Big Man Kayak? What's best for me?

[99trufish]

I am 6'2" and 270 lbs. I currently have a 12.5 Caster Perception I bought at Dick's last year. It seems to be a wet ride in any chop. What do you guys suggest? I am looking for more of a dry ride that is stable and handles my weight. Let me know what to look for. Thanks Troy

[ChrisR]

Test a few out if you can. The WS Ride 135, Native Ultimate 14.5, Malibu Stealth 14, and OK Big Game seem to be popular "big guy" boats. I have a Ride, and a Native U12. If I were picking a new boat to buy, it would be a Native Ultimate 14.5 hands down.

[99trufish]

Where is my best bet to find a deal on Native Ultimate 14.5? New or used? I want to find a stable/dry kayak. Not ever kayafing before I bought a perception caster 12.5, I find it to be low to water, and wet. Let me know about any deals. I check craigslist all the time, but nothing lately.

[ChrisR]

Just posted a response to your other thread. From what I have noticed, the day of deals on Ultimates, especially the 14.5, are over. There are a lot of people looking for them right now. It wasn't too long ago that you could find a great price on one, but I haven't seen any lately.....not in FL anyways.

[jagerschnapps1]

I don't know how the new hull of the Wilderness ride is but I had an old one and when you stopped paddling it stopped moving. Very stable but something to consider. It was not great for covering any distance with.

[Razz Ma Tazz]

I am your size, I have Malibu X Factor....just bought my second one...dry, stable, and best fishing platform out there...

[Redfisher]

I am around your weight (too bad I am 4 inches shorter) and I have owned several kayaks.
Remember these are my opinions, you may feel different as others who love the boats that I don't like.
I personally do not like the Ultimates. I owned one for a short time and while I loved the seat, I hated the boat.
I loved the comfort and stability of the OK Prowler BigGame but it was like paddling a cast iron tub and made more noise than a one man band.
The Malibu Stealth/XFactor are great boats too but like the BigGame they are not the easiest to paddle.
The WS Ride135 is a great boat. It has been greatly improved since the older models. The unique hull design makes for a stable yet easy paddle. It's no speed demon but it's much better than some of the others.
My favorites are the Heritage Redfish 14 and the Emotion Grand Slam. I would not suggest getting the hatch in the floor of EGS. At our weight, the boat will hold a little water in the floor and with the hatch it gets into the hull. These boats are very similar in design. They are both very stable, paddle very easy, and are super quiet in the water.

The OK Prowler Trident15 was another incredible boat but I just couldn't get comfortable in the seat.

I am not trying to bad mouth any of these boats. these are just my personal feelings.

[99trufish]

Thanks Redfisher!! Hit me up if you know of any deals on new or slightly used Big Man's Kayaks. I want a dry ride for winter months, don't mind the water in this heat. I think I am going to the Demo on the 12th over at Gandy. Thanks Troy

[bigguy]

Did you ever pick anyhting up? Im a bit bigger then you so i am looking at the same boats

[TexasDan]

I have owned a few myself. I am about 3 inches shorter and have about 12lbs on ya.
My first was a Cobra Explorer. It was not my favorite, but for 2 bills it was a good starter for the price.
My second was Emotion Grand Slam. This was a great kayak. Very stable. I noticed after fishing 3 to 4 hours it was not very comfortable for me. I even upgraded to a very good seat. I did fish out of it for about a year.
My favorite is my Native Ultimate 12. They might not be for everyone, but I love it. I can fish in it all day and it feels like I just got in it. This was the only kayak at my size I could easily stand in. I don't carry allot of gear so it's great for our type of fishing. I would like to have an EGS again for the beaches and as a backup. Test as many as you can.