Old Town Predator

[PAL]

Test fishing the Predator, first impressions: stable, comfortable seat, thoughtful rigging touches, paddles better than anything so big should. Plentiful storage and lots of Ocean Kayak DNA in this Old Town.

My good friend John P. put the Predator through a surf trial. The nameplate reads Old Town. Johnson Watercraft is mainly marketing the Predator for the freshwater and flats, not surf-launch SoCal. Keep that in mind.

It performed well, was easy to keep pointed straight out or in, and shows off tons of buoyancy up front - check out the picture. Feels good and steady on sloppy water - the designers understand secondary stability. The cockpit holds a ton of water when flooded, and emptied slowly with the one-way scupper plugs in the boat.

Today, the bow hatch leaked. It seemed a little loose on the 'yak. Further testing is warranted. On first impression, I like the Predator a lot.