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

These daily packages are designed to appeal to the keen kayak fisher, or the novice who is keen to expand their skills. Each worth a total of $3000, these highly spec’d Viking Kayak packages include everything needed for a successful day’s kayak fishing.

The prize packages will consist of a Viking Profish 400 kayak, a deluxe paddle, deluxe seat, rudder system and insulated fish well cover. They will also have fitted: two Scotty rod holders, complete with stainless steel rod leashes; a fish stringer; a running rig and drift chute and a stainless steel paddle leash. A safety flag, a Hutchwilco personal flotation device and a C-Tug kayak trolley are also part of each daily prize package.

The winners of the Viking Kayak packages will be drawn at the end of each of the four days of the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show.

All those who purchase a ticket to this year’s Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, either at the gate or in advance through the show website (www.boatshow.co.nz) will be eligible to enter the draw for both the Extreme/Yamaha gate prize package and the daily Viking Kayak packages.

Visitors to the show simply need to visit all the clearly-marked stamping booths, collect all the stamps on their admission ticket, answer a couple of simple questions and place their completed entries in the gate prize entry boxes in Hall 5.

The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show is New Zealand’s longest-running, largest boat show. It is held at the ASB Showgrounds, in Greenlane Auckland and is on May 12-15, 2011. Hours are 10am until 6pm daily, with a single late night, on Friday May 13, when the show will be open until 9pm

I recently met up with the NZ importer of the Buff products and got talking to him about how I used my Buff, and whilst the Visor Buff worked apparently one of the newer High UV Angler Buffs would suit my use better, so here is my new Buff: (of course I had to pick a fishy one)

And again it’s proved it’s worth, not sure if there is but it feels like there is a difference between the two materials used between my old Visor Buff and this new High UV Angler Buff, the new one feels thicker and seems to wick more moisture away from me better but may be I’m imagining that…

Dropping the visor does seem to make it easier to wear, I did ask if I could just cut the visor off my old Buff and the answer was yes and it won’t unravel (apparently – I haven’t done it).

Buffs aren’t cheap but it’s one of those products I’ve paid my money for and got it or more back from, I like it early in the morning for keeping the cool air off me as I paddle out to the spot and in the day for keeping the sun off. I recently on my last Barrier trip purposely didn’t wear any sunscreen and just used the Buff for keeping the sun off my face and neck and I’m glad (very glad) to say it was a success, well nearly… I did get burnt on the sides of my head, the little bit of skin in the area between my cap, sunnies, and the Buff so yes you do still need some sunscreen but at lest one bottle should now last me all summer instead of the multiple bottles I normally use during the course of a summers fishing!

Discuss this review and Buffs in the forum > Click Here

Newsletter March 2011

Angler High UV Buff

BUFF® Headwear keeps anglers protected longer. So go ahead; just one more cast!

BUFF® Headwear guards against flying rain drops and cuts wind noise, wicks moisture, prevents insect bites, absorbs glare, protects skin from sun damage and is highly breathable.

• UV Protection – Blocks more than 95% UV radiation
• Multifunctional – Absorbs glare, protects sking from insects, wind resistant, guards against flying water droplets, cuts wind and engine noise in moving boat
• Dries Fast, Breathable – COOLMAX(R) dries faster, wicks moisture
• Fresh in Action – Polygiene(R) technology prevents odor causing bacteria
• Size – One size fits all

H2O Hides

No more Davy Jones Locker for your expensive shades!

Manufactured from superior grade, high buoyancy, neoprene the hides™ H20 provides floatation for most sunglasses and eyewear. The hides™ H2Oalso converts into a floating protective case for your glasses when not in use.

Entry Form

Competition now closed – well done to winner Rory Martin aka Tightlines101 !

Terms and conditions

The promotion will end on 31st March 2011.
You may only enter once.
The winner will be drawn at random from all the valid entries received during March 2011.
Entries can only be made using the entry form on this page.
The winner will be notified by email after the prize draw is made.
The name of the prize winner will appear on the KayakFishingNZ.com website after the draw.
Prizes are not transferable. Decision on prize winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
All entrant’s contact details must be entered accurately and the prize draw question answered correctly to create a valid prize draw entry.
Employees of Out Wear Limited, Mental Limited, and their promotional agencies are excluded from entry.

