Had my V2 Lure for about a year now.. there are several frustrating things about it, and if I had waited 6 to 9 months to buy it, could have saved like $300 cuz they dropped the price significantly in 2023. As of today, there are better and more affordable options out there. Buyer beware, they have great marketing and customer service but the kayaks are substandard. 1. Pedal drive is inefficient and difficult to deploy. It also takes up alot of room on the deck and is rather noisy. Outdated tech in my opinion compared to what's out there now. 2. The wheel in the keel is useless when you have the beaver tail rudder installed as the base of the rudder drags on the ground when you lift up the front of the kayak. 3. Very heavy and difficult to manage the kayak for one person. And is ackward without a kayak cart. 4. Unitrack requires adapters for all yakattack accessories. Also needs more built in tracks for riggability throughout. 5. You have to install practically everything yourself when it's shipped, unless you have a dealer nearby.. which I did not. 6. The gravity seat slips and has dropped me to the floor and scraped my heels a couple times, seems like it's finnicky and requires constant adjustment on the springs and tensioners. 7. The hull leaks a little but, probably at the keel or fastener/strap points throughout the boat, so you always end up with a little bit of lake water in the advertised dry hatch. 8. Back end of the boat sits very low in the water when you're loaded with gear, I think they built the design with not enough buoyancy in the rear of the hull. 9. Hatch is unusable when you have the pedal drive installed as mentioned in the video, and the latches are annoying. Good luck accessing while you're on the water. 10. Plastic feels cheap and flimsy, especially on the warm days.. hoping it doesn't crack on me.
This is the best summary and my exact opinion. I was going to do an on the water review but the video was deleted when my external hard drive crashed on me. I decided not to do it as I personally hated the kayak and didn't see the need to bash it as most of my points were made in my walkthrough. Thank you for your feedback!
Buy an Old Town or perhaps a Bonafide if you have the money.. for roughly $3k retail you can get such a better product that has far superior stability, riggability, comfort and stability. Again, FeelFree is a good starter kayak, but don't waste your time with the pedal drives, they're a pain in the neck. If you're on a tight budget, get yourself a FeelFree Moken and put a small trolling motor on it. Better value with the Moken line in my opinion.
One of the best kayaks made . I have been happy with mine since 2016 . I had a hobie that I was not happy with . The lure was a great upgrade and more stable than the hobie and much easier to paddle and control .. The review here is a 2016 model . They have newer models out there . My buddy has a 2014 lure 11.5 that he has been using every since he bought and still loves it .
I've had many boats, inshore fishing in Florida for ten years. My Lure 10 and 13.5 are never being sold. They make solid boats. I don't do the pedal drive, add a trolling motor. The hulls / deck are excellent.
Thanks for your feedback! I really appreciate it. All kayaks have had issues. It's up to the individual to find the preferences they have and go with it. Thanks for watching!
I have a FeelFree Moken 125 V2. No complaints thus far although I will be in the market next year to upgrade to a peddle kayak. I started with the Moken because I didn't want to spend a ton of money on my first kayak in case I didn't like kayak fishing. That kayak new was $799 when I bought it. They now retail for $925 I think? So still under a grand. The Moken series also comes in peddle drive versions now with the 125 only being $1599 so that is also a budget friendly option for a peddle drive. My only real complain with my Moken is the gear tracks. They are sturdy but Feelfree / Big Fish / 3 Waters use their own track system. Your off the shelf Yak Attack accessories wont' fit on the tracks correctly without some type of adapter.
