I agree with most of what you said. I'll add one more. Paddle shops who have promotional staffers who have never been to the shop or visit once a year to pick up their new kayak. Then the staffers post like they are there all the time.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

We have had those as well .Great point. We have shrunk ours down and I think we have quality over quanity now

@gabrielm.4554

2 ай бұрын

Shots fired

Great video, just picked up a nucanoe unlimited and people make it seem like you have to get an xi3. I decided to get a transom mount and go from there 👍

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

The beauty with this kayak as well as others is that you have the choice!

I remember when I first got into kayak fishing years ago, Tarpon 120s and Ocean Kayaks ruled the inlets. Today my saltwater setup is a Viking Profish Reload and my ideal freshwater setup would be an ATAK 120.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Tarpon 120 is still one of the best kayaks in my opinion. Great weight, Paddle performance, and can handle a lot of different situations

@TismFishing

5 ай бұрын

When I started it was the tarpon, commander, coosa, or ocean kayak. Look at the new k-craft it reminds me of my old Jackson superfishial.

Good advice for people for sure. I bought into some internet hype with some videos that showed up and showed people in a cheaper pedal kayak, even before pandemic and was burned by poor quality. Was much slower in research this time before going for the Old Town pdl I got and I can already tell the quality is better just by touching it. Unfortunately there are no local paddle shops here for me within a 4-5 hour drive so online was my only option.

I'd much rather buy face-to-face than online. Budget and use are very important factors. A lot of reviewers out there are prostitutes, and it shows! Thanks for keeping it real!

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

I try! Thank you for your feedback

Thanks for making this video. Great info.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Thank you. It's important for everyone to keep the industry healthy.

Glad I found this channel. Great videos man

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Glad to have you here!

Really good points.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

There is a right and a wrong way to do promotional staff. Most do it very well. Some unfortunately miss the point

Well said! 👍🏻👍🏻

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Thank you

price is the biggest thing for me feel like a lot of Kayaks are over priced for what you get I used to work in Maintenance at a truck frame builder we made frames and sold to GM for $200.00 a frame they turn around and sell it for $2000.00 how can a kayak you already have a mould for cost upwards of $ 4000.00 for plastic ? these kayaks are getting into the price range of a boat .

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

There's a lot that goes into it. Research and development, engineering, parts, assembly, and the good people working there. If you see the home offices and facilities of these places I can assure you that there are no rich people in the kayak industry lol.

I got wrapped up in the whole I gotta go big and all in from watching youtube when I first started. Had a big sit on top (actually bought and sold a couple) with like 6 or 7 rods, tons of junk, fish finder whatever. Even built a trailer to hual the kayak. And then I just decided one summer it was crazy wasting so much time and energy just to get out and fish. So I sold the trailer and got rid of the 2 sit on tops I had left and starting looking around for other options. I ended with a Pelican Premium Pioneer 100xr Angler Kayak. Its basically a 10 foot sit inside with the nice comfy lawn chair style seat. And honestly its a fun little kayak. Nice and light just a tad over 50 pounds with the seat. Paddles pretty good even in chop and wind. And the seat is really nice. Like I said stadium style, not a cheap foam pad. Its just been a great kayak for the couple years Ive had it now. Unfortunantly I dont really have any local dealers with much varity. There was a really nice one with lots of options but they closed. Then theres one with china junk. And then the other one does carry nice stuff like native. But Im not looking to spend that much.

@thebeardedpaddler

4 ай бұрын

It's hard for paddle shops lately. Really hard. Harder for a new shop to open

Customer Service is just a slogan! Its a selling point and is forgotten once the sale is over. If you go back for questions or help you can feel the cold shoulder immediately.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

? You're shopping at the wrong place then.

