An $11,000 bare bones fishing kayak

[Koz]

You read that right. No pedal drive. No trolling motor. Nothing but the kayak and the seat for a cool $11k.

 

Oh yeah - it's made of carbon fiber and at nearly 13 feet long weighs only just over 40 pounds. I've invested a decent sum in my pedal kayak with the 7" Humminbird DI SI and other goodies, but for $11K plus accessories I'd buy a boat instead. Here's the link: https://apexwatercraft.com/product/tyr-fishing-kayak/

 

 

[MN Fisher]

[VolFan]

I mean… that pretty expensive but that’s a nice glitter sled.

[Choporoz]

They had a demo at an event at Guntersville a couple years ago.  I didn't paddle it, but the consensus seemed to be that it was an expensive novelty.   At least for fishing.   The weight, speed and seat are nice, but not much good for bass fishing.  Storage and 'mod-ability' very limited.   And that was back when they retailed for less than 9K.  I always thought that Kevlar or carbon fiber would have a place in our market, but durability and cost never got close to where I thought they'd be.

[Way2slow]

Not everybody is po-folks like some of us.  That's just an ego thing for those that have unlimited funds and want to let you know that.  It's really no different than someone having a $100,000 bass boat and barely knows how to fish.    

[bulldog1935]

have you priced power boats lately?

The kayak industry has been heading there a long time, making surrogate bass boats. 

 

If you can build a boat that eases the chore of hauling it around, you will find a market. 

Of course, it has to handle well in a wide range of conditions. 

The best kayaks still around were designed by naval architects. 

 

The math is Really Easy.  If you're not in the market, buy something else.  Most of the PE kayaks made 30 years ago and stored indoors are still perfectly useful today. 

It's really not a conspiracy against you, though marketing and BR may sometimes seem like it. 

 

I'm going to offer Josh's updated spreadsheet on kayak models, set up to help narrow your choices.  And a tutorial on now to use the spreadsheet. 

He knows his stuff, worked at Jerry B's in Corpus while attending TAMU, and has kept up with the industry more than anyone else I know. 

 

@TnRiver46 you're not going to put in a 10-mi day in a canoe, especially with a 16-kt wind - but it's perfectly feasible in the right kayak.  That's why there are choices. 

[TnRiver46]

My canoe cost me $300 and is much more durable and can hold one or two people 

 

there’s a sucker born everyday 

[TnRiver46]

28 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

have you priced power boats lately?

The kayak industry has been heading there a long time, making surrogate bass boats. 

 

If you can build a boat that eases the chore of hauling it around, you will find a market. 

Of course, it has to handle well in a wide range of conditions. 

The best kayaks still around were designed by naval architects. 

 

The math is Really Easy.  If you're not in the market, buy something else.  Most of the PE kayaks made 30 years ago and stored indoors are still perfectly useful today. 

It's really not a conspiracy against you, though marketing and BR may sometimes seem like it. 

 

I'm going to offer Josh's updated spreadsheet on kayak models, set up to help narrow your choices.  And a tutorial on now to use the spreadsheet. 

He knows his stuff, worked at Jerry B's in Corpus while attending TAMU, and has kept up with the industry more than anyone else I know. 

 

@TnRiver46 you're not going to put in a 10-mi day in a canoe, especially with a 16-kt wind - but it's perfectly feasible in the right kayak. 

Yeah and you aren’t taking a carbon fiber kayak down a waterfall made of boulders either 

[Motoboss]

It is a nice rig and the weight is absolutely genius.

If you can afford it, money obviously isn’t an issue.

[bulldog1935]

Just after helping Stevo load his Outback a couple of times last week, I'm wishing he had one. 

I thought my loaded boat was heavy.  We gotta work on his staging, too - he's slow coming and going. 

[Rockytop]

I thought I had a lot in my Bonafide SS127. That's outrageous but I do wish my kayak weighed 40 lbs instead of 140 lbs.

[FryDog62]

Until it gets a motor, gps and good storage its not a viable option as a fishing kayak for me despite how light it is... 

 

 

[gim]

It honestly looks more like a winter racing sled.  Maybe even a bobsled you see in the Olympics.  Doesn't look like most stable yak either.

43 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yeah and you aren’t taking a carbon fiber kayak down a waterfall made of boulders either 

Neither are you in a canoe lol.  Might be best to just steer clear of waterfalls all together.

 

[TnRiver46]

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

It honestly looks more like a winter racing sled.  Maybe even a bobsled you see in the Olympics.  Doesn't look like most stable yak either.

Neither are you in a canoe lol.  Might be best to just steer clear of waterfalls all together.

 

People do it all the time , obviously not like the one in the GIF. I’ve went down a 4 foot or so drop unscathed 

 

I remember all I could see over the edge was the button on the top of my buddies hat 

[Bankc]

Maybe I show one to my wife and convince her that a Hobie is reasonable.  

[TnRiver46]

5 minutes ago, Bankc said:

Maybe I show one to my wife and convince her that a Hobie is reasonable.  

Now you’re talking! And hobie has a drive system 

[J Francho]

It's ugly. 

[Darth-Baiter]

light isn't always great.  like in wind.  but interesting concept.  if I happen to drop a gold bar in this morning's caffeine inspired visit to "the room", I might buy one. 

 

having said that, their website hawking that boat sucks.  a bunch of tight, close up pics that show us nothing, and words without photo backup.  they dont even have a overall pic from the top down...

 

you would think for $11,000 per unit, they could hire a better web designer.  

[CountryboyinDC]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yeah and you aren’t taking a carbon fiber kayak down a waterfall made of boulders either 

EJ probably could.  

 

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Neither are you in a canoe lol.  Might be best to just steer clear of waterfalls all together.

OC acknowledged record drop is 77' or something close.  I see Jordan Poffenberger in an OC dropping the spout or middle finger at Great Falls pretty often.  

 

I do not know why anyone would want that boat though.  Why isn't EJ sticking to building freestyle and extreme slalom boats?  Who's going to buy that thing?  And I agree, not that too many fishing kayaks are beautiful, but that thing's ugly.

[KSanford33]

As others have said, that thing is awful looking. But here's my thing: I've banged my kayak against all sorts of stuff. Wood and trees going after largemouth and countless rocks going after smallies. With that being carbon fiber, I don't think it'll have the give that traditional kayaks have.

[Darth-Baiter]

update.  I didn't poop gold bars.  

 

I will stay with my Hobie.  

[Choporoz]

1 minute ago, Darth-Baiter said:

update.  I didn't poop gold bars.  

 

I will stay with my Hobie.  

Pooping silver ain't nothing to sneeze at

[J Francho]

Wildy made a CF version of their Commander around a decade ago.  That was a thing of beauty, and was FAR LESS money.  I can speak from my C120, it is very fishable, so a light version would be pretty cool.  I can't understand where the $11k is in this Apex.  If Bill Swift can build a carbon Kevlar pack boat for under $4k, why is this thing so much?

[Fishingmickey]

I've had a pipe dream of building a fishing catamaran kayak like the Blue Sky except out of carbon fiber/kevlar and having the pontoons detachable. Something along the lines of 12-14' long and 40" wide, pedal and the ability to add trolling motor driven.  I've thought about this before there were Blue Sky catamaran "kayaks".

FM

[Motoboss]

I like the magnet latches are nice since weight isn’t an issue.