YakAttack "VISIcarbon Pro" Hot

I was fortunate enough to get the VisiCarbon Pro for a Christmas present (my girlfriend is the bomb!). I have used it several times since then. Folded up this thing takes up hardly any room. Extended it is just the right height to let others know you are around, but not so high as to harm your night vision. The 2 LED bulbs are bright enough, but I would think YA would have made the cone out of a clear acrylic. When the sun comes up, turn it off, put the flag on it and continue on your fishing adventures. When done for the day, fold it up and put it into its case which happens to be the flag.

I have yet to go through the initial set of batteries yet. The batteries are supposed to last 100 hours and I have ne doubts they will. The bulbs themselves are good for 10,000 hours of life, so basically for the life of the VisiCarbon itself.

The price is a bit hard to swallow...in my opinion this is a 69 dollar piece of equipment. If you can get by the initial price, I have no doubts that you will enjoy the light.

Today we take a look at the VISICarbon Pro safety light from YakAttack. I've been using the VCP for a little over a year now. It's been with me on pretty much every single outing I've taken. I couldn't say that about the light it replaced.

From the YakAttack Website:

Designed to meet the needs of serious kayak anglers as well as recreational paddlers, the VISICarbon Pro™ sports unprecedented performance in light weight, low drag, and portability with plenty of style. The ultra-thin mast and instantly recognizable flag combine to offer excellent performance with low wind drag. The Silent Snap flag attachment system provides a secure attachment that allows the flag to be removed in seconds, allowing the collapsed unit to be stored inside.



The Good


The VCP uses LED bulbs in the top that have 10,000 hours of life. That's a pretty long time. The bulbs put off light by illuminating the cone without blinding you with a direct light shine. 3 AA batteries will run it for about 100 hours on the water so it's not a cost drain to keep it powered.

If you want to be noticed on the water, the large safety flag helps. It doubles as a storage bag because the entire four foot pole folds into a nice neat 14 inch package for stowing and transport. Weight isn't an issue either. The VCP comes in at a minuscule 14 ounces.

This particular model has a T-Bolt in the bottom to secure to a Mighty Mount, Gear Trac or other slide track receiver but the pole is available with a RAM ball mount or Scotty mount base as well.

One of my favorite features on this light has nothing to do with the light itself. The foam around the base is sized to allow the VCP to fit snuggly into a flush mount rod holder. The foam forms a seal as it goes in and it takes some steady pulling pressure to get it out.


Needs Improvement


While the light does meet USCG standards, I wish it were brighter. Perhaps the cone could be more transparent or have an LED strip running up the side. My light is always behind me when I am out at night so ruining my night vision is not a concern. I would suggest either modifying the cone to let more light out or adding additional LED bulbs.

The way you turn the light on is a twist on/twist off method. I never can remember correctly. I think a small switch could be beneficial. I've burned out batteries because the light will twist unintentionally when stowed. Of course that would add to the biggest area of improvement.

While the VISICarbon is wonderful in convenience, safety, stowability and lightweight, it's main draw back is not a feature. It is the price. The light I have is $85. That's a hard pill to swallow especially for people who don't fish at night very often. If it's an every day tool then yes, but a lot of anglers will be using it just as a safety flag other than about 30 minutes a trip (either early or late). So what's the magic price point? It feels like about $59. That's quite a change. I know there are tons of components that go into it. I get that. You can also buy a golden toilet but at the end of the day it is still performing the same function as porcelain. I appreciate the amount that goes into the product, I just don't know if it is a product that will be purchased as often at that price point.


Final Thoughts


This is a high quality item that promotes safety during all times of the day. Are the improvement tweaks needed? No. It doesn't detract from it being a good product. With some changes and a new price point however, it could be great and more attainable for more folks.

Sometime ago I won one of the great contests that YakAngler puts on and I received a VISICarbon Pro as one of the prizes. When I received the VISICarbon Pro in the mail it absolutely had my approval the moment I opened the box. Yak Attack hit it out of the park with this product; you can tell that a lot of time and thought was invested in its design.

At 48” long and weighing in at only 14 ounces with batteries it is very light weight. It’s about 14” – 15” long when you take it apart for storage. Oh did I mention the flag doubles as the storage bag? The light is custom designed for Yak Attack by Tek-Tite®. It is a waterproof super bright 2 LED module and will run over 100 hours on a set of batteries and It also has a 2" wide SOLAS stripe. Molded into the body of the light are the attachment points (Silent Snap™) for the flag.

I received the CP1 (QuietSlip™ + Scotty® Ready) model; which worked out great for me because I had a spare Scotty mount in my garage; Yak Attack makes 4 other models and has mounting kits for them. Installation was a breeze, after choosing my milk crate for the mounting location and installing four screws I was done. What I really like about the design is that you don’t even need to mount anything if you don’t want to; just put it in a rod holder and your ready to go thanks to the QuietSlip mounting option. And best of all it floats (and I tested it in my pool to make sure) if you accidently dropped it overboard it’s not a loss.

All of the components used are top quality and have a precision fit. And knowing that accidents happen all VISICarbon Pro models are serviceable and all parts can be replaced if damaged. Want a shorter, taller, brighter (more LED’s) VISICarbon Pro? Just send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let them what you’re looking for. They can even build custom units with custom screen printed flags or different color flags that would be great for Kayaking clubs and groups.

My first time on the water using the VISICarbon was an early morning fishing trip with friends all of us had different types of stern light. One was a Seattle Sports HydroStar MultiStrobe Light and I was not impressed at all with the quality or brightness; plus its low mounting height was not easily seen on the water. The VISICarbon was so much brighter I could not believe it. During the daylight part of the trip one friend commented on the great visibility that the flag offers without being too big.

The very next trip my friend Chris was getting ready and what do I see on his kayak? A new Ram mounted VISICarbon Pro. After seeing the one I had he went home and ordered one that very same night. Now if that doesn’t speak for the quality of the product I don’t know what does. Let me tell you even if I didn’t get one for free after seeing and using the VISICarbon Pro I would gladly pay for one because it would be the last one you ever need to buy.

Now I just need to get one that I can mount on my EZ Tadpole SX recumbent bike so I can be seen on the road as well as the water (Yak Attack are you listening?) This could be another great use for the VISICarbon Pro and a whole new market… We need to talk


Till next time,
Larry Care

I bought the YakAttack VisiPole II with the Scotty mount to be more visible when on the water, especially if paddling out to my fishing/duck hunting spots in the early morning darkness. During the day, the waving flag really helps other boats see you. The VisiPole II is well made just like YakAttack's other products. Durable, light weight, added safety and a great price. While not as easy to transport as the VisiPole Pro that is collapsible, I still don't find this any more difficult to transport than my fishing rods or paddle. Great product!

The YakAttack VISIcarbon Pro is essential gear for the recreational paddler or kayak angler.

The VISIcarbon Pro comes in many different mounting configurations. I have used the Mighty Mount as well as the Scotty base for mounting the VISIcarbon Pro to my kayaks. Both have served me well.

The VISIcarbon Pro takes care of your visibility needs during the day and night, with a bright flag and reflective tape and a 360-degree light that runs off batteries. Twist the light off and on...it is very simple to use.

The whole setup is collapsible for easy storage. The flag also doubles as the unit's storage bag. I keep it with my kayak at all times.

I highly recommend the VISIcarbon Pro. It is money well-spent!