Prowler....X-Factor??

[Tacos&Beer]

To the pro's...
Been a "watcher" for a while; much respect. Have 21' of gas gusslen' goodness that I love but ready to earn my fish with a paddle. On a budget, but still wanting quality, I have narrowed it down to 2 yak's...Prowler & X Factor. Both of these are top of the line as the salesman told me :lol: Both are close price range. Anything the Pro's know that I should be aware of sure would help....Thanks in advance.

"Give a man to fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he sits in a boat all day drinking beer."

[fishnut]

I can't comment on the X-factor, but I have a Prowler 15 and love it. Probably comes down to preference. Best bet is to paddle both of them and get a feel for them in the water. You can test paddle the Prowler at Allen's in Mission Beach, that's where I got mine. Also, get a good seat and paddle, definitely worth the extra $$ to upgrade those items, you won't be sorry. Have fun!!

[fishnut]

Oh, just re-read your post and it says "to the Pro's"...maybe I shouldn't have posted. Still a f'n newb myself, but just my .02

Plenty of pro's here though that can share valuable info. They know their sh*t for sure.

[brandon_burtenshaw]

WES GET THE X-FACTOR!!!!!!! :twisted: :lol:

[Siebler]

I have owned both along with many otehr kayaks. For a newbie the Xfactor will provide more stability than the prowler however the prowler will give you speed. My vote goes for the prowler if you plan on doing longer apddles. In the bay the Xfactor was a good boat.

[Tacos&Beer]

Yeah....I noticed the speed of the prowler on a demo but it was squirly. When I demoed the X-factor noticed right away that I had double the stability. I hear X-factor goes THROUGH the waves while a prowler goes OVER. Does this make for a much wetter entry & return? I have only tested both in the bay in smooth water. I will mainly be using this yak in La Jolla but will also use the 21' to get to Coranado's and maybe further. With that info in ming can someone tell me the best fit for my needs...I really like both but do not want to flip a coin :roll: By the way, my 1st quote should've read.............................................. .................................................. ........"Give a man A fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day" ops:

[Razorback]

I have paddled both and own the Malibu X-Factor. The biggest advantage to the Prowler is probably a hedge on speed - but not by much. If you are athletic - a long paddle in the ocean is very comfortable in the Malibu and dryer than the Prowler. i have paddled for over 7 hours with no problem and I'm a middle aged weekend jock.

I have powered thru big surf on the launch @ LJ and if you lean way back and get the nose up - you can ride over the wave. With poor techniques - and / or nasty waves - you will get a face full of salty blast... Probably true on most hull designs.

It's all personal preference - but I haven't regreted a minute of paddling my Malibu X in the Ocean. Gives me a great feeling of confidence when pulling on big fish in rough water. When this one wears out - I be buying another. As a matter of fact if you want to buy a used one in stellar shape - you can have mine and I'll go pick up a brand new one at Fred Hall.

Good Luck.

HAWG OUT.

[Tacos&Beer]

You guy's have been great. Thanks to everyone who responed...Your experience has made my decision much easier. Hope to see you all on the big pond!!!!!!!!

[Tacos&Beer]

I PM you

[Siebler]

The Through or Over surf question, You dont want to go through, Especially an hour beofre greylight. The prowler glides over waves really well, the waves washed over the X.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Take a look at this tread from my site, it may make your decision easier.
http://forum.kayak4fish.com/viewtopic.php?t=5687
I certainly would opt for the Prowler, yes I am biased, but it handles surf better than any other out there and paddles great. I prefer the 15 over the 13 for paddle speed the 13 is a bit drier ride.

[madscientist]

For what's it's worth, I see experienced guys crash in prowlers far more than X or ex's. 8)

Then there's holy mac and his new ferrari. :lol:

[Froman]

Originally Posted by madscientist

Then there's holy mac and his new ferrari. :lol:

That holy mac is a seal lover Kook! Stinky furbag bait stealing things, or are those sea lions, I always get them mixed up!!! ops:

I am no pro, well maybe junkyard pro, and not dissin the merits of a kayaks ability to surf, but surfing in a wave is in the least of my concerns in buying or paddling a kayak. If you are fishing in San Diego, the chances of you facing any waves of concern, ie La Jolla are slim, even less in the bay. :P I invite anyone to come to Colonet, I will put you up in the Basura, and you will see waves! :shock: Besides, going out, or coming back in is only 2% of your experience. *I have no hard facts to back this up being 2%. Note message board posting does not require hard facts, or scientific evidence.
All the kayaks mentioned above are great, paddle them all, and the one that makes you say "this is it," or maybe is the best deal, as economics can affect decision making, will be the one for you. Just don't be like this guy!



Good luck,

FROMOFO 8)

*The views of Froman do not coincide with the Mexican Board of Tourism.

[DESTROYER]

I to am biased and perfer the Prowler 15. I have paddled the X Factor once and I did not like it. I was a team member on Cobra a few years ago and if you are looking for stability I think that it is a much better kayak. They have the Fish n Dive or the new Marauder. I will tell you that the Prowler takes time to get used to, put the hull design is the best and I have never had a problem coming in or going out in the surf. After you kayak for awhile you will never notice the difference in the stability, just in speed. I have noticed many experience kayakers going to the Prowler.

TL-Matt

[Siebler]

What matt said about the prowler taking getting used to is true. The first time i took mine out was off LJ and it was a long paddle out feeling more tippy than any of my previous boats, Especialy the eXtreme or Xfactor, both of which i had just gotten rid of. I found out about 30 minutes later that after the first YT on the kayak you never notice the tippyness again. The rest of that day i felt more and more stable even as i loaded 3 more 25-30lb fish on and went through the surf the boat felt much better than the others, a lot of it had to do with the better speed and how easily it paddles.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Originally Posted by madscientist

For what's it's worth, I see experienced guys crash in prowlers far more than X or ex's. 8)

Then there's holy mac and his new ferrari. :lol:

Forget the fishing tournaments lets have a surf contest 8)

[twinfin]

Keep in mind that 99% of the time the 'surf' at the LJ launch is about knee high, and dealing with it is about .00001% of your kayak fishing time. Put your emphasis the rest of the stuff---speed, comfort, storage, stability.

[Tacos&Beer]

Just got back from Desconsa in my big boat...Lings, lings, more lings. Anyway, I know this is not the place to post a fish report so.... I think both Yaks will suit me. I am worried about the thickness, or rather the "THIN-NESS" of the malibu. I may trade up later for speed, but with the possibility of pullin "hoops" and being a newbie...I'm going to take Razorback up on his offer..(hope he doesn't go buy a prowler) :shock:
Everybody..Thanks...You guys are f-n' awesome; learned a lot buy reading your post.