Advice For Kayak Newbies?

The BW and I met a really neat lady at a Colorado campground in June, who introduced us to her hobby of lake kayaking. Since then, we've been kicking around the idea of buying a couple of kayaks to take with us on TM trips, but really don't know much about what we're doing. We could use some info from some of you who have done it.

1) What's the difference between the under-a-thousand dollar units we see at Bass Pro, etc., and the two-thousand dollar boats (do we dare call them "boats?") that we see at the pro-type outdoor shops? Are the latter worth the extra money? Are they lighter weight? More stable? Do we need a high-dollar model; would we later become unhappy with a basic learner's rig?

2) It appears to be fairly easy to carry them on top of our pickup (Toyota Tundra with fiberglass bed topper), assuming we get proper tiedowns. Is this really the case?

3) We are interested in separate, single-person, fresh-water, fairly calm condition, no whitewater kayaking. A little nature watching, picture taking, lunching at an island and possibly a little non-serious fishing... Is there a particular type or set of features we should look for?

4) Are there many limitations on where we can use them? i.e, do states still have minimum lengths for boats on certain lakes? Do they require registration, etc?

We wanted to get some basic info before taking up a salesperson's time. Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon and Rita

[fcatwo]

We had a 21' two-person sea kayak for several years when we lived in Juneau, Alaska and had a lot of fun with it. You'll want to take a class on kayaking as they can be tricky. A double is nice if one of you is stronger than the other. Each person can paddle as hard as they want without worrying about leaving their partner behind. Although usually wider than singles and thus less tippy, two people in a double are generally faster than the same people in singles. Singles have advantages as well that your kayak shop will tell you about if you ask.

In spite of the advantages of a double, most people choose singles as it gives them more options and each is master of their own fate -- even if their partner is just a speck on the horizon ahead.

As to cost: If you'll be using the kayaks for an hour or so once or twice per year you can get by with the cheaper ones. If you'll be using them regularly, get the expensive ones and by all means get good paddles. Cheap paddles will ruin the experience and you'll eventually buy good ones anyway if you stick with it. Renting a few will let you decide if kayaking is your thing.

[grill-n-go]

http://www.paddling.net has reviews on practically every kayak on the market. There you will get the same quality comments and suggestions on kayaks that you get here on Trailmanor. Great website.

As you might guess, we are more into canoes (own 5) than kayaks (own 1) although we paddle 30 plus days a year in and with both.

I've never seen a length limit for kayaks. The price point is composition - roto molded poly is the standard for less expensive boats and the composites go up from there. Way up. Unless weight is a real concern for you, plastic will do fine. It holds up well to rocks and other abuse.

You are already heading in the right direction by considering your intended use of the kayak before selecting a model. You certainly don't need a long sea kayak and almost anything will do just for paddling on a smooth lake. Consider a boat with a larger cockpit area as opposed to the little "key hole" cockpits. You will find then much easier to enter and exit. As a general rule, longer waterlines make for greater efficiency - something you will appreciate when paddling into a wind or with others. Avoid the little 8-10' whitewater boats as they are difficult to paddle for any distance or in a straight line. I would suggest a 12-14' day touring boat with at least one "waterproof" hatch both for storage and to make the boat float higher if you fill it with water. Our kayak is a 14' LiquidLogic Pisgah 3 holer - I can carry it short distances in the bed of my Ford Supercab with the gate down or for longer distances on the roof of my cab/shell or wife's Subaru. I can keep up with tandem canoes into a headwind with it and can pack adequate gear for a primitive overnight. At 55# it is a little heavier than I would prefer although with the Yakima "Hully Rollers" that has not been much of a problem. Incidentally, I store the 'yak and most used canoe on top of my TM 2619 in the garage.

