New kayak on the block... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Hook 1 · 12-21-2007, 05:30 PM

Nice report. Thanks

After looking at Hurricanes web site the 160 is a touring kayak with a tankwell. This kayak is made for protected/calm water. Looks like a dry kayak. Alot of good spots to customize the kayak, That's What I'm Talking About. Saw that the cock pit and tankwell only have one scupper hole each. It will drain slow durring a surf launch but who cares as long as the hatch seals. I wonder how much it will flex in choppy water or from a wave.
As for speed, I think and this is how I test a fishing kayak 1) you need a GPS to check top end speed and glide and 2) weight (water bottles) to place around/on/in to simulate gear, bait tank, and battires.
http://www.hurricaneaquasports.com/phoenix160.html
Going to need to try this one. Just to know.

peguinpower · 12-21-2007, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hook 1

Nice report. Thanks

After looking at Hurricanes web site the 160 is a touring kayak with a tankwell. This kayak is made for protected/calm water. Looks like a dry kayak. Alot of good spots to customize the kayak, That's What I'm Talking About. Saw that the cock pit and tankwell only have one scupper hole each. It will drain slow durring a surf launch but who cares as long as the hatch seals. I wonder how much it will flex in choppy water or from a wave.
As for speed, I think and this is how I test a fishing kayak 1) you need a GPS to check top end speed and glide and 2) weight (water bottles) to place around/on/in to simulate gear, bait tank, and battires.
http://www.hurricaneaquasports.com/phoenix160.html
Going to need to try this one. Just to know.

Actually, "touring" and "made for protected waters" do not got togther. The catalog says "The Phoenix 160 performs exceptionally well in unfavorable conditions, allowing you to confidently wander further offshore."

But I aint defending this particular kayak. I own it, but I aint married to it. I took a chance. It turns out, I dont need a fast kayak, I need fast paddling muscles

Even then, I like quite a few things about it. Most especially, its a saweet paddler and tracks like an arrow. The scuppers are not regular scuppers. It has an onboard venturi drain. They drain pretty fast. And, being that its not a scupper, they dont make scupper sounds or create scupper drag. Yes, its sits high on the water. That makes it dry. Is it unstable, NO. Very predictable. Like I said, rocks like a canoe, but doesnt go over unless you want it to.

Will give a long term report after a few months.

/bing

Hook 1 · 12-21-2007, 06:42 PM

I'm not ripping it and it does look fast. As for "protected waters"... just my opinion. But it does look like your in a....harbor. I though an opening in a boat that lets water out of a deck area was called a scupper. I learned something new today. Looking forward to part 2.

peguinpower · 01-15-2008, 11:04 AM

Posted January 13, 2008 08:33 PM

I went out with the Phoenix 160 today. Did 7.5 miles. I didnt like my 210 cm BB splice paddle. Too short. Tried my Hobie 230 cm paddle, a little better. Then settled on a 230cm Harmony touring paddle with long narrow blades. It made all the difference.

Caught a calico bass and some cuda. Fishing was slow, but I was glad to be out for the paddle. This is only my second time out since early December 2007.

Swells were huge today. I dont know if youve heard, over at Mavericks, the surf was peaking at 70 feet. At Venice beach, I saw a few good ones, easily 10 feet. I did a harbor launch

With the new paddle, it was effortless to cruise at 3.2-3.6 mph (GPS used). Paddling at a good clip, I could cruise at 4.2 mph for 30 or so minutes. That took some effort, but it nice to know I can chug along at a good clip if I needed to. The hull hits a wall at a little over 5.1 mph (or maybe its me). The amount of energy to cruise at 5.6 mph is not something I can sustain for more that 5 minutes without pain.

I am pleasantly surprised that I can cruise at the same speed as my Hobie Revolution with minimum effort. After a year of owning the Revo, my average speed has been 3.2 mph in varying conditions (open ocean, windy, choppy and harbors).

After my basic mods, the Phoenix was a pleasure to fish in. All I need now is another eyelet inside the cockpit to attach my leash for the "rod in hand".

I did have a "whoops" moment. I wasnt actually close to falling in, but after a drastic manuever to reach for something in my tank well, well suffice it to say I will be more careful in reaching over there from hereon.

