Hi guys,  I am new to this forum. I am from NorCal just below Sacramento. I am looking into getting into kayak fishing for the ocean. I already have a Boston whaler but I would like to pick up as well. I am having a hard time deciding on which kayak I want to go with. It will be used for spear fishing, kayak fishing and duck hunting on the delta. I have been leaning towards the outback and keep going back to it. I would prefer a pedal drive over anything. I was also looking at the pa14 native slayer and Jackson thank you I appreciate any advice


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I agree with David go to Headwaters. It seems like you want an all around kayak. What will you be using it for most? Hook and line, hunting, or spearfishing? You can use a pedal drive for all three but not usually the best for spearfishing as you typically want to get into the kelp forests or in some cases have to lower the kayak down cliffs to get to some great spearfishing spot. The pedal drives are heavier and don't handle the kelp that great. That being said the pedal drive is great fro hunting and hook and line. I use a pedal drive for those activities as well depending on location. The Hobies tend to handle shallow water better than other pedal drives so for duck hunting it would be good but still prefer a paddle kayak for shallow duck hunting locations. I used to teach kayak diving and have been a kayak fishing guide here in Monterey for awhile now. If you can try before you buy. I can help you out with some demos here in Monterey but I do not carry Hobie or Native. Good luck and welcome to the group!

First of all, you're coming from a powered boat, so keep in mind that kayaking is slower, much slower.  As my friend put it, " .... why even bother ..."   So, right off the bat, my thought is that you will need to adapt to slower speed and put in more effort to move a kayak, a lot more than a boat.

But, that's not a very good answer.  You mentioned " .... spear fishing, kayak fishing and duck hunting ...."  To me, that means stability, speed, and stability + load.  For me, that translate to Santa Cruz Raptor, Hobie Revo 16, and NuCanoe (all of which I own).
I can recommend all kinds of other kayaks (I have an Outback and AI as well), but your best bet is to demo.
Definitely talk to Headwaters Kayak in Lodi, I think this is your best bet to find the right one.  They're a bunch of good guys and their pro staff do what you said above.  Call them and ask for a staff that do all that, you can skip the learning/pain curve by hearing from them.

You can put a motor on a NuCanoe, which is always a plus

Get two kayaks 

Don't buy something if you have not handled and test ridden it.