Newbie to the kayak world. Been looking here and there for the past 2 years. Lately been giving it more and more thought about getting into it. There is a fully rigged out Ocean Kayak Caper on craigslist that Im kinda interested in and not sure about the rest. Any info on this yak would be greatly appreciated. Im 5'10 and weigh 240.....thanks in advance

It may be a bit small. I know tony from oak point has one. Welcome to the sport. Test a bunch of diffrent rides so you can get an idea of what makes you comfortable.

If this helps any.... Id like one that has good stability so I could stand and fish or hang my feet off on one side.....also one that tracks good and glides somewhat easy through the water and not onbe that I have to work my arse off to get to where im going. Like I said I am complete newbie to yak fishing. Only knowledge I have is reading on here and reading some kayak 101 for beginners online.

I don't imagine standing is much of an option on a caper. You are going to have to give up stability or easy of paddling. I am a fan of the RIDE series of yaks. If you want a smaller yak you will also lose the benefit of good tracking. What is your budget?

This is a smoking deal...
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ngo#Post9199098

Id like to keep it under $800 for my first yak. And go from there when i get some time and more knowledge under my belt. It doesnt have to be a smaller yak.....just a package deal i found searching on CL.

You should contact Lee about that RIDE. It is a great first boat. And at that price you can get a nice paddle too.

The OK site lists the capacity as 275-325 (which is strange....which is it?) http://www.oceankayak.com/kayaks/single_kayaks/caper/ Anyway, that doesn't leave you a lot of leeway for the goodies one ends up taking with them without exceeding or getting close to max cap. Last time I was in Mariner Sails they had some closeouts and used boats that are more in line with your size that I believe are well within your budget. They had a closeout Native Ultimate 12 which has 350# capacity, a better seat and is new.....within your budget. Check with mikepaddle on this forum.

That used mango 11.5 is a good deal as well as others have mentioned. 500# capacity.

Just for clarification - is the $800 just for the yak or for yak/paddle/PFD (minimum items you must have)?

They're nice little yaks and do a lot of things well but nothing great. I've had two forever and just sold one. If the money was right I'd say go for it, but the money ought to be about half your budget in my opinion. I think you could do way better and still be within your budget.

Caper tracks good since it has the ocean kayak hull shape. But at 240 the boat is too small for what you want to do with it.

I love my santa cruz raptors. Super stable and the easiest yak to re enter if you choose to swim. 1050 brand spankin new.

If it's the one for 1k, I would pass all day. The yak is under sized and over priced. Keep your eyes open and find u a real deal. Good luck

I've still got my OK Caper and I use it for river fishing.
It is a great stable kayak that you can hang your feet over the side with ease and I have stood in mine although I'm not as agile as I once was. I weighed 220 when I first got mine, but at 240 as you are, it might be pushing the limit unless you don't intend on carrying a lot of gear.
I've found that the Caper tracks well for an 11 footer and at 33" wide it isn't the fastest boat but it's not slow either. The kayak only weighs 42# so that is a plus if you want to car top it.
Back in 2008 mine was $600 out the door being the angler addition with the rod holders.
$350 to $400 all day long used with extras, and why I would rather keep mine rather than give away a great kayak!
The tank well to me is the one thing that I didn't like as it's too narrow for a standard crate, which limits the amount of gear you can carry topside.
It's a good day tripper or even for camping because of the huge hatch it has up front.

Thank you all for your input. Definatelt using this for referance. When I purchase one Ill get back on here and possibly hook up with one of you and take me out and show me the ropes. I live in weatherford and dony know ANYONE around here with a yak. Dont care to go alone my first few times. But I will post an update when I make a purchase. Again many thanks.

-Charles

good call on listening to these guys! i went ahead and got a 10ft to begin with and just under a year of yakin Im now going for a 12-14 yak as soon as i finish saving... but im also going btb so i've gotta get a better/bigger yak

I'm out in Weatherford! Let me know when u get one and maybe we can head to lake Mineral Wells. It is a good lake to get ur boat wet and slimed. If you want to get together one day, so you can test out an Outback let me know. It is a bit out of the budget you want to stay in. But if you are gonna do it, you probably should test everything there is.