Rough water handling was superb. Despite relatively huge swells, waves did not wash over my bow. I did catch one wave which broke broad side. My seat got soaked

But I was still pretty impressed at how the Phoenix handled in semi-rough water.

A surprising trait of the hull is that it occasionally lands with a thud after a wave. The sound and sensation is similar to when a light PB lands back in the water. "pubh!" I found myself looking back to my trolling rod, just in case something hit it until I realized it was the kayak.

In the end, Ive got to say, I like this plastic tub. Despite it lacking fishing accoutrements, I 'm glad I own it. Is it fast, YES IT IS. And what good is that you may ask? My intention is to be able to fish farther with a casual effort. Middle age, you start to question whether you can get back to the launch (sometimes)

I sure I can confidently launch out of the hand launch in Redondo and fish the kelp beds 4 miles south and back with a casual effort. Maybe, I'll even make it to Cabrillo from Redondo someday.

I guess I cant really figure a 1 mph speed advantage by feel alone. The GPS told the tale. Cruising at 3.2 mph with a healthy heart rate on the Hobie Revolution is effortless on the Phoenix. That very day, my friend in a Hobie Outback went back into the harbor a good 15 minutes before I did. When I did paddle in, I was looking at him and talking to him on the radio. For I minute, I really thought he was stopped as I was getting to him pretty fast. I blew past him and had to wait for him on the inside (which is when one of the outrigger canoe blew past me too

)

I cant wait to take it for an even longer trip.

/bing

PAL · 01-15-2008, 02:34 PM

Interesting. This P160 review adds more to the picture. It's a nice looking boat - why did you choose it over the T160?

peguinpower · 01-15-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAL

Interesting. This P160 review adds more to the picture. It's a nice looking boat - why did you choose it over the T160?

Because I cant carry a T160 and still enjoy my day

The T160 is 70+ pounds with hatches. This is 55. For a couple hundred more, I save my back.

I can still do a 1 or two reps on the bench with 180 pounds. But with my built and the way you need to pick up and load kayaks, I have difficulty at around 60+ pounds.

/bing

PAL · 01-15-2008, 03:21 PM

That's a significant weight savings. It's still plastic, right? Have you noticed any downside to the lighter plastic? Flex or weak spots? Can you crawl all over the hull without oil-canning? Does stuff mount ok? And, can you mistreat it, drag and drop it like any other plastic fishing 'yak?

Thanks, very interested to hear the details. Where did you get the 'yak?

12-21-2007, 05:30 PM	#1
Hook 1 Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Marco.....Polo Posts: 98	Nice report. Thanks After looking at Hurricanes web site the 160 is a touring kayak with a tankwell. This kayak is made for protected/calm water. Looks like a dry kayak. Alot of good spots to customize the kayak, That's What I'm Talking About. Saw that the cock pit and tankwell only have one scupper hole each. It will drain slow durring a surf launch but who cares as long as the hatch seals. I wonder how much it will flex in choppy water or from a wave. As for speed, I think and this is how I test a fishing kayak 1) you need a GPS to check top end speed and glide and 2) weight (water bottles) to place around/on/in to simulate gear, bait tank, and battires. http://www.hurricaneaquasports.com/phoenix160.html Going to need to try this one. Just to know. __________________ High 5.....Come On Guys Mark

12-21-2007, 06:42 PM	#3
Hook 1 Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Marco.....Polo Posts: 98	I'm not ripping it and it does look fast. As for "protected waters"... just my opinion. But it does look like your in a....harbor. I though an opening in a boat that lets water out of a deck area was called a scupper. I learned something new today. Looking forward to part 2. __________________ High 5.....Come On Guys Mark Last edited by Hook 1; 12-22-2007 at 01:36 PM.

01-15-2008, 02:34 PM	#5
PAL Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 754	Interesting. This P160 review adds more to the picture. It's a nice looking boat - why did you choose it over the T160?

01-15-2008, 03:21 PM	#7
PAL Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 754	That's a significant weight savings. It's still plastic, right? Have you noticed any downside to the lighter plastic? Flex or weak spots? Can you crawl all over the hull without oil-canning? Does stuff mount ok? And, can you mistreat it, drag and drop it like any other plastic fishing 'yak? Thanks, very interested to hear the details. Where did you get the 'yak?