My first kayak was an Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Over the past 15 years, I’ve paddled all of the great sit-on-top paddle kayaks including the Wilderness Systems Tarpons, Viking Profish and every Ocean Kayak ever made. So, when I heard Vibe was releasing a new performance paddle kayak, I was excited to get the boat on the water. A few days after Vibe released the new boat, a dark gray Hydra 130 arrived at my house.
The Hydra has the hull of a true paddling kayak, long and sleek with a significant rocker to cut through the water and cleave the waves. To complement the speedy hull, the Hydra 130 has a low-profile seat that puts me close to the water where I get more paddling power and better boat control.
The topside of the kayak is littered with fishing features including flushmount rod holders behind and in front of the seat, large storage hatches and strategically placed gear tracks. To make the Hydra electronics ready, the center of the console has a space to mount a fish finder and transducer with routing to a battery.
The Hydra comes standard with Vibe’s hybrid rudder. The rudder assists in tracking and maneuvering the kayak, and the rudder blade is pre-drilled to attach a Bixpy motor.
But the proof is in the pudding, and the Vibe Hydra 130 performed flawlessly on the water. Paddling easily through 15-knot wind and strong tidal currents, the Hydra 130 gave me confidence to cover miles of open water under paddle power.
The trend in fishing kayaks is comfort and stability over performance. Most fishing kayaks are larger, heavier, wider and more stable kayaks with elevated frame seats and pedal or motor systems. The Hydra 130 bucks the trend with a low-profile seat and sleek hull focused on paddling performance.
Learn more about the Hydra 130 at Vibe Kayaks.
Feature Image: Ric Burnley