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

A key feature of the Bamba is the large centre hatch in a separately moulded compartment for storing your gear and catch inside the hull. A 180cm fully rigged fishing rod fits into the compartment. The rear tank-well of the Bamba has a large load bay to fit a coolerbox, live bait bucket, dive cylinder or plastic crate.

Weight distribution on a kayak is vital and the ability to store catch both in front and back of the Bamba is a major benefit.

The deck has ample room for storing a gaff, net, game fish baton, tackle and lures within easy reach. 3 rod holders, 4 dry hatches and a variety of attachment points are standard. The two hatches behind the seat seal to dry/wet compartments. Leave in the plugs at the bottom, and you have two perfectly dry compartments. Take a plug out, and the water from the river/ocean/lake will fill about a third of the compartment, allowing you to keep live bait in there.

The sturdy, easily adjustable footrests are very comfortable to use. The Bamba tracks well without a rudder, and will initially only be offered without the rudder. A rudder option will be available in the near future.

A nifty little slot with bungee cord was added on the left side of the seat for storing the paddle when not needed. No more worrying about a loose paddle when you have your hands full with fish on the line.

Because of the low profile and low centre of gravity, the Bamba is not

much affected by choppy seas and winds, and given the paddler a comfortable and very stable ride. Although designed with the specialist fisherman in mind, the Bamba is an excellent all-rounder and can be used for various applications including touring, adventure and bird watching.

Specifications

Images

Video

4.3m total length with around a 4.2m water length, the keel is now much squarer as per the Ultra rather than the old Prowler 13 & 4.5.

Center hatch, it has the same flippy lid as the Prowler Ultra.

Center well, this has been tweaked, removed the “wall” inside the well and scallops are in the well wall to accommodate the fishfinder being stowed with the cover on.

Seat has been completely redesigned – a new innovation – hard to describe but it’s like a modular seat system, consists of a seat pad and a separate seat back, needs to be seen really, and if that doesn’t work for you you can still use a standard Ocean Kayak or after-market seat.

Front hatch – NO more neoprene hatch cover to fit – the cover it a fit a click system, something from the SiK market I believe, looks very easy to fit and remove, Johnsons have tested it in the surf, people standing on it etc they are very confident it’s water tight.

Speed – Design and modelling has the speed to be pretty close to that of the Ultra – i.e. much faster that the old Prowler 13… but has to be tested on the water of course.

Weight – the target weight for this kayak is 25kg! This is what the design, modelling, and experience is telling them but boats are yet to be moulded but hey even if it was a couple of kilos more than that I and I’m sure others would be very happy

Battery storage – under the seat, a hatch in the rear well will give access to under the seat where the battery can be stored, up to an 18Ah battery can be fitted in this area.

Electronics control system – the small indentation in the center well has been increased slightly in size to accept a standard marine control panel, so you can have control of your electronics, sounder, lights, live bait pumps etc etc.

Rod holders – six rod holders as standard with plenty of flat areas for more.

Rear well – the rear well is the same as the Prowler Ultra so can use the same ice box.

Handles – the new standard hard Ocean Kayak handles.

Stability – hull re-design has given more stability again over that of the Ultra with no increase in width.

That pretty much covers all the points I wrote down last week, Johnsons Outdoors are going to monitor this thread and answer any questions so ask away

We should see some pictures soon too

Check out the discussion about this kayak in the forum > here

Sounder Transducer Installation – Quick Guide
General Notes:

Check the sounder and transducer have been supplied complete, according to the parts list supplied with the unit.

Check the transducer supplied will physically fit the transducer socket in the hull of the kayak.

Make sure all power connections made during the installation are soldered, sealed, and protected with heat-shrink. Crimped connections are prone to failure in a wet environment.

