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New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:51 am
by SWFinatic
So the previous owner of Jackson Kayaks (Eric Jackson) has started a new company. His first kayak currently not yet in production is a 12'10" Carbon Fiber kayak that weighs 40 lbs and will have a price of $10,999. Here's a link to an article on it.
https://paddlingmag.com/paddling-busine ... yak-brand/

Aside from the kayak being about as far from what I personally want or look for in a kayak the price is almost comical. I am usually on board with new products coming into the market but I sure don't want the market to adjust to the 11 grand price.

Curious what do y'all think?

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:26 am
by Ron Mc
I think the price of power boats will give this boat a market.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:22 am
by Neumie
There a re a couple of options available already that do what this craft can do for a fraction of the cost; such as the Skanu.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:42 am
by JW FunGuy
I sure like the 40# part! :D

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:06 am
by SWFinatic
JW FunGuy wrote:I sure like the 40# part! :D
I hear ya. I think he's going to have to come down on the price. I'm not a Facebooker but from what I'm hearing he's getting it from the masses on the price over on FB.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 6:52 am
by Ron Mc
I have a very different old-school 40-lb kevlar boat, and the weight makes it a jewel to single-hand.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:03 am
by impulse
Clicked the link, and I have to say that I've never read an article with so many fluffy buzz words.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:15 am
by Ron Mc
it's called marketing hype, and there's always the chance the author is a proud new owner (in exchange)

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 7:18 am
by Tombo
I had a 12' native I sold that was less than 40#s.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:01 am
by Ron Mc
I think the boat deserves note for more than its price.
Where he's fishing there, kayaks generally come up short, or maybe even generally fail.
Most people would be fishing there from a drift boat, with a guide to handle the boat.
JW can tell you there are a lot of good kayaks for riding that water, but maybe none other that are good for fishing it.
You'll never need a trailer (or a guide), easy to single-hand car top.
He's opened up a new area for kayaks with that design.
Tom, I'm guessing there are reasons you didn't keep the 40-lb Native ABS boat.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:06 am
by SWFinatic
Ron Mc wrote:I think the boat deserves note for more than its price.
Where he's fishing there, kayaks generally come up short, or maybe even generally fail.
Most people would be fishing there from a drift boat, with a guide to handle the boat.
JW can tell you there are a lot of good kayaks for riding that water, but maybe none other that are good for fishing it.
You'll never need a trailer (or a guide), easy to single-hand car top.
He's opened up a new area for kayaks with that design.
Tom, I'm guessing there are reasons you didn't keep the 40-lb Native ABS boat.
Would you pay 11 grand for it?

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:12 am
by Tombo
Ron Mc wrote:I think the boat deserves note for more than its price.
Where he's fishing there, kayaks generally come up short, or maybe even generally fail.
Most people would be fishing there from a drift boat, with a guide to handle the boat.
JW can tell you there are a lot of good kayaks for riding that water, but maybe none other that are good for fishing it.
You'll never need a trailer (or a guide), easy to single-hand car top.
He's opened up a new area for kayaks with that design.
Tom, I'm guessing there are reasons you didn't keep the 40-lb Native ABS boat.
The kayak was called Native Tegris, sold it to a good friend.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:15 am
by Ron Mc
SWFinatic wrote: Would you pay 11 grand for it?
They rent jet skis for that in Alaska.
If I lived on Kenai or in the Rockies, would definitely consider it - in Alaska economy, that's pocket change.

Here's what 5 owners said about the Tegris

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:22 am
by SWFinatic
Ron Mc wrote:
SWFinatic wrote: Would you pay 11 grand for it?
If I lived on Kenai or in the Rockies, would definitely consider it - in Alaska economy, that's pocket change.
I'm sure you wouldn't be alone. I use the word never cautiously cause never is a long time so I won't use it here but I can't see myself paying 11K (actually with tax it's just shy of 12K) for a kayak.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:40 am
by Ron Mc
context is everything, and here, as Josh did, we're mostly going to compare boats to our S. Texas uses.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:31 am
by impulse
There's people who will spend $15,000 on a watch or a purse, $1,500 for a fly rod and $1,000 for a 3 wood. So I'm sure there's a market for a $12K kayak.

But to claim that any one of those choices is going to revolutionize an industry, grow hair on bald heads, make your kids behave better, or open up waters previously unreachable is pure hype.

I had a perfect $600 solution for fishing the same water shown in the photo. An inflatable pontoon boat. For another $2K, i could have put a small outboard on it- or less than $1K for an electric on the front. I miss fishing it... I also think good ol' canoe when I see water like that.

I love 2.5 of the 3 composite kayaks I've owned. I have to take points off the Pinnacle Fishing Ski (from S. Africa) because they traded light for durable and I was constantly patching holes in the paper thin bottom when I hit the rocks in Thailand. Aside from that, they were lighter, faster, and they didn't warp when I left them in the sun like some of the roto-molded plastic boats I've owned.

So I hope the guy's successful. And then, I hope other builders take a lesson from that success and start offering more reasonably priced composite boats that may not look as zoomy or weigh only 40#, but are still an improvement over plastic boats.

Re: New $11,000 Kayak

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:11 am
by JW FunGuy
He is rather over the top on price, especially since some of the most high tech carbon/epoxy/vacuum bagged 29 lb kayaks are $3400. But it is a step in the right (IMHO) direction.
I, like Ron, really like the beauty of a nicely lugged, artistically painted, steel bicycle frame. But I couldn’t believe the difference the first tim I stomped on the peddle of a high end carbon fiber racing bike. I also never thought I would spend over $3000. for a bicycle. Guess what!? :wink: