Do you Kayak? opinions wanted..

So mothers day is coming up and my wife has been wanting a kayak ever since before i can remember, i think the time is right..

now it is a matter of finding a decent kayak for her needs, your opinion and experience is highly appreciated.

single person (or double since we have kids..)

light enough for one person to carry

light surf/ocean capable characteristics

We purchased two Santee Sport kayaks.... we had looked into a tandem kayak, but after trying one out decided we were happier with two singles, much lighter and easier to load up on the aft flybridge area of our trawler (they are covered up in the grey bags in the 2nd picture). We also wanted kayaks that were relatively easy to get into and tracked well. We kayak on the river so no big waves to contend with. It was a great benefit that we were able to actually try out the kayaks on the 'pond' where the canoe/kayak shop was located.

No personal experience, but checking out the kayaks offered by REI shows that two-person-capacity kayaks weigh only five or six pounds, or none, more than single-seaters.

kayak at REI - Free shipping on orders of $50 or more

Almost all the kayaks I see are single-seaters, however. They would seem to be more easily controlled than a two-seater with only one person aboard.



If in the market, I'd choose a highly visible color (yellow?) for both craft and paddle.

For hands-free propulsion, this kayak could be worth looking at:

http://www.rei.com/product/832988/native-watercraft-mariner-10-propel-sit-on-top-kayak

My wife kyaks, I don't. I bought her a cheap ($300) sit in style, I don't reacell the manufacturer but I got it at Defender. I think it's 8 foot and it's light. She can carry it, fits on the bow, if it scrapes on a rock or the beach it gets nicked but who cares it was cheap. It's not as fast as the expensive ones but its short and gets into the really tight creeks that are fun to explore.

The same company mentioned by Mark has similar kayaks to the ones we purchased.
Hurricane Kayaks Santee 116 Sport Kayak at REI.com.

I must admit that I had never seen one that propelled hands free....

We wanted to have sit-in kayaks as opposed to the sit-on kayaks you often see out on the water. And you might be surprised at the difference a few pounds in weight makes!

Visibility is very important as Mark mentions, one is mango orange and the other is banana yellow!

I have and prefer sit on kayaks. Mine are made by Ocean Kayak. Try before you buy. Longer equals faster and much better tracking for the same energy exerted. Shorter equals stability and agility in tighter places. If your use / excursions will be measured in miles, make sure it is comfortable for your size, weight and build. The wife and I spent 1/2 a day trying a number of different models from a large dealer who had 200+ rentals and a lake out back, before we purchased. There are big differnce in how they perform that aren't obvious to the novice paddler........ until you try one after another.

Ted

If you in warmer water the Ocean Kayak sit ons can't be beat.

Per said:

So mothers day is coming up and my wife has been wanting a kayak ever since before i can remember, i think the time is right..

now it is a matter of finding a decent kayak for her needs, your opinion and experience is highly appreciated.

single person (or double since we have kids..)

light enough for one person to carry

light surf/ocean capable characteristics

Click to expand...

Per
I have kayaked for twenty some years, in all types of boats, for many different purposes, and the first thing I have to say is that if you think the single/twin conversation, or which anchor is the best is complicated and full of personal preference...
Anyway, I would first have to know if she has any experience, and just how she might use the boat.
If she would simply use it for paddling the shallows and looking at wildlife within a mile of the big boat, and you are doing so in warm weather and waters, I would suggest a sit-on-top like an Ocean Kayak brand. They make a model called the "Malibu", which has three seats. The forward and aft seat for two person use, and a center seat for one. That would be my choice for a beginner in the waters I mentioned. They are very stable, and move through the water with relative ease. They are heavy, being 13' plus and made of polyethylene. They are super durable. Barnacles and rocks will scratch them a little, but who cares. No matter where her interests might eventually take her, this would be a good starter boat.
If you think she might want to get more adventurous and want to go island hopping and camping, then a sit-inside with waterproof hatches would be the ticket. There are also sit on top surf skis, but they are extremely tippy yet very fast. I s racing her thing? Another way to go is a whitewater river boat. Great fun in ocean surf, but requires one learn to eskimo roll if you really want to play hard.
I could talk on kayaks all day long, so ask away if you have more questions.

