Kayak thread
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Can someone quickly fill me in on kayaks?
I have passively wanted a kayak for a while, and near me there are 2 of these clearwater 8 and a half foot kayaks.
They are on clearance for 100$ new.
http://clearwaterleisure.com/cwen/products/kayaks/affinity8-6.html
I almost impulse bought one today, but didnt.
I see people giving it decent reviews for being a cheap no name one.
Is there anything inherently wrong with it?
I plan on just floating around local lakes and channels to fish with, so it wont be white water rafting.
I see a lot of them are much longer, but this one would fit in the truck easily.
Who else kayaks?
You can get an inflatable kayak for cheaper, if that floats your boat.
buy it if you are interested in kayaking. 100 bones is pretty good for a yak, and really if it floats it will do just fine. dont forget that you'll more than likely have to drop around 50 on a paddle though
and for another 100 you can add a few rod holders and maybe an anchor trolley, and itlt look and feel like a $500 one (if fishing is your gig), which is what i did with one i got from costco
i have a 10 footer that tracks just fine, but that also has alot to do with your paddling technique which will get better as you go. yours seems to have a similar hull which makes the big difference other than length, and like you said alot is gained through portability with a shorter one
for 100 you really cant go wrong though
>>597488
I do, but I kayak off the coast - bay and ocean. Generally speaking, longer yaks are for seas and shorter ones are for lakes and rivers.
$100 is great for any yak, but I'd be skeptical of the quality. Still, it should be a great learner platform. Make sure you get proper-sized paddles and a PFD.
>>597488
For $100 I'd go for it, even if it's poor quality you're only paying the price of a few rentals, and you'll get an idea of what you want in a boat. Even a crappy boat is way better than no boat.
Go for a flat boat, not girls with flat asses.
IN all reality just brows craigslist for some used ones. best way to get value, I would also always go with one that has an option for a troll motor.
100$ kayak, kek.
Kayak isn't just pleasure, makes me sick see people buy 100$ shit kayak, buy a real kayak and get muscles, fag.
>>597917
Hey I seen one of these for 700, is that a good price? I plan on having another person in it so I kind of want it to be safer from tipping
>>597917
or we could not buy into consumerism, rather buy something cheap and make it what we want.
if you spent more time getting muscles maybe you could paddle and cheap one and you wouldnt have to spend $1000 on a streamlined lightweight kayak
if your going to be using it to fish your going to want something more steady unless you want all your gear to end up at the bottom of the lake when you go to set the hook, sit on top kayaks are much better for fishing imho
need something like this if you really want to get any fishing done...
>>598624
i disagree, your centre of mass is closer to the water in a sit in. some sit ons have the advantage of width but most of the short ones are just as wide
biggest variable is experience
im biased toward sit ins tho, i have one and love it. fished nearly every weekend this summer in some local rivers and small lakes. rangled in some good size fish too without and hindrance from my raft
Im not OP but Im also in the market for my first kayak. Im looking into inflatables because I ride a motorcycle and it would be nice to strap a kayak to the back for impromptu fishing trips. Anybody have experience with inflatables?
http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Explorer-2-Person-Inflatable-Aluminum/dp/B00A7EXF4C/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1443148752&sr=1-4&keywords=inflatable+kayak
I just very recently acquired a kayak. First paddle out onto a lake was surreal, I have no idea why I haven't had one all my life.
>>598654
I've got an Advanced Elements inflatable that's pretty good. A bit bulky for the back of a bike though.
When I was a kid I had a cheap one that looked kind of like your picture, it was terrible and split at the seams. I think the Intex one is supposed to be better quality, based on reviews, but you'd probably want to upgrade the paddle.
Waiting for this mother fucker to arrive!
So stoked.
>>597488
Kayaks that aren't ugly and gay are always super expensive.
I'm looking to get into kayaking also. I want to hit up Devil's River in Texas. I know I'll need to get some experience first, but that's the longer-term goal.
I found a deal on a used Ascend FS10 Sit-In Angler Kayak but I know that's a fishing kayak. Should I pass on it? It's going for 240
Try to get one with foot braces inside.
I have a Old Town Rush kayak. Was able to pick it up for $100 never used. I wouldn't take it into ocean bays or into the ocean, but for rivers and lakes it gets the job done.
