Trident 13 Angler

I have three Tridents, a Trident 11, a 2014 Trident 13, and now a 2019 Trident 13. Before these, I had a Tarpon 120 and a Hobie Revolution 13 - and I've never looked back. This is a fishing kayak, those were wannabees. I go out in conditions in which most people would he happy staying on the beach. Stability? Nothing comes close. Standing up? Why on earth does anyone need to stand up in a kayak? I fly fish, I don't need to stand up because a kayak can glide, silently, over a fish - but if I did need to stand to fish, I'd buy a boat, not a kayak. You want to stand up? Get a Pro Angler. Heading out and coming back through the surf we see in the Pacific Northwest is far less worrisome than it was in the Tarpon or Revolution. Paddling through or sitting still in 7 foot swells, it does fine. Primary and secondary stability are above average for a kayak that's 29 inches wide. The seat could use work and my butt gets numb after a few hours, but nothing that shifting around doesn't alleviate. And yes, one's rump gets wet. Kayaking is a wet sport. Are they fast? Fast enough to troll for King Salmon, not fast enough to troll for tuna. Fast enough to run from sea lions who are curious about my catch. But when did speed get to be important on a human powered craft? It's nonsense to say they aren't fast kayaks. Our typical trip is eight plus miles, each way, and they are fast enough to be able to keep a 2kt pace for the entire distance without trying my endurance. Endurance is what "speed" equates to - we aren't drag racing. I wouldn't trade my Tridents for any other boat currently offered. They're great kayaks.

Paddled this kayak again but this time in open water in a bit of chop and it excelled in the rough stuff. It paddled very fast, super stable and tracked much better in the open vs a twisty river. Fantastic fishing kayak!!!

Well I would say this for the Tarpon 120 is it definitely is fairly stable once you get use to the feel. It is in no way a roller like some yak's I have been in. It tracks okay but seems to want to list to the right slightly and that could be me causing it a bit. Both hatches were dry at the end of a few hour lake jaunt with no issues. I do wish the side portions where one sits was a smooth plastic surface rather than having the gradient feel. Reason being, I would love to mount my GoPro suction mount there for easy access in changing out batteries and just in general access. However, slight behind where one sits is a area conducive but it requires one to reach back and if range of motion is an issue then you are out of luck. This system has plenty of cargo storage area and I use dry bags to carry gear I do not want wet. The hatches seem to all function well and remained dry as I stated earlier. The weight of the system is not terribly bad but more than likely would take two to walk to the cast off point for many. The seat is very comfortable and to be quite honest, I could have gone most of the day in the saddle and been fine. I would however look to the bright color configuration just from the standpoint of being very visible on the waters to high speed boats that may not see you until the last possible second if you have a dark colored version. I like being visible but mine is blue/green and can blend into background vegetation at times and makes being seen my boats with motors traveling fast a potential issue. All in all a great system even if it is not your first but looking to upgrade.

Reviewing the 2017 T-13 model.

Pros: -Great great hull design. I am using it out in the salt with the occasional lake trips here and there. Out in the big blue I've been hit with a lot of waves from the side and such that have made me nervous but the float stability has kept me upright every time. Cuts through the water fast for it's size as well. Plus let's be real this is one of the best looking kayaks out there. . -Storage. Tons of storage. Front hatch for packing gear. Huge back well for all your needs. The center console pod is pretty awesome - storage right at your fingertips with built in cupholder and whatnot. Middle hatch inserts come out giving you access to inside of the hull, full length. The small mini-hatch on top of the center console is great - use it all the time for my pliers and stuff I need to have at reach. All the hatches have great waterproof sealing and locking mechanisms.

-Built-in gear tracks. Godsend. My plan was to get a kayak I wouldn't have to drill any holes into and so far so good. Can't think of a place where I would add additional tracking.

Cons: -Paddle keeper. At first I thought it was a really cool design - just slip your paddle in the front - easy peasy. Except they didn't think about the fact that this is a fishing kayak, and I'm going to have stuff all over the place. I want to access the center storage. I have fishfinders and accessories attached to the side rails. I don't want my paddle laying over stuff. This renders the front paddle keeper mostly useless and I find myself wishing this kayak had the side paddle keepers every single trip I am out. I shouldn't have to add this as an aftermarket part for the price of this kayak.

