I have been kayak fishing out of a Bonafide RS117 for a few years and love it.  However, I want to add a Pedal kayak to use on larger water and in windy conditions.  I'm tore between the Bonafide P127 and the Native Salyer max 12.5.  I know they both use the same pedal drive and are close to the same size, weight, and price.  however, I haven't seen and direct comparison posts or videos on the two and don't have a dealer within 4 hours of me that has both to be able to look at side by side.  Any thoughts and opinions would help.  

Thank you.

i'm a Hobie guy, but my friends float on Natives.  

 

i haven't really investigated, but i seem to think their feet are always kinda wet.  the scuppers dont drain water all that fast.  maybe it is an upsurge from them running motors.  dunno.  they love them, and they stand up with way less "grunt" than i do.  

 

you're in a good place.  so many good and interesting kayaks out there.  

Going to be that guy and throw another into your consideration.

 

Look at the Wilderness Systems Recon 120HD. I owned the non HD model and it is an incredibly stable and dry boat. The biggest plus in my book is their rod storage. I hate storing rods vertical and the horizontal storage on the Recon worked great and allowed me to carry 6-8 rods comfortably. The chair was also very comfortable. Was a bit big to paddle all the time but it would be nice in the pedal verson...I was cheap and paid for it.  

They are pretty comparable to each other but the max has a 360 swivel seat on it.

19 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i'm a Hobie guy, but my friends float on Natives.  

 

i haven't really investigated, but i seem to think their feet are always kinda wet.  the scuppers dont drain water all that fast.  maybe it is an upsurge from them running motors.  dunno.  they love them, and they stand up with way less "grunt" than i do.  

 

you're in a good place.  so many good and interesting kayaks out there.  

I'm a Hobie guy too, but had a Native as my first kayak (Titan 12) and they're definitely a wet ride. Would always have water in the cockpit, and I didn't have a motor. 

Whatever you buy, I would make sure that you can easily put a motor on it in the future. Ideally it could handle either a trolling motor with spot lock on the bow or a drive motor on the stern. 

 

Even if right now you are 100% against adding a motor, give yourself that option in the future. Your wallet will thank you.

I appreciate all the feedback.  Both kayaks are motor capable.  No current intention on adding one but always nice to have the option.   I ruled out the wilderness systems kayaks just because the pedal drive itself. And the hobie due too no instant reverse and the price.    The pivot seat on the native might give it a bit of an edge. It may come down to availability in my area.   Right now I can get the bonafide in the color I want but the slayer is not available until June. I’m not really in a big hurry though. Still not sure. 

3 hours ago, Bill Blanford said:

I appreciate all the feedback.  Both kayaks are motor capable.  No current intention on adding one but always nice to have the option.   I ruled out the wilderness systems kayaks just because the pedal drive itself. And the hobie due too no instant reverse and the price.    The pivot seat on the native might give it a bit of an edge. It may come down to availability in my area.   Right now I can get the bonafide in the color I want but the slayer is not available until June. I’m not really in a big hurry though. Still not sure. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t say why I went Hobie.  Pedal power!   The mirage drive IMHO has the most propulsion.  True story:  wind and the tides were both against me coming back to the launch.  I just trudged onward.  I passed a dude in a Native making zero progress.  I don’t know if he was panicking, but he wasn’t happy.  His prop drive didn’t have enough umph to overcome bothe the tidal movement and the wind.  He threw me a rope and I pulled him in. 
 

I’ve seen this happen to Blanchard on a video and his Hobie friend pulled him in as well. 
 

big waters w wind and currents, like the Pacific Ocean?   Hobie.  I can and have learned how to manage the reverse seamlessly.  

12 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 I can and have learned how to manage the reverse seamlessly.  

I've always wondered how people handled not having instant reverse.

 

My second kayak is a Seastream Angler 120 pedal drive with the prop for propulsion and instant reverse. What I liked about it is that I could jog the pedals back and forth and bump the rudder to do a decent job of staying in one spot. It was my "manual spot lock."

 

How do anglers without instant reverse sit in one spot and pick it apart?

I have a Hobie Outback for five years and love it.  I have a small car, and no space for a large peddle drive.  The small easy to store and install Hobie drive system works well for me.  At first I was a little frustrated with having to pull a cord to go in reverse, but now it is second nature and I don't even think about it.  I use my Outback in both fresh and salt water, and am able to launch it in moderate surf on the beach.  I can peddle all day at 3 MPH without getting tired, I'm not sure if I get more speed than a standard peddle drive system, but I'm sure I get more low end power when fighting strong current or headwinds.

 

Until last week I would be nothing but positive when asked about a Hobie.  Now I do have a major complaint.  The reverse broke on my drive last weekend costing me a DD bass and a whole day of fishing.  The problem would be simple if I could easily install the spectra line that shifts the drive in to reverse.  It was the only thing that broke.  I called a couple of Hobie dealers that are certified for repairs, and they both said I had to buy a new spine.  It ends up the new spine is $400 and about half of the entire drive.  I asked one of the technicians why I couldn't simply replace the line, and he said go ahead and give it a try, but he didn't think I would be succesfull.  He told me it was possible to replace it in his shop, but it takes so such much time that it is less expensive to by the new spine.  I looked on You Tube for a video for this repair, and did find many videos to repair or replace other Hobie parts, but there were none for replacing the spectra shift cord.

 

My local Hobie dealer in Puerto Vallarta that sold me the kayak does not handle do any repair work.  I have learned that this is a common failure if you use are constantly using the reverse, and that replacing the $400 spine is not a rare occurrence.  

 

I would probably still buy another Hobie, if I lived near a dealer that also handled warranty and repairs.  Having to order an expensive part, find someone to bring it to me, and have to change out the part myself is not what I paid top dollar for.

 

When the Hobie drive works, I believe it is the best drive system available.  Sure there is no instant reverse, but a quick pull of a cord is not a disadvatage after a little practice.  Not having quality service, and parts that are known to fail, is a big minus for me.

 

I will continue to use my Outback, and hope I don't have anymore problems.  With a little luck I will get another 5 good years of service.  When I do go to replace it with a new kayak, I will research other manufactures products before I buy.  Two weeks ago, I would not have even considered looking at another manufactures kayaks, but $400 for a part has me wondering if my loyalty is not deserved.

 

 

Native Bonafide and Old Town are my only considerations if I were buying a new kayak. Nucanoes are good but for some reason I don't like the way they feel for me. Best advice I can give is to try out as many brands as you can and see what you may like best.

20 hours ago, IYAOYAS said:

Native Bonafide and Old Town are my only considerations if I were buying a new kayak. Nucanoes are good but for some reason I don't like the way they feel for me. Best advice I can give is to try out as many brands as you can and see what you may like best.

I agree. I like the nucanoe but something about sitting in one didn’t feel comfortable.   I originally considered the old town big water 132 but much prefer the propel drive in the bonafide and native.