We recently had the opportunity to test drive the Liquidlogic Manta Ray 12. It was loaned to us from Robin Hood Sports at Heckmondwike near Leeds

We tested it along the local River systems in East Yorkshire and found it to be a very capable and well specified kayak from an established kayak maker. Liquidlogic are renowned for making high end sports kayaks and accessories and have recently entered the world of Sit on kayaks suitable for leisure and fishing.

The kayak is supplied as standard with a quality fixed seat with backrest which is very comfortable and fully adjustable too. As well as 2 5" hatches with inserts there is a large bow hatch which is more than capable of housing most of your tackle and touring accessories ... It is also supplied with adjustable ratchet type footgrips which are reliable and easy to use. At the rear there is a spacious tankwell with bungee straps to secure your things.  

     

Overall the finish of the Manta Ray is to a very high standard. Paddling the kayak was a joy with a high degree of paddler stability. The paddler shown in the demo is 6ft 1" and weighs almost 15st and he was more than comfortable with plenty of legroom spare. The tracking of the Manta ray is also very good with little or no effort to keep in a straight line even in the windy conditions which we encountered during the trial. Lifting the kayak on and off the car was quite easy with plenty of grippy areas including the 2 quality carry handles - so this factor was never a problem. The angler version comes supplied with flush rod holders as standard.

This Camera from Olympus is a great all round camera with Video which is both Waterproof and Shockproof too. Waterproof to 3 metres and shockproof if dropped from around 5 - 6ft. Selling for around £150 and well worth the money ..    

• 7.1 Megapixels
• 3x Optical Zoom (1:3.5 - 5.0)
• 5x Digital Zoom
• 2.5" / 6.4cm TFT screen - 115,000 pixels
• 7cm Super macro mode
• Shutter speed: 0.5 - 1/1000 (Night scene up to 4 sec.)
• 640x480 / 15fps Movie recording with sound, digital anti-shake
• ISO: Auto: 64, 100, 200, 400 Manual adds: 800, 1600 Available light, Candle upto: 2500 (at 3mp)
• Digital Image Stabilisation - increases ISO setting
• 24 Scene modes
• Weatherproof - Camera is waterproofed up to pressure equiv. to 3m / 10 foot diving depth including dust protection.
• Shockproof - Not damaged by falling from up to 1.5m / 5 foot.
• 19.1mb Internal memory

www.stealthdrive.co.uk 

A motor/propeller/rudder assembly that simply replaces the existing rudder blade on many designs of kayak. For use with rudderless craft, add-on rudder kits are available from third-party suppliers and Stealthdrive UK are actively developing a range of versatile mounts to attach the motor assembly to other kayak designs. A small handset with daylight-visible LED display and tactile buttons, which may be attached to the kayak or held in the hand. The handset is fully waterproof and will float if dropped overboard, from where it can be retrieved by means of its cable. A fully-waterproof 'main unit' which contains the control electronics. This connects to the battery, motor and handset and may be located anywhere convenient in the hull, usually adjacent to the battery. The handset can be unplugged from the main unit. A 12-volt rechargeable battery, normally a sealed lead-acid ('AGM' or 'GEL') type. Suitable batteries and charger may be obtained directly from Stealthdrive UK or from many other sources. The capacity of the battery chosen depends on your requirements for range and endurance.

The Stealthdrive system will fit virtually all kayaks that will take a rudder system which includes kayaks like Perception Malibu - Q-kayak and Cobra. Contact Stealthdrive for more kayak fitting details.

  
The GoPro digital hero 3 is a fully fledged 3MP digital camera with full 30 Frame PS Video camera with sound.  It is waterproof and wrist mounted and looks very neat .... When we recieved the camera we were surprised to see how compact and neat it was. It is in fact smaller than most modern mobile phones as shown above. The camera is mounted in a dedicated fully waterproof case which is supplied. The case can either be strapped to ones wrist or even your kayak paddle which makes for great action shots. All software and leads are provided in the kit. It is fairly straight forward to set the camera up to start taking shots - again all information on this is supplied. When we tested it i was very surprised to see how clear the photos were - in fact very clear indeed. It takes a couple of AAA batteries and your away and they are supplied too. I took some photos of my sports surf kayak to show in fact how clear they were.
   
