Freedom Hawk Kayaks (w/"outriggers")
Has anyone every seen/used their kayaks? It looks a little gimicky but I have been doing a lot of lake fishing and I am in the market for a boat. I also fish florida a few times a year(jacksonville/amelia island area) where the inlaws live. Looks like the boat would be great for summer warm water fishing or in the flats for reds. Any thoughts? I'm a bit skeptic but wanted some input.
http://www.freedomhawkkayaks.com/
Last edited by setnhooked; 08-18-2008 at 05:31 AM.
I saw an ad for those earlier this year. Thought it looked like a GREAT idea for folks who want to stand up to cast (or get elevated enough to spot fish). I would imagine stability would be greatly enhanced by the deployment of the built-in "outriggers".
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
Interesting approach. I'd love to try one out but none of the dealers are anywhere close.
I have a tribalance (http://www.tribalkayaks.com/index.html) and have fished it for tailing reds in the Savannah marsh for 5 years.
The Freedom Hawk looks to me to be an improvement in this technology.
They are pricey at $1800-$1900 and a little heavy at 82 pounds, but I understand that they will come out with a light/shorter version in the Nov/Dec time period that will be cheaper and lighter at 60 pounds.
If you want to stand up and fly cast this is something you should check out.
I saw a Freedom Hawk at a recent show at which I did a seminar and I must say that I was impressed. I'd seen the Freedom Hawk ads and figured it was more gimmick than anything. However, after seeing one close-up, I was impressed. Wouldn't mind paddling one to try it out.
Steve
On Sale
In case anyone is interested, there is a floor model on sale at my local fly shop. http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc...wk-kayaks.aspx $1326.50 + free shipping to lower 48. And no, I don't get anything out of it. It's just a great shop.
I haven't been in one, but they sure do have all the amenities. There is even a rope to pull yourself into a standing position. The guys at the shop were very impressed with its stability. Let us know what you decide.
Last edited by raw69; 11-28-2008 at 01:31 PM.
To Miss Nancy - She hated fishing, but loved a fisherman.
Spring creek
Save some money and you can adapt you yak or canoe with the outriggers. I have a set on my hobie quest fisherman and the are very stable.
http://www.canoegear.com/catalog/pro...4&cat=0&page=1
Philip
Excuse my spelling and grammar, I hooked Mondays and Fridays to either fish or hunt.
Hi guys,
Being an avid paddler for over 32 years and being in the business for 16 of those years, I'd always opt for a proper sit-inside kayak, like the Tribal (Tribalance). BTW, I currently own 42 kayaks, all decked traditional models, and one gorgeous wood strip canoe.
The 'expandable' kayak looks like something that would break rather easily. Plus, I question to stability of that set-up vs the time-tested outrigger set-up.
Wide flatter boats are more stable, but slower. You need to determine your priorities and choose a boat that best suits the type of water you'll be paddling. If the types of water you plan on paddling vary, I'd go with a stronger traditional decked kayak as they are faster than most commercial sit-on-tops and a lot more efficient. Sit-on-tops are not safer. Learn how to paddle and self-rescue a real kayak and you'll be glad you made that choice... or, go for a canoe.
Plus, it doesn't take long to feel comfortable fly fishing from a seated position.
That's my humble opinion anyway.
Originally Posted by khao-sok
Hi guys,
Being an avid paddler for over 32 years and being in the business for 16 of those years, I'd always opt for a proper sit-inside kayak, like the Tribal (Tribalance). BTW, I currently own 42 kayaks, all decked traditional models, and one gorgeous wood strip canoe.
The 'expandable' kayak looks like something that would break rather easily. Plus, I question to stability of that set-up vs the time-tested outrigger set-up.
Wide flatter boats are more stable, but slower. You need to determine your priorities and choose a boat that best suits the type of water you'll be paddling. If the types of water you plan on paddling vary, I'd go with a stronger traditional decked kayak as they are faster than most commercial sit-on-tops and a lot more efficient. Sit-on-tops are not safer. Learn how to paddle and self-rescue a real kayak and you'll be glad you made that choice... or, go for a canoe.
Plus, it doesn't take long to feel comfortable fly fishing from a seated position.
That's my humble opinion anyway.
Opinions are like ...
I would never opt for a traditional sit-inside kayak for my waters. Not practical. Sit-on-tops are the way to go.
While I do not own a Freedom Hawk, I can tell you that they are well-made and there's little chance of it falling apart or breaking.
You can certainly add outriggers or opt for something like a Freedom Hawk.
I agree that prospective kayakers should paddle different models and determine what's best for them.
Casting from the seated position isn't a problem and all and that's not the reason for standing up. We stand up to "sight-fish," which can be rather difficult (impossible?) while sitting down.
Steve
OK, let me rephrase my statement then: sit-inside kayaks are more efficient and therefore faster. Your 'return on investment' is higher, meaning, you go further quicker with the same amount of output in energy.
Hull speed is a product of beam to length ratio and even though there are fast sit-on-tops (wave skis), the sit-on-tops boats sold for fishing are sluggish and if you need to cover a lot of territory (big reservoir, sea) you'd be better off in a more efficient kayak. That's practical.
Sit-on-tops are not more stable necessarily. That's a common myth perpetrated by folks who probably haven't paddled a variety of sit-inside kayaks. Basically, you sit lower in the water in a sit-inside kayak, thus increasing your stability. You sit-higher off the water in a sit-on-top kayak and in order to make them stable, they tend to made them wider. That slows the boat down (beam to length ratio).
A 'real' kayak with outriggers is stable enough to stand up in in order to sight-fish and the benefit of having a more efficient kayak are obvious. And, if you bought the kayak with outriggers and, say, wanted to cruised down a river stopping to fish from sandbars or shoals, you'd get there quicker and easier in a real kayak than you would in a sluggish sit-on-top.
My suggestion is not to discount the benefits of traditional decked boats without trying them first. A lot of people/companies are pushing sit-on-top boats over real boat for fishing, but their logic isn't solid when it comes to hull science, stability and usability.
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