Malibu Kayak Stealth 12

[wiseguy]

Ok, I've taken out the Stealth 12 a handful of times now and my friends always tell me that the back end looks real low to the waterline. I carry my normal gear back there (custom made livewell with rod holders).

After checking the inside of my kayak, I've notice I've got quite amount of water in there. I'd figure the problem was my pump filling my built-in bait tank too rapidly and overflowing causing it to spill into that left little hatch and into the kayak. My thoughts were correct! (after testing it in my brother-in-laws pool) My pump was pumping too much water and overflowing into that left little hatch on the Stealth 12. I fixed the problem by installing an adjustable aerator spray head on the outflow into the built-in tank and increasing the size of the outflow to overflow into the forward scupper holes.

This all seemed to have fixed the problem after the next couple of outings. Last weekend however, I had a crap load of water inside the kayak again! I was in choppy water but I think that is not the cause of about 2-3 gals of water in the yak. And again my back end looked pretty low at about 1 inch above the waterline.

My question is: Is this yak really rated for 450lbs? or did MK make a mistake. Or is it that maybe the back should have been raised a bit from the get go on the design?

Any comments or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[bigbarrels]

Sounds like you need to install a timer switch and that would solve the problem......your problem is similar to one I had the only time I ran it without a timer switch.....kayak filled up with a ton of water in soupy conditions and sank.....never had water issues prior to that.....I requested to Malibu that they put a warning label on the bait tank that sits inside the XFActor kayak, that they shouldn't be ran without a timer switch......but it sounds like they need that warning for all the sit inside bait tanks. The guy at Malibu said that they aren't designed to run without a timer and that he knows people run them without a timer switch....and that me losing over $4000.00 in gear wasn't a manufacturer issue.....so our differences in opinion continued and I just requested they put a warning label on it to give people a heads up and help prevent some accidents

[walrus]

I use a Stealth 12.

I found the side hatch covers leak freely. The amount of water I find seems to be directly related to how much is splashed in the cockpit area. I no longer use the hatches while on the water and I'm starting to experiment to find a way I can seal them better. Recently I silconed the rubber seals and I average less than two cups of water per trip. When I was opening and closing the hatches a lot I would have up to a couple of quarts.

I do not launched thru the surf , but if the side hatches leak as much as I think they do, I could see getting a gallon or more getting in the hull just going out.

I also do not have a live tank in the back and haven't noticed or been told I'm sitting low in the water.

If I had it to do over again, I would perfer the Stealth 14 because I like the forward bait tank and think the extra weight capacity is a advantage.

I'm very interested in what you find out, keep us posted.

[wiseguy]

I'm getting the feeling that if I had the chance again, I'd pick a Stealth 14. Hope I'm wrong! I tricked this S12 out already!

[Donfish]

I was a fan of the S12 and was considering going to one from my eXtreme but after doing cat in Total fubar and swamping alot then to find only about 1 1/2 gal spread through the 15'X 31" frame I'm happy to still own it and be here to brag about the performance. Its not fast its not cute but it hauls my ass around and stays upright in 7-9' seas @ 10 sec.

[wiseguy]

On my next outing I will NOT use the livewell or bait tank and see how much water I get in the yak and also to see how low the yak rides just with me and my gear (no water from the tanks).

[wiseguy]

Originally Posted by megamonster

on my malibu x factor i had a leak through the inserts for the rudder.If your stealth has the application for the rudder it might be worth looking at. A piece of rubber and silicone fixed my leak

Darryl.

No rudder on mine.

[walrus]

I was on a five day fishing trip in the desert and left the live well pump running for seven minutes. I had two liters of water inside. after that no more water the remaining four days.

After getting back I saw this video and it all makes sense. I'm not sure how to solve the problem yet, or even if it's the hatch gasket or under the hatch frame.

I hope this helps you find the problem.

[robmandel]

Originally Posted by Donfish

I was a fan of the S12 and was considering going to one from my eXtreme but after doing cat in Total fubar and swamping alot then to find only about 1 1/2 gal spread through the 15'X 31" frame I'm happy to still own it and be here to brag about the performance. Its not fast its not cute but it hauls my ass around and stays upright in 7-9' seas @ 10 sec.

you forgot to add in 20+ knt winds with gusts over 25

I'm not an expert by ay means regarding kayaks and all the technicals and such. I'm a buck seventy five, and started on a fish n dive, moved to a prowler13, then currently the trident 15. So for the most part, I've paddled kayaks that I'm relatively light for or at most, middle of the road. plus, I rarely if ever use a bait tank and go pretty light on gear anyways.

