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Post by wildman on Jun 23, 2014 20:03:23 GMT -1
I only had this kayak a short time but fell in love with it, as an avid motorhomer I wanted a yak I could carry without a trailer and this one seems to fit the bill. Play boat, or fishing yak for inland waters, you choose. AB Leisure Retail Ltd., have a stunning range of sit on top kayaks suitable for just about anything you could wish for. We look at the Ocean Ranger 1, the smallest of the range , so small it will fit inside most cars, vans and motorhomes. Motorhomes come in many sizes large vans like mine with a roof full of solar panels only have three choices to carry water transport of a solid variety, inside across the back or on a trailer. So a small kayak like the Ranger 1 should fit the bill.
As delivered and on top of my Disco you can see it will actually fit inside, and I later proved that it could. So what do you get?
Kayak 2.700 long, 800mm wide and 300 deep, it weighs 21 kilo and has a payload of 150kg (we shall see)
A set of six scupper bungs
One piece paddle
Deluxe seat that includes a handy bag on the back of it.
4x flush mount rod holders
1 x centre mount (on a ball so adjustable) rod holder
Initial impression is one of solid engineering and well thought out design. There are two hatches both hinged.
The hatch in front of the seat is a sealed watertight compartment.
The one in the bow allows access to the hull but also has a removable bag suspended by the rim. In practice I think the hatch should be reversed so that it opens towards the seating position allowing better access to the hull.
The rear well is large enough to carry a dive bottle or tackle box
Footrests are moulded in to make paddling comfortable.
The high backed seat incorporates a useful bag on the rear. The seat itself is very comfortable and well padded.
Side carry handles are magic to save skinned knuckles they make lifting very easy.
The paddle keeper is one of the most positive I have seen and holds the paddle well down out of the way when fishing.
The sides of the yak taper out towards the bottom making it easier to paddle and creating a stable platform.
Before I can try it on the rear of the motorhome I have to build the rack, but dimension wise it fits perfectly. However due to the fact that it is only 300mm deep it does pass easily through an open Seitz window and fit inside of the motorhome making it easy to keep safe when out exploring.
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Post by philpot on Jun 25, 2014 5:14:38 GMT -1
I have never heard of this make before but it looks exactly like another well known kayak even down to the fittings. Please be very aware of the maximum payload of the kayak and bear in mind the figures are based on perfectly flat water not any kind chop. Enjoy your kayak
Phil
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Post by izzetafox on Jun 25, 2014 7:20:14 GMT -1
As Phil says this is a generic Chinese hull imported by at least two other dealers.
It is a competent hull when used within it's limitations. i.e. Lakes, canals, rivers, generally benign waters.
The problem I have is that it is marketed as 'Ocean Ranger' which implies that is is a sea going kayak.
This is definitely a mis-noma and may lead buyers to believe they can go offshore with it. This is, IMHO irresponsible of AB Leisure and should be rectified to save them and their customers from possible incidents when the kayaks name puts a paddler in danger.
Again as Phil says get think carefully about the capacity, AB Leisure quote 150kg whereas another possibly more experienced supplier quotes 130kg for what is ostensibly the same hull.
A useful way of seeing how much input the importer may have had with the kayak at source is the labelling. If it has been brought in as a generic yak the name is usually just a sticker applied in the UK, if the importer has had the yak moulded for him the name will be bonded in the hull at source.
Terry
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Post by wildman on Jun 25, 2014 9:49:52 GMT -1
I think I made it quite clear
Play boat, or fishing yak for inland waters
maybe I should have stated not suitable for sea fishing. Its great for wave play and surf and ok for inland waters. I suspect the inclusion of the word "Ocean" is a ploy to mentally connect it to the well known manufacturer. As to being a generic Chinese yak I would not be surprised. I hasten to add I have no connection to the company at all so no axe to grind one way or another. I never had the time to test the payload but am sure you are correct, however I am 17stone, approx. 110 kilos so doubt anyone heavier would even think about it.
Whilst it does look like the Galaxy Cruz it is actually shorter and shallower which is what I was looking for to fit in my motorhome. I am not good on my legs but can paddle for miles. I could join my wife for a stroll/paddle along a canal or river rather than sit in the motorhome waiting for her to get back. Who are the other dealers can someone let me know, on here or via pm if you like. |
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Post by ZEBRA on Jun 25, 2014 10:04:12 GMT -1
i think it looks a good kayak and i would say from the pictures good value for money .
a lot of misconseption about the imported kayaks most of them are very well made and superb value for money .it was only a few years ago we had hardly any choice we had 3/4 manufacturers all charging very high prices for the kayaks now we have kayaks we can afford and lots of different manuracturers and importers this is a great thing for us all
as for sea going well i dont know but i regulary go out to sea for a fish in .
galaxy cruz /galaxy blaze /fat yak kaafu ect just because its a short boat does not mean it not a capable boat
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Post by izzetafox on Jun 25, 2014 11:03:45 GMT -1
I think I made it quite clear
Play boat, or fishing yak for inland waters
maybe I should have stated not suitable for sea fishing. Its great for wave play and surf and ok for inland waters. I suspect the inclusion of the word "Ocean" is a ploy to mentally connect it to the well known manufacturer. As to being a generic Chinese yak I would not be surprised. I hasten to add I have no connection to the company at all so no axe to grind one way or another. I never had the time to test the payload but am sure you are correct, however I am 17stone, approx. 110 kilos so doubt anyone heavier would even think about it.
