Sea Ghost 130

I purchased the Vibe Seaghost 130 for the fact that I wanted a higher end kayak; however, my finances were a bit tight. I love the features of the kayak the seat is comfy enough to fish all day without getting stiff and hurting. I absolutely love the center hatch it is a catch all on my kayak for all kinds of fishing lures. The rudder was something I though would be amazing; however, I never used it. The storage inside the hull is large enough to store my dry bags when I go kayak camping. I am a big guy 6'0" 260 lbs and after acquiring my sea legs the boat is really stable. I can get all the way out on the front of the boat and get items out of the hatch without falling in or over. The only item on the kayak that I believe could be upgraded are the toe control foot pedals. The tracking system for the pedals has a lot of movement. A very small draw back for an affordable upper end boat. I have had mine for over 2 years now been down countless rivers, lakes, the Atlantic ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico and it has preformed flawlessly.

Great kayak and even better customer service.

I love this kayak! It is sturdy, comfortable and has plenty of space to take gear if you are going to be out for awhile or camping. Even though it is a little bigger and heavier than the rest, it glides through the water and maneuvers tight creeks very well! We wanted a little sturdy, heavy duty yaks because we fossil hunt and snorkel in rocky areas and of course we bring rocks and fossils home. So much room for storage on top and even in the hull. Would buy another or another one of their products for sure. for sure

I did a ton of research and found great reviews on this kayak. Overall I have been very happy.

Pros: seat is awesome, tons of storage space, love the center storage compartment, rudder comes with boat, price is great, paddle comes with boat (although I upgraded to a 160 bending branches paddle), kayak is stable but I am still not comfortable standing. I am 6ft and 215lbs and the boat handles my weight along with a cooler and fishing gear with no problem.

Cons: kayak is very heavy, the rear handle is almost useless since the rudder is directly over the handle, the rudder control rope latch is poorly designed.

Would I buy it again? yes

Very well built kayak and good price.

Excellent paddling fishing kayaks for the price point.

Excellent boat. Have owned others (high end) and this yak is just as good, and fast.

I'm at 1 month in and about a dozen trips. I've added a 45lb RipTide and can go many miles.

I never had a kayak or even tried one but I always saw plenty of them when I was out on my boat fishing, now that kids are out of house I had great offer for my boat and couldn't pass it up. So I decided to try kayak fishing. I did a lot of research online and talked to many guys at the lake I fish and the beach I surf fish here in Jersey. I finally decided that at this price I would try the SG130 and if I didn't like it I could always get one of those high end ones for twice the price.

It took me a while to find one, as no shops seemed to have them in stock. But finally last Friday I drove 3 hrs and picked one up. The guys at French Creek Outfitters were great and set it all up for me. Even added a couple of Scotty rod holders that fit perfectly into center console hatch cover. Also some non skid rubber padding on deck for standing. The following morning I went to beach to launch this thing for first time.

It is light enough that I was able to carry it about 150 yards to edge of surf (I will but a cart to make that easier) The SG130 went through surf easily, at first it felt a bit tipsy, this was my first time out, but as I got used to my movements in seat it seemed much more stable. I didn't venture too far off beach but far enough to get in the action.

Fishing from this kayak was great, very comfortable seat and I was able to stand a few times without issues. I am no kayak expert but this SG130 is awesome. Plenty of room for gear and cooler. I cannot imagine the so called high end kayaks being that much better if any better at all.

As far as quality goes, I saw the previous review from earlier today and I can tell you first hand, this kayak is as rock solid as every other kayak I've owned. I'm not exactly a "gentle" kayak user and my Ghost is no stranger to oyster bars, shoals and getting dragged down the beach! Sure she has that battle scars to prove she's being used but it ain't any more or less than the other yaks in my fleet!

The things that really sold me were the 4 flush mount rod holders, and the stock rudder. I ended up adding swivel mount holders, but just to start out you have 2 on your side, and 2 behind the seat that are easily accessible. And the rudder. The competition charges and arm and a leg for this. With the Sea Ghost, it's stock! Works very well when you're in a current, and helps when the wind gets ripping. I can float a good distance in the current with the rudder and never paddle. Saves a lot of energy.

And last but not least is the customer service. You will not find better customer service with any other kayak manufacturer than Vibe Kayaks. And the Vibe Kayak Owners Group on Facebook has the most innovative and passionate owners out there!

You will not be disappointed with the Sea Ghost

For a few years, I have thought about purchasing a single sit on kayak that would be better suited for fishing from, and in any of the locations we travel to, especially in the southern areas. There was a price limit, but did not want to go less expensive and end up with a kayak not suiting my needs and leaving me wishing I would have spent more the first time.

Basic requirements for the new yak were the boat needed to be a sit on 12' or longer without being excessively heavy. I am 55+, approx. 175-180 lbs., so do not want to be dragging a huge craft around, nor do I require massive weight capacity for the kayak. It had to be pretty stable without giving up a great amount of speed or agility. As it will be used in coastal areas, I also wanted to go with a more visible color to be better seen by passing boaters. And of course, since this will be my fishing vessel, it should be better equipped/designed from the start for fishing, rather than me modifying a new kayak just to fish from. I prefer to have adjustable foot pegs, as opposed to molded foot areas, as I feel it gives better control and molded tend to dig into the side of your leg after awhile.

I looked around for used kayaks, but unfortunately, in central PA, there are a very limited number of sit on kayaks that come up for sale. Anything in the south was usually gone by the time I called, or shipping/driving to obtain was just too costly. The units I looked at in the local sporting goods stores either fell into the "will be wishing I spent more" or the "more than I wanted to spend" categories. Looking at online stores, I could find some older style Wilderness 120 models, now rebranded under other company names. These seemed to get pretty good reviews, but not all were happy with them. Till I added shipping to the price, I was between the $600-$700 mark. There were a few other local options, including a newer style 120, but while they received better reviews, they still had people not happy with them.

