Need some opinions on some yaks...

[gobears11]

I am new to the world of kayaking. I have been in three or four rec kayaks and I am now searching to purchase my own boat. I have three or four in my mind that look to sastisfy my needs. I am looking for something that is good for small rivers, lakes, ponds, maybe gettin into some WW.... I will use it for fishing, exercise, and enjoyment. Preferably something in the 9-12 ft. range, and the 38-50 lbs. range. The boats I am currently looking at are the LiquidLogic Remix XP10, Old Town Dirigo 106, and the Patriot Angler? (saw it at Gander Mtn.)

[RandyJ]

You seen the Jackson All Water yet? Cool boat.

[gobears11]

Yeah, I have looked at that boat, but it seems that the storage isn't quite what I was looking for. I want something that I could overnight out of.

[501naildriver]

you are right on target with the XP-10. I have paddled this boat, and read numerous reviews on it, 98.9% very favorable. After all that I purchased my own. OOO has a demo boat, that I am sure they would let you try. While I had their demo many of my friends and family paddled it also, everyone loved it. Of note is the fact that the LL crew has done a many day self-support float on the Colorado in this boat. Very comfy, very stable, plenty of storage, and can handle whitewater as well, (on those occassions you're feelin kinda froggy).

[gobears11]

Thank you 501nd, the I was lookin at the XP at OOS in LR because I am from Clinton so HS is a little bit of a drive. But I really would like to try one of those out. What are the costs/limitations/rates etc. for testing out a boat?

[gobears11]

The boat I saw at Gander Mtn. was the Future Beach Patriot 126. So if you know anything about that, that information would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Cowper]

I am looking for something that is good for small rivers, lakes, ponds, maybe gettin into some WW.... I will use it for fishing, exercise, and enjoyment. Preferably something in the 9-12 ft. range, and the 38-50 lbs. range. The boats I am currently looking at are the LiquidLogic Remix XP10, Old Town Dirigo 106, and the Patriot Angler?

It's cold outside, I'm being a wimp; so stand by for a long answer...

About boating companies: Many have a "core" intestest, and then branch out to include other models so they can better cover the market spectrum. But all of their designs will still retain a "bias" towards their core. In canoes, Mohawk is mostly a "WW" company, Wenonah comes from a line of racers and boundary waters distance-trippers. Here's how that plays into this discussion: I have a Mohawk canoe that is a "solo tripper", billed as relatively faster and thus good for flatwater, but it is still more stable than and much slower than two Wenonah canoes that Wenonah considers to be "slow" and "stable" as compared to all of their other designs. So if you read the company literature and you were looking for a fast boat, you would be fooled; Wenonah makes the faster boats by far; all but their very slowest boat will be faster than any of the Mohawks.

How does this apply to your kayaking question? The Jackson all-water, and the Remix XP10, both come from companies that are very WW-oriented. Either of these boats will be far better suited for WW and far exceed the capabilities of the other two boats you mentioned. Either the all-water or the XP-10 can be eskimo-rolled, if that is a skill you are willing to invest the time to learn (one hour for some people, months and months for others – but that is a story for another post). Look at the cockpits - your knees will be able to engage the boat for the leans that are needed in more challenging WW conditions. The smaller cockpit will work very effectively with a spray skirt for a tight seal that keeps all water out while you’re upright, and most water out even if you have to roll it. And these boats will probably be faster than the other two on flatwater, due to their relatively traditional, not too wide hull designs.

What are the trade-offs? Well, the bigger cockpits of the other two boats will make it easier to fiddle with fishing gear if you want to put a tackle box between your legs, maybe easier to shift your legs around to stay comfortable in the boat for a few more hours without ever getting out to stretch. The hull will be slightly more stable; you probably won’t “tump” very often, if ever, if you stick to Class I and mild Class II WW. You won’t need to learn to roll, but your ability to tackle more WW in the future will be far more limited. So, if I were to summarize:


For maybe getting into some WW, exercise, and enjoyment I think the XP-10 is the clear front-runner (since you have already eliminated the All-water).

For fishing, if that’s going to be your primary use, one of the others might be better. You should sit in the XP-10 and make sure it will meet your minimum fishing needs. Sit-on tops are also getting very popular in some fishing circles; but they have many pros and cons to be considered.

[gobears11]

Thank you very much for your insight! That was helpful. Then, I guess the last question of doubt I have about sticking with the XP would be, Is it worth the higher price tag? If I pay for it, will it return the favor?

I also noticed that you are located in Conway and I attend UCA and live here in Clinton. So when school starts and you wanted to meet up and talk boats sometime just lemme know. Thanks again.

[okieboater]

One of the boating mags did a issue on fishing kayaks a few months ago.

I did not keep that copy but maybe others on this message board did and can let you borrow their copy.

[JBL1026]

I would say Cowper and 501 are right on with the xp. I paddle on the dark side so my opinion may mean nothing for i have not spent alot of time any long boat for comparison........ but heres my 2 cents,
I have a friend with the remix xp 10 and he loves it. I know he has done some overnight trips in it on the cossatot and others, and he always talks about how much he likes the skag for long pools andwhen he goes out to beaver lake to tour some. Ive not spent a whole lot of time in it but the time i have been in it i found out two things i loved about it is the fact that it was exceptionally responsive for a 10 footer and rollled super easy. And i know there is much volume in the storage compartment. So for what you are looking for this sounds like a great boat. Although i have no idea on the fishing aspect.

Josh

[gobears11]

Your insight is appreciated JBL. I was doing some research on the boat and found that some guys in Canada fish out of their XPs and they seem to love it. They have pictures up of them catching fish and with fishing gear on the boat and it seems the XP is SO versatile it can literally handle anything you can think of.

[unicorn]

A friend of mine bought an XP 10 so we could do some multi day ww trips and he loves it. and I'm totally jealous of that skeg on pool sections

[gobears11]

Well, as of yesterday, I made it official. I now am the proud owner of a LiquidLogic Remix XP 10 in mango. Absolutely gorgeous boat. Now, I need the paddles, PFD, gloves... etc. Any suggestions, cheap(er) ones, that is.

[501naildriver]

shoot me a pm, what size and type of pfd, paddle, etc. you are wanting. Got some extra gear laying around, most of it like new. Maybe save you some bucks.

[RandyJ]

Yeah, I have looked at that boat, but it seems that the storage isn't quite what I was looking for. I want something that I could overnight out of.

Congrats on the new Remix! Bet you'll love it. What you said earlier about storage capacity made me curious, so I contacted Jackson and this is what they told me about the storage capacity on the All Waters:
All Water 9: 2.4 cu. ft. (4147 cu. inches calculated)
All Water 10: 3.0 cu. ft. (5184 cu. inches calculated)

Per Liquid Logic web site, storage capacity for the Remixes:
XP9: 3000 cu. inches
XP10: 4650 cu. inches

I've not seen a Remix, and have only seen one All Water, so haven't been able to compare these in person - just going by the numbers. And sure not implying you made the wrong choice by going with the Remix - just putting the info out there for folks since it's not on the JK web site.

SYOTR,
Randy