This is a running rig for an Ocean Kayak Ultra 4.7, they are also available for the Prowler 13 and 4.5 and I’m sure they could be adjusted/made for other makes and models

What you get:

Ready assembled running rig
Two stainless steel saddles
Four 5mm screws

Fitting is pretty simple thanks to the brass inserts that are moulded into all the Ocean Kayak Prowlers

The bow

Saddle fitted

The stern

Saddle fitted

Once the saddles are fitted it’s a simple matter of undoing the quick link, slipping it over the saddle, and closing the quick link again

Repeat at the other end

All fitted, yep that’s how easy it is!

So now a bit about the business end, the clip to your anchor or drogue, one of the differences between this and the standard Ocean Kayak one I had is the attachment system employed, in the old one it was another quick link, it’s been great very robust, never jammed up on me but it doesn’t lend itself to a quick release. You may need to release your anchor/drogue in a hurry one day, got a big fish on, need to move yourself in a hurry, etc this is where the Rob Fort one is better, it uses a simple spring loaded swivel clip, looks quite small but it’s very solid so should pack the strength needed, and the bonus of the clip is it’s also a swivel great for those times your drogue twists in the current and swell, no more twisted half closed drogue!

You’ll also see the Rob Fort one is using 6mm braided rope as opposed to my old 4mm one, not sure it needs to be 6mm but it does run through the 6mm pulleys smoother, only down side is the knots of course are bigger…

So that was it, not a huge job but a running rig is a must have on your kayak so here’s another option.

You can order them from Rob Fort via his website, or I think you can drop in and see him just outside Coromandel Town, his website is:www.kayakadventures.co.nz

The running anchor used is this one RFX Running Anchor System Prowler Ultra and retails for $79.00

Cheers, Mental

I’m not going to review the camera. Ask Mr Google for that but pictures and spec can be found here http://www.dpreview.com/

I wanted a camera that was small, could handle the kayak environment (eg very tough), easy to use and take a good picture. The FT1 does this and more.

Another feature I was prepared to pay a little more for was the the ability to shoot HD(720p) movies in AVCHD Lite format.

The camera has a very solid feel to it and is well constructed. I’m struggling to say anything bad about it but the zoom side and the shutter button are a little close together and a couple of times I’ve accidentally taken a picture when I was trying to frame a shot. No big deal.

I purchased a small Lowepro bag which fits the camera perfectly. I wear the camera on my right PFD strap so it sits up by my collar bone. Out of the way but really handy.

Camera can be seen here. (also another chance to post a good fish photo!)

This photo was not taken by my camera by the way. New2yaking took it with his.

One thing you need if you want to take movies is a large SD memory card. The camera will take up to a 32Gb card but they are $$$. I got a 16Gb one which was still a significant cost on top of the camera so include the card in any price/budget decisions. I think the camera currently sells for around the $550 – $600 mark. Not the cheapest in the lineup of these types of cameras but my previous camera was a Panasonic Lumix so I stuck with the brand.

I’m still amazed at the quality of photos given the physical size of the lens. (another plus, it has an internally focusing lens so no bits stick out when you zoom.) Have a look at any of my posts with pics from the last few months to get an idea.

In summary, a great camera that will handle the yak environment. (except don’t drop it as it doesn’t float!). Recommended.

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http://www.solarlightcap.com/SLC_KayakWork-email.pdf

I didn’t start out intending to buy this hat. I was after a legionnaires style cap, in bright orange, in a light waterproof fabric. I just happened to come across this unit for $50 as a clearance item.

Control of the light is achieved with just one button. Functions include on/off, dimmer, and three flashing modes. In terms of the actual hat the visor is fairly substantial stiff black rubber. There is an elastic adjustable head strap with a reflective strip, and there is a loop to attach a keeper of some kind. The legionnaires flap wraps right around the neck, and overlaps with two plastic snap domes to secure. In this position it covers your mouth, nose and cheeks. You can also tie the flap into a ‘ponytail’ at the back using the elastic strap, or you can snap together with the flap overlapped behind you to shade forehead, neck and ears

Charging of the unit is achieved by storing it somewhere it can get direct sunlight. A full charge from empty requires several days. Some charging is also achieved in ambient light levels. I just keep my hat on a shelf where it gets a bit of direct sun each day. It has never gone flat on me.