More internet searching finally brought me to the Vibe kayak site, where I saw the Sea Ghost 130. The price was a bit more than the older 120's, but still acceptable for what should be my kayak of choice for a long time. Two things caught my eye while researching this new find: The items that were all part of this price, and the GREAT reviews on this site and others. I could find no one giving it a lack luster review, as I saw with other kayaks. A number of You Tube videos on the yak convinced me to contact the company for more details. This brings me to another high point with the Vibe kayaks….customer support. Through email, I received quick responses to all my questions, and I had a number of them, since there are no dealers near me, and I was still a little unsure about spending this much money for something, sight unseen and tried. I sent emails, re-read reviews and watching more videos. What finally pushed me was when they made me an offer on some overstocked 2015 models. They also were quite helpful in making sure I got the kayak after a mix up on my part with the way it was being shipped to me.

The kayak arrived by truck to my house. The delivery person commented on how well it was packed/protected compared to other brands he has delivered. The kayak was in perfect condition and the only thing needed was to attach the rudder. I did opt for the Odyssey Pro seat, which is very comfortable and recommended by the reviews I had read. Since I did not try the standard seat, I can only say I do like this upgrade. I did not upgrade the paddle, as I will probably purchase a different one later, but the included paddle is pretty nice and should suit a lot of users. If you decide to upgrade later, it will serve as a decent spare and is a two piece paddle. This brings me to the large front hatch, which is great for storing your items, such as the paddle, life vest, etc. You are able to keep everything together and being out of site, helps prevent others from just gabbing any equipment laying around and using it. Don't mind sharing, but some people do not take care of things when they do not own them.

There are a few other storage areas such as the center console, which can be used for a number of things, and also a smaller hatch behind the seat. Both hatches also have a basket that rests on the rim of the hatch, so small items can be kept in them, but can be lifted out to access the inside boat storage. They are attached to prevent them from being lost. There is plenty of room behind the seat, (covered with shock cord), and around your legs. There are carry handles front, rear, and on both sides. They appear strong and give various carry points, depending on the situation. There is also a keeper for the paddle and molded impression in the hull to keep the paddle in place. Nice! Back to the requirements, there are 4 included rod holders, two behind the seat, and two forward of center on an angle to allow for rod placement in that style while you are paddling. The center console also has several holes provided to be used with Scotty type rod holders. There are several larger scupper holes, (plugs included), which allow for attaching fishing equipment and I also use it to secure the yak by running a heavy coated cable through one of the holes and locking it up.

On the water I could not be more pleased. Specs for the craft are 13’, capacity: 550 lbs., weight: 69 lbs. and width at 33". The hull is a rotomolded polyethylene similar to other brands in this group. Very strong and tough. This kayak is very stable compared to others of similar design, but it is not a slug. I can cruise along with others, yet maneuver around with little effort. The Sea Ghost tracks VERY well compared to other kayaks and I found it easy to pick my way through shallow rocky streams. I even caught a nice bass first time out! With the higher weight capacity, I do not have it sitting as deep in the water as one would with lower capacity kayaks, so this works very well to get me through the rocks. The foot pegs also help with this. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to test in the saltwater or use the rudder, but a well as it tracts now, the rudder will just enhance the experience. As a comparison, after using the Sea Ghost the first time, I let a friend borrow it, and I took my Old Town Vapor 10 out, along with friends using my Perception sit on tandem. The Sea Ghost is my most comfortable, straight tracking, stable kayak.

Concluding this lengthy review, I just wanted to let readers know my thought process and investigation that brought me to purchasing the Vibe Sea Ghost over others. There are many good kayaks to be had in the $500 category, but if you can afford to spend a little more, you will get a lot more kayak and it should be one you will happily use for many years, rather than wish you had waited while paddling something less.

Great kayak, great features, great customer support. Only thing better would be if they are reading this and offer me a job down south working for Vibe Kayaks. Hope they read this…

Originally I thought the rudder system was going to be "more stuff" in the way, but after battling currents and wind, I am so happy this is standard equipment. The only thing that I would change is the seating, the AirPro Max Seat by Wilderness Systems looks awfully appealing, although I have not tried one to compare and for the price difference I do not expect to. I have no doubt the Kingfisher Seat or comparable will fit my needs. I have no desire to add electronics so that is not a consideration for me. I am planning on adding an anchor trolley in the near future (already ordered.)

For some perspective, I am 50 years old, 5'-10", 190 lbs; have been fishing forever, new to kayaking. I fish primarily marshes, and shallow backwater - hence a depth finder has no value in my boat. The boat is solid, I have only been out five or six times now but the quality seems very good. As of today, I would buy this boat all over again.

This is not my job nor do I need to sell kayaks but it was so refreshing to see a boat equipped like the SG 130 for under 800.00 that I just wanted to share the excitement.

I fish off shore and I have two of these yaks for my daughter and my self. If anyone is in So. Florida and wants to try them out send me an email but be prepared to go fishing. I hate loading and unloading for an hour sea trial. This company is committed to these yaks and they have implemented several upgrades. The people at Vibes aren't your typical sales people, they are kayakers and anglers.

I would definitely suggest the seat upgrade that they offer. We got one with the upgraded seat and one without. After a month we ordered the upgraded seat. Don't get me wrong, the seat they provide is great but the kingfisher seat is no comparison!