the prowler was a pretty wet ride all things considered, but it's got all of one small round center hatch, and it seals pretty well (actually the 13 has a molded in bucket and technically can't leak inside, but I cut the bucket out to allow me to store rods through the front). and I never open it on the water.

and on that trip, a trident 13 got swamped. my guess, and again, this is a guess, is that it is probably more a weight issue with the water. I sit higher (no not ) on the water and don't take nearly as much water over the sides. and when I do it drains faster.

if water leakage is a problem, a simple drop of goop on all the rivet holes would go a long ways towards fixing it. I doubt that the manufacturers have the time to goop every rivet on the hatches. and I guess going for a smaller kayak, which is nicer at times for sure, is not always a good decision.

gooping would be a quick and effective, not to mention cheap, solution. it does seem something they ought to do perhaps, but then again, all things considered, the conditions we fish in, and what we do with our kayaks, is probably a small percentage of their customer base. so should everyone pay a higher price for our small percentage needs? (damn, why'd I major in economics!!!) .

[walrus]

I have a Malibu Stealth 12. I'm very happy with it.

Nothing is perfect, no kayak is perfect and I' ve been around other brands that leak worse.

I don't mention the other brands or models because this isn't about bashing something or someone, it's about resolving an issue. Sharing factual information on a site like this it helps designers and manufacturers do a better job. It helps fisherman with that kayak idenitify an issue to correct it.

In the end fisherman will win if there is a choice of brands and designs. It also helps to keep the cost of a yak affortable.

So, other than buying the yak you like best what's the solution to this problem?

Thanks,

[frady]

Easy fix, I have the same Stealth 12 and took it out the first few times and noticed a ton of water in the hull. Now It is completely dry even after the biggest waves, and running the bait tank for hours.

Go to the hardware store and get a thin strip of rubber weather stripping. I believe I got a 1/4 of an inch or so. Run the weather stripping around the inside lip of each hatch. It may be a little snug at first when you close the lid, but it really keeps the water out.

A quick $6-10 fix.

[Jimmyz123]

In the boating world some say BOAT means Bust Out Another Thoughsand. Well anytime you are taking a Yak or a boat out on the water you want to be sure you are not going to sink.

I like the Malibus even though I have been told they are heavy, but I still like them. No matter what Kayak I end up getting I will be installing a bildge pump. It doesn't weigh much and the cost and peace of mind are worth it.

[j mo]

I used to have an x13. Front hatch leaked, 90% of the fiitings (pop rivets) leaked, one of the rod holderd leaked, tracked poorly and surfed even worse and I too sat low in the stern ( just wait till you put a decent fish back there),other than that it was great....

[bigbarrels]

Originally Posted by j mo

I used to have an x13. Front hatch leaked, 90% of the fiitings (pop rivets) leaked, one of the rod holderd leaked, tracked poorly and surfed even worse and I too sat low in the stern ( just wait till you put a decent fish back there),other than that it was great....

I think I remember seeing you on the beach last summer with Josh with a huge YT on the back of the yak and a ton of water in the YAk as well......shortly thereafter I think you switched to a Hobie

[dorado50]

I liked my mini x....

[steveooo]

I liked my extreme. Last time I was in Andy's shop he showed me some of the newer Malibu models. It looks like they are definately listening to the public on the leaky issues, and doing everything they can to eliminate through hull leaks by minimizing the amount of holes that actually go throught the yak. I think Hobie started the trend off right by molding in screw holes that do not actually pass through plastic. Other companies are getting smarter now too.

That vid is a little unrealistic. If I were to hit the center hatch on my hobie with a hose I'd end up with a little water in the hull too. Not a big deal, that is just part of the game.

I think most leak issues could be solved with a little marine sealant and an hour of time- Or you could buy a boat with no pad-eyes, hatches, or on-deck accessories....

[wiseguy]

THanks for all the comments guys! Will definitely goop up all my rivets and add that weather stipping around the edges of the hatches, at least this will give me more peace of mind.

Thanks again guys.

[wiseguy]

Wow! amazing how much water comes in through those hatches! Very nice video.

Wish MK would do something about it. Thanks for sharing bro.

[stairman]

Originally Posted by frady

Easy fix, I have the same Stealth 12 and took it out the first few times and noticed a ton of water in the hull. Now It is completely dry even after the biggest waves, and running the bait tank for hours.

Go to the hardware store and get a thin strip of rubber weather stripping. I believe I got a 1/4 of an inch or so. Run the weather stripping around the inside lip of each hatch. It may be a little snug at first when you close the lid, but it really keeps the water out.

A quick $6-10 fix.

x2

I had the same problem with the slanted rear hatch on my x factor and the weather stripping solved it.

[buttchaser]

So.... What other kayaks have you paddled?