In terms of it functionality as a light source I find it really useful for doing things on the yak, or gearing up in the dark. On full brightness it is strong enough to walk around with in complete darkness. On its dullest setting, it provides enough light to work with tackle, unhook fish and the battery will last for many hours. I tend to leave it on the lowest setting the whole time. This is not a long range light and I still carry a bigger light for distance work, signalling or surf crossings.

The one button operability is very useful. A single press turns it on/off, press and hold activates the dimmer and “double-click’ cycles through the various flasher patterns including SOS. I personally don’t see the flashing functions as very useful, as the LEDs are not that powerful. Seems to be very waterproof though I have yet to fully dunk it.

In terms of wearability, the visor feels a little heavy, but adjusting the strap properly relieves that sensation. It has not bothered my neck in anyway. The fabric is very light, semi-perforated and breathable, but also blocks the sun effectively. It does not hold water, and dries quickly. The fabric that covers your head is unstiffened so feels soft to wear.

If you fully close the legionnaire flap then it traps a bit of heat on a still hot day. I tend clip it at the back unless windy. The heat trapping is a good thing for night fishing. The keeper loop is very handy, and I clip mine onto my PFD with one of those neck lanyards you get at conferences.

The hat is very visible, with orange day-glow on the wearers head it conforms with Maritime NZ advice to highlight your highest points. The silver reflective strip works well too, although not as well as SOLAS tape, more like the silver piping you tend to find on cycling gear.

All round I give this product a high rating. Its is a versatile, visible, sunsmart hat, and the built in light function is extremely useful. A clever comfortable and convenient piece of kit that you can wear all day and night. I haven’t had it for a long time, so durability remains to be proved. My only other caveat would be that you still need a torch or headlamp for longer range work. 8/10

Review by MikeAqua

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PRICE – RRP typically in the $120 – $130 range

WHERE TO GET ONE – Most sports/outdoor stores

PRO’s - Light (no pun intended), discrete, well balanced, water resistant, variable light intensity with infinite dimmer, variable beam from flood to spot. Brighter than my 3x D cell maglight with a spotlight beam that seems to be capable of starting fires! In my normal operation I find the dimmest setting is on a par with my other LED headlamp and is more than adequate for general use.

CON’s – Not waterproof, but would suit most kayaking conditions except rain or a dunking. The 3x AAA’s would have been better as AA’s for longer life

SUMMARY – I went into the store to evaluate this beastie on behalf of a friend who wanted to use it for floundering. As soon as I saw the performance, I bought one on the spot. I have since used it on search and rescue operations and night abseils and has been examined and commented on favourably by those peer groups. I honestly think you’ll want one too as soon as you see the punch this thing packs.

Cheers
HLD

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PRICE – $140ish

WHERE TO GET ONE – Tag-It, Silverdale Auckland. http://www.fishingdirectnz.co.nz/

PRO’s - Sturdy construction which looks and feels built to last, Built in self draining Drogue pocket, good padded insulated top side, sits well in the back of the prowler and is flush with the top of the Kayak, keeps any mess and blood in and stops you from inviting unwanted friends along for a feast, you can fill it with salt ice for long days in the hot sun, looks cool

CON’s- I have the shorter one so it could be longer to take up the whole well, Tag-It have addressed this and a longer one is now available,The zip only opens across the front and down the right hand side, meaning you cant put fish in from the left, this isn’t a huge issue as most people land on the right, but I do land on the left so meant I had to adjust my style, mine doesn’t have a tag in the back for a stringer attachment, however again I believe Tag-It have addressed this and this now appears on all their bags.

Summary - If your in the market for somewhere to store your fish, you cant go past the Tag-it fish bag range, there are now several sizes avalible for different kayaks, and for a little more than the cost of a well cover the benefits are huge.

If you have any questions or think I have left something out please let me know.

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PRICE – Unknown as not officially released here yet

WHERE TO GET ONE - I haven’t seen them for sale as yet, however know that Top Catch is looking to stock them soon.

