Review Detail

I put a good fifteen hours in the Predator this weekend and feel I have a good handle on the boat. Without further blathering here are my initial impressions.

First this is the most comfortable kayak I have paddled to date. No rear end or back pain after eight hours on the water. That is a winner in my book right there. Second room for everything including the kitchen sink. Third you can completely rig this boat without ever drilling a hole in it. Gadget mounting options galore. Finally stability, you can move around and stand in this kayak with almost no worry about flipping it. And yes there are a few neutral points and some negatives I'll cover too.

The Good.
1. Incredible comfort. This is my fifth kayak in three years and the only one I can sit in for eight hours, get out and feel good. All four of my other kayaks about four hours is the outside limit then I am feeling discomfort. The seat is plush and roomy. It's very easy to stretch out while seated or just stand up for a good stretch. I actually took a twenty minute nap in the boat. The seat has three positions. A high position for fishing, an attack position for paddling, and flip it out of the way so you can move about the deck while fishing.

2. Room for everything! This kayak is deceptively roomy. With only two days on the water I find I am loading the boat up with all kinds of gear because I can. And best of all I can get to all my gear which is a nice change.

3. Mounting options galore and more. I was really wowed by all the mounting plates all over the boat to mount things like fish finders, cameras, rod holders, down riggers, whatever, then it turned out with the mod pod I didn't even need the mounting plates...yet. The mod pod allows you to mount things to it and comes pre-drilled for Ram Mounts and Scotty rod holders. I mounted my fish finder, GPS, and two rod holders without drilling a single hole in the boat. With most kayaks you mount something and don't like it's location you are kind of stuck with things. Not this boat, just toss out the mounting pad and install a new one. You can even buy a replacement mod pod relatively cheap.

4. Stability! I'm kind of wobbly standing in these tippy little boats and I can stand comfortably in the Predator and cast. Primary stability is good and secondary stability is excellent. I have no problems standing and casting.

Neutral stuff:

1. Paddling. This boat has excellent glide per stroke. I am used to paddling long boats that move out fast. This is not a fast boat, nor is it slow. It tracks ok, not horrible, not great. You do need to pay attention to balance and paddle position or it tracks to one side or the other. It does not paddle as well as my Malibu X-13 which tracks very straight and is relatively fast. It paddles better than the Commander 120. It's faster and tracks about the same. The Predator glides much better than the Commander 120 or the Malibu X-13 for that matter.

2. One way scupper plugs. They work sort of but not completely. If you are leaning the boat to one side they let a little water in but not nearly as much as an open scupper. They drain to the water level.

The Bad:

1. This is a heavy boat. 72lbs my rear end! As it shows up in the show room I am guessing it's probably close to 85lbs. Add a little of your own rigging and you are at 90lbs. Only the brave will attempt to use a roof rack with this kayak.

2. High sides. Well I suppose this is a plus and a minus. In rough water they will help keep you dry and gear in the boat. However, the slightest wind and remember I mentioned this boat glides well? Well lets just say you can water ski behind this boat with even a little breeze. Think light canoe in the wind. Zoom, off you go.

In summary I am very pleased with the Predator 13 and the positives far outweigh negatives. If you are in the market for a upper end fishing kayak I highly recommend giving the Predator 13 a hard look.

Update to the initial review:
I have now fished the Predator 13 for a season and continue to be happy with the boat. It's not perfect but there is a whole lot to like about this kayak. It's an outstanding fishing platform.