Malibu Kayak Stealth 12

[robmandel]

Originally Posted by Donfish

I was a fan of the S12 and was considering going to one from my eXtreme but after doing cat in Total fubar and swamping alot then to find only about 1 1/2 gal spread through the 15'X 31" frame I'm happy to still own it and be here to brag about the performance. Its not fast its not cute but it hauls my ass around and stays upright in 7-9' seas @ 10 sec.

you forgot to add in 20+ knt winds with gusts over 25

I'm not an expert by ay means regarding kayaks and all the technicals and such. I'm a buck seventy five, and started on a fish n dive, moved to a prowler13, then currently the trident 15. So for the most part, I've paddled kayaks that I'm relatively light for or at most, middle of the road. plus, I rarely if ever use a bait tank and go pretty light on gear anyways.

the prowler was a pretty wet ride all things considered, but it's got all of one small round center hatch, and it seals pretty well (actually the 13 has a molded in bucket and technically can't leak inside, but I cut the bucket out to allow me to store rods through the front). and I never open it on the water.

and on that trip, a trident 13 got swamped. my guess, and again, this is a guess, is that it is probably more a weight issue with the water. I sit higher (no not ) on the water and don't take nearly as much water over the sides. and when I do it drains faster.

if water leakage is a problem, a simple drop of goop on all the rivet holes would go a long ways towards fixing it. I doubt that the manufacturers have the time to goop every rivet on the hatches. and I guess going for a smaller kayak, which is nicer at times for sure, is not always a good decision.

gooping would be a quick and effective, not to mention cheap, solution. it does seem something they ought to do perhaps, but then again, all things considered, the conditions we fish in, and what we do with our kayaks, is probably a small percentage of their customer base. so should everyone pay a higher price for our small percentage needs? (damn, why'd I major in economics!!!) .

[walrus]

I have a Malibu Stealth 12. I'm very happy with it.

Nothing is perfect, no kayak is perfect and I' ve been around other brands that leak worse.

I don't mention the other brands or models because this isn't about bashing something or someone, it's about resolving an issue. Sharing factual information on a site like this it helps designers and manufacturers do a better job. It helps fisherman with that kayak idenitify an issue to correct it.

In the end fisherman will win if there is a choice of brands and designs. It also helps to keep the cost of a yak affortable.

So, other than buying the yak you like best what's the solution to this problem?

Thanks,

[frady]

Easy fix, I have the same Stealth 12 and took it out the first few times and noticed a ton of water in the hull. Now It is completely dry even after the biggest waves, and running the bait tank for hours.

Go to the hardware store and get a thin strip of rubber weather stripping. I believe I got a 1/4 of an inch or so. Run the weather stripping around the inside lip of each hatch. It may be a little snug at first when you close the lid, but it really keeps the water out.

A quick $6-10 fix.

[Jimmyz123]

In the boating world some say BOAT means Bust Out Another Thoughsand. Well anytime you are taking a Yak or a boat out on the water you want to be sure you are not going to sink.

I like the Malibus even though I have been told they are heavy, but I still like them. No matter what Kayak I end up getting I will be installing a bildge pump. It doesn't weigh much and the cost and peace of mind are worth it.

[j mo]

I used to have an x13. Front hatch leaked, 90% of the fiitings (pop rivets) leaked, one of the rod holderd leaked, tracked poorly and surfed even worse and I too sat low in the stern ( just wait till you put a decent fish back there),other than that it was great....

[bigbarrels]

Originally Posted by j mo

I used to have an x13. Front hatch leaked, 90% of the fiitings (pop rivets) leaked, one of the rod holderd leaked, tracked poorly and surfed even worse and I too sat low in the stern ( just wait till you put a decent fish back there),other than that it was great....

I think I remember seeing you on the beach last summer with Josh with a huge YT on the back of the yak and a ton of water in the YAk as well......shortly thereafter I think you switched to a Hobie

[dorado50]

I liked my mini x....

[stairman]

Originally Posted by frady

Easy fix, I have the same Stealth 12 and took it out the first few times and noticed a ton of water in the hull. Now It is completely dry even after the biggest waves, and running the bait tank for hours.

Go to the hardware store and get a thin strip of rubber weather stripping. I believe I got a 1/4 of an inch or so. Run the weather stripping around the inside lip of each hatch. It may be a little snug at first when you close the lid, but it really keeps the water out.

A quick $6-10 fix.

x2

I had the same problem with the slanted rear hatch on my x factor and the weather stripping solved it.