Looking to buy a PA 12 or 14. Need advice.

Looking to buy a 2015 PA 12 or 14 and just wanted to get your guys input. I plan to mostly do inshore redfish fishing. Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River Lagoon, east central florida. Sight fishing. Standing. Poling. Really skinny water. Sometimes have to cover a good bit of water, but probably only a few miles. Other issue is that I have a Ford Expedition and plan to haul the PA on my roof. I've seen videos of PA's being loaded on SUV's, but none of the SUV's on the video are as tall as my Expedition. Don't really want to trailer it.

Right now I have a Wilderness Tarpon 120. Great yak. But too unstable to stand. So sight fishing is very limited. But it's not too bad to load on top of my Expedition.

I have a PA 14 and it is a load to pick up over your head. I would not try to haul on the cab. YOu might want to see about the extended tailgate option. It will stick out the back and need to have a red flag on the yak while hauling. I am not sure about the PA 12 but I know it will be a load too.

The outback is the best choice if you have to lift over your head.

Good Luck and maybe some one with experience with the 12 will give you some input...

I've seen both 12s and 14s loaded and unloaded from various vehicles, the worst being a lifted jeep where the top of the roll bar was just over 7' high. It was unloaded and later loaded by two young verile looking men with the unloading seeming to be a little more precarious. I have also seen all manner of homemade contraptions to help with the loading and unloading. All of the over head options make it longer from the time you pull up until you are actually rigged and pushing off.
I have a friend that due to shoulder issues uses a slightly modified (small) boat trailer and simply launches it like a boat fully rigged and ready to go. From the time he gets to the launch site to pedaling is 5 minutes or less. I purchased an old 1998 Nissan (Navara for down under) Frontier long bed pickup for my daily work commute and to haul my PA 14 with a T-Bone bed extender. The great thing about this setup is that the bed of the truck is just 27" high and is easy to slide on and off.
In summation you really might want to consider a trailer unless you are young and verile and fish with a friend that is too.

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"I have always found it easier to show people what the coolest things about fishing are, rather than just tell them another fish story."
--Jose Wejebe

Haha. Don't know about being young and verile. But I'm 41 and in relatively good shape. Unfortunately an extender is not an option because I have a 4 door SUV, not a flatbed truck. Would prefer not to use a trailer. Storage is a issue. Cost as well. Prefer the PA over the outback because a stable platform to stand and fish is my main priority for the yak.

I'm pretty set on the PA 12 as long as I'm physically able to carry it on top of my Expedition. Was just wondering if going with a PA 14 was gonna be worth the extra 30 lbs I am gonna have to dead lift over my head.

If I had to cartop a PA I'd go with the 12. I cartopped my Outback on a 4Runner for years with no problems but wouldn't want to go much bigger than that. One thing though, whatever you end up with don't plan on dead lifting that thing or you'll kill your back. Lay the boat upside down parallel your vehicle, with the yak's midpoint lined up with your rear bumper. Get the nose up first, then walk around the back of the yak and slide it up.

The 14 is 130lbs then you put all the equipment you want to bring along on it.
Do you really want to load and unload all that topside gear on a regular basis?

Your best options are a trailer then an extension for your truck bed.
14 foot vs 12 foot won't make much of a difference for travel and you would likely find the extra 2 feet of space useful.

I would have to agree on the trailer. I can launch my PA 14 in about 2 minutes tops with a long line and walking it to the dock. Loading it with the same long line I don't even have to get wet in under 5 minutes. You have to store the yak anyways and the trailer doesn't really take up any more rook.

I bought my trailer from Harbor Freight for $199 after searching online for a 25% off coupon code. I have to thank Tony from Venture Tube for his ideas. Search for the Venture Tube channel on YouTube as he has lots of videos and tons of ideas. I added the pvc supports to the trailer and even glued bunk carpeting to the top of the pvc to make sure I don't get any undo scratches.

I am always amazed at how much less time it takes me to launch and reload than it does someone in a regular bass boat.

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Jeff
KansasYaker
2014 - Pro Angler - 14 - Upgraded H-Rail Kit

I fished from a buddy's PA 14 a few times... hated it... mostly due to it's size and weight, moving it around, loading unloading.... and it wasn't set up for me. I bought it a few months later because he gave me a good deal and I was planning to sell it for a profit. Began using it on a trailer and fell in love with it... go ahead and top it at first, but you will find your enthusiasm for using it will diminish a little more every time you load, haul and unload it. Also, you can launch it loaded and ready to fish, you're in the water before most of your buddies have theirs rigged. Get a trailer. PS: He also had a PA 12, sold it first, said he didn't like it compared to 14 dues to size difference.

