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Ocean Kayak Trident 13 Angler vs. Wilderness System Tarpon 12/14


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I am deciding between these three yaks. I am wondering about the differences between them.

 

I am leaning towards the OK Trident 13 because of the rod pod and easy outfitting options (Fish finder spot plus the scupper hole for the transducer), but this model is more expensive than the WS Tarpon (20% off) at the Jersey Paddler. The trident appears to be at retail. Is it worth the extra money? Is there a better place to purchase either of these kayaks near me (in Manasquan)?

 

 

Also, would the Tarpon 12 or 14 better fit my needs (Fishing in the Manasquan River and in the ocean if it is calm, and maybe some freshwater fishing)?

 

Thanks

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Check out *********************** They have a demo / used/blem trident 13 kayak for cheap.

They are located in washington new jersey . You could see if the paddler will match the price

or just take a ride . It is about 90 minutes from manasquan just of route 31.

 

Please do not post links in anyway. Thanks, MM

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I switched from a Manta Ray 12 (fairly similar to a T120) into a Trident 13. I can say that for surf launches, which is the majority of my fishing, the trident really shines due to its storage capacity. It tracks well and is fairly quick, definitely more so than my 12' manta. If you think rough surf conditions might be in your future at some point, the trident is worth a look. If not, then any of the 3 should be fine. I'd lean towards a 140 though as I really liked stepping up in length when covering long distances. Try Harry's Army and Navy. I think they carry all those. That's where I got my Trident. Good deal too.

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It depends on how and where you want to use it. The Tarpon 120 has a seat back that is attatched via a plastic interface that is rigid. In a rollover in the surf it is vunerable to breakage. The OK is a bit better boat in rougher bigger water like surf or fishing out front.

 

The tarpon is far more comfortable due to that seat. It has better storage for gear (except rods as OK's rod pod ROCKS) and places to mount stuff. The slide trax eliminates the need to drill. A smaller water, freshwater, river environment is where this shines.

 

The OK is faster and more sea worthy than the T120. Great for riding in the surf, but water does get inside so take stuff out before you play.

 

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask specifics.

"He's a good stick" - Mr. Miyagi"  ~  "Yep!" - Captain Dingo

"How are you doing that" - Jimmy the Mate  ~  "Shipwreck is one of those guys!" - Capt. Freddy Gamboa

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I recently purchased a T140 after demoing it and a Trident 13. Like you, I liked the idea of the rod pod but it seemed to make to cockpit much more crowded. I'm not 100% sure on the truth to this but I definately felt the T140 was faster than the Trident and I know I was more confortable in the T140. The T140 is heavier than the Trident on paper but when I compared them by lifting them I couldn't tell much of a difference.

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I looked into all of these boats. The 4.3 has some convenience factors over the Trident with the flippable rod pod, but it also has a significantly lower stated weight capacity. It is also the most expensive boat in the lineup. (The 4.7 is a little more money, but comes with the rudder - adding the rudder to a 4.3 puts it above the 4.7 in price.) I haven't ridden in one, but I suspect it would be marginal for me at 200 lbs.

 

In terms of price, I have seen leftover and demo Trident 13s with rudder as low as $900. Without for around $700. I'm not close to you, or I would tell you where. I looked at that paddlerscove site and I think they had one for a very good price. Personally, I prefer the OK models. One trade-off is that the fixed seat of the Tarpon seems a transport hassle. Also, I store my kayaks on a covered outdoor rack during the season and I'd rather not have my seat permanently attached.

 

For transport, there seems to be little difference in weight between the 13 and 15 foot boats. I would assume the same in the Tarpon line. Maybe five pounds or less for the extra two feet. On the up side, I find the longer boat easier to get on top of the car because the angle is less steep if I lean it on something to put it up (Thule Outrigger). If you need to carry it long distances or have issues with storage space, that might push you to the smaller size.

 

-bob

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  • 2 years later...
Hi

I'm deciding Whitchurch to go for for fishing and wild camping on the sea aether trident 13 or tarpon 140?

 

Lol... Resurrecting a 2 year old thread... Guess nobody is going to tell you to use the search function... Hahaha

 

I think you are comparing two kayaks with similar features... So at this point, it's more of a subjective decision.

Mod pod in OK are great... But does it outweigh the comfort of a wildly seat?

Yellow Eyed Devils
There's no Sense in Nonsense!

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Never tested a Trident but owned both the T120 and 140 with the improved hull design, slide trax, and Phase 3 seating.

 

The 140 feels a bit faster, tracks straighter with better glide, but as expected has a larger turn radius. I felt that I could lean it a bit easier though because of its slightly more narrow beam /width. I think the 140 handled rougher open water better than the 120 (LI sound 4' swells during a storm; never took them out front).

