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  #1  
Old 09-02-2007, 09:03 AM
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Who is into kayaking?

I've been really getting into this lately and noticed there are many shapes and sizes of kayaks.

So far I've just been renting them. My girl friend wants to buy one, but which one? We mostly go on the river and have no intentions of going into whitewater or anything like that.

Any of you who have experience with them, please share your thoughts with me. Thanks.

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  #2  
Old 09-02-2007, 09:09 AM
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There are lots of choices nowadays. What kind of paddling do you do? Day trips, overnights or extended trips?
I'm mostly a canoeist but I recently took up kayaking again, sea kayaking. Many people use sea kayaks on easy rivers. There are also crossover boats designed specifically for both rivers and open water. My wife and I paddle Prijon Seayaks. My daughter a Perception Sea Lion (now called an Eclipse) I also have an older Perception Chinook. Bought all those boats used, roughly for the cost of one new one.
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  #3  
Old 09-02-2007, 09:18 AM
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Thanks. Yeah, a sea kayak sounds more like my speed. We just like to do short trips, an hour or two, and nothing rough.

I was going to ask about what to expect, price-wise. I figured you'd have some valuable input Kerry.
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  #4  
Old 09-02-2007, 09:31 AM
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New fiberglass/kevlar sea kayaks are going to run $3k+ and new polyethelyne will run around $1500. Used boats can be bought for as low as $300 but typically 6-800 for poly and 1200-2500 for glass.
Design is the most important feature with width being crucial. Anything over 24-25 inches is going to be comparatively slow. Anything under 23 is going to be 'tippy'. Length will determine top cruising speed. I didn't want to go under 16' although crossover boats are typically 14-15'.
Do you know what model boat you've been renting? You should try out different designs to get a feel for how different shapes perform. I used to be a whitewater kayaker 20 yrs ago and I'm pretty familar with canoe design so I had a pretty good sense of what a boat would feel like on the water. For instance, the Seayaks have a double chine design and the Eclipse a flat bottom with rounded chines. The Seayaks feel far more tippy to the novice paddler and the Eclipse seems relatively stable. I took a friend out this summer and I wouldn't have put him in the Seayak. He wasn't mentally prepared for it.
Canoe and Paddler magazines have a yearly Buyer's Guide issue which is a great resource for comparing boats. I have them going back to about 1979 so I can compare used boats no longer manufactured.
Craigslist is a good place for used boats although club websites also have a fair amount.
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  #5  
Old 09-02-2007, 10:47 AM
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I think for rivers you're better off getting a shorter poly boat. One scratch on that $2400 gelcoat boat and you're gonna be pissed!

Personally you're better off getting a canoe. They're lighter and you can portage easily. Kayaks are the darkside.
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Old 09-02-2007, 10:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuan View Post
Kayaks are the darkside.
Kaykers use training paddles.
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Old 09-02-2007, 10:58 AM
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Did I tell you I managed to flip one again the other day while trying to do that brace thing? I may have had the wrong side down.
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  #8  
Old 09-02-2007, 11:00 AM
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By the way, in my opinion, blowmolded polyethylene is a far superior product to rotomolded. I believe most poly boats are still rotomolded. Prijon has always blowmolded their boats. The plastic on a blow molded boat is harder and more rigid.
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  #9  
Old 09-02-2007, 01:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuan View Post
I think for rivers you're better off getting a shorter poly boat. One scratch on that $2400 gelcoat boat and you're gonna be pissed!

Personally you're better off getting a canoe. They're lighter and you can portage easily. Kayaks are the darkside.
Single canoes are about 90 pounds, whitewater kayaks are 1/2 that. Except for a tandem sea kayak, a single person can carry a kayak, a canoe usually requires 2 people.
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Old 09-02-2007, 01:49 PM
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I forgot to look at the name on the one I've been renting. It's a two-man and I think it's also a sea kayak. It's definitely a poly boat.
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  #11  
Old 09-02-2007, 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Emmerich View Post
Single canoes are about 90 pounds, .
In the dark ages. A solo Royalex canoe now comes in around 45-55lbs and a kevlar one 30-45lbs although even lighter ones are available. My Seayak (16' poly sea kayak) is heavier than my Bell Yellowstone solo (14' Royalex).
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1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
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  #12  
Old 09-02-2007, 02:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dee8go View Post
I forgot to look at the name on the one I've been renting. It's a two-man and I think it's also a sea kayak. It's definitely a poly boat.
Is it a sit on top or does it have a cockpit? Most people prefer single kayaks over tandems. It's easier on the social relations. Tandem kayaks are typically quite a bit wider than solos (30" compared to 24") and are slower as a result. They are heavier but also more stable. Most outfitters who put novices out in wind and waves will use tandem boats so they won't be rescuing people all day.
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1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
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1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #13  
Old 09-02-2007, 05:14 PM
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You're right about that. I think my kayaking companion prefers to have me in her boat for when she gets tired. It would certainly be more socially satisfying if we each had one.

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1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
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2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles
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