Cobra Navigator
 

With my 30th birthday approaching the wife has agreed to let me buy a Kayak. I'm looking at the Cobra Navigator and the Cobra Fish and Dive. I'm 6'2 225 lbs so I need a decent sized yak. A dealer not too far from me has the Navigator on sale right now for $499 and that includes 1 hatch, no paddle or seat. Or the fish and dive for $650. He will let me demo as many yaks as I want as long as I give him a days notice. I'm hoping to someone here has some experience with either of these models.

sorry to jump off topic for a second, but do you have a kid on the way? is it not due soon? if so enjoy the summer. with a kid due for me in december i am going to live it up this summer. :happy:

I say buy the $650 model. Live it up and enjoy this summer......it may be your last for several years. lol:nut:

Congrats Cy, We had a baby boy on 11/19/07. The whole reason behind the kayak is I think I can sneak away in the mornings or late afternoon for a quick paddle in the Delaware Bay. My V has been sitting with the fuel tank out for over a month, I just don't have anytime to work on it.

There is no doubt your life changes dramatically. You have the right idea to live it up this summer. Your time and your priorities change so much in so little time its hard to remember life before the baby. You will love being a father, you will just have to be creative to find time to do he things you did before having kids.

WOW.thought you had one on the way not already here. well i say buy the kayak and enjoy:beer:

I know a couple guys with the F&D...it is a REALLY nice yak. They have monster room and storage, not to mention stability out the wazoo. its very easy to stand and fish or pole in a F&D. You can too in the Nav...as I can my Redfish, but given the choice Id go fish and dive all day. They are pretty comparable yaks, but taking into account the width the 31" nav vs the 36" F and D the main difference between the two is room and stability.


Not to mention the monster compartment in the floor of the F and D...you can put a small army in there...:beer:


My suggestion is to go paddle them both and decide what YOU like best...

Definately paddle both and then decide. I found in the short time of yak ownership that the whole idea of buying the widest yak you can get for stability reasons soon looses is appeal after you have it a while. The big wide yaks become like tanks in the water and you'll find yourself working harder to get anywhere. As you gain experience and skills on the water, you'll most likely start wishing for a faster more streamline boat.
The FnD is an excellent kayak. I have paddle them quite a bit. have a friend that first introduced me to yak fishing about 7 years ago and let me borrow his FnD off and on. Personally, I would go with a boat with a 29"-31" beam. My LiquidLogic has a 31" beam. I'm certainly not a small guy with that pooch of mine. I don't try to stand on mine, but I can easily swing my legs over the side and fish that way or access my gear easy enough in the rear tank well.
Don't buy without trying. Good luck. Whatever you decide on, you'll love it once you try it.

Is that what you call it, a pooch :you: I call it what it is, Fat Gut!! :nut::you:

Excellent point from a veteran yaker.....I was kinda worried about not getting one of the super wide 32"+ yaks, but the more I paddle mine (3 days this week so far) the more I like how effortlessly it slides through the water.

Do they even make a yak to fit MJ?
Or is it called a sloop?

its called a john boat....:you:

Well I may have to go back to the drawing board. I told my wife that I had narrowed it down to (4) models the Cobra Navigator, Fish and Dive, Native Manta Ray 14, and the Redfish 14. She wanted to see them so i showed her online and she realized that they arent tandem models. I tried to explain that the tandems arent ideal for solo paddling, she still wants the option to be able to go with me. So my next question, what is the best tandem to paddle solo?

Get a smaller cheaper one for herself!! She doesn't need anything special like you!!
Or get a cheap canoe for when you guys want to go together. But I would not go with a tandem for yourself as I am sure you wouldn't be happy with it.

MJ is correct. I would vote against a tandem.
#1. They do everything a good kayak does only not as well. You're compromising everything.
#2. It's a good way to end a marriage. Nothing worse than two people paddling out of synch with each other and she will not enjoy the periodic "accidental" whack in the back of the head from your paddle.
#3. You'll both end up wetter at the end of the day.
Seriously. You're better off to get a small sit in type for her to tag along on those rare occasions that she does feel like venturing out with you.

I AGREE!!!


Get you a good quality fishin yak (all you the ones you stated above are excellent) and then get her a separate sit on top. They even make pink ones! Tell her that! Maybe that will convince her...you love her enough to get her her OWN PINK ONE! Yeah...thats it!!!

Ya'll ain't reading deep enough into this.
"I want a tandem type" translates into "I want to go but don't want to paddle".
Either way I also agree, GET HER OWN.

hey maco, i heard you're getting two kayaks. . . . one for each half of your a s s .

