X- Factor Review
by Ed Whited
I drove to the San Diego Sailing Center on Mission Bay last Sunday afternoon November 7th, 2004 to test paddle Malibu’s new kayak, the X-Factor. I had seen it at our KFC III event and had sat in it outside the shop during a previous visit to the San Diego Sailing Center. Sunday was an overcast and rainy day with enough wind to have the flags standing straight out, flapping briskly, but not enough to have white caps or large wind waves. For comparison, I am 48 years old, five feet eleven inches tall and weigh 210 pounds. I normally paddle the Cobra Fish N Dive and Cobra Tourer.
Malibu's X-Factor - new in October 2004
The X-Factor is nicely thought and laid out. The seat area is wide and ample. There are six flush mounted rod holders, two behind the seat, two just out of paddle reach on the sides of the kayak and two forward of the foot-wells on the front deck. The X-Factor had three hatches; Malibu’s trademark “A” shaped hatch on the forward deck, a two “Dog” (Twist latch) rectangular hatch just in front of the seat, between your legs and another two dog rectangular hatch on the canted bulkhead just behind the seat. The canted bulkhead forms the front of the tank well. The tank well is very large and has molded areas for a plastic bucket bait tank and a crate behind it. The X-Factor measures about 14 feet 3 inches long and 33 inches wide on our tape measure. This may be slightly different then the advertised length and width, but are close enough for my purposes to provide a rough comparison of other kayaks. The hull is shaped very much like a Cobra Fish N Dive, but the scupper drain holes are more hydrodynamicly shaped. There is a pronounced keel, very similar to the F~N~D but it continues all the way to the stern instead of having a “step” like the F~N~D. More on this later.
Before I took the X-Factor on the water, I sat in it. I was concerned that the aft hatch on the canted bulkhead would be awkward to use if the tank well had a crate or bait bucket in it. Both the center and aft hatch are the same size, so I opened the center hatch and tried to put two full sized rods and reels inside the kayak. By full sized, I mean seven foot, 20 to 30 line test rods and Penn 500 Jig Master sized reels. I fully expected the rods and reels not to fit, but they did. There was a little finagling, but nothing hard. Pointing the rod tips aft, I was able to feed the rod in, rotating the rod butt to get the reel past the hatch sill. Two rods fit nicely and I think I could get up to four rods in if I had too. Why was I trying to put rods in the center hatch when the bow and aft hatch were designed to do just that? Because I could, I am used to the huge center hatch on an F~N~D. I can get anything inside that hatch without having to crawl or twist anywhere. I was happy to see that X-Factor let me do the same.
The X-Factor I paddled was a preproduction model and is a little heavier than what the production model is planned to be. Once I got it into the water, it felt very stable, almost as stupidly stable as the F~N~D. I paddled around and drifted with the wind. Drifting, the kayak is perpendicular to the wind, not bow or stern first as with some kayaks. I paddled from Sail Bay to the Bahia Belle docks a distance of a little over a mile or so. This entire trip was against the wind. The X-Factor tracked as if it was on rails, no wandering at all against a quartering wind and wave. While it takes 3 or 4 strokes to get up to speed, similar to the F~N~D, it glided much better than the F~N~D. Unlike the Tourer or the Extreme, it did not turn off to one side when coasting. Once it was up to speed, it was easy to keep it there, requiring quite a bit less effort than the F~N~D.
I went to the Bahia docks to determine how the X-Factor behaved in close quarters and because dock fishing is my favorite technique. Even though it was windy, the X-Factor felt rock solid and easy to control. The “Glide-Factor” must be taken into account because it is easy to overshoot or bang into a dock. The X-Factor glides very well and requires very little corrections to go straight. Draw and figure eight strokes are effective to move the kayak sideways towards a dock, there was no tendency for the bow or stern to swing, just a nice straight slide to the left or right. Everything sounds great so far doesn’t it? Well there is a problem trying to get this boat turned in a reasonable amount of space. The full keel makes the kayak track like it’s on a rail while going straight, but resists tight turns. The only time this will become a factor is in tight quarters around boats and docks. In La Jolla, the “on rails tracking” will more that overcome any limits in turning radius caused by the full length keel.
My impressions of the X-Factor are very positive, but there are a few nickel dime issues. The foot wells are great, wide and self-draining; there are no heel wells to collect water. The foot wells are wider and more comfortable than the F~N~D, however the adjustable footrests are not as solid as what I would like, they may last forever, but I am used to solid footrests and not adjustable ones.
There is a little hull slap in quartering waves, not a huge amount and
it is not all that loud, but it is audible. Also, there a little gurgle
from the bow and where the hull sides meet the waterline. When a friend
test paddled the X-Factor later on in the afternoon, it was dead calm
and rippleless. I was on the shore approximately 100 feet away from him
and I could hear the water gurgle as he coasted towards shore. It is not
loud or annoying, but it was there.
The forward two flush-mounted rod holder is a little too far forward for
me to reach easily, but the mid and aft rod holders seem to be placed
correctly for me. I did not hit my fishing rods in either holder when
paddling.
I climbed all over the kayak while on the water and never felt off balance.
I could get to the bow and aft hatches, the tank well and everything else.
I could turn around, kneel and even stand up in the kayak. It was very
stable.
I probably will not trade my F~N~D in for the X-Factor, but my Tourer
may not be safe from a trade in. I enjoyed the X-Factor, but want to paddle
it offshore to solidify my impression of the X-Factor. Please consider
this as first part of a 2-part paddle report.
Now for the weasel words, I am associated with the Plastic Navy kayak-fishing group. The Plastic Navy’s last tournament was sponsored in part by Malibu Kayaks and the X-Factor was debuted at our event. Malibu has not offered me any incentive to write a positive paddle report. This report and my impressions are just that, my impressions. I own Cobra Kayaks and the comparisons between the X-Factor and the F~N~D are not coordinated with, or approved by either the Malibu or Cobra manufactures. This is not a comparison designed to decide which kayak is “Best”. The article is meant to provide one man’s opinion of different aspects of two very nice kayaks. Each person should make their own comparisons and value judgments before they buy any kayak discussed in my article.