Hurricane Aquasports

On March 23^rd, Hurricane team members Barrett Jones and William Ragulsky both hit the water in search of the fish of a lifetime, and both faced tougher than normal conditions for over 8 hours in their Silver Skimmer 128’s.  The only difference . . .  Barrett was fishing PaddlePalooza 10 in Louisiana, while William was chasing Monster Smallmouth Bass on the James River in Virginia.

 Barrett’s account of the day:

“Long day on the water yesterday. The tourney had 279 people fish this year. I ended up finding a spot with some of the best quality trout in years and easily caught 40 speckled trout and the smallest being 18-inches. All were caught on topwater.”

“The Skimmer performed great. This was my first trip in it with the rudder, and boy was I happy. Now I can drift banks and fish while steering. I also installed my Lowrance sounder and this was working beautifully and marking fish. The wind did not get as bad as predicted but picked up to about 15mph, and I stayed dry all day. I also launched next to 2 pro anglers, a ride 135, and 2 Outback’s. Guess who was to the fishing grounds first after a 2-mile trip? Me! The kayak takes no effort to keep moving at a steady pace and is fast for its size. There was plenty interest in the Skimmer back at the launch too when they saw me haul in and load it up by myself on the jeep”.

Team Member William Raglusky fish’in the James

William’s account of the day:

“With the desire to get my first float in the Skimmer under my belt and the allure of monster Smallmouth Bass, the draw became to great to resist any longer.  The conditions were not ideal for this particular float.  Flows were around 9,000 CFS, the water was turbid, overcast skies, and the launch was 2 miles below where we wanted to be. The day was not looking promising, but perseverance was the key.  The paddle was the first challenge. At lower water levels, the river would have had a lot of exposed boulders, but with the flows the way they were, everything was submerged.  This created some tricky currents and tough fishing conditions.  I paddled with three other guys in three different models of kayaks.  They were taking two strokes to my one, and they were in 14’ kayaks.  When we were able to get to our spots, we found the fish, and my biggest was 19” and close to 4 lbs.  We got to some pigs for sure!”

“With the Skimmer paddling like a 14’ kayak at more than a foot less, I got the performance with added maneuverability.  Needless to say at the end of the day when we were carrying the kayaks back to the vehicle, I was envied by everyone in the group”.

As you can see, the Skimmer is an ideal boat for anything from chasing specks in the salt to running rivers looking for that bass of a lifetime!  Don’t wait, check out your local shop and paddle a Skimmer 128 today.

Hurricane helped sponsor the 8th Annual Kayak Fish Tournament held in Virginia Beach, VA in September. The tournament benefited two charities -Heroes on the Water and Project Healing Waters. Both organizations support physically and emotionally wounded American soldiers through on-water events.  Hurricane’s contribution to the event was a Red Phoenix 120 that went to the top female angler – Heather Hammock of Farmville, VA. Congratulations to Heather and all the tournament participants. For more details visit tkaa.org

Here’s a great shot of Heather with her new Phoenix 120 standing next to Hurricane Fishing Pro William Raglusky. William took 4th in the striper division at the event.

Way to go everyone! We are proud to have been involved.

It’s always good to hear from our fishing pros. Here’s one from William – our guy in Virginia Beach.

After an amazing visit at the Hurricane factory with Lydia and crew to start the weekend, I found myself on the Cape Fear River wondering what the weekend had in store.  Had I known, I don’t think I would be writing this at the moment, but instead I would be using my best sickly sounding voice and complaining of phantom illnesses to be back on the water. Saturday, I was able to spend some time fishing some familiar waters in preparation for a major North Carolina Kayak Fishing Tournament, the Oak Island Classic.  It was at this point that I got an exciting report of epic fishing of the Virginia coast and decided to cut my trip short and go back home.  After just a few hours of sleep, I was at the oceanfront with four of my close friends looking at the surf, asking myself what I was doing out in these conditions.

The surf was actually 6-8' when we launched

The rods and other gear were stowed, and we were ready to go.  The trick was to time our launches with the lull in the sets and trust our instincts.  While others had a difficult time gaining momentum to punch through the breakers during the seemingly minuscule pause between sets, the Phoenix 140 was off and running without a hitch.  Luckily, we all made it through the surf without incident, and it was on to chasing Cobia that were following bait pods.  With the speed it bring to the table, the Phoenix 140 had the advantage in the chase, and I was able to stay with the pods and get the only shot of the day at an upper 30” fish.  The speed only gave me a chance at the target species, however, as the bait disappeared along with our chances at Cobia.

