The Ocean Kayak Trident 13 Angler Fishing Kayak Review
The Ocean Kayak Trident is one of the fastest and user-friendly sit-on-top kayaks available.
The length of the kayak makes it great for those who prefer speed over the ability to maneuver and will appeal to sporty types.
What to Consider when Buying a Fishing Kayak
Whatever kayak you choose to buy you will be spending a significant amount of money on it, so you want to make sure that you make the right decision.
There are many factors that you need to keep in mind when considering which fishing kayak to buy, including these main areas:
- Skill level
- Sit-on-top vs. Sit-in kayaks
- Type of construction
- Stability vs. Speed
- Intended use
- Outfitting
- Sponsons
- Cost
The Ocean Kayak Trident 13 Fishing Kayak Review
Due to the success of the Ocean Kayak Prowler, a new series of fishing boats has been unleashed. The Prowler Trident series is a highly comfortable, unique and especially functioned kayak with more features than most sit-on-tops.
Specifications
| Length | 13’6″ |
| Width | 29.5″ |
| Weight | 67 lbs |
| Type | Sit on top |
| Capacity | 475 lbs |
| Rigged for fishing | Yes |
| Propulsion | Paddle |
Pros
- A 13’6” length and a width of 29.5” the Predator is very fast and will appeal to sporty types
- At 67 pounds, this kayak is light and is easy for one person to move on his/her own
- Ability to adjust foot braces
- Strong paddle keeper
- Great dry storage space
- Good storage for all equipment, especially rods
- Optional rudder system
Cons
- The length causes issues with maneuverability
- Not as stable as some kayaks due to the size of the beam
- Limited standing room
- Small cockpit
- Seat is basic
- No anchor trolly
- No stand-assist strap
Size and Weight
The Trident kayak has an overall capacity of 475 pounds and is great for anglers who are tall or who are carrying more weight. The designers have been really clever in developing a longer length kayak that comes in at 13 feet and 6 inches but does not lose anything in the way of stability. The balance between stability and maneuverability is spot on in our opinion.
Coming in at 67 pounds it is relatively light compared to some other fishing kayaks and those who are not very strong should not struggle to manage the kayak easily. We would say that you may need help moving the kayak any significant distance or when tying to your roof, but generally, you should be ok.
Design
If you need to travel a long way to fish, this kayak is very fast and will get you there in no time. It is great for getting through breakers and is very good in rough waters. That said, the pace of the kayak can be very daunting for new paddlers and we would only advise that experienced kayakers but this mode.
Due to the speed, we would recommend that experience kayakers buy this model and we do to think that it is wholly suitable for novices. Yes, you will learn to adapt to speed in time, but you need to walk before you can run and your first priority will be adjusting to fishing in a kayak rather than a standard boat, not being the fastest on the river.
You can personalize your kayak by adjusting the foot braces, which is a very handy feature of this kayak, especially for larger anglers.
The one feature that we do not like so much is the seat. The seat is fixed and has standard support rather than having an adjustable chair like most modern kayaks have. We would much prefer a more rigid frame with an adjustable backrest as the seat on this kayak is not the most comfortable.
If you are only on a day-trip the seat should not be an issue, but if you plan to use for long periods then a kayak with a more comfortable seat may be more suitable.
That said, a lot of reviewers have not seemed to notice this issue and do not see the type of seat as the main priority when buying a kayak, so it is a matter of personal taste to some extent. If you are relatively small in stature then the seat should not be an issue at all.
Features
Kayaks are not all about aesthetics, the design features need to work for anglers. The clever seat adjustments and foot braces are just some of the small things that make a difference to some people.
These features may seem trivial but when you think of the varying sizes of anglers, you can think about how a few inches of extra room can be beneficial.
One aspect of the Trident kayak that we really like is the Orbix day hatch that can be found in front of the seat and gives anglers a good amount of storage space to keep your essentials dry.
A Sonar Shield compartment offers plenty of storage and it is specially designed to store fish finders safely. We like how the hatch acts as a sun protector when required and think that this is a clever design feature that may attract anglers who live in a warm climate.
A modular angling pod is placed in the center of the bilge for easy access to your fishing equipment. We like this design feature for when you spend long days on your kayak and you want to stay organized throughout, without bits and bobs getting lost.
The easy your equipment is to find the better your reactions will be when you get a good catch. There is a live bait compartment too, which comes in handy.
The cockpit is reasonably large compared to standard kayaks and has foot pegs that can be customized to suit your needs. The foot pegs have to use padding to increase comfort levels and you should not feel any pressure even after long periods of gliding through the water.
The clever rudders are a good design feature that enables anglers to move them from the cockpit whilst still maintaining power. You can also get into tight spaces with this kayak, despite its size.
We are big fans of the layout of this kayak. Anglers will have the ability to fish easily with the rods positioned in two different places, one under each leg ad the other on the mountable pod.
The small things can make big differences and anything that helps improve the chances of a good catch are very much welcome. These rod features still allow for room to store your fish finder for kayak.
There is plenty of dry storage space, as we mentioned earlier and there will be no problem finding room for your cool box. You often need to compromise on storage and standing room when you are preparing for an expedition, but the Predator takes away this problem in a very effective way.
Overall, the Trident is better than some of the other brands of kayaks on the market in the same price bracket, but we can’t help feeling we would be missing out on something by avoiding other models that cost the same price.
It is worth noting that we are very picky when it comes to our reviews as there are so many great fishing kayaks on the market at the moment and honestly all of them will have their pros and cons. There is no such thing as perfect when it comes to kayaks, as what one man sees as perfection another will frown upon.
Summary
There are certainly many downsides to this kayak, such as the seat and the lack of standing room, but you shouldn’t let these factors rule out buying this model. We do think that these are significant issues, but you may think differently as all tastes are different.
We do think that these issues are a little annoying as the brand could have easily avoided these issues, in our opinion. The highlight of this model is the very effective design of the kayak’s hull efficient design that allows anglers to hit their destination as quick as a flash.
Experienced anglers will be very happy with this kayak and may be able to navigate the lack of space in the kayak more comfortably than novices. If you are comfortable with a lack of stability and don’t mind the standing room issue, you should be fine with this purchase.
