picked one of these up last year when they were the only manufacturer with material to build. I've had an issue or two with the cable coming off the drive loop other than that it been a great boat will start fishing the kayak tournaments out of it this year once the thaw comes
I am definitely going to make an effort. Unless 3 Waters give me a Big Fish 108 it will be hard to review. I can’t possibly buy all the kayaks viewers request for review. I am very interested in that kayak though. I really liked it at iCAST 2019. If viewers ask 3 Waters to send KayakDIY a unit for review they likely will. The power is in you as viewers. I will try to send some emails and see what I can arrange though. RU-vid expenses are high. Appreciate the request and thanks for stopping by the channel! 😊
The price point on this kayak is really nice. I would personally want turbo fins for the type of water I fish. How do you think this will handle a surf launch?
Pretty sure I can upgrade these fins to Turbo style fins like Hobie. Heck maybe could entirely swap over to a Hobie drive with some slight modifications. I will probably play with that for fun. Although to me it isn’t completely necessary. I do think with Turbo fins this kayak would fly. It is a more efficient hull to propel than many other pedal kayaks I have tested. I’m also going to play with Bixpy on it. Bixpy motor and this Strike kayak cost together cost less than many Hobie kayaks. I definitely would paddle out to get through most surf. I don’t use pedal drives much in surf. Just personal preference. I would say this kayak can certainly get through surf. My friend Robert Field uses his all the time in Panama. They mothership them from Pangas quite a bit, but he gets into some pretty nasty waters with his. I trust his content and reviews. From my tests I don’t believe the Strike to be the most idea hull design for surf launches, but definitely think it is possible for many to surf launch. To me kayaks with similar hull design to the Hobie Revolution are the best at cutting through surf efficiently. Wider tri-hull boats like Hobie PA/Titan/and Bonafide seem to all struggle with surf launches in comparison to long narrow less aggressive tri-hulls. Those wider tri-hull kayaks get picked up and thrown by the surf more rather than cut through. Also ideally I like a bit of rocker/freeboard in the bow. Wish I had the funds to design the ideal ultimate surf launch pedal kayak. However, the kayaks that are best at surf launching are typically not great at standing from. I do a lot of sight fishing on flats. So one kayak can’t do it all well. The earlier model Outback seemed to be a great balance of surf launch capability and stability for standing. The newer Hobie Outback is ok, but doesn’t seem to surf launch as well as its predecessor.
@@KayakDIY The Lightning handles surf launches pretty well. Los Buzos in Panama has a couple they use down there. As you said there are mother-ship trips from the Panga, but most of the launches are from the surf. The Hobie drive locks in just as the Freedom drive does without any modification. To add ST fins to the Freedom drive you just remove the split rings, pull the pins and slide the Freedom fins off. The shaft is the same size for both. For the ST Turbo you just need to replace the Freedom shafts with the longer Turbo fin shafts and slide on the Turbo fins. I've told Lightning they need to extend the nose another 12 inches so it cuts through waves a little better, plus the added length will handle the Pacific North West better.
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I have a guestion. I will use a kayak offshore in Redondo beach. In 3 kayak Strike HD, Hobie Compass, Passport which will be good for me. I like light kayak, but worrying safety in offshore. Please recommend. Thanks.
Russell Walsh yes, but it does it better than many Hobies. It has a recessed underside so fins fit up into the hull. This makes it capable of going in really shallow water.
I would love to test it and review it. Joshua Thomas is the owner of Vibe and avid angler. He built that kayak out of desire to meet his fishing needs. It looked like a nice hull design. I imagine it will perform pretty dang well with their fin based pedal drive. Not sure how the stability will be compared to the Lightning Strike. I know they advertised the standing platform on the back of the seat which means they must feel it is stable enough. *If you want KayakDIY to review it and answer all your questions then send Vibe a message at their Facebook page. Viewers speak louder than emails by me:* facebook.com/vibekayaks/
Probably a silly question but Can you fit a 180 in that slot ?? I need reverse I want the bf108 but I would prefer a hobie style drive. This does meet in the middle very well
Thanks for a great review. I am looking to upgrade to a peddle kayak, and like a lot about this one (especially that it is made in the USA). Overall, what do you think about the stability of this boat? I'm 6'2" and about 250lbs, so stability is important to me. I'd like to be able to stand up and fish in this yak if I can (something I cannot do in my current 13' Native paddle kayak).
Hi! I love your channel! I wanted to ask you if you had to choose between this kayak and the Vibe shearwater 125 which one would you choose? Thank you! Greetings from Argentina
That is a difficult choice. Vibe boasts more features. However, Lightning Kayak is built in the USA and has a bit higher quality feel. Although for “Chinese made kayaks” Vibe produces the best quality control....and they definitely have made a lot of customers happy. I’m a bit partial to chose the Lightning Kayak. I’m trying not to be bias since I had the kayak provided to me free for review testing (take that into consideration...I’m trying not to have that make me bias). I just know many serious anglers on the Lightning Kayak and it has developed my trust in the product. The Shearwater is awesome looking but still too new and I’m not sure how it will do in larger bodies of water or if all those little add-on features will breakdown quickly over time. I do believe in both companies having excellent customer service. I just think for me I would buy the Lightning at this time due to my history and seeing how well it performs in a wide array of waters via my friends who have them. Neither is likely a bad choice. These are kind of anecdotal opinions of mine. Just look at what features are most important to you and which kayak fits that the most. Both kayaks are getting praised on social media. Both companies are great. Prices are similar. The other question will be which kayak delivers to Argentina.
