Opinion or thoughts on the Santa Cruz Raptor - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Baitman · 09-12-2012, 07:00 AM

This yak begs for a trolling motor. I've installed both the Bassyaks, and Torqeedo motors using foot controls. If you didn't notice that link above, it shows it in action with the Torqeedo.
A sail is nice too ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHucL...ature=youtu.be

Yes the back end is widest ( 34" ), but at the middle ( seat area ) it's much narrower. The hull is more like a flat planning hull you'd see on a SUP. If fact I somewhat copied a Tiva sailboard I used to own that had a concave hull. Then I added the pontoons to mimic the stability of an inflatable Zodiac. The deeper keels of the pontoons are like skegs, giving this great tracking. Even in a strong 15 knot crosswind it doesn't need a rudder.
The distance from keel to keel ( Chine ) is only 25" wide. I'm not a strong paddler, but can avg 3.8 mph cruising speed heading to the Mile bouy. Top end speed for me was 4.5 mph. It's not the fastest out there, but for a fishing kayak with this level of stability it's the fastest. You would have to make a deliberate attempt at flipping this over.
Another Plus,,, You won't throw your back out loading it, at only 61.5 lbs. Even fully rigged with gear; Seat, Bait tank, 12v battery, FF. Gaff etc... I can still pick this up and load it into the back of my truck.

I'm headed to the Central Coast Kayak Fishing( CCKF ) annual tournament on the 22nd. It's near Cambria, a good opportunity to earn WAF points

. Cambria is a great little coastal tourist vacation town. If anyone has the time, please come up and say hello. It's about 3 hrs from San Diego. I'd be happy to offer a demo, or even loan you a yak for the event if you want to fish with us.
Another option is the shop in Pismo Beach, Central Coast Kayaks, they have a demo model there and a great location for fishing too.
If time permits,,, I'd recommend stopping at Goleta along the way for an attempt at WSB.

Sdspeed · 09-12-2012, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baitman

This yak begs for a trolling motor. I've installed both the Bassyaks, and Torqeedo motors using foot controls. If you didn't notice that link above, it shows it in action with the Torqeedo.
A sail is nice too ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHucL...ature=youtu.be

Yes the back end is widest ( 34" ), but at the middle ( seat area ) it's much narrower. The hull is more like a flat planning hull you'd see on a SUP. If fact I somewhat copied a Tiva sailboard I used to own that had a concave hull. Then I added the pontoons to mimic the stability of an inflatable Zodiac. The deeper keels of the pontoons are like skegs, giving this great tracking. Even in a strong 15 knot crosswind it doesn't need a rudder.
The distance from keel to keel ( Chine ) is only 25" wide. I'm not a strong paddler, but can avg 3.8 mph cruising speed heading to the Mile bouy. Top end speed for me was 4.5 mph. It's not the fastest out there, but for a fishing kayak with this level of stability it's the fastest. You would have to make a deliberate attempt at flipping this over.
Another Plus,,, You won't throw your back out loading it, at only 61.5 lbs. Even fully rigged with gear; Seat, Bait tank, 12v battery, FF. Gaff etc... I can still pick this up and load it into the back of my truck.

I'm headed to the Central Coast Kayak Fishing( CCKF ) annual tournament on the 22nd. It's near Cambria, a good opportunity to earn WAF points

. Cambria is a great little coastal tourist vacation town. If anyone has the time, please come up and say hello. It's about 3 hrs from San Diego. I'd be happy to offer a demo, or even loan you a yak for the event if you want to fish with us.
Another option is the shop in Pismo Beach, Central Coast Kayaks, they have a demo model there and a great location for fishing too.
If time permits,,, I'd recommend stopping at Goleta along the way for an attempt at WSB.

Baitman, I've liked this design since I spotted one of your ads. That's why I posted the inquiry here to get some input. I'm new to this and don't own a kayak right now and wish I was in the position to take you up on your offer. I'll contact as soon as I can afford to buy my new kayak.
I really thing the overall design and the hull design lend itself very well to comfort and safety for a fishing platform. I'm to old to be in a hurry, If I was I'd buy a power boat.

maui jim · 09-12-2012, 02:05 PM

Cambria is a litle farther and longer than 3 hours from San Diego...lol....

