Big Yak

Big Yak Description

The Big Yak is a kayak brought to you by Ocean Kayak. Read Big Yak reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

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Big Yak Reviews

Read reviews for the Big Yak by Ocean Kayak as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

We’ve had our two Ocean…

Submitted by: paddler783101 on 5/26/2020
We’ve had our two Ocean Kayaks for about 15 years. They are still in excellent condition and glide through any water conditions Lake Simcoe (Ontario Canada). We have to replace the handles and seats due to strap material deterioration but otherwise still in excellent condition. We use them every day from Mid May to October and completely love them. We are now shopping for two more so we have enough for family and guests to paddle with us.
5

Most stable yak ive ever…

Submitted by: paddler433765 on 7/31/2018

Most stable yak ive ever paddled on. Smooth quick and quiet. Great in shallows. Or in the ocean. Very very safe and dependable

4

Rented this boat for my wife…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/20/2016
Rented this boat for my wife today. Boat is quite stable, but slow. We did a five mile paddle in a slow river, and she was worn out by the end of the ride. She had our 4 yr old daughter in with her for part of the trip, and she had a decent seat on the bow. Scupper holes under the seat were plugged, but she still got quite wet. Decent boat, but it confirmed that I should be looking elsewhere when I do choose to buy.
4

I just bought my 2nd big yak.…

Submitted by: paddler232831 on 8/19/2008
I just bought my 2nd big yak. Love this boat. We paddle these boats on lakes and mild rivers. With it's high weight capacity you can carry plenty of gear. We use these boats as our own 3'x10' water front property. I'm 50 years old and look for deeper water with my 12 year old son to swim and snorkel in away from the restricted shore lines. This boat is very easy to re-board. Swimming in open water we never let loose of our bow line. Wind will quickly separate you and your boat! living in the Carolina's I expect to use this boat 10 months of the year. At under 10' we can store in our enclosed 10 foot trailer. and take along on long distance trips. HAPPY PADDLING!
4

I've had a Big Yak for four…

Submitted by: paddler231953 on 3/13/2007
I've had a Big Yak for four years and I've never had a leak. I know someone else who has one and they've never had a leak either. I love this yak. It's so comfortable and stable it's like a little barge. It is a bit slow, but all yaks are really. It handles great; you can turn it on a dime and it tracks good too. It doesn't have a deep seat like most sit-on-tops so you have plenty of room no matter how big you are. It also has a lot of deck space and it's easy to load into the back of a pickup truck.
4

I bought the Big Yak to have…

Submitted by: paddler231950 on 3/7/2007
I bought the Big Yak to have a warm weather SOT that would be suitable for beginners paddling Class I-II rocky Texas Rivers. It works well for my intended purposes.

It provides a very wide, stable platform that gives novices a feeling of security. Because of its short length, its width, and its rather blunt bow, it is a very slow boat. Any trip longer than a few miles will tire out all but the strongest paddlers; however, for an afternoon jaunt of three to five miles, it's great. As with all sit-on-tops, the paddler is going to get wet. Since I personally hate being wet and cold, I regard everything in this genre as being suitable for summertime use only.

Previous reviewers have mentioned the need for using a long paddle--amen to that. They have also mentioned problems with leaks and they are right about that also. Remember to open the drain plug and get the water out after every usage or you'll end up with quite a bit of extra "ballast." Because of the leaks, I would definitely not recommend taking this boat out on open water for hours on end!

I talked to a livery operator recently who said that the big drain holes in the foot wells and under the seat are major wear points when the Big Yak is used in rocky streams. He said that these drain hole areas wear out very quickly, rendering the boat useless after one season of hard usage. I guess I have not hit enough rocks to cause that much damage, because I haven't noticed any significant wear around the drain holes on my boat yet.

Despite its shortcomings, I would buy this boat again so I can take first-timers out in warm conditions to introduce them to paddling moving water.

