Some quick stats:
Overall Length: 4.3 meters (14’1″)
Finished Weight: 27kg (59.5lb)

Feature Run-down:
Starting at the bow there is the now standard hard handle, no more toggle handles are used on the range or Prowler kayaks). This is followed by the all new hatch cover – “yea new cover but what about that damn frustrating neoprene cover underneath” I hear you say… Well good news that’s gone too! The new hatch cover is cover and seal all in one simple unit, this is a push on hatch cover with a funky little flick to lock switch on the top that both secures the cover and keeps the water out.

After the hatch we come to a deck storage area with a criss-cross of bungy. The top is flared and raised slightly in this area to help shed any water away from the cockpit.

Moving on we next see the cockpit area, although the cockpit is based on the Prowler Ultra 4.7 it has had more than few hours spent on it, the first thing we see is that the area around the transducer scupper has been modified, there is the inserts for the Scotty/Cannon base but over all it is now much wider and appears some what flatter so more space to fit more rod holders, the wells at the end of the footwells are no slightly smaller due to this. Next thing you notice in the foot wells is the total lack of any mouldings for your heel to slot into, it looks like this kayak is designed for either static foot rails or the rudder foot rails only (I’ve confirmed the non-ruddered model does come with static foot rails). The center well has been changed and is now slightly deeper and has been modified to better fit the Humminbird 700 series when you flip the lid, the rear wall has been sloped slightly to assist with using the optional rod tube. The step we saw in the bottom of the Ultra 4.7 well has gone too. The lid itself is the standard flippy lid we have seen on the Ultra 4.7 model but the hinge mech as been modified so as to enable the fitment of fishfinders with large plugs that would not normally fit through the hinge.

Down the side of the cock pit we see two rod holders and the solid handles. Then we move into the seat area, this is where we move away from the Ultra 4.7 and have a completely redesigned seating system, something we haven’t seen on a Prowler before… The seat consists of a large foam seat base and a separate seat back, the seat back has four positions and can also be folded flat for transport. The kayak is also capable of taking a standard comfort seat too, the new seat is the one which will be marketed in New Zealand and Australia, the rest of the world will be getting the comfort seat at this stage (don’t ask me why may be we need more padding down under…).

Further back there are is another first for the Prowler kayaks, moulded in rod holders, there are two behind the seat, these moulded in rod holders give the same rod holding capability as normal rod holders but without the additional surrounding space required (and without the need for the holder, three brass inserts, and three stainless machine screws, you would assume cheaper..), it will be interesting if we see these replacing traditional rod holders in the future or not… In addition to the two new moulded in rod holders we also see two more traditional rod holders and a threaded hole for a safety flag.

On the front wall of the rear well we find a small five inch hatch, this gives you access to the inside of the hull so you can fit the battery for your electronics.

The rear well is the same physical size as the Ultra 4.7 well so will also accept the roto-moulded Ocean Kayak Ice Box which has proven to be very popular with the Ultra 4.7 owners. Whilst the the live bait well from the Ultra 4.7 has been lost if you are a keen live bait fisherman then all is not lost as there will be a live bait tank available as an option which will fit in the rear well (of course you won’t be able to use the live bait tank and ice box at the same time…). The bottom of the rear well has been reworked too and now sports an additional center rear scupper.

Moving right to the rear of the kayak we find the single solid handle, the standard Ocean Kayak rudder moulding and fitting inserts. We also AT LAST have a rear flag mounting point, one either side so you can choose which side you want to or you could use one for an aerial mount too if you wished.

Ok that’s us finished with the top, underneath it’s pretty much the same hull as the Ultra 4.7 except for a couple of points, it’s of course shorter but actually not by that much as they have extended the keel slightly out the back to aid with tracking and waterline length, the last change is the transducer scupper, this has been very heavily reworked, it’s now a little bigger with the intention to give people more options when it comes to fitting transducers.

I’m here at the boat show with the boys from Johnson Outdoors, including the kayak designer himself Regan Ashton, and they are waiting to answer any questions you wish to fire at them through the forum, so post away boys! Let me know if you wanna see photos etc of particular parts too.

If you want to come down and see the new kayak in the plastic head to the boat show, and make your way to Hall 5

Cheers, Mental

To ask questions or to see the discussion take a look in the forum here > Ocean Kayak Prowler Ultra 4.3

It is also possible that there may be some minor variations from these drawings to the final production kayak.

Features retained from Prowler Ultra 4.7

Width
Icebox recess
Rod tube can be fitted, but area made larger to fit 5” hatch or gun bag
Solid handles, front rear and side
Skid plate (modified to reduce drag)

Changes from the Prowler Ultra 4.7

Hull
400 mm shorter
Stream lined side scan transducer scupper (reduce drag)
Hard chines rounded (reduce drag)
Water line increased at tail (increase speed and better tracking)
Transducer will accept hummingbird and lowrance transducer with out modification to transducer.
It is also big enough to fit most popular other brands

Rear tank well
3 scupper for better drainage
Hatch on front wall to access area under seat (primary for batteries to be store at centre of boat, access for running electronics)
Out board mounting point deepened so extra rod holders can be fitted
Moulded in Rod holders behind seat
Recess and saddle in front of rear tank well for holding anchor
Optional live bait tank will fit into this recess (idea stage only)

Seat
Same seat height as in 4.7
Clip in large foam seat pad, negative recess, Velcro and inserted bolt lock into place.
Optional 4inch hatch area in front of seat, (mainly access for fitting electronics), gulp container fits in 2nd recess
Please note, fixed seat back is still in development and testing stage. It is not shown on the drawing but will be on final boat.