-Seat. Oh my god this seat. I understand that this model had upgraded the seat from the previous versions so I can only imagine how horrible the seats must have been before this one. What a terrible seat. Where do I start.... The straps they use to hold the tension of you leaning back against it slips off almost every trip I am out. I am 150lbs on a good day - this should never happen and can be extremely dangerous in the wrong conditions. They used some weird stiff plasticky material for this strapping and I can't fathom why they did this but it's just trash. It doesn't grip, it has memory in the shape it was bent at, it just sucks.
There is a mechanism under the seat where you grab a handle to raise/lower the seat (only the very front part mind you) and when actually sitting on it out in the water this feature also almost never works. The back height adjustment is also floppy even when tightened down.
The only saving grace (depending on what you're doing) for this seat is that it is a very low-sitting seat which is better for stability but not so much if you're looking for an elevated position like many other kayaks out there.

If the seat didn't suck so much I would love this thing but after using this for a few months I am really hoping that this is a replaceable part. YMMV of course, but man I hate this seat! Otherwise great kayak - especially for saltwater/bigwater fishing.

This is a charitable score. I didn't buy the secondhand HMS Tangerino to go fishing. I bought it for the ample deck and storage space for carrying the kid/dog/picnic/beach toys/10 gallons of sunblock. I'm grading on a curve here.

My gods, she is a dog. If you have a reasonable expectation of maintaining 3 knots, banish it from your mind. This hunk of bumper plastic does not care what you wish. It only obeys the wind and its whims. You might get a bigger vote in the proceedings if you add a rudder. She tends to behave better with a 300-pound-plus load, and she does not wince at chop or waves.

Oh, she'll carry a LOT of weight. This beast is great family beach trips, so long as they aren't more than a mile each way. She also weighs a lot, and she WILL oilcan if you, say, put her in a 12-foot truck bed and leave her in the sun while you go to the bar.

I have the older model, billed confusingly as the "Trident 13 Prowler." It has the Scotty mounts built into the deck, and they conflict with securing the center hatch. OK fixed that in later versions, putting the mount holes right into the hatch cover. So you might have an easier time with your camera/rod mount than I do.

She's a barge, but that's kind of the point. Take her out in the salt. Load her up for week-long camping trips. Mock your friends as they succumb to her unstoppable momentum in Full Contact Bumper Boats. Just don't try to go anywhere fast.

While living on a sailboat off Key Largo Florida, I borrowed a Trident Angler. First I have troubles with my legs, and found it easy to enter and exit the Kayak. Cruising around the backwaters I found the stability and comfort to be outstanding. The stability made it easy to handle large fish. The accessories made life easy. I love this kayak and am looking for one to use in the Lakes of SC

The Trident 13 is my first kayak and I must say that I am extremely pleased. I've had it for over a year now and have used it on about ten day fishing trips. Being 6'3" and 250lbs it has served me well. The kayak is very stable and is loaded with many features. I love the large amount of storage space the most. I am also very pleased with the camo color configuration.
A++

I had always been an open canoe paddler up until a few years ago when I bought a Ocean Kayak Trident 13 Angler SOT kayak for fishing. It opened a whole new world to me. I had always been reluctant to use a kayak due to my size (250 lb 6 ft 2 in) but that's not a problem in a SOT. The Trident 13 provided a stable platform for fly fishing plus gave me all the storage I will ever need.

Not only does it track well it is faster than my canoe. The seat not only has a comfortable bottom but the seat back is wonderful. I had back surgery last fall and was worried that the Trident would have to be set aside but, when I used it this spring, I was pleasantly surprised to find out just how comfortable it was even with a sore back.

While it is only a few pounds lighter than my canoe, its shorter length made it easier for me to handle and put on top of my Jeep or on my canoe trailer. When I wear my waders it becomes at least a three season boat if not one I can use year round including during our southern Missouri winters. Would I buy another? You bet!

I have owned 3 of these kayaks between 2010 and 2013. They all seem to cave in on the hull within the year. I have owned 8 other Ocean Kayaks in the past 15 years and none of them have this problem. The plastic for the Trident is too soft and deforms too easily. I will never buy another Trident again. The Prowler is a much better kayak. The Trident is heavy and slow and has a deformed oil canning hull. Stay away from it.

I bought the Trident 13 for its stability and storage capacity. There is no question in my mind that this SOT design is the way to go for kayak fishing. The stability is excellent; I've fished this kayak on big rivers like the Bighorn and run it through fast water and standing waves with great confidence. It is also fine for fishing "side saddle" and is virtually flip proof on salt water in strong seas. Its hull design makes for excellent tracking on still water.

While it does have excellent storage capacity, the center trunk is rather long and wide and leaves only tight leg room on either side. The pre-tapped holes and gear sets on the trunk lid are not user friendly, for example for receiving Scotti rod holders, etc., or for screwing in other accessories. Fully rigged, the boat weighs in well over 60#, which makes loading and unloading from the vehicle a challenge.

On the whole a fine boat, with a few design improvements it would be a great boat.