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Tarpon or Drifter???


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I'm finally going to breakdown and buy a sit on top since I want a kayak that I can stand up in and I can't do that with my Pungo.

 

I know you can stand up in the Ocean Drifter but I really like the Tarpon, the larger one. Can I stand up in this kayak without much problem??.

 

Also, if there are some other comparable sit on tops let me know. I've been a died in the wool sit in kayaker so I welcome your feedback.

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There are people standing in the Tarpon 120 however it isn't level and I would only do it under the most perfect of conditions. Of all the traditional SOTs on the market the champ of stand up is the WS Ride. Joey used one on our trip to Florida this past July and did a lot of standing.

 

A new kayak, the Emotion Fisherman, which will be available this coming March, has been designed with a standing platform. It also has been designed with a reinforced area in the rear along the tankwell to facillitate the addtion of outriggers to make it the best all around fishing kayak and easily allow for stand up fishing by design.

 

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baja55@optonline.net

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Hey Jon,

 

Thanks for the info. What is the deal on the Emotion Fisherman?? How long and since it is going to have this platform is the thing going to paddle like a jon boat??

 

Is the WS Ride a better sit overall then the Ocean Drifter I have heard so much about???

 

I want the best peformer in rough water that is fast and agile but yet will let me stand in the right conditions.

 

I'm truly relying on the expertise on this board with the sit on tops.

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Fly By...compromise is a word you'll get use to using when dealing with kayaks as you already know by owning a Pungo. The fact that you couldn't stand up in your current kayak meant moving on to another. Until you paddle each one suggested it will be up to you to decide on which one fits the criteria you set up. One will do most of the things you want but not great with everything else...wait for the new Fisherman to see what has been designed for the fisherman. Good luck on the search..

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I don't have enough experience with the drifter to give you a lot of info. Its a lot like a fast FnD that's wet and has a lot less storage. By wet I mean that you'll sit in water. No big deal but recognize that you will. The guys that own them like them alot.

 

The Ride has a double hull and is fairly unique. By double I mean two lobes and a raised center area when viewed from below. That's where it gets its stabilty from. It performs well but has very little in the way of easily accessible storage. I does have a great area for standing.

 

Neither kayak is going to be mistaken for a touring kayak like a OK Scupper, Cobra Tourer or WS Tarpon.

 

The Fisherman is simply a kayak designed for fisherman by fisherman. We tried to put every important feature we could think of in one kayak. Its going to raise the bar and because of it I firmly believe kayak companies are going to start paying serious attention to our sport. We will no longer have to adapt general recreational models. We'll have a variety of kayaks to choose from in a few years and specialized accessories and equipment to go with them.

 

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baja55@optonline.net

 

[This message has been edited by JonS (edited 01-21-2003).]

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That's interesting about the WS Ride being stable enough to stand on. I never would have thought a 28 1/4" wide hull would be stable enough. I had a chance to test an OK Malibu II and had no problem standing, felt exceptionally stable, but it's 34" wide. I want to try the OK Drifter to compare, but I think I'll get the Malibu since it's more suited to my family. I know they're slow, but I'll take the standup stability and versatility as a tradeoff. Good info here.

"If you think fly fishermen are strange, try having a conversation with a mushroom picker."

John Gierach

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Fly By I have a Drifter and you can stand up on it but only in calm water. Its a pretty fast kayak considering how wide it is. Also like Jon mentioned the Drifter can be a wet ride. But if you use scupper plugs the Drifter will be as dry as any sit on top kayak. Inside the hatch you can easily store 2 10ft rods(attached)with reels a cooler and a big tackle box with no problem. You could probably fit 2 more rods and reels that are not assembled.

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