Whether you are on the quest of finding your first fishing kayak, or you are an experienced yak angler looking for a new boat, you arrived at the right place. This is your last stop to know everything you need to know (and some more) about the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler.
This kayak is one of the overall best angler options in the market today. After reading through this review you will be certain if this is your yak, or you will be better off with some other alternative.
We are going to cover every feature, the good, the not so good and some cool tips that will help you make this sit on top yak an awesome choice. If you have any question in your mind about this kayak, it’s very likely we have covered it. Check the table of contents below or keep scrolling to dig through the awesome features of the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13.
In case you are in a hurry and you want to quickly check some great deals on the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler and some cool accessories for yak angling, click here.
Contents
Exceptional tracking, out of the box
The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler kayak shines in stability and tracking. For those new to the kayaking sport, “tracking” means how well the boat will maintain its course when is already in motion. This kayak has an awesome tracking, allowing you to stay on course paddle after paddle without effort.
The hull of the Prowler 13 Angler is designed specifically to cut through either calm or rough waters. Thanks to the form of its bow lower part that resembles a smooth V like shape, you will be cutting through the waves as you move forward. This design greatly helps in making your paddling as effective as possible for speed. And the stern lower part ends up in a molded keel, greatly aiding the kayak tracking, and naturally keeping it straight as you paddle.
Although this might sound common sense, is not that common to find a kayak that can perform as well as the Prowler 13 out of the box. I’ve been on different kayaks that were almost impossible to control without a keel or rudder system added to them, swindling from side to side instead of gaining momentum and moving forward. But the Prowler 13 has you covered, giving you a great paddling and tracking experience.
Also the kayak is very stable, and even the hull is designed to be fast and to track well, its stability is not at all compromised. The center of the yak, were the seat is located, reaches 28 inches wide, allowing for very stable paddling and angling from the seat. Comes with two flushed rod holders to each side and a bit back from the seat, and paddle keepers to mount your paddle safe when you are fishing.
As a fisherman, you want to be comfortable and stable while fishing, without having to worry or be constantly vigilant of your balance. The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler will give you the security and assurance you need for stable angling.
Keep in mind that even you might be able to stand up in this kayak, is not designed to do so. There are anglers that can manage this feat of balance without much effort, but be aware that you might need some practice before trying this out with all your gear.
Storage options for every angler
With the Prowler 13 Angler you have ample storage at your disposal. All your fishing gear (and not-fishing gear too) can be carried on the kayak very easily.
Fishing rod holders for everyone!
First things first, the fishing rods. This kayak has two flushed mount fishing rod holders, one at each side of the seat, slightly behind the seat back rest. The position for the rods is good, provided you make a slight waist turn and get it using your opposite hand. I heard a few anglers complaining about the position of these mounts, because they try to get them with the closest hand. If you do it as I explained, you won’t have any trouble.
Regarding storage and starting from the bow, you have a big hatch with a “click-seal” lock mechanism. This hatch gives you access to the whole internal space of the hull. For those anglers that like to bring all your rods, no matter how many you bring, this hatch will allow you to store all of them. It doesn’t come with a dry bag, and it can get wet, as the hatch (as in most kayaks) is not waterproof, so keep this in mind a plan ahead for your own dry bag if you need to store valuables that need to stay 100% dry.
More storage and options for your gear
Moving on past the hatch, and lying in the center of the cockpit, in between the footrest you will find 2 molded in cup holders, a 6” cam lock hatch with storage bucket and a molded space for a tackle box with straps for holding it.
The cup holders are interesting not only for cups or drinks, but to drop small items in there when manipulating your rods, tackle or any other action you might be performing on this sit on top kayak.
The 6” hatch has a cam lock system to opening and locking, and is neither waterproof. We do not think this is a problem though if you know this in advance. Just as with the big hatch, you will be having direct access to the full inside of the kayak hull, so it would be wise to use some cord and strap things to the opening of the hatches to make the retrieval of this easy when you are on the water. This hatch has been reported by many to be a direct opening to the hull of the yak, so we can’t be sure if the “storage bucket” reported in the description is actually there in all models from year to year.
The flushed space for the tackle box is an interesting space. For sure a tackle box is helpful here, but also this area can be used as a “working” area. Imagine yourself working on your tackles and chopping some bait. Or maybe in need of a flat surface for some stuff you need to process while on the water. You can easily re-purpose this “tackle box” space by using a low cost plank, cut to fit the space, and keep it secure with the provided fastening belt. I’ve seen this “upgrade” myself, and is simply brilliant for those in need of that extra “working” space. A low cost addition that could greatly improve your angling kayak trips.