I have been running a feel free for 8 years. Just upgraded to the titan x 12.5. I wanted an upgrade for additional space and balance. I have herd you talk about primary and secondary balance on another video. The feel free in my opinion has terrible primary balance but fantastic secondary. I have fallen out a few times standing but never flipped it, its like it has a wobble but catches before flipping. I think it would be good for a smaller guy or gal that runs it with minimal gear (that is not me). As for the seat issue I will confirm-ish. I just replaced my seat because it was starting to have issues. Never had it drop to the floor, but the components are starting to fall apart so I am constantly fixing it. with that being said it is 8 years old. I added a trolling motor on the rear. With the weight of the motor and battery the back dips down too low in the water and my hull fills slowly through the foot control holes. So I have to drain it once per trip or add weight to the front to balance it out. keep in mind I am a bigger guy. lastly that wheel it comes with is not very stable. You can not load it first. but it is manageable by one person, and I do not use a dolly with it. I like having the wheel in that spot vs a rudder, like the titan. just less worry about breaking it. Those are the only issues I have had with it. I have no plans of selling it. It is going to be my secondary kayak for when a friend wants to join me. It is still In my opinion a great kayak. I would absolutely recommend.
The only time I ever saw a problem with the gravity seat was when HEAVY people (pushing 300 or more) sat in it... OR 250lb plus sit in the seat HARD... meaning throw themselves into the seat. I'm short and fat, and I LOVE the gravity seat.
Did you take it out on the water yet? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on how the it handles and how the pedal drive system is compared to rest.
They aren't bad. I just think there are so many quality kayaks out there that there may be some better options for people in the same price range. Thanks for watching!
@@thebeardedpaddler I have a lynx which I love be because of it light weight and simplicity but looking to add one more that can take a beating and not baby as much the nucanoe canoe with pivot drives looks amazing to pedal and I can draft shallow and not damage prop. Any suggestions? I like the Hobie fins but hearing Hobie customers service starting to fade. Compass ? Love your reviews thanks Mike
@@zoommaster7253I would suggest the Passport R in a 10.5 or 12 ft version (both under $2k. For shallow creeks and rivers though I would suggest a paddle kayak. Either the Nucanoe Flint or the Bonafide RVR119
Where did you find the green camo with overdrive? Pretty sure they discontinued that color.. settled for desert camo, but really wanted the green camo.
What do you think about the dorado ? Also how is this budget if the other options you listed are a few dollars more or less ? Also I’ve been seeing lots of videos with broken hobbie pedal drives and cracks around the hatches. And they are trying to plastics weld instead of replacing it under their warranty.
I'm not a very big fan of the feel free lineup personally. They don't seem to hold up very well over the long run from my experience. Also haven't had issues with Hobie not replacing hulls when there is an issue. Most of the time it's the paddle shop that is doing a poor job communicating with the manufacturer on the warranty situation. Hoboe will ask questions sure, but they honor the warranty like most manufacturers do in the end. Thank you for your feedback!
Despite the issues you identified with the gravity seat, I've heard it's one of the most comfortable among fishing kayaks. However, it seems strange to offer two seat backs. Any reason you can think why the high seat back would not be standard, especially on the pricier Lure?
Seat looks comfy but wouldn't compare it to Bonafide or Jackson. It does tend to retain water (you can see the stain) I've heard they are very slow in the water BUT I have not taken it out yet. I will do an on the water review soon!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am currently deciding whether to purchase the Lure 11.5. My decision so far hinges on its convenience in switching from pedaling to motorizing using the same overdrive system. However, after hearing about potential issues like leaking and seat problems, I may need to reconsider if the convenience outweighs these cons. Could you please recommend other kayaks on the market that features a dual power design like the Lure 11.5, where it's possible to pedal or use a motor within the same system? I'm aware that some kayaks require removing the entire pedal system before installing a motor, which can be inconvenient while fishing. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
My son and I have been fishing out of two feelfree moke 10 v2 PDL with the bixpy k1 with the aluminum universal kit every other day all season. I haven’t had any issues out either one of them. At $1900 for kayak, pedal drive, motor and battery all new they’re hard to beat in my opinion. Having the motor and pedal drive separate is nicer in my opinion. I stand fishing most of the time. Definitely recommend seat riders though if your going to sit and stand in moken. I do plan on upgrading to a larger bonafided PWR and/or native Titan X in the near future & the moken 10’s will be my back up’s or for my kids. I will not be selling them.