Only use nickel/silver connectors (spade battery connections etc.). Aluminium and brass are prone to severe electrolysis.

To seal under cable covers (where cables pass through the hull) use only a good quality RTV Silicone sealant or Holdfast MS ALL adhesive sealant. Selly’s AllClear doesn’t set properly and gives a poor result.

Ensure the installation has a 1 – 3 amp fuse at the battery (some units are not supplied with fuse/fuse holders). This is required for warranty to remain valid.

Ensure the battery is only connected to the power lead just prior to use, and is immediately disconnected at the completion of the trip. This is to stop electrolysis damaging the power cable, especially if the sounder head unit is removed.

Transducer Installation Procedure:

1. Check all parts and tools are present.

2. Check the fit of the transducer in the socket in the hull of the kayak.

3. Modify the transducer mount bracket, allowing it to fit the socket with the transducer attached.

4. Add the M5 thread bar to the mount bracket to allow fastening of the transducer through the scupper.

5. Run the transducer lead up through the scupper and into the cockpit.

6. Install the transducer/mount in place and slide the packer down the thread bar from the cockpit, ensuring the transducer cable fits into the notch in the hard top part.

7. Press the packer tightly in place. This will centralise the mount and hold the transducer while sealing the scupper.

8. Seal above the packer using heavy beads of Holdfast MS ALL adhesive sealant.

9. Fit the top plate, ensuring the transducer cable runs out the gap provided.

10. Fit the washer and M5 Nyloc nut and tighten down till hand tight, ensuring the transducer is level in the socket in the hull of the kayak. There is no need to over-tighten as this will deform the top plate and may pull the transducer out of alignment.

11. Drill a hole in the side of the transducer well just large enough for the connector on the end of the cable to pass through.

12. Repeat in the front wall of the centre well.

13. Tape 1.5m of light wire to the connector on the cable and slide this in through the hole in the sounder well, angling towards the bow. This makes it easy to catch and draw the cable through the 100mm hatch in the centre well.

14. Remove the wire and rout the connector and cable through the hole drilled beside the hatch. Draw enough cable through to reach the planned sounder mount point and to also allow the centre cover to articulate properly.

15. Shorten the excess cable hanging out the 100mm hatch by halving, and then halving again etc, forming a tidy compact bundle that can be cable tied and placed back through the hatch into the kayak.

16. Use more MS ALL to fill the holes around the cables and to fill the inside of the cable covers, before screwing the covers in place.

17. Proceed with installing the sounder on the centre well cover, and the battery tray inside the centre well.

18. Leave for 24 hours for the adhesive sealant to set.

Photos

Photo 1
Parts required for mounting an Eagle or Lowrance transducer into a Viking Profish. Left to right: hardware to fit transducer to mount bracket, modified mount bracket, packer and top plate, M5 Nyloc nut and washer, cable covers and screws, fuse and fuse holder.

Photo 2
To modify the Eagle / Lowrance transducer mount bracket, remove the side flaps, drill 5mm hole in top strap, fit 80mm length of M5 thread-bar.

Photo 3
The mounting parts order starting from the transducer mount in the socket in the kayak hull: modified transducer mount, packer (centralises the mount and assists with fitting and waterproofing), top plate, washer, M5 Nyloc nut.

Photo 4
Correct orientation of the packer when inserted in the top of the scupper. Note the notch in the plastic for the transducer cable.

Photo 5
The transducer cable has been run up through the scupper and the mounted transducer fitted in place, with the packer wedged down from the top of the scupper (note the cable is in the notch to stop damage). The scupper is now made water tight by running a heavy bead of adhesive sealant around the outside of the packet, around the cable, and around the M5 thread-bar in the centre.

Photo 6
With the top plate fitted it’s now a matter of hand tightening the M5 Nyloc nut in place. Don’t over-tighten.

Photo 7
Example of a completed installation with the transducer cable passing through the side of the sounder well.

Photo 8
Example of a completed installation with the transducer cable (and white VHF antenna cable) emerging into the centre well.