Great video as always! Your points are accurate as always and well explained. One thing that still bugs me about the kayak industry is the usable weight capacity. In Facebook as well as in the stores people think that the weight capacity means the weight you can load on the kayak. When I mention that you must subtract the weight of the kayak to get the usable weight capacity I am told I am wrong. I was told I was wrong by a salesman at a big box store (Dick's) as he push a kayak to a BIG guy. I really wish the kayak makers would include usable weight capacity in their specs. Kayaking is very popular and I hate to think people are out their in a dangerous situation because they purchased the wrong kayak. I bet a lot of people that purchased a kayak and didn't like kayaking was because they were too heavy for the kayak.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

It's only a few that do this. Bonafide, Old Town, and Native do this to my knowledge

Another Great video👍 Even though it made me question my decision regarding what kayak I should get. I realised that I've been to influenced by tournament anglers and that's not who I am😊

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Nothing wrong with the influence. Just have to be realistic with your needs. Thank you for watching!

@k954ever

5 ай бұрын

@@thebeardedpaddler Yep, I was considering the Titan X but I'm really not interested in putting a motor on my kayak. I fish in order to get som peace and quiet and some "metime". It's more important to be able to get out on my lakes quickly after work and get a couple of hours of fishing. Right now I'm considering the old town 106 PDL instead😊 'm not a really big guy at 6" 180 lb and I don't bring a lot of stuff on my fishing trips.

Great video. The push for all the expensive extra items has gotten way out of control. And unless you're fishing in tournaments or at least multiple times a week it usually isn't worth it. I planned to do all that stuff from watching Hoover, flukemaster and Blanchard until I actually got my kayak on the water and realized most of it would go to waste or would have a very narrow use. Now I just run a decent fish finder and an anchor system (not power poles) because I am rarely in water shallow enough to use them.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Good point. There is definitely a need and a use for all the accessories. But many times the people who buy everything before they even know what they want is where the issue is created

So I started Kayaking with friends at age 57. A river kayaker for the tourism aspect (not fishing). I don't need anything above a class 2 rapids. I have til now borrowed the sub $200 sit in kayaks offered at major box stores from friends. They always kill my back. Looking at the sit on top kayak because of the more comfy frame seat. Also for the ease of getting out/off of the kayak (knees are also an issue after a 4 hour float). Concerned about speed: Those using sit on top kayaks often take 1.5 hours longer for a "4 hour float" which angers those who wait for the extra hour and a half to be returned to their vehicle (float slower dammit!). I like the water deflection offered by the sit in kayaks. So my frustration with the industry is that apparently ALL sit on top kayaks are "Fishing Kayaks", and all sit in kayaks are 'built for speed" Currently looking at sit on top kayaks and discovering a way to build water deflection from the bow of the kayak (doesn't have to be water tight, just deflect the big splashes that might swamp the boat or cause problems when the kayak gets a little sideways.

@thebeardedpaddler

4 ай бұрын

Not all sit on top kayaks are fishing kayaks. The fishing kayaks just get most of the attention is all. My favorite rec sit on tops are Liquidlogic Kiawah 10.5 and 12 Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 Perception Pescador Pro 12 Sit ins i love Wilderness Aspire 105 Wilderness Pungo 125 Jackson Tripper 12 Jackson Tupelo 12.5

I take alot of stock in customer reviews. Folks that have been on the water and give honest pros and cons. Because they spent their money on it. Not a free demo from manufactorer.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

100% true

Very well reasoned. Unfortunately, the local shops are overpriced on kayaks. I buy local wherever I can though. Thanks for sharing.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

I obviously don't know about your local shop. How are they overpriced? The MSRP is set by the manufacturer

@aln.4918

5 ай бұрын

@@thebeardedpaddler Sorry in advance for the dissertation. It's a local “everything outdoors” outfitter in a nearby college town an hour away. Hiking, climbing, fishing, hunting; they have just about everything and can order if they don’t. That said, they are competing with the larger chain stores in town so they tend to focus on carrying the mid to upper tier products and have a very knowledgeable staff. Here’s the rub though, a majority of their prices are marked up at least 5 - 10% higher than the other mom & pop place that I shop at that’s 45min further away from me. Yes, that includes same model kayaks. I still shop there because it would cost more in fuel to go shop elsewhere unless I go to Walmart, Cabella’s etc

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

@@aln.4918 well if it's the exact same thing marked up then they are not following the retail MAP and can have the ability to sell those kayaks taken away IF that is what they are doing

@aln.4918

5 ай бұрын

@@thebeardedpaddler That’d be unfortunate. I won’t pretend that I know the reason behind it but all I saw was comparable products priced differently leading me to always check prices elsewhere before buying anything from them.

