FeelFree Nomad Angler (new shape for 2009)

[trickyrik]

My first kayak so can't really compare against anything else (apart from mates Frenzy)
I did a fair bit of reasearch with key requirements being - Suitable for fishing from, sub 3m (to fit in the car), light enough to carry single handed & durable

I was torn between this and the Mini X but being a bit of a cheap skate I went for the Nomad, as probably works out couple of hundred quid cheaper when including the seat.

Findings so far.....

Very Comfy with the FreelFree Delux seat
Plenty of room for 6 footer (The seating position in the frenzy is very narrow in comparison)
Good large central hatch with easy access from seat (previous version has 2 smaller hatches which were hard to reach). Able to fit more than enough tackle \ food etc in there.

Moulded in carry handles make carrying about easy for one person. For longer distance its fairly easy to balance and carry on the head. Does get bit painful after 1/4 of a mile though as I found out the other day !

Good soild built in mounting points for leg straps
Fittings and build construction look top rate - paddle park is handy

Paddles touch faster than the frenzy but doesn't track so easily, but with a good paddle stroke this is not such a problem.

I weight about 14 stone and a bit of water does get under the seat - so not a bone dry ride. Scupper plugs may fix this to some degree.

Seems to be as stable as the frenzy maybe very slightly less so and you would need to do something pretty drastic to fall out.
Getting in if you do fall out is straight forward from the side\front.

So far its handled all conditions easily from surf \ heavy chop \ 5 knot currents (the Swellies) and force 5 wind. also looking forward to surfing some big waves when I get the chance.

Its probably a long way off a serious fishing yak like the prowler etc, but for low fuss outings with just a spinning rod \ fly rod and small tackle box reckon its hard to beat.
Theres probably not much scope for addtional rod holders \ fish finders other mods etc as there isn't much flat deck space
Would like to fit an anchor system to it but not sure of best approach or if its worth doing on this Yak - i'll mess around with that idea later....
For trawling a forward rod holder would be handy but I get around this by jamming the rod between my leg and the leg strap, which works well enough.

Overall got to say i'm happy with it as are the kids who love playing around with it down at the beach, the only problem is I may have to get another one.....

[BUDDY]

Hi.
We used some Nomads on our demo day at Pyranha in Runcorn. We found them good fun, comfy,stable and easy to handle. We used them for the re-entry drills and had no problems.
As for not tracking, you can buy a skeg for the nomad. This will lmprove the tracking no end. Very good for touring but no good in surf. It fits and removes in seconds but you must make your mind up at the beginning of your trip as it cant be fit or removed while on the water.
Pyranah have these in the shop as a stock item.
Contact Kayaks north west for a price and tell them you are a member of NWKF
www.kayaksnorthwest.co.uk
Hope this helps.
Steve

[sherlock]

Like trickyrik the Nomad Sport is my first Kayak but I haven't had a chance to take it on the water yet (what happened to the summer? )

I wanted a kayak that I could have some fun in the surf and be able to fish off to as my skills improve.

The nomad just seemed to tick all the boxes also as I will no doubt have to manage loading and unloading the kayak on my own I didn't really want my first kayak to be to big a beast!









Great side handles which should aid me getting on top of my 4x4 also useful for securing kayak if I have to leave on the roof for any time




The storage on the back is quite small I need to have a shop around to see if I can find a small basket to fit in here


nice little storage hatch however I would have like to have seen it positioned a bit further forward as you seem to groping a bit between your legs to access it. There is also a bottle holder just in front of it which to be honest I would have removed I am personally thinking of finding a way to mount a fish finder here.

Like Trickyrik I also would like to mount an anchor trolley I may end up using the paddle holder as I starting point linking to the front handle to save drilling the hull.

I’m glad Trickyrik says that it is suitable for someone whose 6ft, I’m only 5^FT5” I find my legs are on the last but one foot rest which made me wonder how someone who’s taller would manage.


Ok so the nomad isn't the most expensive kayak or the biggest but I think its going to make a great first kayak especially if you want to have a bit of fun combined with some serious fishing

if you don't want to spend a fortune, on most websites there are 4 versions of the kayak listed however my dealer found that although they ordered the Angler version which has the comfort seat and 2 rod holders the rod holders aren't actually fitted by the manufacturer instead they are just sent to either let your dealer fit or to do yourself which is a bit of a bummer! and therefore you may wish to purchase a cheaper version and sort you own rod holders out and save some cash

I would just like to thank NWKF for a great site and great members to be honest I’ve learnt heaps already just from reading the posts while i waited the 6 weeks for my kayak to arrive i think they must have paddled it all the way from thailand ;D

[ZEBRA]

thats a great report sherlock

[crafty]

i too have this yak

i got it as my first yak this summer and have found it great.

I've been out in lots of different conditions and it coped with it all. i have even done some quite long trips 4+ miles and its ok. i'd like something longer if i was gonna try and go further.

its a great yak though, easy to handle on and off the water.

only blanked once so far. i'm loving kayak fishing.

[linsair]

I have one of these two, I love it really impressed, best impulse buy I ever made.

Linds