Prowler

Has been a Great kayak for steelhead fishing on the Snake river, love all the options that I have on this kayak. Also Love the peaceful sound of nature while fishing.

I bought my 2006 model because I got the kayak with rod holders, paddle, life jacket, and seat for under $800 brand new. The advertised Prowler 13 08' model was 850 by itself. My first paddle was near the Pali on Maui for a few hours, and I didn't find a single thing wrong with the performance of this kayak. A rudder option might be necessary for a long distance paddle.

Overall I rate this kayak a 10/10 and would recommend it to both novices and advanced paddlers.

First off, I am 5’9", 150lbs, very athletic, 5 years paddling experience in a Perception Sierra. The P15 is my first fishing and SOT kayak. No affiliation with Ocean Kayak

First time out was in South Padre Island/bay side. 25-30mph winds. 3ft high waves.

HANDLING: I wasn’t expecting the kayak to handle very well in the rough waters, but it exceeded my expectations tremendously. After adjusting my paddling stroke I was able to track perfectly straight with a direct 25mph cross-wind. A lot of people complain that long kayaks are hard to turn. If you take the time to learn how to adjust your paddling stroke, you will be able to maneuver it just as easy as a smaller one. I was able to turn directly into the wind and then paddle into it fairly easy my first time out. I never had any problems with that P15 going in any direction I didn’t want it to because of the waves and wind.

COMFORT: I’ve found the P15 very comfortable. The molded in foot wells fit me perfect. I was originally planning to buy the upgraded seat from OK. For now anyway, I don’t see any reason to spend the extra money. The backrest that came with was very comfortable the first time out. I will have to see how I feel after a full day.

STABILITY: At only 28" wide, the P15 is very stable. I never once felt tipsy or thought I might flip over in the rough conditions. It didn’t even cross my mind how stable it was until I got in. I think that is an excellent example of how well it performed in the choppy bay. It makes me wonder why people buy kayaks that are 34" wide, but I guess larger people might feel less stable in narrower kayaks.

LAYOUT and RIGGING: When I got home I put all my fishing gear in and set it all up with room to spare. The two rod-holders are very accessible. I really like the fact that it came fully rigged with two paddle keepers, plenty of deck loops, bungee webbing over the tank-well, 4 carrying handles, and the small tackle box in front of the seat is pretty cool. Ton of useable space in the front hatch.

It should also be noted that after an hour of paddling around in the rough conditions I came in to check if any water had gotten into the hull. I couldn’t believe that there was not a single drop in the hull! I did have water come over the bow every now and then. I have never heard of a kayak not taking water over the bow in rough conditions. So if you want a dry kayak, buy a SINK. It never ceases to amaze me that people complain about a SOT kayak being a wet ride. Seriously, what do you expect sitting exposed to the elements and only 3 inches above the water line?

My second trip was to a lake in my neighborhood, perfect conditions, no wind. The P15 is very easy to turn. It tracks perfectly straight. Anyone who says it’s not easy to turn doesn’t know how to control their kayak properly. My only complaint about the whole kayak is that if any water gets in the footwells, it won‘t drain out. You can get the water out using a sponge if it bothers you. I paddled under a huge fountain to cool off and came in and again did not find a single drop of water in the hull. Not "all" kayaks leak.

This is a perfect kayak for fishing and day touring. I couldn't be more happy about my purchase. And you can bet that I would have returned it to the store if I wasn't completely happy with it.

I ordered the Prowler 15' angler with rudder and the H1 & H2 front and center hatches.

The boat finally came in on July 15th. The only problem was that it came in without the center hatch and the rudder. I left the boat at the store and the people there installed the rudder and hatch. "Great"

Picked up the Prowler on July 23rd. All the accessories were installed.

Didn't get a chance to use the kayak until August 3rd. It was a little heavy getting on my vehicle, but manageable. The kayak tracked and had good speed, really enjoyed it.

Went to take it out of the water and found that it was a lot heavier then I thought. I solved that problem, I drained several gallons of water out of the inside of the kayak.

I then took it home and leak tested it and found a hole half way up one of the scupper holes. Contacted Ocean Kayak and they said to return it to store and they would build a new one and ship it out.

It's September 21st now and I went to pick up my new kayak. Finally we're going to get a kayak and it’s been leak tested. Went to the store and it was still in the wrapper.

My enthusiasm was soon diffused when the new boat I was about to receive didn't have the center hatch and the rudder.

Give me my money back. I got a credit immediately.

I'm very disappointed with the Ocean Kayak quality control, and the 3-months from the date of order that they still couldn't get it right. It's too bad, I really enjoyed the boat for the one day I used it.

They get a 1-star for that one day. BEWARE.

I was worried about leaks from the scupper holes. I’d read that had been a problem. I checked the hatch and not a drop.

The biggest thing I love about the Prowler is the space. The tank well is huge. I fit my cooler, cast net, anchor and pfd back there. In IMHO it’s a great fishing machine. It’s a pleasure to paddle.

The one thing this the boat does have going for it is that it is extremely stable. I think it would make a great fishing platform. I would definately reccomend that anyone considering this boat also consider the WS Tarpon.

It paddles well, very smoothly, and is very quiet in the water. I can maintain a 3.5 mph pace with almost no effort and have pushed it up to 5 mph and a little beyond with more efforts in my stroke. Its a very nice looking sleek kayak and cuts through waves and chop nicely.

Now for the negatives, at least for me - It is generally a good tracker but even with a slight breeze it wants to turn into the wind which I compensate for with more corrective strokes on one side. I will be adding a rudder, which I would have done anyway to enhance my drift for fishing, and dealing with rougher conditions out on the Bay or Ocean. I think it really needs one if you plan to take it out into bigger waters, and I can see it will be more of a pleasant paddle for me without having to resort to correction strokes.

My biggest gripe however, is that I don't seem to have the room I need for my feet. I'm only 5'10, but I have very wide feet and they feel uncomfortable and cramped in the narrow footwell area. I'm going to try and add some foam padding or mount a bar that will span the inside width of the footwells to rest my feet on.

As far as the amount of water that gathers in the footwell area and seat, its about average for a Sit On Top, and I bring a bilge sponge along and use scupper stoppers. There will still be water from paddle drip that collects, but not as bad as without the stoppers.

Overall, a good ride, very capable handler and a good choice for SOT touring longer distances and fishing. The only other sit on top kayak I can compare it to is the Cobra Tourer (see my review), which I paddled last year but was forced to sell because of dwindling finances. I actually liked the Tourer better overall for fit and storage, and it was just about as fast. The only negatives for me about it was the hull slap, and it was very awkward to load, due to its unusual hull shape. The Prowler is a little heavy to load but not as much of a bear as the Tourer.

Overall, I like this kayak a lot and its growing on me as I'm still getting over the loss of my Tourer. When I'm able, I will add another Tourer and keep the Prowler. I would recommend the Prowler highly, but take a test paddle for yourself if you can, to see if it is right for you first.

Tracking and straight line speed are excellent too though turning takes rather more effort than I am used to - though for a long boat I guess it is okay.

My brother was down over the weekend, he has never kayaked in his life but within minutes he was zooming about in the Prowler as if he was born to it. I think that says a lot. If you need a kayak that you will take you long distances with ease, or something that will take a fair load whether it be for camping, fishing or whatever, I recommend the Prowler.

One minor niggle though, the bungee straps across the tankwell at the back are useful but would be far more useful if they were easily removable/replacable - attached with hooks rather than loops perhaps.

Anyway, minor niggles aside, a definite 10 out of 10 for me.