5

My first sit on top. I must…

Submitted by: woogiebear on 7/20/2006
My first sit on top. I must say, it was much more comfortable and maneuverable than I thought a sit on top could be. Very stable, will turn on a dime. My 11 year old was in my sit-in boat and we went out for about 2 hours. It takes a little re-thinking on paddling though to keep it from wavering back and forth as you power stroke it. This is easily solved by dipping only about half the paddle blade in the water and easing the stroke a bit. Once done, it tracks pretty well. All in all a very nice boat. Haven't tried to stand up on it yet but am camping for the next 4 days so who knows what will happen. I'm totally impressed by this boat.
4

I have used an OC Prowler 13…

Submitted by: paddler230939 on 6/30/2005
I have used an OC Prowler 13 for about a year now to fish the protected bays near the Gulf in Southwestern Louisiana. I love the Prowler 13, but the ride is not entirely dry and it is not nimble enough to chase redfish or specks when they are feeding. I purchased a Big Yak in hopes of a drier ride, increased stability, and something easier to turn when I needed to do so. The Big Yak has proved just dandy thank you. Despite what you read in some reviews, the Big Yak is not slow, it turns on a proverbial dime, paddles fairly straight on flatwater if you have any paddling sense at all, and it does very well in rough water. In fact, it is faster than my Prowler 13 in that the Big Yak rides over the waves and does not lose much speed while the Prowler 13 comes to a near stop every time the bow plows into a good sized wave.

A little imagination and some bungi cord work, and the Big Yak is a very easy to load in a standard truck bed, extremely stable, inexpensive, and great fun. I strongly recommend the Crazy Creek Kayak III air inflatable seat from Cabelas. It is a third of the price of other high end yak seats, most comfortable for all day fishing; your butt does not get numb. The Big Yak has a high seat and thus, drier ride. The air seat elevates your butt another inch or more and makes for an even drier ride. Get a 230 cm paddle. The Big Yak is wide> I love it. No yak scores a 10 yet…

5

First Kayak. Love it! Love…

Submitted by: paddler230848 on 10/18/2004
First Kayak. Love it! Love it! Love it! Big, stable, pretty, fun to outfit. I will be trying this thing out on a leisurely weekend tour, and am sure that with the screw in hatch, and a large dry bag, will be more than adequate for the trip.
1

I enjoyed reading TB's review…

Submitted by: paddler230777 on 9/7/2004
I enjoyed reading TB's review so much that I bought a Big Yak Package from L.L. Bean. I got a kayak, paddle, and seat rest for $435 delivered from Washington to Southern California. I enjoyed the Yak and put it in the back of my pick up truck.

I soon realized that I had a leak. I contacted Ocean Kayak website. I think their customer service is terrible. The leak was coming from the scupper hole. Several times my replies were not answered. Apparently not returning customer complaints about specific problems is common since I heard another guy say his complaint of the drifter taking on water was never answered. I was taking on a gallon of water an hour. I am new to kayaking and ignorantly thought all the water draining out was no big deal, until I asked another kayaker I met at Dana Point.

L.L. Bean is a fantastic company and is will to return and replace the kayak immediately. I was hoping that Ocean Kayak could refer me to a dealer closer to where I live, rather than wait on another delivery from Washington.

Ocean Kayak finally agreed, but never returned my last E-mail, the one giving them the closest dealer's address to my house, which was in Long Beach. There was absolutely no follow through at all, so I reluctantly wrapped up my Big Yak with shipping wrap and am waiting on the truck from L.L. Bean.

It grieves me to know that another family could be out there without knowing their kayak is slowly sinking. They never even apologized for a leaky boat. I guess it is too common at Ocean Kayak these days. They diagnosed the leak, got the serial number and were gone, despite stating that they would switch my Yak at the nearest dealer.

I plan to E-mail L.L. Bean and let them know that one of their brands is represented by a company that takes leaky boats too casually and a customer service that does not follow through.

Now I have to wait for L.L. Bean to pick it up. In the meanwhile, I went over to Malibu Kayaks and was treated like a king. I got to try their kayaks for free and their kayaks are guaranteed for life. I really very impressed with the Malibu Extreme. Maybe there was a reason for all of this mess. The Big Yak was too small for open ocean fishing, but is very stable and easy to paddle in the bay. I also liked the fact it fit in my mini truck's bed. However, if you are willing to overlook a leak that could have easily sunk the boat, and casual customer service that view a leaky boat as a minor inconvenience, this might be the Yak for you!

4

After 3 years of driving…

Submitted by: paddler230671 on 7/7/2004
After 3 years of driving highly customized Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro Tankwell in all but white water environments this 6', 200# avid angler made an unexpected, and some would say irrational about-face to a new boat.

