Ocean Kayak Malibu Two XL Angler

Size, weight, capacity

At 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) long and 34 in. (86.4 cm) wide, the Malibu Two XL Angler isn’t the largest tandem on the market. However, it is a really stable platform which is easy to transport and store, thanks to the shorter stature.

The Malibu Two XL Angler has a load capacity of 500 lbs. (226.8 kg). This is more than enough for two paddlers and all their fishing gear, or for a solo angler and all of their gear.

At 73 lbs. (33.1 kg) The Malibu Two XL Angler isn’t a kayak you’re going to be loading single handed onto your car. Once on the water, though, it moves like a far lighter kayak and sits high enough out of the water to paddle easily.

Features

The seating in the Malibu Two XL Angler is one of the primary features which make it such a user friendly kayak. The two seats are both comfortable and supportive, with wide high backed systems which are fully adjustable to give variable support. These can be removed and moved into several positions. This means you can paddle the Malibu Two XL Angler solo or tandem and can even move the seats to face one another, for angling lessons and more space.

There are storage wells at the bow and stern, secured with bungee. These are easily accessed from the two seating positions. The central hatch is secured with the cross lock buckle system and keeps your gear dry. Two extra hatches can be fitted in front of the two seating positions. When the Malibu Two XL Angler is being paddled solo, the whole top deck becomes viable storage.

The Malibu Two XL Angler comes with four deck mounts and two Scotty rod holders. There’s also two paddle holders to secure your paddles while you fish.

Carrying handles on the sides and toggles at the bow and stern make it easy to move this kayak around on land.

Performance

Stability and user friendliness are key to a recreational fishing kayak, and the Malibu Two XL Angler ticks these boxes. It performs well even in swell and chop and tracks well. When paddling solo, it might be necessary to add some weight to the bow, otherwise this kayak loses some of its tracking ability.

The moveable seats are one of the main selling points for the Malibu Two XL Angler. This feature gives the paddlers some much needed freedom to move their seating position. It is especially useful when running lessons for newer kayak anglers, where having the seats facing makes teaching far easier.

Storage-wise, the Malibu Two XL Angler has plenty of space, but limited secured storage. The center hatch helps here but the two tankwells aren’t massive.