A XI3, tandem seats and I would be good to go 😊

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

I hear ya there

#wisdom!

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

I'm just an old fat dude spoonfeeding information! Thank you for watching!

I hadn’t been able to get one, or demo one yet. I think the k-craft that crescent just released could solve so many problems. Good simple hull, that should do good in nearly every condition, at a decent price point Light weight and a great size Upgrades that can be added as you go - grass roots kayak fishing

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Don't forget about the SKF117 or the Liquidlogic Versa

hello thanks for the info here it was very good and stated clearly i am brand new to this kayaking so new that i have not purchased my first yet mainly due to some of the things you talked about here i hate to be pressured about buying something made up my mind that i buy what i want not what you try to sell me because you want this i do research a lot before i buy try to talk with people that have what i am looking at see what their opinion about it is both the good and bad things right now i am considering the preception outlaw it seems to fit what i am looking for plan to use it river pond lake and close inshore salt water fishing i understand that it does not paddle as good as some others plan on putting stren trolling motor on it have not decided which yet i would like your opinion on the out law and which trolling moter would be best also anything else you can add would be good i understand that you have a kayack shop if not located too far from south ms maybe we can do business thanks keep the info coming us newbies can really use it

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Thank you. If you are wanting to motorize it I may suggest a Wilderness Recon 120 or maybe find a used Nucanoe Frontier 12. Only say that due to they are made to receive motors a lot easier. Not saying you can motorize the Outlaw though

@tombuchanan3971

5 ай бұрын

thanks for the quick reply and the info haven't settled on which to get yet and will take your suggestions into consideration gonna have to have a motor no way around that 3 surgeries on one shoulder and 2 on the other one more question if you do not mind which would you consider better foot or hand steering not the tiller on the motor but a lever unit mounted like for the rudder thanks again

I'm a first-time Kayack user and have done some extensive research for the past month. I'm in southern Cal and will use it on the bay and some lakes/reservoirs that I have locally. Looking for stability and fishibility. If and when I make the investment, it would be something in the midrange to top range. So far, I'm inclining for the titan x 12.5 or the jackson bigrig. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Great chanel by the way.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Depending on what you want to do. Titan X is a great value with a lot of features. It is heavy though. The BigRig is a little lighter while still being very stable

@victoraguilar4607

5 ай бұрын

@thebeardedpaddler I will mainly use it for fishing and cruising shore/bay. I'm inclining towards the titan because of its versatility. The only thing that is holding me back is the water pooling in the deck based on videos that I've watched. Thanks again, and I appreciate you for taking the time to respond.

I've never owned a kayak but have looked for a year wanting a fishing kayak that I can use both fishing and bird watching. I really like the perception outlaw. Is this a good kayak for my intended use?

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Outlaw is a great value and one of the most popular kayaks. If you are looking for a stable kayak without the bells and whistles and is quality made. Then it's a fantastic choice. Only drawback is the speed. It is a bit slow but that's expected

@marionladdwilliams5003

5 ай бұрын

@thebeardedpaddler thank you for your input. I'm fine with it being slow. I'm want to take my time and relax when I'm on the water. My fishing will likely not be in tournaments, but i see from videos that it could be used there, too. I like it because it seems to come with good features but is also expandable if I ever wanted to get more into the tournaments. My goal is also for good exercise. The Outlaw being a good value will allow me to get a high-quality paddle. Those are my points of focus: fishing, enjoying nature (bird watching/exploration), and exercise. Everything I've seen of the perception outlaw says its value for the money for all those points.

First-time a kayaker here, went with a Nucanoe Flint and looking to upgrade. What would you recommend under 2k peddle/fin drive?

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Could add a pivot drive to your Flint unless you just need a bigger yak

Sons of Anarchy bikers, Yellowstone Cowboys, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey foozball fans… 🤦🏼‍♂️.

@thebeardedpaddler

5 ай бұрын

Lol

@BucktailFishing

5 ай бұрын

@@thebeardedpaddler 😂😂