AustinKayakFishing.com

[Bones]

I spent the last few days at the Outdoor Retailer expo in Utah and was able to get the latest on what you will see in 2008. The “OR Expo” is where most manufacturers launch new products and is also a great place for dealers to try out all the new stuff before they decide to make their purchase. I must have paddled over 30 boats!



Here is a summarized report of some of the things you will see in 2008. I’ll start with Native since they have the biggest changes…and I am a dealer. I’ll post the rest in the next couple of days.

As you probably know by now, they have done some product reorganization. Specifically, the Manta Ray is now part of the Native line up. The mold is exactly the same but they have added the Magic foot pegs and DVC seating (like the Redfish), introduced new colors and of course rebranded them with Native graphics. I will have these in stock real soon.



Native has also launched a new boat called the Marvel. It is the “first” SIK with removable seats. Not sure why you would want to remove the seat except for the tandem model which allows for you to turn it into a solo. Either way, it paddled great.



Another big change is the Ultimate. They now offer a rudder option (FishFry, you may have to upgrade next year). They are also launching a new Ultimate with a…doh, sorry…I have been sworn to secrecy but will keep you posted. All I can say is that it is going to be FAST!



The Magic 14 is here! This boat is great. The deck is amazing with so much space and can be configured as a tandem or solo. The Magic tracks well and moves fast. It is not as maneuverable as the 12 but still paddled well.

They are also launching a high performance sea kayak. It is a prototype and doesn’t have a name yet but it sure looks nice.



Native also introduced several new accessories such as dry bags (ice chest, tackle, etc.), a catamaran (yes, a catamaran) and a trolling motor mount for the Ultimate, dog beds, rigging platforms and much more. They are also manufacturing a few boats with the new Tegris material. This stuff is light! The Ultimate in Tegris is about 35lbs. This is just the tip of the iceberg so stay tuned.







One more thing…most boats, if not all, will have angler packages available.

Now for my shameless plug. If you are interested in learning more about these boats, accessories, availability, pricing, etc. please contact me at roland@lakelinewatersports.com. I am also planning a Fall demo day. I didn’t intend to do it but with so many new products I couldn’t resist. More info coming soon.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez
www.lakelinewatersports.com

[Fishfry]

Ah man talk about kayak porn.. A new fast ultimate huh.. Lemme guess, they are improving the bow and narrowing it up a couple of inches..
RUDDER... man, that would be a great addition to the Ult 14.5..

Love those foot pegs on the new MR's..... So you're gonna carry the MR's now??

[Bones]

No but I will give you a hint...foot power.

[Twex]

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Come visit the YakBite! site.

[Fishfry]

[Bones]

[Fishfry]

[Bones]

Ok, the report continues. Today I will give you a rundown of what Heritage is up to.

First off, they have introduced new colors. Instead of bright yellow, it is more of a mustard yellow or gold...sounds ugly but actually looks nice and is a huge improvement over the previous color. Also introduced was a new green (see below). At first, I wasn't too sure about it but it quickly grew on me.

Heritage will now offer more SIK options with the introduction/rebranding of two former Liquid Logic models which are the Pisgah and Stingray. Both with new colors and the DVC seating system you see on all Heritage kayaks.



Next is the introduction of the Featherlite 14 composite. I didn't get to paddle this but it sure looks nice. Here are some pics:





Here is the Redfish lineup...no big changes except for some new colors. I was hoping they would make the hatch bigger on the 14 but no go. Rumor has it they are working on it though.



Well, that is about it from Heritage more from other brands coming soon...

Roland "Bones" Jimenez
www.lakelinewatersports.com

[Bones]

And, my report continues:

Naturally, as a Legacy dealer, I spent most of my time paddling their boats. However, as a kayak/canoe dealer, I should be able to answer the “how does it compare to” question. So there I was…

Wilderness
Not much new but they did have a prototype of a composite T120. I imagine the production boat is going to be a winner as long as they make it affordable. They also made some minor changes to the Ride…specifically the back of the seat is now adjustable in height.



