Hurricane Skimmer 140 Review

For about the past two years I have been fishing out of one of the heaviest fishing kayaks on the market, the Native Watercraft Slayer Propel 13. As nice as the Native Slayer Propel is, the weight was starting to take its toll on me. Pedaling  was also nice, but I truly started to miss the rhythmic zen that only an efficient paddling stroke can provide.

Flash back to two years ago when I was looking for a new kayak, I came across the Hurricane Skimmer 128. A lightweight piece of beauty laid before my eyes in a breathtaking lime green over white color. This was my first experience with a thermoformed kayak and I could not believe how light it was. I thought to myself that a cart just became obsolete because I could throw this thing over my shoulder and walk to the water.

When I finally got the boat into the water, the honeymoon began to wear off a little. At 28" wide and 12'9" long, the Skimmer 128 was coming up a bit short on width and length for me. Even with the shorter length and width I still thought that the Skimmer 128 was a rocket ship compared to most of the kayaks I had paddled previously. At that time the Skimmer 140 was not available for sale and I just couldn't wait, so I looked elsewhere and purchased the Slayer Propel 13.

The thought of paddling the Skimmer 140 never left my mind and after applying for a Pro Staff position with Hurricane Kayaks, I was gratefully rewarded with the opportunity to represent a fine American company and the opportunity to fish from a Skimmer 140. My first two outings in the Skimmer 140 have been very successful and I look forward to building more memories with this fine kayak. Here is my review of the Skimmer 140:

Speed/Tracking: A+, this is the focal point of the Skimmer 140. The lightweight savings of the thermoforming process clearly set this kayak apart from its competitors. I was amazed at how responsive the Skimmer 140 was and how quickly it accelerated to it's hull speed from a dead stop. While I have not installed a GPS yet to give you an accurate speed measurement, I can tell you that I was moving from spot to spot faster than my old Slayer Propel 13. The Skimmer 140 also tracks extremely well. A pronounced sharp bow and a defined keel line keep this kayak straight even in a crosswind. While I do have the installed rudder, I haven't used it yet, that says a lot about the hull design of this boat. The winds have been relatively tame during my outings, so maybe when the winds get above 10 mph I may need to exercise the rudder.

Comfort: With anything in life, there is usually a trade off somewhere. With the Skimmer series, there is definitely a trade off between weight and some other nice to haves like a frame seat. To keep the weight down, the Skimmer has a built in back support and a padded seat that is flush on the deck. While not as comfortable as the other frame lawn chair style seats on the market, the combination of the padded seat and the adjustable back support meet my needs of comfort for an all day fishing trip. The cockpit on the Skimmer 140 has plenty of leg room and lends itself nicely to kicking your legs over the side to stretch out every once in a while.


Stability: At 29" wide, the Skimmer 140 is not going to feel like a Jackson Big Rig. I will admit that at first the boat did feel a little "tippy" to me. I attribute that to the "muscle memory" from my previous kayak and after around 3 hours in the Skimmer 140 that feeling completely went away. There is a fine line between the initial and secondary stability of the Skimmer, but once my body learned the boundaries I had no problems turning around for rods or sitting side saddle. About halfway through my first fishing trip a bass boat buzzed by me and threw a significant wake. As I braced myself for the impacts I was surprised at how well the Skimmer lifted and settled as the rollers went by. I hope to challenge this boat in the surf and offshore someday.

"Fishability": The base model Skimmer is pretty much a blank slate for the Kayak Rigging enthusiast. Flat surfaces are everywhere on the kayak allowing for easy mounting solutions for rod holders, rails and anything else you can imagine. There is an angler package complemented by three rails in the cockpit and two in the tank well as well as an anchor trolley and a rudder option. With a few Scotty rod holders, track adapter and a few other items, you are all set.

The Hurricane Skimmer 140 is a lightweight American made powerhouse. Its greatest feature is the speed, tracking and lightweight savings of the thermoforming process. It is my choice for a fishing platform and I am proud to be a part of the Hurricane Team. Check them out at http://hurricaneaquasports.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hurricanefishing?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Here is a video of my first outing in the Skimmer 140 and on the water review

 

And another video from my second fishing trip in the Skimmer