Old Town Predator

[MrPatrick]

Watch the I-Cast video of this yak, the front hatch looks iffy.

[stephenG]

Pretty good lookin yak, I like the seat. Of course without a mirage drive it doesn't stand up against any hobie.

[GregAndrew]

Originally Posted by stephenG

Pretty good lookin yak, I like the seat. Of course without a mirage drive it doesn't stand up against any hobie.

I will bet dollars to donuts that it surf launches and lands far better than a PA or Outback. Although I would like to see a pic of the hull.

[Sdspeed]

The shorter version looks interesting for those of us that can't store or transport something longer or heavier.

Old Town Predator MX

Length: 12 feet
Width: 34 inches
Weight: 68 pounds
Max Capacity: 375-400 pounds
MSRP: $1,199

[PE.rider]

Old Town has better notoriety back East, and makes excellent canoes. I owned 2 wooden classic canoes for duck hunting, and these were solid units with excellent durability and craftsmanship.

I'm not surprised to see the mix of the best features of other kayak players, since they are owned by Johnson Outdoors (Ocean Kayak, Necky Kayak, Carlisle Paddles, ExtraSport PFDs, MinnKota Motors, Cannon downriggers, Hummingbird fishfinders, etc).

I WOULD like to see the hull shape, demo it to see how it handles choppier waters, etc. Frankly, it wouldn't hurt to have this vessel be 10-15 lbs lighter; though the trend is moving towards heavier boats (Wilderness, Jackson, Moken, Hobie, etc). Really a buzz-kill since I'm getting older and my back problems aren't going away .

On the other hand, this is a 13 footer, so fully rigged, the weight would be heavier.

Is the demo unit there for just this upcoming weekend or will it be around on weekdays?

Thanks.

[Siebler]

Originally Posted by PE.rider

Frankly, it wouldn't hurt to have this vessel be 10-15 lbs lighter; though the trend is moving towards heavier boats (Wilderness, Jackson, Moken, Hobie, etc). Really a buzz-kill since I'm getting older and my back problems aren't going away .


Thanks.

As the boats get bigger they have to be heavier unless you want a structurally unsound kayak or you want to give up a lot of features and lower cost that comes from RotoMolding instead of Thermoform.

OEX MB should be receiving our Demo any day as well and we already have inventory of these boats on the way,. As mentioned above these are made by the same company as Ocean kayak so no worry on quality. Just like buying a Perception (owned by CWS who owns Wilderness).

[PE.rider]

"As the boats get bigger they have to be heavier unless you want a structurally unsound kayak or you want to give up a lot of features and lower cost that comes from RotoMolding instead of Thermoform."

Though that may certainly be the case, it seems the sport is getting harder to load/unload before and after each outing.

I may have to recruit a few special helpers to assist me with my burden...

[vincentek9]

overall looks very nice. they could have shaved off some length by just putting normal kayak handles on the front/rear though... that front handle looks very uncomfortable.

[PAL]

Originally Posted by MrPatrick

Watch the I-Cast video of this yak, the front hatch looks iffy.

The same hatch is on the OK Prowler 4.3. Works great, no leaks in my experience.