>>597488
for lakes you should be fine. $100 is a good deal, scoop one up and get OTW.
I have a few kayaks, took my wilderness systems on our roadtrip and it performed well in the salt and in the lakes.
>>597922
no, thats a sneak boat for hunting. the nice part is that you can attach a trolling motor because paddling it is a bitch. you want a tandem yak.
i would recommend a SOT. most tandems these days will seat 1,2,or 3(a kid) or you can use the middle seat for solo paddling.
>>600170
Thanks for the info how much should a normal kayak weigh. I think you sold me on the sit on top style.
>>598654
they seem like garbage. Every time I've seen someone in one they are getting blown all over the place and trying to work their shit out. Every time I've seen them go back to shore within 20 minutes. Nice if you want to float around like a pool toy.
>>600492
Are there no alternatives? Is buying a car/truck the only way for me to get into kayaking? Help me, /out/, I wanna get on the water.
>>600537
Notice he wrote "seem like".
Good inflatables like >>599125
are decent, and not much worse than SOTs as far as windage goes. I tow mine around on a bike trailer (laugh if you want but I have a better paddle now). Cheap ones are kinda shitty, but they're cheap, and even shitty boats are better than no boat.
You could also look into packrafts (but they aren't cheap). http://www.packraft.org
>>600486
>normal kayak
40 - 50lbs for a single.
a tandem depending on how you outfit it can run around 70lbs+. I car top ours and its not a problem putting it on the racks. theyre great for camping because of the weight capacity and stable ride.
>>597488
You don't want to get filled in on kayaks, you'll sink, man.
>>600537
You can try one like >>599125 suggested. His looks way better than the one you posted. The one you posted looked like a pool toy.
Honestly, if you only have a motorcycle, buying a truck isn't a horrible life choice if you have the means. I have a 4 door sedan and am always wishing I had a truck.
Or you could try to meet local kayakers and carpool with them. Its recommended to have a buddy with you anyways. You may be in the calmest waters, but you never know if you might have a brain aneurysm or a stroke or something and fall out of your kayak. Anyways, you could try making kayak friends with someone who has a truck or a 2 kayak rack.
>>598654
> inflatable
Inflatable anything is shit, it will absolutely get holes in it at some point and you'll end up getting pissed off and shit canning it.
If you can't afford a real kayak or canoe right now, then save your money until you can.
Personally I'd prefer a canoe, as you can take two people and still carry fishing and other gear in it and mount a gas or electric motor.
>>600832
Don't canoes tip over so easy? I mean even with stabilizers they seem very unstable.
>>600799
> I have a 4 door sedan and am always wishing I had a truck.
This.
I had a 1995 S-10 ex-cab 2x4 with a cap (and a 1989 ex-cab 4x4 before that) but after 15 years, it was getting rusty and needed work, so I replaced with a Saturn Vue and have regretted it ever since.
And if one has kids, a crew-cab pick-up will serve just as well for carting them around while still leaving you with a useful bed for gear and whatnot.
Cars (even AWD models) are borderline useless, dunno WTF I was thinking...
>>600833
>Don't canoes tip over so easy?
No, you have to really try to fall out, to fall out.
>>600836
This
A few years ago before I went on my first canoe trip I was very worried about tipping. My buddie and I paddled out to a lake to practice tipping and righting the canoe in the water so if it happened on our trip we'd be ready. It was so difficult to tip that we abandoned this and the fear of tipping never crossed my mind again.
*notice all the canoes posted have stabilizers on them...theres a reason for this...they tip.
fuck a canoe.
>>600850
>*notice all the canoes posted have stabilizers on them...theres a reason for this...they tip.
When I was a Boy Scout back in the day, we did a yearly canoe trip down the Rifle River here in Michigan and nobody ever flipped over.
Now we were purposely sunk plenty of times by the older guys in the Leadership Patrol, who would "war canoe!" upstream and hide behind a bend, then rush down out of the bushes and sink newbies too slow to escape but nobody ever flipped over on their own.
The outriggers one sees on some canoes are neat-o after-market mods but not necessary.
>>600836
>>Don't canoes tip over so easy?
