Can someone point me in the right direction of a dealer that carries Malibu Stealth kayaks? I'm in the DFW area but wouldn't mind driving to get a test paddle in, especially if they carried Viking's as well. I'm stuck between the stealth 14 and Viking Profish Reload in my research. I'll mostly be fishing for whites, stripers, hybrids etc. and I want a good open water kayak. If you have any other manufacturer suggestions to try with them I'm all ears. Below is what I'm wanting:
Tracks straight, I'll put a rudder on.
Handles rough water well and sheds water.
Fairly fast.
Easy to paddle.
Fish finder ready.
Quality kayak.
"Light Weight", it will be transported in a pickup.

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

Try the xfactor from Malibu

You can call Mariner Sails and ask them. They are in Dallas

Mainer Sails will set you up. Call 972-241-1498 and ask for Adrian. He can suggest several and bring them all for you to demo.

I checked mariners website and only saw some old close out Malibus. I'll give Adrian a call and see what they can do. Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it!

They've never pushed malibus up there. I'd suggest a trident 14 and Viking reload side by side demo. Both awesome for what you want.

I almost bought a Malibu kayak a few years back, and I liked everything about them but the seat.
Seems like I might want to revisit them when I decide to upgrade.
http://malibukayaks.com/blog/2016/08/16/the-highly-anticipated-malibu-kayaks-x-seat/

There used to be a dealer near me in Boerne Texas but looks like they went out of business.
I know you can order Malibu Kayaks through Amazon, which would be your best bet.

Try Austin Canoe and Kayak, ACK in San Marcos. I remember seeing a Malibu Kayak there.

I just sold my Stealth 14 today. I've bought parts for it through Cowtown Kayak in Fort Worth. Russ is a stand up guy and great to deal with. I'm not sure if he is still a Malibu dealer or not but its worth a shot.

I had a Malibu Stealth 14 for a while. If you want something light weight, this most definitely isn't the boat you're looking for. It's giant, with huge capacity, but it's a heavy s.o.b.

I probably wouldn't pick it for a coastal or offshore kayak, either, as the thing leaks quite a bit of water into the hull when the going gets rough.

My main reason, though, that I'd never get another one was that when the hull developed a crack at the scupper, dealing with their customer service was a joke. Not a funny joke - just bad and uncomfortable.

There's a reason many dealers don't rep the brand. Ask some shops about their experiences dealing with Malibu. You won't be flooded with positive stories.

> it's a heavy s.o.b.
> I probably wouldn't pick it for a coastal or offshore kayak, either, as the thing leaks quite a bit of water into the hull when the going gets rough.

I thought of saying smth along the same lines (my first yak was old Malibu Stealth 14), but then I went to their website and they claim it is rather light (~60lbs), so I thought -- maybe they have already addressed these issues...