Submitted: 03-12-2008 by DDC
Not many reviews on the Magic series from Native online, so I wanted to post one here for anyone that is looking at this versatile SOT. When I was doing my research, one of the most given pieces of advice were to test paddle the kayak first. That I did....A LOT of different kayaks. Let me say, the Native Ultimate and Magic have the best seating system out of everything I tried.
I chose the Magic over the Ultimate due to it's speed and upgradability via the plug and play rails. I've created all sorts of ways to connect my gear and rod holders using this system, and changing from solo to tandem configuration takes 40 seconds.
This boat is very fast, has good tracking and glide. It is stable and I am able to stand and fish, but not near as stable as the Ultimate. I'm very satisfied with this kayak and would highly recommend it to others looking for a sit on top and tandem/solo convertible. My wife is looking to join me on outings in another kayak and I may consider getting the Ultimate for her since she would benefit from the stability and would not be following me out in 2' of choppy waters.
Only con on this kayak is that it is HEAVY. In back of a pickup or trailer should be no problem at 74 pounds, but on top of a SUV it might be harder to manage. I put my kayak on the top of a truck topper, but made a PVC cart that allows me to load and transport much easier by myself. |