May 31, 2013

Jackson Cuda 14 Review



Before I start this review I should share with you that my Cuda is my first kayak.While it's not the first kayak I've fished from, it is the first kayak I've owned. So I would not classify myself as an expert kayak fisherman. What I am, is a guy who does hours upon hours of research on things before I purchase them...and then I analyze the heck out of them after I own them.


Let's start with the first thing we all see, one awesome looking kayak! I've owned my Cuda for over 18 months and am still impressed with how cool it looks! Hey, let's face it...looking cool is important too right?!


Vanity out of the way, the next thing that caught my eye was the seat. What looks to be a beach style seat resting in the place where some foam style kayak seat would usually be resting. My first thought was, is that thing going to be comfortable for hours of fishing? The answer to that question is yes! I've fished in that seat for up to 7 hours of continuous fishing only taking a break to eat a sandwich on a shoreline. Although the Elite Seat isn't always the first thing that catches our eye, its the multiple positions you can put it in that really draws our interest. There's a low position, high position, and an out of the way position (yeah, out of the way). The low position is just slightly higher than the normal SOT kayak. This position is a very stable seating position in the Cuda and feels very comfortable for even a first time kayak fisherman. The high position is, in my opinion, awesome! Its slightly less stable than the low position, who wouldn't expect that? But its considerably more stable than you might think. It feels very much like riding a dirt bike, it doesn't want to tip over but you can make it lean if you want to...and of course there is a tipping point but it's really difficult to reach...check out the video below.


OTW (out of the way) position

This is a name I've given it obviously, but its very accurate for what it is. Before I get into that though, I think it's necessary for me to first discuss the stability of this kayak as its directly related to OTW seating position.
This boat is made to stand in, period. If you turn this boat upside down you'll see a flat bottom with what almost looks like pontoons. Whatever you call it, it does a great job of making you feel secure while standing or sitting. This is coming from a guy who's a little top heavy. While I'm not Chad Hoover, I am 6' 3” 215 lbs. While learning to stand and fish, I've leaned so hard I've actually felt what feels like secondary flotation kick it and the boat become even harder to tip over. While getting to that point is a bit scary, it was very reassuring when I didn't tip over!
So what's all that have to do with the OTW seat position? Well if you want a little more foot room you're able to securely put the seat into the cargo area. Now I know it sounds like I'm saying just tossing it back there is a position. But it's not really that. The feet of the seat actually fit into indentations in the boat which help keep it in place so you can use the large flat area where the seat normally is to stand and fish from. Then sit in the seat and paddle to the next location without needing to place the seat back in a forward position. Pretty cool huh?

May 22, 2013

Ribz Front Pack Review


I recently had a chance to take the Ribz front pack out kayak fishing. What the heck is a Ribz front pack? Well, according to the manufacturer's website, the front pack was designed by backpacking experts for packing equipment in a way that redistributes weight for comfort. The front pack sits up near your rib cage, thus aptly named Ribz, and has straps that go around your back and over your shoulders. The front pack looks nice and seems to be made of a durable (nylon) material that is water resistant. The regular size pack design has around 700 cubic inches of storage area. The small size has around 500 cubic inches. When putting it on it reminded me of a fly fishing vest, which is better than my first thought....a fanny pack (C’mon,I know you were thinking the same thing!).
 

Of course, backpacking was not why the Ribz front pack interested me. My mind was filled with ways to use it while kayak fishing. As we kayak fishermen know, it’s important to have everything organized, within reach and quickly accessible. With that being said, just by putting on the front pack, you gain storage areas right at your fingertips. The front pack is divided into two matching sections (Left & Right side) connected by a zipper. You unzip the middle to put on and take off the front pack. Each of the two sections has two zippered pockets. One large pocket and one small pocket. Inside the two large pockets, attached to the back, are two small mesh pockets. Needless to say, there are lots of options when packing. Here are a few pics showing the design of the front pack.