Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 Propel Review

[ckspaddler]

Here's a review on the new propel system integrated into the Ultimate 12:
http://paddlesportsblog.com/?p=472
Pedal power is here...

[Spike]

Lucky to fish a lot of different fisheries and long on experience with the Hobie flipper driven boats, I have a real good feeling about this "Propel" kayak.  I take the same position I've maintained with the Mirage "This is a specialty boat for specialty anglers."  But if you take all the places like Texas, `Bama, all the skinny water and every lake coast to coast, there are a hell of a lot of people whose first instinct is to peddle.  Bitchen!

[greybeard]

As a few of you might remember I took my Hobie Outback to La Bufadora.  Broke the rudder on launch and had to paddle it all day. Oh well, Dennis did go slowly back, I guess to make sure I made it.  That's why I now have a Tarpon 16, though I kept the Hobie as well. Due to knee replacement and the problems for which I had it I haven't gotten out much in either which is why you haven't seen me here on the board much either.  I kind of like the looks of the Watercraft, almost a canoe, unlike the Hobie which has insufficient storage space.  My question that someone might be able to answer here is what happens when you turn this one over.  Self rescue would certainly be a different matter. This looks like it is really more a sit in than a sit on top.  But maybe in fresh water?  Any thoughts on how you would get back in?

[Sea Weed]

I'm not sure I would want to take a Native thru the surf. With my luck it would fill with water. It don't look like a sit on top to me

[mikaluch]

I have fished a Hobie tandem for a long time in SoCal and a Native Ultimate 14.5 (not a Propel) in Florida, so here's a couple comments.  The Hobie tandem helps with the storage problem, I often put a 15 gallon livewell in the front cockpit.  As far as pedaling goes I usually end up paddling more, but there are some uses.  Went bounce balling for salmon with Spike out of Santa Barbara once, and it sure came in handy then, but there's not much use for that any more.  I live near King Harbor.  It is nice to pick up some bait, pedal out away from the canyon, and do drifts back in.  Overall, I would say it is a minimal benefit.

As far as the Native goes, it is a great boat to paddle.  With one seat in the 14.5, storage is almost unlimited.  I put the bow skirt on it, expecting to possibly do some beach launches, but I haven't yet.  I got a chance to test it out on a shallow sand spit between two islands in the Indian River a couple months ago.  A sportfisher came by moving pretty good and threw a good wake at me.  I turned the yak into the wake, but stayed on the spit, not expecting the rollers that the wake turned into over the shallow sand.  The bow skirt helped a lot, but quite a bit of water still came over the top into the yak.  Beach launches in real surf would be tough.  It has taken a while to get used to standing up, but I actually was able to stand and pole it in some very shallow water a few weeks ago.  I don't think getting back in after getting dumped would be difficult, but I would expect a lot of water in it after.  I actually think the stability that lets you stand would make it easy to get into from the water.

[MFG]

The Native Watercraft Ultimate's are sit-in style kayaks and are not suited for surf launching (in surf over a foot). They are great fishing platforms, in protected waters. They are super stable and have tons of room for gear storage. Outfitting with Scotty accessories is wide open, you can do almost anything.

They are not intended to be open water boats. However, this March Native will come out with a sit-on-top pedal kayak, called the Mariner, it will be an open water boat.