Unless that bullet train is a running

I go to Paso Robles alot (258 miles to be exact).....and thats about 4 hours from Orange County and a traffic free day.

My best time is 3 hrs 45 minutes.... We bet on the travel time...

watch out for those CHP's they are on their radar game lately.. counted 9 CHP Radar spots two weeks ago....

Goleta is an awsome place to fish (except for the brutal evening winds), along with Refugio...

pino · 09-12-2012, 09:42 PM

I just got a new raptor sot last month,I tried it in long beach harbor 2 times to see how it handles and is very stable,is also as fast as the ocean prouler 13 I had.is very lithe.Imadding thing on it,I have a home made fish tank on it,I'm going to cabrillo this Saturdai. y fishing for the firts time on it ,I'll post pictures and let you know how it is .I like it very much so far.

Baitman · 09-18-2012, 05:35 AM

It's about 4 hours from Santa Cruz too... C'mon meet me half way

bigFISHINyak · 09-18-2012, 12:48 PM

Baitman.....I live here on the Central Coast and have actually had the opportunity to see one of these kayaks in person. it looks like it would hold up fairly well to decent conditions but I am more interested in how it would handle launches and landings. Does it get a little squirly???? How does it handle in mixed swells??? Seems like a lot of tail end movement but I wouldn't know without doing a demo. Not trying to mess with design but just curious about it. Looks like it would be great for going down a river and fly fishing in that is for sure! How is the storage??? Would be great to have the rod pod type application or have some sort of storage compartment near your leg so that you could put certain rods on certain sides while launching and landing. Just a couple thoughts.

Also, SD is a minimum of 4 hours to SLO and Cambria is another 30-40 minutes NW from there. Used to make the trek from SD to SLO every weekend for a few months. Watchout for highway patrol on the stretch from Ventura through Santa Maria on the 101. If you get pulled over.....don't say I didn't tell you.

Baitman · 09-19-2012, 05:23 AM

Pismo Beach, Central Coast Kayaks has a demo boat. No better way to understand it than to take one for a test ride.
I've watched a guy stand up paddle and surf it all the way onto the beach. Wish I had the camera then... Stand up flyfishing would be better suited to the Sit In model. It's a little more stable and has that large flat platform in it below the waterline.
Mixed swells, large boat wakes... you just kinda forget they exist in this yak. Seriously,, not a salesman talking here. It's what I hear others say.
If you get time for a demo, I would love to get your opinion.

Going out through a big wave is always easy.. it's coming in that gets tricky.

junglejim · 11-04-2012, 11:42 AM

got out on Saturday on my first trip. Only spent a couple hours mostly paddling although I did bring a rod. The kayak paddled well. I was able to stand up and fish. I have 2 ocean kayaks and have not been able to do that. You can move around quite easily with out fear of hitting the drink. This is a great kayak for someone wanting a stable platform to fish and still have some speed to get where you want. I did have some wind and waves and it did very well into both!

09-12-2012, 07:00 AM	#1
Baitman Junior Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 22	This yak begs for a trolling motor. I've installed both the Bassyaks, and Torqeedo motors using foot controls. If you didn't notice that link above, it shows it in action with the Torqeedo. A sail is nice too ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHucL...ature=youtu.be Yes the back end is widest ( 34" ), but at the middle ( seat area ) it's much narrower. The hull is more like a flat planning hull you'd see on a SUP. If fact I somewhat copied a Tiva sailboard I used to own that had a concave hull. Then I added the pontoons to mimic the stability of an inflatable Zodiac. The deeper keels of the pontoons are like skegs, giving this great tracking. Even in a strong 15 knot crosswind it doesn't need a rudder. The distance from keel to keel ( Chine ) is only 25" wide. I'm not a strong paddler, but can avg 3.8 mph cruising speed heading to the Mile bouy. Top end speed for me was 4.5 mph. It's not the fastest out there, but for a fishing kayak with this level of stability it's the fastest. You would have to make a deliberate attempt at flipping this over. Another Plus,,, You won't throw your back out loading it, at only 61.5 lbs. Even fully rigged with gear; Seat, Bait tank, 12v battery, FF. Gaff etc... I can still pick this up and load it into the back of my truck. I'm headed to the Central Coast Kayak Fishing( CCKF ) annual tournament on the 22nd. It's near Cambria, a good opportunity to earn WAF points . Cambria is a great little coastal tourist vacation town. If anyone has the time, please come up and say hello. It's about 3 hrs from San Diego. I'd be happy to offer a demo, or even loan you a yak for the event if you want to fish with us. Another option is the shop in Pismo Beach, Central Coast Kayaks, they have a demo model there and a great location for fishing too. If time permits,,, I'd recommend stopping at Goleta along the way for an attempt at WSB. Last edited by Baitman; 09-12-2012 at 07:05 AM.