And last but not least, behind the seat you will find a very generous tank well flushed in, with bungee cord all around it to store and strap anything you imagine, from a big milk crate to scuba tanks. This area gives exceptional versatility and your imagination is your only limit. The most common setup for anglers here is to use a milk crate, with smaller boxes inside it, and leave some other space for bags.
You even have the possibility of upgrading this tank well space with the official Ice Box Storage to keep your catch fresh.
Quick and lightweight trips from truck to water
How much a kayak weights is an important spec, and is usually overlooked. Are you going out on fishing trips alone or with some friend or family member? And more importantly, are they able to help you in carrying your gear or are just mere passenger that want to enjoy the ride and view? Are you planning on leaving your car or truck far away from the shore? Do you have the extra space and money for a carrying cart? All this questions should be also come into the scene but are usually left out. Let us help a bit on this regard.
The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 is a great kayak for solo trips. Most people will be able to handle it and carry it from truck to water and vice versa without much effort, on their own, without any additional help. It’s very lightweight in comparison to other kayaks, only 56 lbs. / 25.4 kg. Transportation should be easy enough for most adults, and the handles and grips are strong and durable to allow a firm grip when transporting it by hand.
There are two transportation hand grips on the side of the seat, one on the bow and one on the stern too. These last ones are very useful if you actually get help of another angler or a carrying cart. But if your truck-to-water trip is not long, more than likely you will be able to carry it by yourself.
Great accessories possibilities and custom additions
The possibilities for accessories and expansion on this sit on top kayak are great. We already covered the Ice Box you can attach in the rear storage space. But let’s dive into some of the other possibilities.
The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Rudder System
The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 allows you to attach a rudder system to help in guiding your kayak with even more precision. Ocean offers a complete upgrade and attaching rudder system. Once installed this rudder can be deployed and un-deployed from the cockpit, and also used to aid in your turns, right and left. And obviously will help even further in keeping your paddling straight when moving forward is the objective.
For those searching for a detailed look at the Ocean Prowler 13 rudder system and the installation instructions, you can click here and get the official installation guide with pictures.
The Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Scupper and Transducer holes
This kayak also comes with several scupper holes throughout the hull. If you are new to kayaking, the scuppers are molded holes that go from top to bottom of the kayak, allowing the water to move through them. As you paddle, water might splash in, and the scupper hole objective is to allow the water to go down again to the ocean, lake or river. But there is a caveat to keep in mind, depending on your weight, the kayak can sink way more than intended into the water when you are floating and paddling, making the scupper holes a source of incoming water, instead of fulfilling their original objective. Fear not, as all scupper holes have scupper plugs for this situations.
For those anglers interested, you can click here to get a detailed list of scupper holes and plugs sizes in case you need to plug some of them.
Also if you are a tech angler that likes to go fishing with a fish-finder, one of these scupper holes can be used and officially recommended to slide in through your transducer.
More awesome accessories with the RailBlaza kit
Another set of accessories that I want to mention is the RailBlaza awesome kit and options. This is one of my favorite systems, and can be used everywhere. From camera holders, fish-finders and GPS attachments, to rod mounts, rod holders, trays and paddle holders; one thing is certain: you won’t be limited any time soon with these awesome set of attachments.
You can customize your kayak as much as you like, and your imagination is your limit here, truly. Although this is not at all needed from the start, is good to keep an eye open for those cool additions you can get later when you are ready for some upgrades.
One thing I love about this system, is that you have the option of attaching the base of the kit in two ways: by drilling in and fastening the kit or using the “glue” kit alternative. This later one is great for inflatable boats, but also in the cases where you are not allowed of comfortable with drilling a surface. In the case of the Ocean, you might be voiding your warranty if you drill a hole in your kayak hull, so the “glue” option is great great here.
A more comfortable seat
Although the seat of this kayak is good, the provided cushion might not be enough for everyone. The seat is molded in the hull, and the seat seems a bit thin for heavier anglers. We don’t think this is an important drawback though, and we think you should let your body be your judge. You can easily bring an additional cushion to make any long fishing trip more comfortable.
The backrest is good enough to support heavier weights. My personal recommendation is to keep the backrest as straight as possible, even if you like to recline. This will give you an overall better paddling and feel to your lower back as time passes by.
Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Lifetime Warranty
The very first thing and a requirement to be eligible and covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, is to register your boat. You can either fill out the included registration form (paper) that came with your kayak, or complete the form online in Ocean’s website.