Check out Ocean Kayaks at http://www.oceankayak.com/ The do have a couple singles made for women that weigh in at about 40lbs.

Per,

Before you buy that kayak, rent a paddleboard for your wife and see how she likes it. Most people that have both use their paddleboards more. They are more fun and easier to store on deck. The kids will have a blast with them too.

We have a sit on Ocean Kayak model "Fenzy". We bought it on Craigslist for $300 complete. You can't hurt it. We travel in 80 degree water so you don't mind getting wet. It also stores well.

O C Diver said:

I have and prefer sit on kayaks. Mine are made by Ocean Kayak. Ted

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Do you ever dive off your kayak?
I was talking to a guy the other day (I just happened to be checking out kayaks at WM), and he said when he visits his uncle in the Keys, he takes a kayak out and dives from it. He said it was a sit on model and the tank and BCD fit nicely in the rear well. KJ

My wife's issue was portability and being able to handle it alone from her car or from the boat. We settled on an 2-person inexpensive PVC inflatable Sea Eagle for $150. It allows her to inflate and use it anywhere without needing a rack on her car. It gets infrequent use, but is onboard all summer for those warm weather paddles. Easy to store, transport and set up; not as easy to paddle as a hard kayak. For us, it was an economical compromise.

Here's a Kayak City website with all kinds of choices. I was looking at a pedal-propelled Hobie Kayak at the Asparagus Festival in Stockton last weekend. There are some really cool pedal- and sail-powered kayaks out there if you have $2500 to spend.

The admiral had been asking for a kayak for several years. My concern was who was going to launch/retrieve it.

We looked around and the various fiberglass, plastic, wood versions, and decided they were all too heavy for her to handle by herself.


At the boatshow or store, I would ask if she liked this one or that, then see if she could manhandle it at all.

Only in the case of a beautiful wood/epoxy model which was very light, was she able to move it around. The rest of them were simply too heavy or unwieldy.

Some friends we boat with had used inflatable units for years with good successs, so we bought one.

It is really more of an inflatable canoe inside a heavy cover for abrasion resistence. Multiple chambers, the bottom is closed cell foam about 1/2" thick, a hard plastic mini-keel, it is a fairly sturdy unit.

It is important to keep it properly inflated - uses the same pump as the dinghy.

We have 3 seasons on it and it is still like new. I do clean it well and dry it completely before storage for the winter.


We got a two person model which works fine for both of us touring the anchorage etc. Since we use it for that type of miscellaneous excursion, it is a great fit for us.

I don't think it would make a very good passagemaker however.

holy moly, overwhelming response... for which i am grateful.
now if i only knew which..
it seems ocean kayak is the "general" winner with possible the inflatable coming in second.
we do like the paddleboard idea also but she would enjoy more a kayak i am sure.
thanks for all replies

I have 2 of the Hobie Outback models. They're great, especially for fishing as you can go hands free with their Mirage Drive. You can also paddle if you want to, and even sail (slow though) if that's your thing. May be a little on the heavy side though.

KJ said:

Do you ever dive off your kayak?
I was talking to a guy the other day (I just happened to be checking out kayaks at WM), and he said when he visits his uncle in the Keys, he takes a kayak out and dives from it. He said it was a sit on model and the tank and BCD fit nicely in the rear well. KJ

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The one I have is a Scupperpro (no longer made). It has a tank well in the back that I also use to hold a soft side cooler. Yes, I have dove and snorkeled out of it. It takes a little practice as you will need to gear up and ungear in the water. Also pulling the tank back onto the kayak can be a little challenging in choppy water. I tend to do more snorkeling and free diving out of it.

Ted

We have paddled kayaks in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years. We've gone diving off several different sit-on-tops and they work very well for that, but they are slow for any cruising. We've paddled eddyline, current-designs, and a couple of others. Several years ago we settled on solo Pygmy Cohos but from the boat we use a tandem inflatable by Advanced Designs. My wife has a friend who loves her solo Advanced Design, she takes it down to the beach at Discovery Bay by Port Townsend, inflates it herself, and paddles for hours. They easily fit in a car trunk or a cockpit, can be handled by a 60-year-old woman, and are virtually indestructible.

av8r said:

...Several years ago we settled on solo Pygmy Cohos but from the boat we use a tandem inflatable by Advanced Designs. My wife has a friend who loves her solo Advanced Design, she takes it down to the beach at Discovery Bay by Port Townsend, inflates it herself, and paddles for hours. They easily fit in a car trunk or a cockpit, can be handled by a 60-year-old woman, and are virtually indestructible.