ROFLMAO!!!!



that right there folks is a ZING!!!!

Thats ok I can take a zing!!

Its better then CTT getting a tandem for him and his boy friend!! Then instead of a zing he gets a Ding!! in his fat a s s!:you:

I would have :nut: you, but by what I hear there is nothing there to kick!

Something like this would be perfect for the Mrs. when she wants to tag along. :clap:

http://worcester.craigslist.org/boa/681720594.html

Yes CB is right.


MJ i am not going to acknowledge that gayness of yours...it only leads you to mess with our poor CB. I feel bad for the fellow....to have a fried like you !!!

Stinky. You understand my pain.

I do brother. I love you man...in a bud light commercial kinda way...NOT the way MacoFLAME does. :beer:

:beer:

CTT is the one with all the Gay coments!! NOt me, at least in mixed company right CB :love:

Well boys, last night I cam home and i told the wife that I had found a couple of tandem models so that she can join me. She said I think you should get a solo kayak.:sun: She said that she will try mine and if she likes she will get one. Now I just have to narrow my choices a little further and schedule a day to go to the kayak shop and test paddle the models I'm interested in.

CB, thats a nice little boat you posted, I wish it was closer I would snap it up.

Yeah, it's a good deal, but if you're more than just a casual user then you want something longer that will track better. Those shorties are okay for pond fishing or rivers where turning is tight. In open water, something like that is going to make you work a lot harder.

CB, I'm leaning towards the fish and dive. I know you have some experience with them. In your opinion are they reallly that much harder to paddle than say a regular 31" beam yak. I plan on trying it before I buy it, I really like the idea of being able to fish side saddle and the ability to use the jump seat for my son when he gets a little older. I just want to make sure its not a tank to paddle because I would like to be able to cover some distance in it.

Out of all the "big" as in wide kayaks, I would probably choose the FnD before say an Ocean Kayak Big Game. I think the Cobra paddles better than the Big Game. I tested the BG when I was looking and didn't like it at all.
But again, I don't think anyone should buy a yak without first trying a few to see what feels best. You probably wouldn't be too disappointed with the Cobra.

CB, you must be reading my mind. I was just watching a video of the Ocean Big Game and it looked pretty nice. I think I'm still leaning towards the Fish and Dive. I can pick up the fish and dive for $650 and still have a couple of bucks left under budget to accesorize. I may try and make an appointment for this Sunday to test paddle one.

I think the Manta Ray is AWESOME.



Also, keep the term "hard to paddle" relative. No good fishin yaks are really HARD TO PADDLE...just a little variation between models is all.


Id definitely vote on the logest boat possible that you like after testing...I was AMAZED at the difference between the Tarpon 120 I was using and the Redfish 14 I just purchased. The 14 is like you are on ice compared to the Tarpon. Very little effort to maintain speed. It takes just a couple paddle strokes to get to speed and will "slide" right along for 20-30 yards after you stop paddling.


Just something to think about.

Also good advice on the length Stink. That's the one regret I have with my Manta Ray 12. I wish I got the 14. Overall, I'm not complaining too much though. I still like mine very much. I would have had to wait several weeks or more for the 14 if I wanted it. They had the 12 in stock, so I went with it. It's very comfortable for extended trips. I usually recommend the Manta Ray's to everyone I talk to. They really are well made and nice layout.

methinks thou dost protest too much.

(gay).

hey chum, i would like to find something like this.
it would have to handle 250 pounds and be an all purpose boat.
daytripping, recreation, exercise and ocean surf.
any ideas?
i kinda like the low center of gravity the sit in offers.

Personally, I would go with a Wilderness Systems Pungo if I were looking for a sit in type. You have to think about getting in and out of that thing when you're wearing your "thick" shirt. :you:

Seriously though. The Pungo is one of the better sit in types suited for all of the above and they have a larger cockpit opening to allow easier entry and exit. I don't know about you, but if my legs start getting cramped and I can't move them, I start getting anxious to get out.
Something to think about.

whadaya like, the 120?
looks like a sleek boat.

The Pungo 120 is a good boat.:clap:

aint cheap neither.

i need me a deal.

craigslist. Keep looking. They do pop up there from time to time.

I'm going to look at the Fish and Dive on Wednesday or Thursday, its the last grey one he has in stock. I'm hoping to try a couple of different seats and paddles too. I trash picked a couple of pieces of square metal tubing from an old universal gym set from my neighbor. They fit perfect in my hitch receiver so i'm going to try and modify them to act as a bed extender like Stink built. I'll take some pictures when I get home with the new yak.