come to this.  But then again, we don't have to buy their craptastic stuff.