09-12-2012, 02:05 PM	#3
maui jim Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cypress, CA Posts: 789	Cambria is a litle farther and longer than 3 hours from San Diego...lol.... Unless that bullet train is a running I go to Paso Robles alot (258 miles to be exact).....and thats about 4 hours from Orange County and a traffic free day. My best time is 3 hrs 45 minutes.... We bet on the travel time... watch out for those CHP's they are on their radar game lately.. counted 9 CHP Radar spots two weeks ago.... Goleta is an awsome place to fish (except for the brutal evening winds), along with Refugio... __________________ Last edited by maui jim; 09-12-2012 at 02:11 PM. Reason: added

09-12-2012, 09:42 PM	#4
pino Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: COMPTON,CA. Posts: 37	I just got a new raptor sot last month,I tried it in long beach harbor 2 times to see how it handles and is very stable,is also as fast as the ocean prouler 13 I had.is very lithe.Imadding thing on it,I have a home made fish tank on it,I'm going to cabrillo this Saturdai. y fishing for the firts time on it ,I'll post pictures and let you know how it is .I like it very much so far.

09-18-2012, 05:35 AM	#5
Baitman Junior Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 22	It's about 4 hours from Santa Cruz too... C'mon meet me half way

09-18-2012, 12:48 PM	#6
bigFISHINyak Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 44	Baitman.....I live here on the Central Coast and have actually had the opportunity to see one of these kayaks in person. it looks like it would hold up fairly well to decent conditions but I am more interested in how it would handle launches and landings. Does it get a little squirly???? How does it handle in mixed swells??? Seems like a lot of tail end movement but I wouldn't know without doing a demo. Not trying to mess with design but just curious about it. Looks like it would be great for going down a river and fly fishing in that is for sure! How is the storage??? Would be great to have the rod pod type application or have some sort of storage compartment near your leg so that you could put certain rods on certain sides while launching and landing. Just a couple thoughts. Also, SD is a minimum of 4 hours to SLO and Cambria is another 30-40 minutes NW from there. Used to make the trek from SD to SLO every weekend for a few months. Watchout for highway patrol on the stretch from Ventura through Santa Maria on the 101. If you get pulled over.....don't say I didn't tell you.

09-19-2012, 05:23 AM	#7
Baitman Junior Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 22	Pismo Beach, Central Coast Kayaks has a demo boat. No better way to understand it than to take one for a test ride. I've watched a guy stand up paddle and surf it all the way onto the beach. Wish I had the camera then... Stand up flyfishing would be better suited to the Sit In model. It's a little more stable and has that large flat platform in it below the waterline. Mixed swells, large boat wakes... you just kinda forget they exist in this yak. Seriously,, not a salesman talking here. It's what I hear others say. If you get time for a demo, I would love to get your opinion. Going out through a big wave is always easy.. it's coming in that gets tricky.

11-04-2012, 11:42 AM	#8
junglejim Junior Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 7	got out on Saturday on my first trip. Only spent a couple hours mostly paddling although I did bring a rod. The kayak paddled well. I was able to stand up and fish. I have 2 ocean kayaks and have not been able to do that. You can move around quite easily with out fear of hitting the drink. This is a great kayak for someone wanting a stable platform to fish and still have some speed to get where you want. I did have some wind and waves and it did very well into both!