PRO’s – The Net mouth is wide enough to fit some decent fish, and the net is deep enough to hold them there, The No Snag system is really good and I haven’t had a hook or fish spike tangle in it yet (touch wood), the handle is padded and feels comfortable in the hand with a cushioned grip, It also has a built in retractable bungy cord leash that tucks itself into the handle, the mouth of the net has a built in float so you don’t loose it if it ends up in the drink.

CON’s- Leash could be a little longer, however then it probably wouldn’t sit as nicely in the handle, handle for me could be a little longer, but a longer handle wouldn’t suit everyone.

Summary – A good net, well suited to kayaking, it stows nicely behind my seat on top of my Tag-It Bag.
if you net your fish of a yak, then this net is for you.

If anyone has any comments or would like me to add anything please let me know.

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Size is everything, normally sea anchors are sold on the length of your boat equation, big long boat equals big sea anchor, small tinny needs a little sea anchor, so therefore when kayak fishing first started the standard isue was a little sea anchor that would normally be used for a 12 foot dingy. The problem we have on a kayak is that we have very little water resistance but a big wind resiatance, therefore we get blown around very easily, much more so than a 12 foot row boat, so we actually need a BIG sea anchor…

The second difference we have in a kayak is that we want the sea anchor to be on or near the surface at all times, what we do not want is the sea anchor sinking and going down deep and a nice big swell come through, if it does the sea anchor will simply pull the kayak down and you will very quickly find yourself in the drink, of course with all the buoyancy a boat comes with it’s not an issue for the boats. Thankfully the is a very simple solution to this problem, attach a float to your sea anchor…

So with the “why’s” covered lets look at the “how” with the Tagit Kayak Sea Anchor, this product has been designed for the kayaker, it’s a good size anchor for us, with this anchor you will be slowed down sufficiently in most safe wind speeds we venture out in. Secondly it has a built in float strip which runs along the full length of the anchor itself, this keeps the anchor up on the surface all the time.

The anchor is made from a canvas material that looks to be coated with a PVC on the inside, it has good thick webbing straps running back to a stainless D ring for you to connect the anchor to your running rig or other anchor system on your kayak.

This is another good kayak focused product from Tagit, locally made here in New Zealand and very reasonably priced – Take a look at their website – www.FishingDirectNZ.co.nz – or have a look for their products at your local tackle shop.

Other reasons include;

• It’s bright, helps me to be seen on the water and that’s always a good thing
• It’s comfortable, needs to be when I’m spending six hours or more on the water at any one time
• The baja back, this simply means the lower half of the back section has thinner foam in it which means your seat it’s pushing your forward all the time
• All the storage
• Oh and did I mention all the pockets..?

So what do I keep in those pockets? Well to start I don’t keep any fishing tackle in them, I keep the things that a) I need with me and b) the things I don’t need all the time, those things are kept in the kayak, I don’t want to be continunally opening and closing zips…

Large front right pocket

• PLB (Personal Locator Beacon – same as an EPIRB), I should NEVER need this but if i do it MUST be with me and not the kayak…
• VHF Radio – my Uniden Voyager lives in here, always switched on scanning channel 16, 8 and the local Coastguard channel
• Whistle No.1

Large left pocket

• Mobile phone – my semi waterproof mobile phone lives in here, use it for TXTing while on the water if there is coverage
• Camera – my Olympus 790SW lives in here – has to be the best range of cameras for kayaers, fully waterproof without any bulky covers etc
• Whistle No.2

Small top right pocket

• Emergency knife – small stainless steel knife in case of trouble – not for cutting braid and mono…

All other pockets, distributed throughout the other pockets will be

• Balance Energy Gel packs – to keep me going, these are just tubes of not bad tasting gel for carbs replacement
• Mini Mars or Moro bars – for that instance sugar fix while paddling
• Museli bars, good for a quick feed

Cheers, Jason

Sells for around $350 at a range of marine electronics retailers but of course you may find it on special from time to time, I’ve seen it under $320 at times.

You should always carry a means of communication while out on the water, yes you can take your cellphone but lets be honest how many phones work when they get wet…

I like to carry my VHF on me in my PFD pocket rather than fixed to the kayak, if I need to make a distress call to the Coastguard that probably means things have turned very bad and if it’s that bad I’m probably not with my kayak…

I see the VHF as an essential piece of equipment, we all need a way of raising the alarm if needed…

Cheers, Jason