Ocean Kayak delivers and outstanding quality in their kayaks, and they are committed to provide the best customer service. They offer a Lifetime Warranty on the hull and deck of any Ocean Kayak from the time of the consumer’s original purchase date. An this obviously covers the Prowler 13 Angler, ensuring that you will be protected from any material or manufacturing defects.
This warranty is extended only to new boats for consumers, and does NOT cover Blemished kayaks or kayaks used for demonstration or for rent.
Blemished kayaks are those that are “second quality” or repaired after a minor defect during the manufacturing process, and have a warranty of 5 years, which is nonetheless outstanding too.
For those kayaks purchased for demonstrations or for rent, the warranty is extended for 90 days from the original purchase date.
If you want to get more details on the warranty offered by Ocean, you can check your kayak’s owner manual
What current owners say
The current owners of the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler have a lot of happy experiences to share. There is an overwhelming focus on good reviews about this kayak.
At the moment of this writing, in Amazon.com the Prowler 13 Angler has a rating of 4.1 stars over 5, pretty good. Moreover, all the reviews written there are exceptionally good. There is a huge concentration of ratings in the top range of 4-5 stars: 81%.
There is only one bad review of 1 star, but is really misleading. The customer in this case had problems with the reseller company that took care of delivering the kayak, and the opinion is bad only related to the handling and delivery of the product, and not to the manufacturer, Ocean Kayaks. This is the only reason the product has a 4.1 rating, and is, as I mentioned, misleading. The manufacturer, the quality and the features of the Prowler 13 are exceptional, and all the customers have shared good experiences and are very satisfied with their purchase.
If you decide that this is the right sit on top kayak for you, you will have a high chance of counting yourself among the proud and happy owners of a great fishing kayak!
What’s in the box
If you purchase the Ocean Prowler 13, you will get the kayak itself and the seat system to attach the cockpit. This model does not come with paddles nor any flotation device (PFD), except you purchase it in some promotion or pack specifically made by some reseller.
An important note we want to mention here is about the delivery of the kayak. And this applies not only for the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler, but any other kayak also. After lots of hours of research on customer satisfaction and experiences of their fishing kayaks, we discovered that there were a considerable amount of problems related to the delivery, and handling of the kayaks by the delivery companies. There were several cases reporting a common problem: bumps, broken packages and scratches, and a general mishandling of the product that lead to a really sour feeling after receiving the purchase.
We specially touched this topic in another article about the best fishing kayaks and you can read that part there. At this point we just want to warn that could be an issue whether you purchase your kayak online, or even if you go in person to a reseller shop (as they get them delivered too!). Please, visually inspect your kayak before accepting the delivery of the product, it should be new, with no signs of damage. If you find any visual indication that this happened, express this to the reseller or delivery company and if possible ask for the delivery of a properly handled and in good condition kayak.
There are good delivery companies too, that know how to handle this type of products, so don’t be afraid of the delivery, just be aware and ask just for what is fair as a customer.
All the details at a glance: Prowler 13 Angler Specifications
| Material | Single Layer Polyethylene |
| Length | 13′ 4″ | 4.1 m |
| Width | 28 in | 71.1 cm |
| Weight Capacity | 325 lb | 147.4 kg |
| Seat Width | 28 in | 71.1 cm |
| Leg Length | 52 in | 132.1 cm |
| Weight | 56 lb | 25.4 kg |
| Hatches | Bow, Center |
| Bow Hatch | 16.5 in x 10 in | 41.9 cm x 25.4 cm |
The Verdict
If your budget allows you to get this kayak, regardless if you are a beginner or experienced paddler, we think you will get an awesome value for your money with this kayak.
You will be moving fast and tracking exceptionally well “out of the box”, you will get all the storage space you need for your fishing gear and you will be open to awesome customization further down the road if you are into it. This baby is made and warranted to last a lifetime, and you will be properly cared for by the manufacturer’s support staff if you ever need it. For us this is a great investment if you can afford it.
If your budget doesn’t reach this level, you might want to check out the Sun Dolphin Journey 10 SS or the Lifetime Tamarack Angler 100, both good options when money is a bit scarce.
For those of you that are after the absolute top seating experience and think that a good cushioned seat won’t do the trick, check the Vibe Sea Ghost 110 Angler another great alternative.
And for those fisherman having even some more bucks to spend, and looking for even more features out of an angler yak, check out the Perception Pescador Pilot 12, a great option where you can even slide around without paddling!