@@KayakDIY Hi! Thank you very much for your attention, I did not know that vibe was a Chinese product. In Chile for example they are making the copy of the Hobie Outback and they nicknamed it Cavancha ... it is not the same but it is quite good although the price is still somewhat high 1,500 dollars
Totally depends on situation. If i was in grass or shallows a lot I would want flippers. If i was anywhere else I love the propeller systems. My favorite budget flipper style pedal kayak is Lightning Kayaks. My favorite pedal propeller kayak is Old Town PDL series or Ocean Kayak PDL series. Also, just so you know what kind of company you would be supporting. Lightning kayaks has put their self interests aside and are manufacturing face shields for health care workers. They are literally my heroes. They are sending me some so my team at the hospital can provide care to COVID patients. I’m a vascular nurse and a youtuber. 😉
Can you purchase turbo fins for these drives? I seen Aliex try the Hobie but seemed to hang up and sit lower from the hull. If they offer a turbo version this would definitely be a huge thumbs up.
Nothing is “OFFICIALLY” released for fin upgrades on the Strike. However, I’m pretty dang confident I could find ways to upgrade the fins or at the very least modify a Hobie drive slightly. Honestly, it isn’t that slow. It pedals very nice and minimal effort gets pretty dang good speeds. Just slightly slower than new Hobies . The kayak cuts through the water beautifully and arguably better than some higher priced pedal kayaks. I like how easy it paddles too. I would buy one if I was in the market for a pedal kayak under $2000. It is very well made. Equally as well made as Hobies I have owned if not better in some aspects. I like their hatch gaskets. They really did a good job sealing up the boat. Some of the screws that hold the rudder controls even appear to have tiny o-rings. That is the kind of attention to detail that tells me this kayak is a premium kayak at a budget price. The kayak was provided to me for review just like many kayaks on my channel. I do however believe I was honest and non-bias in my review. I can equally profit from any brand of kayak on the market so I have absolutely no incentive to push one brand over the other. 🙂
@@KayakDIY that was great input and this will be on my mind next purchase. I've always had Hobie and dont get me wrong they always seem to have that bling on new products but man they are pricey.
Great review on this and the Riot Mako 10 and 12. Have you seen the Enjoy Bay 12 Convertible? It has an option to be purchased with a trolling, pedal drive or both. Just wondered what your thoughts were with the motor?? Great content....new sub from Tampa!
I can definitely look into it. I think it would be possible to take these fins off and put Hobie Turbo fins on. I have access to tons of Hobie pedal drives to also test fit. I’m going to be trying a few things with this pedal drive. Stay tuned. I got a lot of projects on the table, but I’m super excited to play around with this kayak. I love so many of the design features. I’m very happy with the kayak and speed for the money. I think the Strike has a very efficient hull design that paddles and pedals very well through the water. The kayak is built incredibly well and is of equal quality to Hobie in my opinion. Seat is slightly less fancy and bit lower quality than Hobie but everything else is equal to Hobie quality if not BETTER! The kayak for one uses high quality 3M gasket seals on their hatches to keep water from leaking in.
@@KayakDIY I am getting ready to purchase the Strike HD and am very grateful for the few videos out there on this boat. I was recently in a car accident so I think my heavy paddling days are over and I like the price point and bang for the buck with this yak! Thanks and I look forward to more videos on this boat.
What's your thoughts on the seat? Seems even in the high position it sits low. Is there any way of modifying the seat to make it sit higher? I think Vibe Shearwater 125 has the best seat in the industry, sits high. 6 positions and can purchase the platform to stand on.
I’ve never honestly thought about it. It always felt high enough for me. However, now that you say it I will agree it isn’t quite as high as some fishing kayaks. Enough space under seat to put large Plano tackle box. That is all I cared about.
@@KayakDIY right on. I imagine you can modify it a bit to sit higher. I wish they would've put a lightning bolt logo on the seat. It might be one of the kayaks I purchase soon. I heard there is a delay now on the vibe shearwater from Aliex.
Just make sure u can still use the rudder handle and can still reach the fun peddles. Use strong L brackets. I used cheap ones and they bent and had to get stronger ones
Can’t decide if i want to go with this vs a hobie compass or an older used hobie outback. I like the hatch and i plan on using it in saltwater and going relatively long distances inshore
It should be fine for that purpose. I use my kayaks 90% of the time in saltwater. My backyard is saltwater. I just did some inshore fishing via the Strike and did well. My friend Robert Field does a lot offshore fishing in Panama via the Strike. It is a solid kayak and well made.
Far from cheap. Actually built just as well as any Hobie I have purchased. In fact in many respects it is better. Only thing slightly cheaper is the seat compared to Hobie.
@@ShinyHunterGojia There are definitely individuals out there who've spent several grand on Pro Angler setups 5-10 years ago, and anything they see in that $1500-2000 bracket, they automatically assume is junk, just because they have been completely out of touch with the market. Heck, just a decade ago, we were paying almost a grand each for bare bones, recreational sit-in 12' Old Town Vapor kayaks. Today you can get a 10' Top Water for that price. The industry has come so far in such a short time. The 2010's of kayaking reminds me of the 90's/00's of mountain biking. Kayaking is in a Renaissance right now and it's as good as ever.