I'm am now the proud owner of a 2015 PA 12! Dune color. Guy echoed everyone else's sentiments on this board and strongly discouraged me from cartop loading. He talked me into a t bone extender. Picking it up tomorrow. I've only seen these extenders on flatbed trucks. Never on an suv with a lift gate. He says it's fine. Just tie the lift gate down. Just not sure about traveling down the highway with my lift gate partially open. If anyone has seen this done or has experience with it let me know. He was also happy to sell me a $2000 trailer. I've seen lots of guys buy older trailers or jet ski trailers and make them work. But I'm just not that handy.

You have to keep your windows open so you don't end up sucking exhaust fumes.

One of those cheap harbor freight trailers with a little work or a used boat trailer is honestly the best but as long as you get out on the water it is all the best.
Hope you have a ton of fun on your new purchase.

Trying to load and unload either the 12 or 14 alone on top any vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Usually to the back or shoulder muscles, and when the yak comes off the top, often some interesting things happen in wind gusts. After fighting with that system for a couple years, I bought a used small-boat trailer off a newspaper ad.

A friend who is handier mechanically than I am modified it for my Hobies in a couple hours. Now for the last six years I am on or off the water in five minutes or less, my Hobies are still in one piece, my stress level has dropped dramatically and my time spent fishing is much more enjoyable when I don't have to sweat out the thought of reloading my rig and gear.

Just saying!

Oldguysrule

Part of the idea behind the PA boats is room and the ability to carry any gear you choose. If you cartop either one you will find yourself making numerous trips to load the boat, and more to unload it. Once you own it, you will customize it with rod holders, electronics, and who knows what else, batteries maybe? All this adds weight and you will probably need to remove it before loading it on top of your SUV. Remember, too, all this gear must go inside your SUV. I own both the PA12 and PA14 and found myself working entirely too hard unloading the gear from the boat, carrying all the gear to the truck, then rolling it on it's side to put the wheels in and dragging it to the truck. After a long day fishing, that's too much work and puts a damper on the day. So, I finally got smart and bought a trailer. Now, I load the boat on the trailer and launch and recover it fully loaded. I probably carry too much gear, but my philosophy is better to have and not need than to need and not have. If storing the trailer is an issue, consider a folding one from Harbor Freight. You won't be sorry. If I was going to purchase a single boat, I would definitely go with the -14 for the extra room. As I said, I own both but the only time the -12 gets used is when I take my son or grandson or a friend along with me. I have never been in it since I bought the -14. Whatever you decide, you will love it. The PA is a super fishing machine!

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Richard Laughlin
Lafayette, LA

Finally Retired, Fish Beware!

2013 Hobie Pro Angler 14
2012 Hobie Pro Angler 12
2001 Hobie Hank Parker Edition Outback

While I'm sure there are other brands that spendy, that $2000 sounds suspiciously like a Yakima Rack-n-Roll. I have one and while I love it for my lighter yaks I wouldn't want to use it for a PA! The Yakimas have nice large wheels on them which puts the yaks about waist-high on the trailer, and they aren't designed to be immersed in water. That means you have to lift the yaks on/off the trailer. No big deal for something you can easily lift, but sometimes even my Outback is a bit of a pain, especially if I'm on a steep boat ramp.

If you go looking for a trailer I'd be sure to get one that's configured low enough and can be dipped in the water to allow floating the yak off the trailer.

I've been considering this myself as I'm buying a 2015 Tandem Island. No way I wanted to lug 190 lbs and I'm too impatient for multiple trips back and forth. Hobie's TI trailer (Trailex SUT-350-AIT) would do but I didn't like that it leaves about 5 feet of the boat hanging off the back of the trailer so wound up ordering a SUT-350-S from Trailex after scrounging info from this forum. It's still fairly pricey but considerably less than I spent for the Yakima.

I hear you on the handy bit. I'm pretty well mechanically inclined and did consider modifying a cheap boat trailer, but didn't want to trust my skills to carry my Very Expensive TI down the highway!

THIS

_________________
"I have always found it easier to show people what the coolest things about fishing are, rather than just tell them another fish story."
--Jose Wejebe