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Like this? Looks great!

Inflatable Kayaks | Kayaks made for recreational, high performance, sit-on-top self bailing and multi-use.

For ocean going kayak.

One with a rudder is nice.

Easyer to keep in a straight line.

SD

We have 2 kayaks and 2 canoes. The canoes get more use but we do'nt use any of them often. We've never taken them on Willy but I've considered using the big square stern canoe as a dinghy. See pic.
The kayaks are a big 17.5' kevlar Necky and a 15' plastic Necky. I like paddling the 15' kayak better. More maneuverable.
The first boat I had was a kayak. A canvas and wood frame kit. You got a box of spruce sticks, canvas and lots of copper tacks. Buy your own aircraft dope. Built this kayak in 1951. I was 12.
Carey and O C Diver are right. There is an extremely wide range of kayaks, kayakers and kayak activities. Paddle all the kayaks you can get your hands on before you buy. Keep in mind that you want the best kayak for you not the "best kayak".

I've carried a pair of Perception Acadia 12' on my pilothouse roof most summers, but with limited clearance under cover at my moorage I removed them a couple of years ago and haven't got them back aboard.

We have cold (salt) water in the PNW, so a sit inside is more convenient for us and guests. Roto-molded plastic is essentially indestructible, though the weight is a bit higher.

If you have warm water, and particularly if you have children (or guests) who want to "play" in the water, then sit-on-tops would be the way to go.

In addition to use as a dive platform, you might want to look at fishing from a kayak - I've seen a couple that even mount hand operated downriggers!

We also had a double sit inside Ocean at our cabin in the San Juans and only used it a couple of times. IMHO the only reason to have a double is if you have a novice paddler who is uncomfortable being solo - but after about 15 minutes they are over that and ready for their own boat. You might also be able to use a double if you have a small (like under 20 lb) dog that you'd like to accompany you.

One important issue with a sit-inside is actually getting seated. It's one thing to get in and out when held against a kayak float in calm water, and another thing to get in from a rocking narrow swim step in an active moorage. The larger the opening the easier it will be, but then you will end up with a larger spray skirt and possibly compromised capabilities (the OP mentioned surf).

We don't have a swim step, so we enter / exit from our dinghy when anchored.

We have a couple of Sterns inflatable single seat kayaks. I like the fact they can be stored in a space about the size of a large suitcase and are very stable. However, I think they are a very poor performer. This is the only kayak I have ever owned or sat in so I don't have direct experience but I do think if I was ever in a race with a hard kayak, they would beat me easily. Anyway, these inflatables work well in a protected anchorage.

Ron

We too are looking for kayaks. The intent is to have two on board so that we can explore the bays and coves wherever we happen to be anchored, primarily along the BC coast. Due to stowage space limitations we are only looking at 10' models.

The two that we have looked at extensively are the Necky and the Seaward.

The Necky is Polyethylene and therefore a rough and tumble, pull it up on the rocks kind of kayak, which is great for mixing water and land exploration.

The Seaward, at least the model that we are looking at, is Thermoform, which I think is a kind of plastic, but it is somewhat fragile. Meaning that you would have to be careful when beaching the craft. The attraction for the Seaward is that you can get it with a bottom viewing window which would be great for exploring the shallow waters. So this kayak is meant more for just water exploration. Some say that the viewing window is just a gimmick, but it entirely depends on what the user wants.

In my limited kayaking experience, I have found that a 10' kayak seems to track quite straight, which is not what I keep hearing from other, more experienced, kayakers.

Conrad---- Based on our experience with beaching our dinghy in the islands and up the BC coast I would suggest the tougher of the two models you describe will serve you better in the long run. As I'm sure you know you can't always call the shots in your approach and landing on shore, and if you have a kayak that can suffer damage when it gets pushed into a rock despite your best efforts to avoid it you are out of luck.