Above is Sample photo we took with the GoPro Hero 3

  
In use the GoPro 3 was relatively easy to use and setup. The innovative wrist strap system with velcro fastening was top quality. Also supplied was a strap for fixing the Camera to a paddle. So while paddling one can get some stunning and unusual action shots. Overall the Camera was thought to be great quality and for the money an excellent buy. Check out the GoPro website for even more stunning Pictures and Videos taken with this Great Camera !!

http://www.goprocamera.com

The Wilderness Tarpon 120 Fishing Kayak .. a Cool ride.

Having had many weeks to try the Tarpon 120 I have come to the conclusion that it is a very nice Fishing Kayak indeed. The Kayak is constructed to a very high standard no faults to note. The paddler seating area lays quite high above the water line giving a clean and dry ride at all times - something that a lot of fishing kayakers hope for. The storage space is good also. There are 3 main storage points on the kayak - all of the push seal type. The kayak in use does not seem to take on much water. Some kayaks fail miserably in this department.... but not this one. If you intend to be paddling for some considerable distance then this is one for you. A smooth ride and a fast dry one too.

There is plenty of room in the rear tankwell department also - ample room for most of your fishing equipment to be stored there. The bow locker is spacious and designed to be seal well against any water ingress. It is a push seal fit instead of the type held with snap straps like many are. This type in my opinion seals better and is less hassle in use. The ride is smooth with little or no wave bow slap and dry and deserves 10/10 for paddler friendliness - with the seating area being dry most of the time .. a big plus point for many potential purchasers. I for one wouldn't hesitate to purchase a Wilderness Tarpon 120 as it affords most of the plus points that I and many other kayakers look our for...

Malone Auto Racks Autoloader VX RRP £ 59.95. Seawing £59.95. Stax Uprights £49.95. The AutoLoader VX is the most advanced kayak carrier ever offered in the transport industry.

Features :

# Jawz Universal Mounting System (Patent Pending) - fits square, round and factory oval cross
# New Hex Head Mounting Bolts Fit All Rack Sizes
# State of the Art Corrosion Free Plastic Injection Molded Frame
# Molded Boarding Ramp for Easy Loading
# Cavitated Construction to Add Strength & Reduce Weight
# Increased Frame Dimensions to Handle Large Beam Kayaks
# 9' Cam Buckle Straps - Multi-Slotted For Various Loads - Ten Year Warranty

Contact System X Kayak for further details ... http://www.systemxkayak.co.uk

The C-Tug is the most durable, practical and lightweight kayak trolley on the market. Manufactured in New Zealand, this innovative design can be assembled in just 30 seconds and offers the perfect way to easily transport a kayak. Its adjustable hull supports/seat pads also make it ideal for wheeling around canoes, dinghies or tenders. As a pair they can also be used for catamaran hulls offering substantial savings on a conventional multi-hull trolley. Capably of carrying 120kg (265lbs), which equates to three or more kayaks, the durable reinforced composite construction makes it a really tough trolley while at the same time offering sophisticated styling and precision design. You really have to see one being put together to see how ingenious and well engineered the C-Tug is. A simple X-frame locks together to support the wheels and hull supports. The wheels then slide over the stainless steel reinforced axles and are held in place by quick release cams. The hull supports/seat pads then slot in place. A 1 ½” (37mm) wide 2.4 metre webbing retaining strap with a quick release cam-lock buckle is included to secure the kayak to the trolley. It’s clever and couldn’t be easier. The quick release wheels have a diameter of 10” (254mm). The wide pneumatic tyres with a substantial tread give a smooth ride over the roughest of surfaces. Their load spreading capabilities also mean they won’t sink in soft, wet sand. A fold down foot keeps the trolley upright as you load the craft on top so there are no difficulties using it on your own. When assembled the maximum dimensions of the C-Tug are 25” wide x 12” deep x 12” high (635 x 305 x 305mm). It is also extremely compact when packed away for storage. The box it comes in with all the trolley components measures just 22 ¾” x 10 ¾” x 7 ½” (578 x 273 x 190mm).  The C-Tug is a patented design and priced at just under £80 offers fantastic value for money when it comes to pulling power.