The thing is It’s not a budget kayak… and old town has their fair share of issues as well… so does hobbie…. The issue is everyone has likes and dislikes. I’ll give u an example he stated you can get a hobbie… hobbie has issues with crack around the rear hatch at the waterline … and their 360 drives break so much that it’s a safety issue… you have to fight with them to honor their warranty…. You can spend all the money in the world but each and every one of these companies have issues with their products… if you’re on the water in them enough you will understand this.. parts wear out it’s a given…
I'm curious why you're reviewing a feelfree V1 kayak in 2023 when they came out with theyre V2 model in 2021. Definitely some upgrades done. But it definitely is overpriced.
When you are talking about pedal drive kayaks anything under $1500 will be "budget" anything under that you would be better off spending money on a quality paddle kayak in my opinion
The key words being " for a couple hundred dollars more" . While Feel free make some interesting kayaks like the Lure, the Moken, the Juntos, and the Aventura, the quality will always be suspect, allowing Feelfree to sell a sit inside Aventura 12 with both bow and stern bulkheads as well as a skeg for the same price as a Perception Joyride 12 or the Old Town Vapor 12 XT. There's only one store in Canada (MEC) that bothers to carry Feelfree Kayaks.
When you are in the $2300 a couple of hundred more is still in the ballpark if the kayak will last longer and some better quality. Now if we are in the $500-800 range then a couple of hundred more is a different category. There are just so many quality made kayaks in that price range that one really needs to stand out a bit
Gosh, it really sounded like you were digging for negatives, the plastic from Thailand isn't as good? The pedal drive is $1000 of the $2400 so when comparing prices, that should be noted. Your comments about the stern wheel are accurate, nice attempt for a cool feature but it's not perfected. When you're sitting in the kayak, any water over the bow would run into the bottom and out the scuppers so I don't see where the dry storage in the bow will fail. I've paddlers many different kinds of kayaks and never considered feel free as a "budget" kayak.
I'm doing this compared to other pedal drive kayaks in the same price range. The density is lighter than most rotomolded kayaks so we are actually unable to do plastic weld on it. Many dealers have actually stopped carrying Feelfree due to these issues. My biggest drawback is I see them traded in with light use and they really don't hold up very well which for $2k you would expect. Some people are extremely happy with them so it's not that it's a bad kayak, I just think there are better values out there for the same amount of money maybe slightly more
I looked long and hard at this model before I bought the Bite. Don't do it!!!! Taiwan made, too expensive. Get a yak made in the USA or if you must Canada.
they are way overpriced many of these kinda kayaks.. i''ve seen the wholesale prices, many also forget to mention the kinda plastic and molding process they used
Had my V2 Lure for about a year now.. there are several frustrating things about it, and if I had waited 6 to 9 months to buy it, could have saved like $300 cuz they dropped the price significantly in 2023. As of today, there are better and more affordable options out there. Buyer beware, they have great marketing and customer service but the kayaks are substandard.
1. Pedal drive is inefficient and difficult to deploy. It also takes up alot of room on the deck and is rather noisy. Outdated tech in my opinion compared to what's out there now.
2. The wheel in the keel is useless when you have the beaver tail rudder installed as the base of the rudder drags on the ground when you lift up the front of the kayak.
3. Very heavy and difficult to manage the kayak for one person. And is ackward without a kayak cart.
4. Unitrack requires adapters for all yakattack accessories. Also needs more built in tracks for riggability throughout.
5. You have to install practically everything yourself when it's shipped, unless you have a dealer nearby.. which I did not.
6. The gravity seat slips and has dropped me to the floor and scraped my heels a couple times, seems like it's finnicky and requires constant adjustment on the springs and tensioners.