Luckily our group started hooking up with some quality Red Drum.  Fish after fish were pulled in by other paddlers, and I was starting to get frustrated at missed chances.  That’s when my time came up and I was able to go for a ride.  The hookup was intense, with massive headshakes and drag screaming runs under the kayak.  At this point, the Phoenix 140’s stability kicked in and I was able to stay upright without a second thought.  After an amazing battle, I landed my best fish ever from a kayak, which ended up being a 47” Virginia Saltwater Tournament Citation Redfish.

The final feat for the day was landing through the surf, and this was the most exhilarating but dangerous part of the adventure.  Luckily, the waves had subsided and we were feeling good after catching bulls, so our confidence was high.  We employed the same process for reentry as we did launching (waiting for the lulls in the sets); only this time I was not so lucky, as an unexpected wave stalked me like I was prey. I made it to the top of the breaker but was unfortunately turned sideways in an attempt to find a safe spot.  I was told that the expression on my face was one of utter terror (and it was).  Fortunately, that look turned to joy when I realized that the flat bottom of the kayak allowed me to skip down the wave and on to the beach without getting thrown around like a doll in a washing machine.  Had I been in a kayak with a pronounced keel, I’m sure things would have turned ugly in a hurry.  Unfortunately, others in my group were not so lucky, but (thanks to the Phoenix 140) I was not chasing my own gear along the beach and in the surf.

Tight Lines and Safe Paddles!

William Raglusky, Hurricane Fishing Pro

We love to hear from happy customers and recently received this story from Mary Ellen in British Columbia. Mary Ellen is a dog lover who enjoys kayaking, and this is what she had to say about her Hurricane Santee 116 Sport.

I bought a Santee 116 Sport in 2010 so I could kayak on the South Thompson river in front of my BC, Canada house with my dog. I lay a thin sheet of closed cell foam on the floor of the kayak for Schotzi to sit on. It gives him traction and also protects the hull from his nails.

My daughter, in Seattle, decided she and her dog needed a kayak too.

She did a lot of research and choose the very same kayak I did – the Hurricane Santee 116 Sport.

In August my daughter left her dog with me for a few days. It was VERY hot, and my landing is quite muddy, but there is a lovely sandy island out in the river where it is very nice for the dogs to play and swim. My daughter thought her dog would swim across, but Rusti decided that she would prefer to ride with us.

I put a towel under the elastic cords on my boat to give her added traction, but a thin rubber pad would be even better.

Thanks for making a great dog-friendly kayak so we can have family fun!

Thanks for the story and pictures Mary Ellen. We love to see folks enjoying the water with their pups!

If you have a story to share with Hurricane, please send it to info@hurricanekayaks.com

Let’s face it, in the kayak industry, the seat often gets more attention than the boat, and we needed a new seatback that could rival the beauty of our new Skimmers. Designed for our cutting edge sit-on-top series, the AireStream Seatback is a sleek, ultra-light, super-breathable addition to the Hurricane line that will be installed in all our 2013 recreational sit-insides, as well as our new SOTs.

The AireStream features a contoured skeletonized support covered with a soft mesh fabric to maximize airflow through the back area. It also adjusts from low to high with a simple spring-loaded pull pin and folds forward easily during transport. For a cool paddling experience . . . go AireStream by Hurricane!

Nigel likes it!

After a busy summer season helping consumers maximize their on-water experiences (i.e. talking on the phone a lot!), I’m happy to be back online blogging about our new products and adventures. For 2013, Hurricane is rolling out two new boats and a new seat system, so stay tuned for those update, but I want to talk about our new Skimmer SOT in this post.

The Skimmer 128 is a 12-foot 9-inch sit-on-top (Skimmer 129 just sounded wrong!) that’s sleek, fast, and nearly ready for delivery to our dealers. The Skimmer 128 will come outfitted with our new Airestream seat back (I’ll talk more about that in the next post) and should start shipping to dealers by October 1.

Designed by renowned yacht architect Ward Setzer and the Setzer Designs team, the Skimmer 128’s touring style hull and Trylon construction allow it to easily outpace other kayaks in its class, and its low seat-pan and comfortable outfitting make you feel totally connected with the boat. Fully-featured from bow to stern with a generous bow hatch, two day hatches, and optional skeg or rudder, the Skimmer 128 is designed for serious paddling, while anglers will be overwhelmed by the outfitting opportunities this lightweight SOT has to offer.

