Full Slayer Propel Max 12.5 Review & Rig

[@j.garcia_ek]

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[@riverpirate1022]

Thanks for sharing this review. Thinking of getting rid of my OT Sportsman 120 PDL cause it doesn't do what I need very well, except that best PDL drive. My main issues with the Slayer 12.5 max are the rear space is limited in general, and the bottom rudder (which I need) and truck bed hauling. 1) I need to fit a crate and my large toolbox size battery box in the rear space. I am a husky 6' guy so my seat will be back a good ways. How am I gonna fit my battery toolbox and my crate back there? I have to find one in person to see how my stuff will fit. It's only a 3 hour drive each way to the nearest dealer lol. They wasted so much needed rear tank space with that big flat wasted rear end and their steering rigging wheel stuff. I prefer most of the Titan max 12 design, but it's to heavy and wide for my needs. (Rivers mostly) 2) How do you deal with putting the rudder under all that weight when loading and unloading from your truck bed? My OT 120 has a solid rear keel with a replaceable drag plate that takes all the weight when the kayak is resting on it's stern going in and out of the bed nose in. I am afraid truck bedding this boat will be an issue over time and I don't have the trailer option, if I had room for that I would have a real boat lol. I need a bottom mounted rudder kayak because I run a rear motor as my preferred propulsion for distance, then pedal to fish. My OT 120 PDL has a flip up top rudder centerline rear, and a factory offset powerplole plate left side, which is holding my angle correcting Navarre Kayaks adapter plate, for my awesome NK 180 (for now, hello new NK300 my future wife!) I want to get my motor centerline but still have a PDL for backup, and a centerline rudder, so it has to be a bottom rudder model. Now the sidekick wheel systems (all brands).... I like the idea in general but find every brands execution really lacking. Idk why people use these things, seriously? Pro = 1) You have wheels with you at all times. I have found this not to be an issues as of yet in a year of heavy kayak fishing in rivers and reservoirs. Cons = 1) It stays on the boat adding clutter, weight, and takes up invaluable space. - Deal breaker 2) You have to get in the water to take them off, unless you are a small contortionist, and they will rust. - Deal breaker 3) They are mounted way to far back, right in the way of where my battery box needs to be. - Deal breaker 4) They cost more than an overpriced really good brand cart, which is absurd for some metal pipes and simple wheels. - Not a Deal Breaker but still some bs, $75-125 is a more than fair price. 5) They are mounted way to far back which means dragging the kayak loaded down with gear is going to be VERY front heavy on your body and arm which sucks big time, like 150+lbs of weight. - Huge Deal breaker When I put my Wilderness Systems cart under my OT 120 PDL I put it near the center of the weight distribution which makes the front end much lighter and easier on the arm, and much easier to drag all that weight around in general over required distances to launch. It's still front heavy, but not by a lot, leverage matters people! I've tried it in multiple spots, just rear of the center of the weight is perfect, which is right around the seat area give or take. I tired it mostly rear like these sidekick designs, omfg was that heavy with a full load of gear! Because they have to run a bar across the width of the kayak for strength, they are not a good design in my opinion. I'm happy for you guys that like them, but based on the above, I don't understand how, and I can't agree. Having to get my cart from the truck and take it back to the truck has not been an issue for me as of yet so I can't see the convenience of having the wheels at all times being worth even 2 of those cons, mainly hauling weight distribution. I have started hearing stories of people getting graphs and whatnot stolen off their boats while going to and from their vehicle, but I am fairly careful about that and often take my graph with me when I leave the boat unattended, along with my cameras if I have any concerns.