7. The hull leaks a little but, probably at the keel or fastener/strap points throughout the boat, so you always end up with a little bit of lake water in the advertised dry hatch.
8. Back end of the boat sits very low in the water when you're loaded with gear, I think they built the design with not enough buoyancy in the rear of the hull.
9. Hatch is unusable when you have the pedal drive installed as mentioned in the video, and the latches are annoying. Good luck accessing while you're on the water.
10. Plastic feels cheap and flimsy, especially on the warm days.. hoping it doesn't crack on me.
This is the best summary and my exact opinion. I was going to do an on the water review but the video was deleted when my external hard drive crashed on me.
I decided not to do it as I personally hated the kayak and didn't see the need to bash it as most of my points were made in my walkthrough.
Thank you for your feedback!
Buy an Old Town or perhaps a Bonafide if you have the money.. for roughly $3k retail you can get such a better product that has far superior stability, riggability, comfort and stability.
Again, FeelFree is a good starter kayak, but don't waste your time with the pedal drives, they're a pain in the neck. If you're on a tight budget, get yourself a FeelFree Moken and put a small trolling motor on it. Better value with the Moken line in my opinion.
Damn, you talked me out of it. Back to the Vibe Shearwater reviews.
One of the best kayaks made . I have been happy with mine since 2016 .
I had a hobie that I was not happy with . The lure was a great upgrade and more stable than the hobie and much easier to paddle and control ..
The review here is a 2016 model . They have newer models out there .
My buddy has a 2014 lure 11.5 that he has been using every since he bought and still loves it .
I've had many boats, inshore fishing in Florida for ten years. My Lure 10 and 13.5 are never being sold. They make solid boats. I don't do the pedal drive, add a trolling motor. The hulls / deck are excellent.
Thanks for your feedback! I really appreciate it. All kayaks have had issues. It's up to the individual to find the preferences they have and go with it.
Thanks for watching!
I have a FeelFree Moken 125 V2. No complaints thus far although I will be in the market next year to upgrade to a peddle kayak. I started with the Moken because I didn't want to spend a ton of money on my first kayak in case I didn't like kayak fishing. That kayak new was $799 when I bought it. They now retail for $925 I think? So still under a grand. The Moken series also comes in peddle drive versions now with the 125 only being $1599 so that is also a budget friendly option for a peddle drive. My only real complain with my Moken is the gear tracks. They are sturdy but Feelfree / Big Fish / 3 Waters use their own track system. Your off the shelf Yak Attack accessories wont' fit on the tracks correctly without some type of adapter.
Wasn't aware of yakattack not fitting. That's a big deal
@@thebeardedpaddler yak attack sells adapters. I think they're $25 for a pack of 6?
@@mattman_outside thank you for your feedback. Really appreciate it
@thebeardedpaddler sure, no problem! Feelfree also sells their own mount as well. I forget what they call it.
I have been running a feel free for 8 years. Just upgraded to the titan x 12.5. I wanted an upgrade for additional space and balance.
I have herd you talk about primary and secondary balance on another video. The feel free in my opinion has terrible primary balance but fantastic secondary. I have fallen out a few times standing but never flipped it, its like it has a wobble but catches before flipping. I think it would be good for a smaller guy or gal that runs it with minimal gear (that is not me). As for the seat issue I will confirm-ish. I just replaced my seat because it was starting to have issues. Never had it drop to the floor, but the components are starting to fall apart so I am constantly fixing it. with that being said it is 8 years old. I added a trolling motor on the rear. With the weight of the motor and battery the back dips down too low in the water and my hull fills slowly through the foot control holes. So I have to drain it once per trip or add weight to the front to balance it out. keep in mind I am a bigger guy. lastly that wheel it comes with is not very stable. You can not load it first. but it is manageable by one person, and I do not use a dolly with it. I like having the wheel in that spot vs a rudder, like the titan. just less worry about breaking it. Those are the only issues I have had with it. I have no plans of selling it. It is going to be my secondary kayak for when a friend wants to join me. It is still In my opinion a great kayak. I would absolutely recommend.
