Help me pick a Kayak!

[665ae]

Ok, I'll skip the intro about resolutions and getting my butt of the couch.  If you want to read it, check the "Help me pick a bicycle" thread

Aside from picking up biking, I've always been interested in trying Kayaking.  I found a local group that teaches beginners classes and am planning on taking one as soon as they start them this year.  Assuming I like kayaking, I'd like to pick one up.  Right now, I'm looking at the Pelican Freedom 100.  There's no real reason I'm looking at the Pelican other than I like the price.  The problem is, I know even less about kayaks than I do bicycles!

I'd appreciate any opinions and recommendations.  I'd like to keep the price as far under $500 as possible.  Since I know kayaks have a weight rating, I weigh 240lbs and would like to be able to strap some gear to the kayak if I ever want to camp alongside a river.  The Pelican I linked above says it's rated for 300lbs.

Thanks!

[nuphoria]

Don't ask Grant - he will make you get a pink one

[Grant Lamontagne]

As you know, I have done a bit of kayaking in my time.  What I am going to say is not the Be All End All of kayaking, but these are my experiences.

First off, don't buy a Pelican.  They are decent enough "f*cking around boats" but don't expect to use it for much more than paddling around in a decent sized pond or small lake.  You won't get far in one, and you'll waste a lot of energy in one trying to get there.

Without going into too much detail, what you need to do is identify what kind of kayaking you want to do and buy an appropriate boat.  From what you were suggesting, it seems to me that you are likely to do mostly what I do- lakes and slow rivers.  Serious rapids will require a dedicated whitewater boat, and ocean traveling will require a sea kayak.

It all boils down to something called "tracking."  A longer boat tends to track better because it resists turning from one side to the other when you paddle.  If you want to travel any distance, this is imperative since that side to side motion wastes energy.  I would suggest a 12-16 foot boat for most travel trips.  These are referred to as Light Touring or Recreational boats and will handle usually about 350-450 pounds so you are good for bringing along some camping supplies.  Look for a well defined keel which coaxes the boat to stay straight.  These boats aren't as maneuverable as a whitewater boat, but are much more efficient for traveling long distance.

Pelican boats have a wide flat bottom for some stability, to help beginners get used to it, but you will find that you quickly outgrow it.  Anyone interested in kayaking will sell these off in a year or so, or give up kayaking because these boats are remarkably ineffective.

There's a lot to it, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.  In short, what you should be looking for is a rotomoulded plastic boat at 12-16 feet.  At that size a rudder is handy but not necessary. and not having a rudder can save you up to $200 on a new boat.  You also want to make sure that there are good, large hatches.  The Pelican ones are very small, barely capable of holding anything. 

Lastly, look on Craigslist or local kayak websites for a second hand boat.  $500 is a bit unreasonable for a new boat as you are going to spend close to that on outfitting alone- paddles are around $100 (for a decent set- look for carbon fiber rather than aluminum), a good paddling life vest (regular boating vests are bad) will be between $50-100, a throw bag, a rack for your car or truck and so on.

These are the things you need to start- then once you've started there are lots of goodies you can add on as you want them.

Check out the Aquafusion Liberty:
http://www.aquafusion.com/our_kayaks.htm

It's a bit above your price range, but it's a good boat and should handle almost anything you want to put it through.

Def

[Threeme2189]

Forgive me.
I posted in the wrong thread 
 
 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Forgive me.
I posted in the wrong thread 
 
 

Sorry, can't do it.  This has been one infraction too many, and I'm afraid we have to ban you now.   

Def

[Threeme2189]

Forgive me.
I posted in the wrong thread 
 
 

Sorry, can't do it.  This has been one infraction too many, and I'm afraid we have to ban you now.   

Def

 

 

 

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

OK, I'll let it slide this time, but only because a kayaking thread puts me in a good mood. 

Def

[665ae]

As you know, I have done a bit of kayaking in my time.  What I am going to say is not the Be All End All of kayaking, but these are my experiences.

First off, don't buy a Pelican.  They are decent enough "f*cking around boats" but don't expect to use it for much more than paddling around in a decent sized pond or small lake.  You won't get far in one, and you'll waste a lot of energy in one trying to get there.

Without going into too much detail, what you need to do is identify what kind of kayaking you want to do and buy an appropriate boat.  From what you were suggesting, it seems to me that you are likely to do mostly what I do- lakes and slow rivers.  Serious rapids will require a dedicated whitewater boat, and ocean traveling will require a sea kayak.

