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Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Tandem Kayak - Product Reviews
Return to Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Tandem Kayak Product Details.
Price: $1,349.00 (+ $19 - $49*)
Description: The Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Tandem is the choice for tandem paddling! Nimble yet ready to carry everything you need for the day. New outfitting materials now meet the needs of even more paddlers adding to the boats many unique features. The Ultimate 14.5 includes a 1st Class Seat, overmolded handles that are quieter when you are trying to be stealthy, improved arm rest pads and the Groove track system that allows quick and easy installation of a broad range of accessories.
ACK Review: The Ultimate 14.5 is a great tandem kayak because of its outstanding stability, roomy cockpit and comfortable seating. Still paddles great when set up for a single expedition.
Customer Rating: 4.5 of 5
Customer Reviews
| Reviewer: | Jeremy | Rating: 5 | Date: 09/08/2011 |
| Review: | I'm not a boat person, so I had a lot of trouble figuring out what kind of boat to purchase. I bought this boat about a month ago and have spent several days out on the water fishing and/or just enjoying the day with my five year old son. Couldn't ask for a better experience as a novice. Very stable, very comfortable, and easy to cruise around in. It's big and heavy enough that it's a little awkward to get on and off the car by myself, but not so bad that I can't do it. I'm going to try duck hunting with it this fall and have no doubt it will perform wonderfully for that job as well. | ||
| Reviewer: | Mike | Rating: 5 | Date: 04/05/2011 |
| Review: | Just bought this boat a few weeks ago and I love it.. Spent a lot of time looking around and this boat was number 1 for my needs. Two grown men fit comfortably but I've converted into a single (5 minute job) and had a blast paddling around by myself. The seats are awesome in this thing! Next I plan on gearing up for some fishing.. Austin Kayak is a great store don't waste too much time by going anywhere else first! | ||
| Reviewer: | Ben | Rating: 4 | Date: 11/24/2010 |
| Review: | I think this is the best down river boat available, and is my favorite paddle boat on the market. Period. All the strengths of a canoe and none of the weaknesses. Great speed, good responsiveness in current when the boat is properly balanced with gear, and for the aesthetics crowd, it's lines are beautiful. Among the nice features are lots of available accessory gadgets for gear-junkies (if you go barefoot in your boat, BUY the Wussy Foot pads - they're worth it), the comfort of the seats and the obvious extra seat that's removable (seats and footpads are adjustable such that the boat can be converted into a 1-person dream cruiser), and the fact that this is the best boat for standing up in both while casting and while paddling. Down river paddling will always benefit from being able to stand up periodically to scan riffles ahead, and this boat facilitates that on Class I Rivers, perhaps on Class II for practiced paddlers. If after an hour of trying you still have difficulty standing up in this boat solo, it's because of your balance and not the boat's construct (at 6' and ~160lbs I have a high center of gravity, so no excuses). I love to use this as a standup down river boat on relaxed watercourses with Werner's standup Advantage paddle. The tunnel hull lets you learn how to fall forward onto your knees into the boat when you hit an obstruction so long as it's not broadside, so standing in this boat is far less likely to result in a swim than doing the same in a canoe. There are three reasons I won't give this boat five stars. 1: It should be available in Royalex - the rotomolded plastic that it's currently made with is likely fine for inshore fishing, but down river paddling lets gravel and rocks carve up the hull. Made out of the former material, this boat would have better bounce, more memory (these boats will deform if left atop a hot car for several days), and longer lifespan. That said, I've paddled watercourses that pounded the rotomolded boats and they do hold up well - just don't faint over the hull scars. 2: Despite ACK's current photo (11/2010), the toggle handles (which I prefer) are no longer a feature of this boat. For those of you who prefer overmolded handles (the soft rubber loops bolted at either end), that's a good thing since 2011 models have these. NWC claims this change came about to make the handles quiet when paddling. Since the toggles were bungeed (the only kayaks I know of that did this) there was no noise in the first place. However, the bungee cords likely weathered out on earlier models and were difficult to replace. 3: These boats are super fast, but are subject to windage. If you will be using the boat on lakes and inshore, pay ACK to install the rudder or plan on rigging one yourself. For folks who like the feel of a reclined, two-blade paddling experience found only in kayaks but also like an open top without the canoe wobble, this is THE boat. Worth every penny, and it's one of my hardest opinions that you won't find a better place from which to purchase this boat than ACK. | ||