Great feedback!
Thanks for watching and chiming in. It could really help someone in the future
Would love to see a video on the best paddle fishing kayaks to take out in the Gulf and other saltwater areas.
Great suggestion!
Suggested on a Not break the bank pedal kayak I can fish shallow and river that’s not to heavy yet comfortable? So many toys out there to choose from
The only time I ever saw a problem with the gravity seat was when HEAVY people (pushing 300 or more) sat in it... OR 250lb plus sit in the seat HARD... meaning throw themselves into the seat. I'm short and fat, and I LOVE the gravity seat.
Appreciate the feedback! Hope to see you around here more.
Thanks for watching!
Did you take it out on the water yet? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on how the it handles and how the pedal drive system is compared to rest.
I have. I'll work up a video soon
Great review. Any thoughts on the Moken 10 pdl
They aren't bad. I just think there are so many quality kayaks out there that there may be some better options for people in the same price range.
Thanks for watching!
@@thebeardedpaddler I have a lynx which I love be because of it light weight and simplicity but looking to add one more that can take a beating and not baby as much the nucanoe canoe with pivot drives looks amazing to pedal and I can draft shallow and not damage prop. Any suggestions? I like the Hobie fins but hearing Hobie customers service starting to fade. Compass ? Love your reviews thanks Mike
@@zoommaster7253I would suggest the Passport R in a 10.5 or 12 ft version (both under $2k.
For shallow creeks and rivers though I would suggest a paddle kayak. Either the Nucanoe Flint or the Bonafide RVR119
@@thebeardedpaddlernot too many pedal drive kayaks under $1500. Vibe Makana, Lightning Kick 106, Hoodoo. That’s about all I can think of
I'm in the market for a lightweight pedal drive. Any advice is appreciated!
Where did you find the green camo with overdrive? Pretty sure they discontinued that color.. settled for desert camo, but really wanted the green camo.
Customer trade in
What do you think about the dorado ? Also how is this budget if the other options you listed are a few dollars more or less ? Also I’ve been seeing lots of videos with broken hobbie pedal drives and cracks around the hatches. And they are trying to plastics weld instead of replacing it under their warranty.
I'm not a very big fan of the feel free lineup personally. They don't seem to hold up very well over the long run from my experience. Also haven't had issues with Hobie not replacing hulls when there is an issue. Most of the time it's the paddle shop that is doing a poor job communicating with the manufacturer on the warranty situation. Hoboe will ask questions sure, but they honor the warranty like most manufacturers do in the end.
Thank you for your feedback!
Despite the issues you identified with the gravity seat, I've heard it's one of the most comfortable among fishing kayaks. However, it seems strange to offer two seat backs. Any reason you can think why the high seat back would not be standard, especially on the pricier Lure?
Seat looks comfy but wouldn't compare it to Bonafide or Jackson. It does tend to retain water (you can see the stain) I've heard they are very slow in the water BUT I have not taken it out yet. I will do an on the water review soon!
High seat is standard now .
Your option on best pedal fishing kayak at $2000 mark or bellow
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am currently deciding whether to purchase the Lure 11.5. My decision so far hinges on its convenience in switching from pedaling to motorizing using the same overdrive system. However, after hearing about potential issues like leaking and seat problems, I may need to reconsider if the convenience outweighs these cons.
Could you please recommend other kayaks on the market that features a dual power design like the Lure 11.5, where it's possible to pedal or use a motor within the same system? I'm aware that some kayaks require removing the entire pedal system before installing a motor, which can be inconvenient while fishing. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
My son and I have been fishing out of two feelfree moke 10 v2 PDL with the bixpy k1 with the aluminum universal kit every other day all season. I haven’t had any issues out either one of them. At $1900 for kayak, pedal drive, motor and battery all new they’re hard to beat in my opinion. Having the motor and pedal drive separate is nicer in my opinion. I stand fishing most of the time. Definitely recommend seat riders though if your going to sit and stand in moken.
