[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ NMS WWWBoard Version 1.0 ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Ted on 18:14:20 14/12/02
Ever since the Prowler was leaked out this past summer and then after the pictures turned up on the Ocean Kayak website, all those who kayak fish (especially the Southern California kayak fishing community) have really talked about the Prowler with excitement.
Recent developments have caused me to become concerned as to whether this kayak will ever make it to market.
First and foremost, Ocean Kayak has removed the pictures and the specs of the kayak from their website. They have replaced the website information with the words: “The ultimate fishing kayak is coming soon.” They would normally deserve a pass, but a quick look at Johnson Outdoors Inc.’s financials and the recent Ocean Kayak models brought to market under Johnson’s control, provide a much different picture. The last four consecutive quarterly reports show the watercraft sector of their business down. Sales each quarter in this area are dropping. The quarterly financials indicate that the watercraft sales would be even lower except that the strong sales of Leisure Life Limited products (Basstender mini boats) are offsetting much of the poor sales.
Since Johnson has owned Ocean Kayak we have seen very non-innovative kayak designs such as the Drifter come to market. For example, if you take the Drifter and compare it with a side by side top view of the Scupper Pro TW, you can immediately identify that the Drifter is just a Scupper Pro TW on steroids. To top it off, third party product companies have scrambled to create products so Drifter owners won’t notice they are sitting under water. The Mars, Venus, Caper and Agean are some of the other kayaks they have introduced to the market. While other companies such as Wilderness Systems works on designs like the Ride Angler and Tarpon Angler; upstart companies such as Malibu Ocean Sports have specifically designed their last two releases for fishing and diving as a primary use. Cobra maintains a market share with it’s, Fish N Dive, Expedition, Navigator and Explorer.
With the receding sales of Johnson’s watercraft products continuing quarter after quarter and an Ocean Kayak product line that is all over the board, new products like the Prowler may be held back until that segment of the business can be brought under control. I have to wonder how much impact the Necky move has had at Ocean Kayak. The Mars and Venus really look more like Necky designs than that of Ocean Kayak. I believe the fishing segment of the kayak market is in it’s infancy and those who address the market early will gain the most. It truly is a shame that divorce took the company from Tim Niemier's hands. One bright spot for Johnson and Oceans Kayak is the customer loyal Ocean Kayak has created. Ocean Kayak owners are some of the most loyal people I have met. However, how long can the loyalty last? Pressure from newer designs and a growing fishing market may possibly break this loyalty. I hope that there is a more simple explanation for the developments of the Prowler, but the financial reports from Johnson make me wonder if the Prowler is just a ghost ship.
-Ted
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ NMS WWWBoard Version 1.0 ] [ FAQ ]