| Reviewer: | Josh | Rating: 5 | Date: 11/18/2010 |
| Review: | 5 star service from ACK. Great Kayak for a serious Freshwater (lake or river) with kids and or a wife. After looking at the Ultimate 12 my wife made a comment about wanting to be able to spend time with me on the water. This boat does both solo and tandem kayak fishing. Plenty of room for 2 people and big enough to fish on larger bodies of water. | ||
| Reviewer: | rgrin1 | Rating: 3 | Date: 09/09/2010 |
| Review: | I purchased the tandem Ultimate 14.5 and I am pleased with it. This is my third kayak. The other two are Wilderness System Tarpon 140s. For fishing I would take the WS Tarpon 140 over this kayak. For taking my 3 year old out for a day I would easily choose this one as the best choice. This kayak is lighter and much faster than the Tarpon 140. I believe the Tarpon 140 is better constructed though. I found the Native to be a bit overpriced for what I got. Having said this I am still satisfied with the boat. I was blown away with the speed ack shipped the boat to me. | ||
| Reviewer: | dlk1077 | Rating: 5 | Date: 01/06/2010 |
| Review: | Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Tandem Kayak is great - everything it's advertised to be. | ||
| Reviewer: | scguidry | Rating: 5 | Date: 09/09/2009 |
| Review: | The Native Ultimate 14.5 has been a slam dunk for me and my family. I've only been forced to load it atop my Acura MDX alone once. It was a challenge to say the least but I did it. However, I've easily loaded it with either my wife, 12 year old daughter, and 14 year old son. Its been a blast to take on the water and fish or just go for a leisurely ride. No complaints and feel good about my purchase. | ||
| Reviewer: | Linda | Rating: 4 | Date: 07/17/2009 |
| Review: | We purchased the 14.5 Tandem and have been doing small and large rivers with it. It is very stable and easy to paddle. I know the guy in one of the reviews said it was to heavy to put on top of their car but my husband and I have no trouble putting it on top of my trail blazer. The seats are very comfortable and I have a bad back. Austin Kayak was very helpful and we received our Kayak when they said. It was wrapped very well so there was no damaged. | ||
| Reviewer: | Michael | Rating: 5 | Date: 02/28/2009 |
| Review: | My wife and I love this boat. The seats are very comfortable and we can easily fit our 2 year old between us. The boat is amazingly stable, yet it tracks and turns well and is fast enough. The draft is shallow enough to explore interesting swamps. The solo configuration works well, although the wide beam at the center makes double balded paddling just a bit awkward. Great platform for photography! | ||
| Reviewer: | Blake | Rating: 5 | Date: 05/07/2008 |
| Review: | This is an excellent set-up for fishing. I use it in the solo configuration and have more room than I would ever need. It is very stable; I stand up to fly fish easily (even wearing waders and boots). It paddles well with a 240cm paddle. To sum it up; on my last fishing trip,I let my buddy paddle it around for a few minutes (he was paddling my old 12' perception caster). After a few minutes, he says "Well, now I see why you are paddling so much faster than me and seem more comfortable!" | ||
| Reviewer: | bmwbob | Rating: 4 | Date: 10/24/2007 |
| Review: | My wife and I and our Yorkie pup demo'ed the 14.5 tandem in Poly at a kayak expo a couple of weeks ago. We were looking for something to replace our "serious" sea kayaks...a venture which did not work out for us. GOOD POINTS: 1. The seats! If you have any sort of lower back issues, or tend to get a sore butt, these are the answer. Nothing I've found in a kayak compares. 2. Maneuverability. I was able to turn this boat with both of us in it with no more effort than I needed for my solo kayak. 3. Tracking. We were out in a pretty stiff breeze, and I had NO trouble holding a heading. 4. Room. There was PLENTY of space in between the seats, and in the front and rear of the boat for coolers, gear, etc. THE DOWNSIDE: Weight. 74 pounds (60 pounds with seats removed) is just too much for the two of us to get the boat up and down from the Yakima rack on top of our Honda Element. We are waiting for the (35 pound hull only) Tegris 14.5 to hit the dealer to evaluate that one. | ||