 

That Phase 3 seat is worth its weight in gold. Outdoors storage was never an issue regarding the seat, and now the seats are called AirPro and are lighter and absorbs less water. Transporting was easy- use the supplied bungee cord to keep the seatback fold down, and for added insurance, car-top it with the stern pointed forward so there is no air resistance from an upright seatback.

 

Downside on the Tarpon series is the Orbix hatches- the lids are not flush with the rims and allow too much water in for my taste. That soft insulation gasket thing doesn't do much, so I'd add some goop or silicone to build it up or find a huge o-ring that can be stretched into a giant oval :huh:

 

If you don't get a rudder, it is a nice feature to add later since it turns poorly; the bonus is that the the Wildy (Harmony) rudder kit is very easy to install.

 

I'd go with the 140 if most of your fishing will be done in large expanses of water as you describe, and want a touch of extra speed over the 120. I still want to test paddle a 160 one day!

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I was in the market for a similar sized kayak after selling my SINK (Necky Santa Cruz:love:)

 

My list composed of the malibu x13, perception triumph, prowler 13, trident 13 and tarpon 140. I was able to demo a moken 12.5, moken 14, prowler 13, trident 13, tarpon 140, and viking profish 400.

 

Moken 12.5

 

Accelerated fairly quickly but had less glide and was harder to keep at top speed compared to the others. It also didn't track as well as the others and I had to be more cognizant of my technique.

 

Moken 14

Liked this one better than the 12.5. It's clear that this is a bigger boat than the 12.5 when you start to get it moving but it glides better.

 

Prowler 13

Quick, accelerates nicely, agile, pleased with the glide.

 

Trident 13

 

slightly wider and heavier than the prowler 13. Not dramatic but noticeable

 

Profish 400

 

A bit slower than I expected likely a result( at least partially) of the 31 inch beam

 

Tarpon 140

 

Not as agile as the prowler 13 with the length and thick plastic, it's got some additional weight to move but its still the fastest of this list

 

 

General points.

 

Stability

 

I didn't mention stability because they're all fine on flatwater. I've paddled 10' recreational sit ins to 17' touring kayaks and I feel comfortable in all of them so I'm not worried about primary stability. Secondary stability was fine in all of them and I struggled to get water up to the gunwhale.

 

Fit/Finish/features

 

I loved the layout of the viking. The middle unit was great for tackle trays etc and may eliminate the need for a crate. Build quality seems great and they seemed to put a lot of thought into the molded area for the seat. The rep actually did a lot of paddling with the seat out

 

The mokens felt built well and I liked the center compartment closure system better than the bungee on the viking or straps on the trident.

 

I enjoyed paddling the trident and the prowler a lot. The fit and finish seems to be fine but just a hair below the other yaks. Specifically the plastic seems a bit thinner and I can notice a little more flex in the hull. Also I noticed flex in the foot braces with the trident. You also have to make sure that the hatches are sealed all the way around because the trident uses straps to secure them. The prowler had molded footwells witch I liked because they were more rigid than the braces. Click seal front hatch on the prowler and they now come with a transdicer scupper like the trident. I liked the feel of the clean cockpit of the prowler better than the trident.

 

Wildy of course is known for their quality builds and thick plastic, and it's apparent in the Tarpon 140. Most comfortable seat out of all of them. While high back seats are marketed frequently I find they sometimes rest on the vest and don't support my lumbar area. You can find you niche with the phase three. Clean cockpit and the track system will give you rigging options like the trident without having to drill into the boat.

 

Overall experience

 

Keep in mind a paddled these at demos on flat water with mild wind so I can't comment about them on big water.

 

Absolute favorite kayak from a paddling perspective was the boring, non flashy, prowler 13. (I believe this model was discontinued in favor of the trident but brought back due to demand) The Prowler was quick and agile, but tracked well and could glide better than any other model other than the tarpon. The cockpit is clean and more comfortable than the models with the center storage. It's a yak I could have fun playing in even if I wasn't fishing.

 

For the ability to cover ground, I liked the tarpon.

 

I narrowed the choices to the trident 13 or prowler 13 My question was whether the slight increase in performance, decrease in weight and cheaper cost were enough to justify passing on the below deck storage of the trident in favor of the prowler. The next day I found a deal on a Tarpon 140:wee:

 

I'll be using it in bays, and lakes mostly but will do an occasional surf launch.

 

I think the main question is how much do you value the center hatch and do you need to keep things dry that you'll need on the water. If you like that hatch I'd go trident, if you don't need it then the tarpon will be a bit faster and for me felt a bit more comfortable as well. good luck

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