Cobra Marauder

The new 2013 Cobra Marauder – This is an all new Marauder, a meaner more refined machine than the predecessor that shared its name. The new design comes from Cobra’s New Zealand offshoot, and as we know our cousins over the ditch know a thing or two about kayak fishing. Off the water at near 30 kg bare the Marauder is no lightweight, but for a large chunky piece of plastic it's surprisingly no slouch on the water. The reason the ride is so slick is because of the clever design of the hull. Deep chines and a heavily rockered ski like hull provide wave-riding lift, enhancing it’s ability to step over swells and cleave through the kilometres.

I particularly liked the recessed transducer/scupper set up, a thoughtful feature that gets the transducer up out of harms way whilst providing the best possible fishfinder performance. Other cool things included the handy custom centre compartment, and I thought Cobra’s trademark Xtra Fishy moulded-in measuring tape was a nice touch.

I don’t have many gripes to speak of, except for the positioning of the front flush-mount rod holders, which meant my paddle kept hitting my rods when making an extended stroke. I know the folks at Cobra are good at listening to their customers (as evidenced by the fact they have added the rudder everyone knew it needed as standard on this new model) so hopefully they will fix that at some stage.

Stable, roomy, well thought out, and solidly built, this impressive fishing platform is packed to the gunwales with useful features other manufacturers can only dream of. In my book it ticks most boxes they talk about in their advertising.

This new Marauder is a serious Blue Water fishing platform. If you want an offshore kayak with the glide to make long paddles that bit easier, yet still have the stability to keep you at ease when the action starts happening out there then this is one of the best options you are likely to come across. I liked it; I liked it a lot. Good hull speed, plenty of stability, and heaps of thoughtful inclusions. Rod holder positioning, some hull slap