Length: 12 feet 9 inches     Width: 28 inches     Weight: 48 pounds

So, expect to see the Skimmer 128 in stores and on the water very soon, and keep your eyes peeled for its little brother – the Skimmer 116 – scheduled for release later this year. Like the graceful waterfowl for which they are named, the Skimmer series sit-on-tops are sure to make an impression both on and off the water!

Oh, and did I mention it’s available in Silver . . . but only for a limited time. I’ll post that picture very soon:)

Hurricane Ambassador William Ragulsky recently finished rigging his Hurricane Phoenix 140 for some serious angling adventures. Here’s the scoop from William.

Well, it has been a couple of months since I picked up my Hurricane Phoenix 140, and I have to say it’s been a pleasure to rig. Initial rigging got me on the water with a greater level of functionality, but the final touches were recently added to prepare for the busy tournament season ahead.

To start the process, I established a paddle/stake-out pole holder at the bow using Yak-Gear products, then developed a functional (yet attractive) anchor trolley using basic trolley materials from Hook 1, as well as some 3mm Blue Niteline.  This, in addition to simple products like a Scotty Extender and a Triple Rod Holder mount, got me on the water and fishing in fine fashion.

After a winter of serious kayak angling, I realized that the Scotty mount between my legs handicapped me when fishing with both fly and conventional gear and heard many complaints from Hampton Roads boaters about the difficulty of seeing kayakers fishing the bridges at night.  For both of these reasons, I turned to Luther and the crew at Yak Attack for solutions.

I added two Yak Attacks Gear Tracs to the sides of my Phoenix 140 to address the mobility issue. The 16-inch tracks run on both sides of my legs, giving me options to mount a PanFish , MightyMount, or Scotty Base, and all these products easily stow when I’m chasing fish with the bugslinger.

The ability to quickly and securely place my GoPro, fishfinder, GPS, or rod holders without making multiple installations was very attractive, so I placed the tracks on the rails to get my maximum bang for my dollar.  The 16” GearTrac is $80, and the installation took about 25 minutes.

To address the visibility issue, I added a Luther’s second generation NiteStripe in Blue (to match the kayak). The NiteStripe is an inexpensive way to increase visibility on the water (MSRP $10 for a 24’ roll) but is worth 10 times that price if it gets you out for a night of fishing  and brings you home safely.  This is a 10 minute install and a must have for any kayak.

The final outcome was a kayak that can effectively put me on the water and give me the ability to change the rigging on the fly. Until next time, stay safe and enjoy your time on the water.

A customer emailed us to get rudder installation assistance for a kayak not originally built to accept one. Since pictures speak louder than words, we put Jon Stewart to work behind the camera. Here’s the skivvy.

Part I – Mounting the rudder ready end cap

Part II – Installing the cable tubing and sliding foot rails

Part III – Installing the cable and rudder

Part IV – Attaching the cable to the footrails and installing the deployment line

So that’s the story! If you have any questions, just ask for Jon.

Hurricane Kayaks

Our Santee 100 LT recently got a face lift and tummy tuck. Weighing in at only 35 lbs, the redesigned 100 LT possesses a 5-inch longer cockpit than previous models, includes Hurricane’s new fully-adjustable grey seat, sports an integral paddle holder, and features fresh deck aesthetics that add rigidity to the boat’s overall structure.

According to Jon Stewart, Director of In-House Operations, “With an MSRP of only $799, the thermoformed Santee 100 LT is sure to be a popular model for us, especially given that it has features typically found on more expensive boats. We wanted to meet a competitive price point without stripping down the design, and I’d say we definitely met our goal.”

The new and improved 100 LT features a rear bulkhead not typically found in 10-foot competitors, as well as an 8″ hatch and attractive deck rigging. This kayak is available in cardinal red and is now shipping to certified Hurricane dealers! Check it out.

Hurricane Kayaks

Leaders in Lightweight

Hurricane Kayak fishing ambassador Jerry Sparks was caught on film angling some stripers this month on the Narrow River in Narragansett, RI. The water temp was 42 degrees and fish were caught with Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows and DOA Cal Shads from Jerry’s Hurricane Phoenix 130.

Who says sit-on-tops are a summertime craft? Get out there folks! Winter can be a great time to paddle whether you’re into angling or just enjoy being on the water.

Hurricane Kayaks