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New yak
Apr 20, 2016 2:12:53 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Waterdog on Apr 20, 2016 2:12:53 GMT -5
Im in the market for a new kayak, i currently have a ride 115, i have narrowed it down to two kayaks a wilderness systems ATAK and a Jackson big rig. Im a big guy 6'2 300lbs so my main goal is stability i want to be able to stand and fish, i have been on an atak and its much more stable than my ride at least to me. I know Jackson makes a quality kayak my only worry with the big rig is how hard it would be to paddle up river being its 4 inches wider that the atak, ive done a lot of research but just looking for opinions from some fellow yakers. Thanks i advance.
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New yak
Apr 20, 2016 19:17:15 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by uncross on Apr 20, 2016 19:17:15 GMT -5
I really like my atak, never paddled a big rig
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New yak
Apr 24, 2016 9:11:46 GMT -5
Post by lazydrifter on Apr 24, 2016 9:11:46 GMT -5
I have been fishing out of a big rig for over a year and I love it. The stability is awesome! It is a little tough to paddle upstream but the only thing I can compare it to is a tarpon which is a missile compared to the big rig. I regularly paddle it from the whitethorne ramp up to the islands and it takes about 15 more minutes than it does in my tarpon. Low seat makes it easier to paddle in bad conditions or upstream. The hull rides very high in the water which makes it perfect for the river and I think the big rig turns a lot better than the ATAK. I can do a 180 degree turn in three paddle strokes in my big rig. Also if you are a big guy it may handle the weight better because Dave said he needed scupper plugs for his new ATAK, but I have never even come close to having water come up through the scuppers unless it is in rapids. If you camp a lot I could fit more gear in this thing than my truck could haul. The hull is wide open so you can pack gear from the front to the back. I think I can carry around 350lbs before I reach the weight limit.
Is it the perfect kayak NO. The downsides to the big rig are the weight, hatches, and the wind. At close to a 100 pounds the thing is a beast to move around on land, but I can handle it by myself if needed. A trailer would make it much easier to maneuver especially if you could leave it on there all the time. It does not handle the wind good at all because it sits so high out of the water. The ATAK has the advantage in the wind because it was designed to handle it and rides very low in the water. I was at Claytor Lake a few weeks ago and I could not leave the cove I launched from because it would have been like paddling a rock in those conditions. Also consider a new paddle for the big rig because at that width I had to move from a 245cm to 260cm paddle to keep from hitting the sides on every stoke. I love the wildy locking hatches on the rides and tarpons and wish Jackson would step up their game and offer something similar because the hatches on the big rig are cheaply made compared to the rest of the boat IMO. I have not played with the ATAK hatches but they look solid.
I will have mine at the kickoff if you want to test it out. I want to try out one of the ATAKs at the gathering because I have heard nothing but good things.
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