Lastly, if possible you want to test paddle the boat. Most paddling shops facilitate this although big box retailers do not. I have bought all but one of my boats in Madison, Wisconsin, where Rutabaga and the Paddlin Shop are incredibly good about letting you paddle and compare a variety of boats. Hope this helps - you are welcome to PM me if you have questions. - Camp2Canoe

[Bill]

For about 6 years, my wife and I have had a pair of Old Town Loon 138's - actually, two pairs, one in Maine and the other in Arizona. They are our first and only kayaks, so we don't have a lot to compare them to, but 6 years later, we still love these boats.
http://oldtowncanoe.com/kayaks/

Like you, we are interested in lake or lazy river paddling, in single person boats. These are sit-inside boats. Although we have friends with sit-on-tops, I don't enjoy them. The Loons are quite beamy, which translates to excellent stabilty. I suppose you could tip one over, but you'd have to work at it, even in a heavy swell. The cockpit opening is large, which means for us beginners that you don't feel trapped. The beaminess calls for a long paddle, which I happen to like - but not everyone does. The sliding plastic seat is way more comfortable than the seats in other kayaks we have tried - beware of canvas sling seats. These boats are easy to paddle, track well, and stay dry in the biggest waves. Lots of interior space for picnic stuff, fishing stuff, the dog, and for your legs, which can get cramped in smaller narrower boats. The only drawback for me is lifting it onto the roof rack of my Explorer. A boat this big (the model number translates to 13'8") is kinda clumsy to lift, and a bit heavy at 51 pounds. With two people it is easy, but I usually end up doing it myself. I can do a weightlifter's clean-and-jerk move to get it off the ground and balanced up over my head, but it is a close thing. A roller rack would help. But I don't think you'll get a much lighter boat in this size and price range.

Cost is pretty reasonable, although kayak prices in general have been rising quite a bit. If you happen to find yourself in Old Town, Maine (we are not too far from there in the summer), you can get them for about $400. Otherwise, I think they are around $700 at specialty kayak shops. (MSRP is $799.)

For a beginner looking for a recreational kayak, I feel that Camp2Canoe's advice is right on target. And I also get the feeling there are a lot of nice 'yaks out there. Regardless of your final choice, welcome to TM'ers With Kayaks!

Bill

We really appreciate the comments. This helped a lot in visiting dealers. We haven't bought yet, but are now zooming in on what we really need and would be happy with down the road.

Jon and Rita

[JonS55]

Did you guys ever get kayaks? I travel with several. I have 5 with me now in the Everglades where I'm doing some part time kayak fishing guiding. I use to own a business where I sold thousands of kayaks, most to fishermen but many got used recreationally too. For your needs a Sit on Top (SOT) kayak would do nicely. These can be had for well under $1000 and if you go used you could get 2 with gear for that.
AS for transport I too have a tundra with cap and I can transport as many as 6 on top of my cap on a Thule rack with 78" bars. Transport is easy and it when transporting 2 SOTs it actually improves my gas mileage.

A couple of things I haven't seen mentioned from a person who has considered buying a kayak or two but has not done so yet:
Hobie has a very interesting 'peddle or paddle' line. While a purist might balk at this, it seems to me to add flexability to the boat and also allow a lower body workout. The paddle mechanism can be easily removed for just a paddle experience. If I decide to purchase a kayak it will be one of these. Also, a dealer in our area has a monthly demo day so a large number of boats can be sampled. They also have a rental program so you can try out a boat for several hours and apply the rental to purchase. Check with your local dealers and see if they have a similar program.

Originally Posted by Scott O

A couple of things I haven't seen mentioned from a person who has considered buying a kayak or two but has not done so yet:
Hobie has a very interesting 'peddle or paddle' line. While a purist might balk at this, it seems to me to add flexability to the boat and also allow a lower body workout. The paddle mechanism can be easily removed for just a paddle experience. If I decide to purchase a kayak it will be one of these.

I just checked out the website for the Hobie (Mirage Series), and they are neat. Paddle, peddle, or sail. I consider myself a canoe "purist", but definitely will look into 1 of these as I am looking to replace my 15' Sears aluminum canoe that I bought new in 1977. After 30 yrs, I guess it is about time to join the modern world with plastic.

Chap

We ended up with a couple of Wilderness Systems Pungos; one 10 feet, the other 12 feet long. This was the best choice among what we could get locally, and both got good reviews on Paddling.net.

Next stop is to get carrying racks affixed to top of our fiberglass pick-up cover. We're considering Yakima; pretty pricey, but should do the job well. Rack Attack has a sale every Spring, we're told, so will see what happens in March-April.

Thanks to all who helped. What a great group for exploring TM issues!

Jon and Rita