I do plan on upgrading to a larger bonafided PWR and/or native Titan X in the near future & the moken 10’s will be my back up’s or for my kids. I will not be selling them.
Fun fact, that color lime camo is discontinued per feelfree. I wish I could have got one.
It's for sale! Lol.
@@thebeardedpaddler already ordered a winter camo one :(
Is the Radar 115 a better boat in your opinion?
Than a Feelfree? 100%
atm for a pedel kayak i can get this one or the Pescador Pilot 12.0 which would you say iyo is better?
Pilot
@@thebeardedpaddler his one is the v2 right?
isnt this V1? As i know v2 have rod tip protectors.
Pretty sure it's V2
For an extra $50 you can get an Old Town Sportsman Salty 120 PDL
The thing is It’s not a budget kayak… and old town has their fair share of issues as well… so does hobbie…. The issue is everyone has likes and dislikes. I’ll give u an example he stated you can get a hobbie… hobbie has issues with crack around the rear hatch at the waterline … and their 360 drives break so much that it’s a safety issue… you have to fight with them to honor their warranty…. You can spend all the money in the world but each and every one of these companies have issues with their products… if you’re on the water in them enough you will understand this.. parts wear out it’s a given…
I'm curious why you're reviewing a feelfree V1 kayak in 2023 when they came out with theyre V2 model in 2021. Definitely some upgrades done. But it definitely is overpriced.
It's a lightly used Feelfree. We do not sell Feelfree but take trade ins
$2000+ is not a budget kayak. Under $1000 and especially under $500 are budget kayaks.
When you are talking about pedal drive kayaks anything under $1500 will be "budget" anything under that you would be better off spending money on a quality paddle kayak in my opinion
The key words being " for a couple hundred dollars more" . While Feel free make some interesting kayaks like the Lure, the Moken, the Juntos, and the Aventura, the quality will always be suspect, allowing Feelfree to sell a sit inside Aventura 12 with both bow and stern bulkheads as well as a skeg for the same price as a Perception Joyride 12 or the Old Town Vapor 12 XT. There's only one store in Canada (MEC) that bothers to carry Feelfree Kayaks.
When you are in the $2300 a couple of hundred more is still in the ballpark if the kayak will last longer and some better quality.
Now if we are in the $500-800 range then a couple of hundred more is a different category. There are just so many quality made kayaks in that price range that one really needs to stand out a bit
is this version 2?
I believe so
Gosh, it really sounded like you were digging for negatives, the plastic from Thailand isn't as good? The pedal drive is $1000 of the $2400 so when comparing prices, that should be noted. Your comments about the stern wheel are accurate, nice attempt for a cool feature but it's not perfected. When you're sitting in the kayak, any water over the bow would run into the bottom and out the scuppers so I don't see where the dry storage in the bow will fail. I've paddlers many different kinds of kayaks and never considered feel free as a "budget" kayak.
I'm doing this compared to other pedal drive kayaks in the same price range. The density is lighter than most rotomolded kayaks so we are actually unable to do plastic weld on it.
Many dealers have actually stopped carrying Feelfree due to these issues. My biggest drawback is I see them traded in with light use and they really don't hold up very well which for $2k you would expect.
Some people are extremely happy with them so it's not that it's a bad kayak, I just think there are better values out there for the same amount of money maybe slightly more
Well said
I looked long and hard at this model before I bought the Bite. Don't do it!!!! Taiwan made, too expensive. Get a yak made in the USA or if you must Canada.
Facts
they are way overpriced many of these kinda kayaks.. i''ve seen the wholesale prices, many also forget to mention the kinda plastic and molding process they used
There's way too many kayak options at better value
Kinda my thoughts too. Thanks for watching!