After paddling the Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, I quickly discovered 4 reasons why you should never fish from a cheap recreational kayak.
Reason #1 - Stability Issues
I paddled this kayak for about 45 minutes on a calm day with my wife and mother-in-law. I never felt unsafe, but I also didn't try to tip it because while getting into it, I sensed that it wouldn't take much to flip.
I'm a big proponent of standing to fish because it allows you to see and be seen better, but that would never be possible with this sit-inside kayak unless you have miraculously good balance or installed outriggers!
Reason #2 - Lack of rigging options
Because this is a recreational kayak, it doesn't have any fishing features, including ways to rig it to make it more fishable.
Recreational kayaks are great for paddling around your lake or floating down the river, but they require more effort and work to rig for fishing, so you're often better off upgrading to a fishing kayak if you want to fish from it regularly.
Uncomfortable
While wrestling in middle school, I was illegally Tombstone Piledrived during a match, and while I ended up coming back and winning the match, it injured my back, and to this day, I get back spasms.
That's the biggest reason why I need a comfortable kayak seat. My back hurt within about 15 minutes of sitting in this kayak. However, my wife said it wasn't that bad for her, so I could just be a wimp!
All I know is the seat is not as comfortable as other fishing kayak seats that I've used. I would definitely need a Kayak Kushion for an extended trip in the Aruba 10.
Reason #4 - Thermo-molded
I know my in-laws have had these kayaks for several years; however, Thermo-molded kayaks never last longer than more expensive rotomolded kayaks because they come apart at the seam where the two pieces are essentially melted together.
Cheap fishing kayaks are also manufactured this way because it's an easier, less expensive process.
Despite these drawbacks my experience with this sit-in kayak wasn't all bad. There were aspects of the Sun Dolphin Aruba 10 that I actually enjoyed.
Ease of paddling
I truly loved how easy it was to paddle. I felt like I could fly compared to paddling my larger, heavier fishing kayaks.
If I was ever in a kayak race, I would certainly use this kayak because I nearly felt weightless with every stroke of the paddle.
The Sun Dolphin Aruba 10 effortlessly glides across the water!
Easy to control
The ease of paddling translates well into controlling the kayak. I could stop and change direction quickly, which is valuable on the river.
What I was most impressed with, though, was how straight it tracked. I've paddled cheap kayaks in the past that zig-zagged as you paddled them, no matter how strong you paddled on either side.
That's not the case with this one. I paddled in a pretty straight line without having to think about it.
Inexpensive
When I got home, I looked up the price of this kayak. I knew it was cheap, but I was surprised to see it was on sale for less than $200!
This kayak is regularly $250-$500, which is still pretty cheap, considering a decent quality fishing kayak will cost you at least $1,200.
So, if you're on a tight budget and only occasionally like to fish, the Sun Dolphin Aruba 10 is worth checking out!
#SunDolphinKayak #CheapKayak #SunDolphinAruba10
Timestamps:
00:00 Why You Shouldn't Fish From a Cheap Recreational Kayak
00:08 Why I Won't Fish From a Cheap Kayak Reason #1
00:36 Reason #2 Why You Should Fish From a Cheap Kayak
01:10 Why I Will Never Fish From a Cheap Yak Reason #3
01:52 Reason #4 Why You Shouldn't Fish From a Cheap Rec Kayak
02:27 Benefit #1 of The Sun Dolphin Aruba 10
02:59 Cheap Sun Dolphin Kayak Benefit #2
03:38 Benefit #3 of the Cheap Aruba 10 Sun Dolphin Kayak
04:00 Who is this Cheap Kayak For?