It all boils down to something called "tracking."  A longer boat tends to track better because it resists turning from one side to the other when you paddle.  If you want to travel any distance, this is imperative since that side to side motion wastes energy.  I would suggest a 12-16 foot boat for most travel trips.  These are referred to as Light Touring or Recreational boats and will handle usually about 350-450 pounds so you are good for bringing along some camping supplies.  Look for a well defined keel which coaxes the boat to stay straight.  These boats aren't as maneuverable as a whitewater boat, but are much more efficient for traveling long distance.

Pelican boats have a wide flat bottom for some stability, to help beginners get used to it, but you will find that you quickly outgrow it.  Anyone interested in kayaking will sell these off in a year or so, or give up kayaking because these boats are remarkably ineffective.

There's a lot to it, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.  In short, what you should be looking for is a rotomoulded plastic boat at 12-16 feet.  At that size a rudder is handy but not necessary. and not having a rudder can save you up to $200 on a new boat.  You also want to make sure that there are good, large hatches.  The Pelican ones are very small, barely capable of holding anything. 

Lastly, look on Craigslist or local kayak websites for a second hand boat.  $500 is a bit unreasonable for a new boat as you are going to spend close to that on outfitting alone- paddles are around $100 (for a decent set- look for carbon fiber rather than aluminum), a good paddling life vest (regular boating vests are bad) will be between $50-100, a throw bag, a rack for your car or truck and so on.

These are the things you need to start- then once you've started there are lots of goodies you can add on as you want them.

Check out the Aquafusion Liberty:
http://www.aquafusion.com/our_kayaks.htm

It's a bit above your price range, but it's a good boat and should handle almost anything you want to put it through.

Def

Wow... thanks for figuratively shooting my boat full of holes before I ever even get it in the water! 

I've been keeping an eye on craigslist for years, but for some reason Kayaks don't show up much.  When they do, it's usually the good ones that are for sale and are way out of my price range.  I'm not going to buy anything until after I take the beginner course, because I'm still not sure if I'll even like kayaking.

What about something like the Wilderness Systems Pungo 120?  There's a store near me that sells a package of the kayak, paddle, and PFD for $825.  It's a bit more than I want to spend though.

Here's the store with the package.  Performance Travel / X Riders

[Grant Lamontagne]

While that doesn't appear to be a bad boat, I would suggest saving your money at this point, and here's why:

A kayak is something you don't want to cheap out on, as the cheap one you buy this year may well cost you more if you enjoy it and realize that it's all wrong for what you want to do with it, meaning you have to buy another one next year. 

I'd also suggest you avoid packages as they are the cheapest components you can buy, all thrown together to give the appearance of "value" and I think you've been on this site long enough to know my feelings on that.    That having been said, you can often find "packages" on Craigslist when folks decide they don't want to kayak, and they sell off all their gear at once.  The best time to look is the fall, since that's when folks realize they are running out of space in the garage and want to sell some things to get ready for Christmas.  In the spring, prices will go up again.

I think you should take the course and see what you think, then find a place that rents kayaks or gives kayak tours.  There should be lots in your area, so if you can't find one, try visiting a kayak shop and ask them.  Then, once you have tried a few different sizes and types, if you decide you want to get into it, spend the money on what you like.  Buying without knowing what you are getting is a good way to waste money and decide you don't like it.

An added bonus is that many kayak shops lease their boats to tour companies, which means in a lot of cases you can actually try the specific model you may be interested in, and at the end of the season you may be able to get a good deal on a slightly used boat, so get to know your local shop.

I'm not saying you have to spend a lot of money to enjoy kayaking, but like anything else, having the right boat, the right paddle, and especially the right pfd makes all the difference in the world.  Definitely, do not skimp on the pfd- make sure you get one that is rated for your weight and comfortable to wear and move in or you won't have it on when you need it.  There are lots of paddling pfd's but I use a Mustang manual inflate one.  Don't use an auto inflate as you will get wet and you don't want it going off prematurely.  Watch this video to see how easy it is to get wet.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/762283/Lawrencetown0001.mpg

The Mustang is great because it's light, it doesn't feel like you ware wearing anything and it doesn't chafe.

That's it for now- the wife needs me to take her to the store so I'll end this here but if you have any other questions feel free to ask! 

Def