Perception
I didn’t paddle these boats but I understand that they made some minor improvements to the Carolina, Search, Prodigy and Torrent.

Hobie
Again, nothing much new here except they launched an inflatable line. These boats can be rigged with a sail and pedals like their SOTs. I didn't get to paddle these but the yellow/black combo sure looks cool.



Hurricane
They made some minor improvements (currently being talked about on the TKF board). I really enjoyed paddling these boats (mucho glide). One thing though...you HAVE TO get a seat. I found the molded in seat to be very uncomfortable but I assume this is the same with any boat.



NuCanoe
BIG, HEAVY but man they were fun. I was pleasantly surprised as to how well they paddled and I stood up with no problem whatsoever. However, in my opinion, it is not a kayak. I think of it as a small boat that uses a kayak paddle. I see a small market for these but one that I think will benefit from its stability (bigger guys, family fun, etc.). I plan to have a couple of these at my demo day for some feedback.





Ocean Kayak
I thought about carrying OK but several dealers selling these in Austin already…including a few big box retailers. You may have already heard about the Trident…two words, GREAT BOAT. Again, I didn’t paddle it for long but could already tell that this one is a winner. I won’t get into details but I think most of you will agree that it is a fast boat that tracks well and stayed relatively dry. Oh, and I also paddled the Peekaboo…it is a toy but a fun one. If you are looking for Ocean Kayak, check with Mud Outdoors…I know he carries them.





Malibu Kayaks
Kind of odd but there were nowhere to be seen. I was surprised because they were there last year. In fact, I almost picked them up last year but again, too many dealers selling those in Austin already.

Emotion Kayaks
They have a prototype of a new fishing kayak. I spoke to one of the guys at their booth…said he was one of the original designers of the Heritage Redfish. I guess I have to believe him because this boat (sorry no pic) looks a lot like the Redfish. I think this will be another winner…based on looks at least.

Feel Free
First off, they just launched the Moken, a great new fishing kayak. When I met with them at OR last year they were talking about it and actually asked for my opinion. I say “actually” because many manufacturers don’t seem to listen to their customers. Feel Free on the other hand, seemed very open about this and still do. In fact, I offered some opinions on the already designed Moken and they were very eager to hear them…they were also very friendly bunch. Feel Free kayaks are one of the top sellers in Northern Europe. They are now making their way into the U.S. and even have a distribution center in Austin. Open ears, eager to please, hometown distribution and reputable…I decided to pick them up. I also wanted a brand that was geared more towards the general rec (family, kids, etc.) market since most, if not all that I currently sell is related to kayak fishing. So expect to see these in my shop soon. I should have the Moken in stock in early 2008.





Well, that is about it for now. As you can see, I mostly paddled SOT kayaks on pretty calm waters (2nd day). No currents, rapids, etc. I could go on and on about all the other brands that were out there including some killer sea kayaks from Current Designs and Lightspeed Kayaks but will leave it at that.

Anyway, hope this provided some benefit to you.

Cheers,
Roland “Bones” Jimenez
www.lakelinewatersports.com

[Twex]

Awesome Info Roland, thanks for posting it all up.
Got me all anxious waiting for your next demo day :)
So... when is it going to be

Thanks!
_________________
Come visit the YakBite! site.

[Bones]

No problem. I guess I'll need to time it with the delivery of certain boats and I know of at least one other demo day going on in September. So, this may be a mid to late October thing. Sounds kind of late but hey, nothing like one last kayak party before the old man winter arrives...then again, winter never arrives in Texas.

Roland “Bones” Jimenez
www.lakelinewatersports.com

[SomeYahoo]

yeah! and even in winter here there are some nice days. Thanks fopr writing up all that info Roland, it really is interesting to see what is going on with the different models of kayaks.
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Paddle Faster, I hear Banjos!