The viewing window is a cute idea but how long will it be before it's all scratched up from pulling the kayak up on shore or just from general use of the craft?

One thing on our "to do" list is to make a small portable viewing box out of plexiglass that we can carry in our dinghy on exploration trips. We used to use things like this when mucking about in small boats over the reefs in Hawaii years ago. Four sides and a bottom glued together. Even a viewing "tube" made from a wide-diameter section of PVC pipe with a round plex plate glued onto one end would work and would probably be easier to stow inside a kayak. For all I know someone may make and sell this sort of thing commercially.

So I would not put downward viewing on my list of priorities when determining what sort of kayak to buy. Weight, handling, ease of in and out, stability for the anticipated water conditions, and strength and durability--- particularly with our rocky shores--- would be on my list.

Conrad said:

In my limited kayaking experience, I have found that a 10' kayak seems to track quite straight, which is not what I keep hearing from other, more experienced, kayakers.

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Our Santee Sport 116 kayaks are 11 feet 6 inches and they track beautifully!

Good comments Marin, and you have highlighted the deliberations we are having. We have a more or less indestructible Portland Pudgy dinghy that we use for exploration and going ashore, which will always be with us, so the debate we are having is whether we would use the kayaks more for strictly on the water exploration; there are generally two - four of us the boat so perhaps the bottom viewing kayaks might be a nice option. The window is made of strong polycarbonate so should withstand a fair bit of abuse, and any scratches would essentially disappear once immersed in water. The bigger concern for the Seaward is that overall it is more prone to scratches. But it is light, only 36 pounds, whereas the Necky is 44 pounds.

Both the Seaward and Necky models are relatively wide for kayaks, approximately 29", so have reasonable stability I think.

Interesting thoughts about the viewing box; might work for photography also.

Actually the biggest challenge for us is stowage.

And thanks Delia Rosa, for confirming my experience!

I should have included links in my first note:

Seaward Kayaks | Thermoform and composite kayaks built to the highest quality for safety and performance.

Necky Kayaks | Kayaks with sleek lines, elegant shapes and a wide variety of uses

Marin said:

Weight, handling, ease of in and out, stability for the anticipated water conditions, and strength and durability--- particularly with our rocky shores--- would be on my list.

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Ease getting in and out of the kayak is, as Marin suggests, an important point - especially if you are climbing in or out via a high dock or a swim platform... we were able to try out many different kayaks on the water and found that one of us wasn't quite as nimble as expected... so the larger cockpit option of the 'sport' edition made our choice much clearer!

FlyWright said:

Like this? Looks great!

Inflatable Kayaks | Kayaks made for recreational, high performance, sit-on-top self bailing and multi-use.

Click to expand...

My wife has has a single Advanced Elements. She loves it. She also has a hardshell kayak but she doesn't bring it on the boat.

I love the Advanced as it packs away into a suitcase that I can stuff into the Laz so that it is out of sight and not cluttering up deck space.

Delia Rosa said:

Ease getting in and out of the kayak is, as Marin suggests, an important point - especially if you are climbing in or out via a high dock or a swim platform... we were able to try out many different kayaks on the water and found that one of us wasn't quite as nimble as expected... so the larger cockpit option of the 'sport' edition made our choice much clearer!

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Our usage will be pretty much exclusively via our stern platform, which is pretty close to the water. Other kayaking experiences have been from this same platform into a Walmart or Canadian Tire kayak, which is probably on about the same stability/cockpit size level as the models as we are looking at. But good point, and I'll check the cockpit sizes. Level of nimbleness is important!

One other point I'll make. Before my first kayaking experience I was really concerned that it would be uncomfortable, and hard on my back. Having now kayaked, and sat in a number of kayaks in the stores, I'm amazed at how comfortable they really are!

Conrad said:

One other point I'll make. Before my first kayaking experience I was really concerned that it would be uncomfortable, and hard on my back. Having now kayaked, and sat in a number of kayaks in the stores, I'm amazed at how comfortable they really are!

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I can paddle for hours in mine... the seat back is adjustable, so no sore backs here.... the worst problem for me is blisters on my thumbs which I hope to solve with special "Flexx-Rap™ Tape" from Lee Valley!