Whilst it does look like the Galaxy Cruz it is actually shorter and shallower which is what I was looking for to fit in my motorhome. I am not good on my legs but can paddle for miles. I could join my wife for a stroll/paddle along a canal or river rather than sit in the motorhome waiting for her to get back. Who are the other dealers can someone let me know, on here or via pm if you like. Not meant to be critical mate just that some paddlers go beyond the kayaks limitations as well as their own. These are all based around the Malibu Mini X hull which attracted a lot of praise. As in all things in life it is to take care. As Zeb says there are a lot of 9ft kayaks out there, I myself have a Fatyak Kaafu which I and my family love. Tight lines mate and being able to share your paddling with your wife will be priceless I guarantee.  Terry |
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Post by wildman on Jun 25, 2014 14:59:38 GMT -1
A further word of caution regarding all Chinese kayaks. Their quality control standards are not the same as ours so do check the integrity of any fittings and flush rodholders, they have been known to fall out and flood the kayak Personally I never use them preferring holders on a home made crate. The problem is not confined to one brand and has been reported across different manufacturers. Having said that internal buoyancy is always a good idea and empty 2ltr pop bottles inside an onion sack at each end will keep you afloat. Better safe than dead.
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Post by wildman on Jun 25, 2014 16:47:16 GMT -1
Tight lines mate and being able to share your paddling with your wife will be priceless I guarantee. Terry Oh yes, she walking the tow path and I the far side of the canal, did I mention I am deaf, hee hee |
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Post by izzetafox on Jun 25, 2014 16:50:00 GMT -1
The major event of for holders being insecure and letting in water was solely down to serious user abuse.
The brand involved was not to blame and behaved impeccably. A seperate fault was linked to defective rivets and to the best of my knowledge importers rectified the situation with due diligence.
The other issue is as I said is capacities. There is one seller currently who is knowingly selling a kayak with the wrong specification.
It is worth asking an importer it he has had the capacity independently checked. It he has he will happily tell you so. If he hasn't he may be reluctant to go into detail.
There are some excellent Chinese kayaks and good importers of current and new models.
Terry.
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Post by wildman on Jun 26, 2014 8:50:44 GMT -1
Of the three instances that I personally know of (all different yaks from different suppliers) it came about when the yak tipped with rods in the holders. I would not call that abuse. As to capacities I suspected the one I reviewed was over rated, (note the phrase "we shall see" after the quoted figure. With no set standard to conform to manufacturers tend to claim wild figures. Some suppliers will moderate those claims based on experience, others just run with it. Individual importers seem to be able to order mods to make "Their" yak unique and I begin to wonder if the Chinese factories have adjustable moulds. Rotary slush moulding involves injecting liquid plastic into a mould and then spinning in all directions to get it to stick to the inside of the mould evenly. So each colour mix is individual and each yak unique.
From your questions Terry I suspect you may be an importer yourself, are you?
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Post by izzetafox on Jun 26, 2014 11:07:24 GMT -1
Of the three instances that I personally know of (all different yaks from different suppliers) it came about when the yak tipped with rods in the holders. I would not call that abuse. As to capacities I suspected the one I reviewed was over rated, (note the phrase "we shall see" after the quoted figure. With no set standard to conform to manufacturers tend to claim wild figures. Some suppliers will moderate those claims based on experience, others just run with it. Individual importers seem to be able to order mods to make "Their" yak unique and I begin to wonder if the Chinese factories have adjustable moulds. Rotary slush moulding involves injecting liquid plastic into a mould and then spinning in all directions to get it to stick to the inside of the mould evenly. So each colour mix is individual and each yak unique. From your questions Terry I suspect you may be an importer yourself, are you? importer? You will have made a few of the members here laugh mate. No I am an overweight, ageing coarse kayak angler. I have been fortunate to have close relationships with several brands over the 8 years I have been kayak angling along with being on the Admin team here and gleaning knowledge from Zebra and Buddy as well as other forums including my own. I have attended various meets and know a lot of the guys in this game. I am not a manufacturer but I believe most use plastic granules as opposed to liquid plastic but I may be wrong. Moulds are highly sophisticated tools and to the best of my knowledge it would be very difficult to have different models from one multi-adjustable mould. I guess it would be possible to have a different deck configuration on the same hull as the moulds are in two halves. Probably not as easy as it sounds though. I am at a loss to know or understand what you mean by 'tipped with rods in the holders'? Are you saying that this was a contributory factory to a capsize? What was the exact natures of these three incidents and models? If you have seen a specific flaw then it should be shared to try and prevent reoccurrences. Safety is all about educating paddlers of identified risks. Not an importer just curious about your experiences. I am sincere in saying that if you have information I would like to hear it as it would help me to give more informed advice when suggesting kayaks in the future. Cheers Terry |
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Post by wildman on Jun 26, 2014 15:07:21 GMT -1
Rods in the holders hit the water when the yak capsized and the screws gave way in a Pro-dace, the second was possibly a Galaxy Cruz (who have since changed their method of attaching the holders) so hopefully sorted, not sure of the third make but it was a generic Chinese hull might have been a Go-Sea but not entirely sure, most manufacturers seem not to seal them and just rely on three self tapping screws which if inserted incorrectly may have already just about stripped the threads the leverage imposed by a six foot rod hitting the water is greater than they could cope with. Don't get me wrong I like the Chinese yaks there is a tremendous range to suit every pocket, they are improving with every new release. It is not one factory there are hundreds of them. As long as buyers are aware of the limitations and double check fittings they are as good as any. You may find the granules are preheated before being pumped into the mould with a precise measuring peristaltic pump. as you say the hulls are in two parts, and I guess each factory arrive at their own unique measurements. The most recent improvements are in hinged rather than screw top hatches and moulded rather than rope side handles.
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