OK SPTW is a 14'9" x 26" 55# fast, long-distance touring vessel believed by many to be THE boat for fishing (before Prowler and Drifter entered the market in 2003). New boat, BigYAK is a 2004 new addition to Ocean Kayak line-up of single Sit-On-Tops. Nothing like it has been built before: 9'8" x 34", 47#. (It is the widest beamed boat except for Cobra Fish'n'Dive which boasts 36", but with 12'6" length and 57#).

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: Boat is very wide, extremely well finished. There is not a single rivet in it - stainless steel screws and brass threaded inserts that are molded into hull. Very sturdy padded handles with neoprene base lining on the sides. Flat rectangular storage behind the seat, no front hatch, optional center hatch which I declined to have installed. Hull design is remarkable: very elevated cockpit, bottom is completely flat in front 50%, there is a strongly pronounced keel-like crest in the rear 50%. Very interesting.

PADDLING TEST
Stability - I had no idea that a kayak can be so stable. I stood on it and it was almost good for casting (wouldn't try it in rougher water though). One has to sit side-saddle and lean forward for the boat to begin tipping, but there is ample warning period before the point of no return. Transition from seated to horizontal position is very easy (instant relief from sore back). Rolling from back to belly is absolutely secure.

Dryness - Not a drop of water inside the cockpit. I repeat, not a single drop. Scupper holes are level with water. Seat is very wide and cannot possibly retain water by any means. No rivets and no hatch means unprecedented watertightness - upon removal of threaded plug from the bow one hears a faint Pfffft of escaping air.

Comfort - The footwells unlike OK SPTW have straight-through flat-bottomed trough on the inner side. That means one can stretch legs without digging the heels at certain intervals. Extremely comfortable. Large flat area where front hatch is located on boats like Caper would easily accomodate supermarket-type cold storage bag with ice. Keeeping fish problem is therefore easily solved (in case of multiple fish in 25" class). Rear storage space is exceptionally accessible and more than sufficient.

Acceleration - Longitudinal gains of speed are poor due to boat's instant turn in response to power stroke. This boat was designed to avoid surf-swamping by instant bow direction adjustment, not by running over swells like OK SPTW. Since acceleration in kayaking is used primarily in last-second avoidance of swelling waves, this judge deems it fairly unimportant in case of the BigYAK.

Speed - Poor by comparison with OK SPTW. Fully adequate for fishing. Addition of rudder should improve the speed by probably 25% or so. Unlike in longer boats, rudder deployment would not require cables and complicated hardware. Strongly suspect that maintaining comfortable speeds would require re-learning to paddle this different hull and may in fact be more fuel-efficient per mile than OK SPTW.

Maneuverability - Excellent, to the point of amazing. Zero-radius turns are accomplished instantaneously, without counter-stroke. Boat maintains steady forward speed by paddling with bare hands, which never worked on OK SPTW.

Fishability - In a word, superb, provided one changes tactics from those akin to tournament bass fisherman (lots of gunning and running, electronics-intensive style, long distances covered) to those of jon-boats (slow, methodical work of sure fish-holding spots, slow-trolling of livies). Boat design promises excellent stability in anchored setup (in front of a drop, ledge, hole or breakers). OK SPTW tended to sway widely and would almost require twin anchors for secure hold, which is impractical. Speed of put-in deployment is second-to-none. Compact truck bed secures the boat in less than 30 seconds by means of 2 bungees. No straps, no humming at highway speeds, no rack. Boat sticks out 21 inches past the bumper's edge - no need for red flag.

Additional Remarks - Equipping the boat with thigh straps is more than recommended if surf rougher than 2-3 ft is to be traversed. A lot of careful thought went into this design. It is doubtful if the boat has many areas for improvement when used according to its purpose. I love the boat, if my verbosity obscured the meaning for anyone. Gave it 9 because nothing is 10. TB

5

This is a wonderful boat to…

Submitted by: paddler230606 on 6/7/2004
This is a wonderful boat to fish from. Because it is nearly 3 feet wide and has a shallow seat you can sit comfortably on it in a variety of positions, including dangling your legs over the side, reclining etc. The shallow seat also keeps your backside dry. It tracks OK once you get used to it and it has loads of storage space for fishing gear and a cooler. It's not suitable for a five mile tour perhaps, but it reaches my favorite bay fishing spots that are about a mile or so from where I launch. It's marketed as a surf kayak (I haven't surfed with it yet), but it's been everything I expected it to be as a bay fishing yak. As for transporting, I just load it into my little pickup bed, tie it down, and go.

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