Cockpit area
Increased deck angle for quicker drainage
Foot bumps removed and foot track to be used
Paddle holder has been modified to help ease of use. Not shown in drawing
Side rod holders angled out more for better rod position for stationary fishing
Dash board area will have 3 steps at different angle (not shown) will allow up to 13 rod holder configurations
Latest dash board configuration not shown in drawing, the flat area now extends across the foot wells to allow more area for mounting accessories.
Access hole to transducer nut made bigger
Foot track recessed lower 5mm, so foot track does not protrude
Foot track recess allows foot tracks to be moved 50mm forward or back), will accommodate anglers 5” to 7”
Please note foot well Scupper holes are not as shown in the drawing, they are back in the front end of the foot wells
Click seal front Hatch
Cut out in centre hatch for larger hummingbird sounders
More flare leading up to cockpit

Center well
Perfectly matched to new ultra center hatch
21% more volume
5inch hatch will fit on front or rear wall
Recess for larger sounders
Angle of bottom has been changed so that foam can be locked between it and the hull
Rear wall angle change to make rod tube fit easier,
Square recess has been modified to fit standard fuse switch panel for running sounders, vhf, lights, bait pump, etc ( standard size panel, available from all chandlery shops)

Over all
Locked recessed deck fitting recess, (so the rdf do not spin)
Flare on cockpit lip to deflect water
Recess for gps antenna
Rear areas for flag holder
projected weight of 27kg complete max

I imagine this will be enough to generate some interest and some questions

I would like to thank all the members of the kayaking community who provided feed back and fresh ideas to make this happen.

Thanks
Regan Ashton
Johnson Outdoors Watercraft

And now for the pictures…

Discuss the new Prowler Ultra 4.3 in the forum, we also have the kayak designer himself answering questions as they come in, take a look here > http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4128

Read more and discuss in the forum > Click Here

Details from Viking Kayaks:

The New Viking Profish 400

Length 4.1m
Width 78cm
Weight 26kg

Features:
Large rear well
Centre well with polycarbonate cover and bait board
Flat accessory mounting area at the front of the cockpit
Recessed side carry slots
6x Flush rod holders
2x Access hatches
Transducer socket designed to accommodate multiple brands
Twin in-line stern handles
StarPort flag mount
Paddle parks
Ergonomically designed seating position
Full length keel strip and Viking stern for straight tracking

Colours:
Orange/Yellow
Green/Yellow

The Profish 400 is our “mid size” performance fishing kayak. It’s a lighter and more manageable option than the Profish 440, yet still retains most of the features Profish kayaks have become renown for such as multiple rod holder capability and centre well tackle storage. The sides of the Profish 400 have been scalloped for improved paddling efficiency and to allow smaller paddlers better paddle access to the water while maintaining full fishing stability. Twin in-line stern grab handles solve the problems of a two-person carry with the optional rudder fitted and a full load of fish. Molded grab points at the sides of the cockpit makes single carry a breeze. The totally re-engineered seating and adjustable foot rests provide incredible comfort for extended fishing sessions and have combined with the centre well, side scallops, and multiple rod holders to allow the Profish 400 to raise kayak ergonomics to a whole new level.

Choose the Profish 400 if you’re looking for an incredibly stable and comfortable mid-size fishing kayak with the latest features and the most practical and easy to use deck layout on the market.

More details & photos will be posted in the forum as the become available > Viking Profish 400

We have the new wheel ready and in stock. We intend to promote through our web site in December. Some NZ dealers already have these in stock. Also available at www.c-tug.com

Expect pricing to be around $22.50 each. The New Zealand made wheel is rated at 60kg. Tested to 120kg. The composite reinforced wheel is UV stabilised, half the weight of a pneumatic equivalent and looks great. Gives impressive performance on sand. The wheel has a rubber tire, of sorts. This was also tested to destruction. Overall, we are very pleased with the result. Oh, and most importantly, NO AIR REQUIRED !

]]> http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/new-c-tug-wheels/feed/ 4 http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/viking-espri-angler/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=viking-espri-angler http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/viking-espri-angler/#comments Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:33:02 +0000 Mental http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/?p=816 The all new Viking Espri Angler for the kayak fishing enthusiast

Comes standard with:
6 x flush mounted rod holders
3 x storage hatches
Starport base (to fit a safety flag)
Center hatch pot (for your lunch/hooks/softbaits etc.)
Deluxe Seat
Deluxe 2-piece composite paddle
Same specs as the standard Espri but with all the extras added!
Only available in Yellow

Specifications

Images

Ultimate Family Sit-on-top Single

The latest addition to our range. The hugely versatile Scrambler 11 is probably the ultimate family sit-on-top (single). Packed with features like solid lifting handles, provision for an oval storage hatch, storage bucket hatch to name a few. The perfect choice for the paddler who wants to surf a little, fish a little or just cruise around.

Specifications

Features

• 4 x Solid lifting handles (either end and both sides)
• Provision for an rubber oval hatch for below deck storage
• Paddle holder x 2
• Skid Plate/wear strip
• Large tank-well
• Rod holders x 2

Images

Outstanding 4m Fishing Kayak

The Prowler Elite 4.1 has all the features of the extremely popular Prowler 13 and then some. Exceptional tracking and almost no water slap. Even for the larger paddler this kayak is extremely stable even in rough conditions. It is a great all round boat that is nimble and easy to manage allowing you to get in amongst the rocks. This kayak handles the surf and surf re-entries with ease. The deck layout is ideal for adding all those extras.

Specifications

Features

• Transducer Scupper Hole
• 4 x Flush Mounted rod holders
• Solid side lifting handles
• Insert points for a Cannon Rod Holder, Running Rig and Well-Cover
• Wear Strip/Skid Plate

Images