>No, you have to really try to fall out, to fall out.
It's more complicated than this. Many canoes are very hard to tip. Others will tip if you look at them wrong. Also, loads with a high centre of gravity make it waaaaay more unstable. I discovered this when paddling with obese people who are top-heavy with little skinny legs.
>>600833
>Don't canoes tip over so easy? I mean even with stabilizers they seem very unstable.
Depends on the design and the purpose. Sporting canoes normally have flat bottoms making them very stable. Tripping canoes usually sacrifice a bit of initial stability for improved speed and maneuverability. Racing canoes are very tippy but when they get moving they become very stable indeed.
OK, well I plan on going in lakes, rivers and bays, maybe even the ocean but I doubt it.
Just wondering if I should get a kayak or a canoe, and should I get 2 of them since I will be doing this with my wife sometimes or get a tandem style one that can also just be used by one person that is stable. I do not trust her.
>>600880
>It's more complicated than this.
No, not really. I've canoed dozens of times over the years and was never in danger of flipping and any lake conditions severe enough to swamp a canoe, will have swamped any kayaks long before that.
Unless you're in a mini kids size canoe acting like a drunken spaz, you really have to put in some effort to flip a canoe.
>>600890
> I will be doing this with my wife sometimes
Then you're probably better off with a conventional two-seat canoe where both of you are powering it, as odds she'll get tired before you do (especially if heading into the wind) and will want to stop.
>>600850
....have you ever been in a canoe? In the many dozens of times I've been in a canoe for extended periods of time in my life I have never once tipped...
>>600896
>I've canoed dozens of times over the years and was never in danger of flipping
Dozens of times eh? Newfriend, if you were more experienced you would know that there are many variables influencing stability.
How about you don't give bad advice based on your limited experience in beginner-friendly stable canoe designs.
The the anon who asked about stability - get the right canoe and it won't tip unless you try very hard to make it do so. Get the wrong canoe for your purpose and you'll be getting very wet at some point.
>>600910
> Dozens of times eh?
Yes, and judging by your paranoia, it's dozens more times then you've ever been in a canoe.
> the wrong canoe
Feel free to post some pics of these hyper-unstable canoes that flip right over with no warning.
>>597493
Terrible idea for fishing. Never fish nor go into shallow waters on an inflatable. Pretty much just use it on a beach and get into it while you're already in 3 ft of water, otherwise you're asking for trouble.
>>597488
If you can get one for $100, I would jump on it. I have a yak that I fish on every weekend. Best fun. Judging by your pic, I wouldn't take it out in currents though. I learned my lesson by floating down stream for 40 minutes and taking an hour and a half to get back because my kayak is so heavy and not comfy in the current.
>>598625
not true
>>600926
Not that anon, but please just shut up, you have no idea what you're talking about.
http://www.canoeing.com/canoes/choosing/design.htm
so what is the purpose of a kayak since canoes are basically the same? Just more modern, lighter etc? and probably cheaper to produce.
Also please drop some names on reputable brands for both.
>>600926
>Yes, and judging by your paranoia, it's dozens more times then you've ever been in a canoe.
My point is that dozens makes you a beginner. I spend literal weeks in canoes every year between fishing lakes, or doing multi-day trips on lakes, rivers, and the Pacific.
I'm not being paranoid - I feel very much at home on the water. Canoes are the best damn boats out there in my opinion and I highly recommend them.
However your perspective is narrow and ignorant. Not all canoes are stable and to present them as such is dumb.
>>600993
Not the same at all, basically or otherwise.
They both have their strengths and weaknesses and are suited for different uses.
For typical tripping or sporting I think canoes are more versatile and useful as long as you have a partner. If you were going to be mostly solo, then look harder at the Kayaks.
For canoe brands, Old Town and Mad River are good. Clipper also makes some great canoes. They're manufactured in western Canada so I'm not sure if you'd have access to them used or new.
My two favorite canoes for tripping are the Clipper Tripper 17'6" and the Mad River Explorer 16'
For fishing and hunting, I've spent a lot of time in a Mad River Adventure 16' and it's excellent
I got another question. So how do you go about transporting your kayak or canoe? I was thinking of using roof racks since I really don't want to carry around or buy a trailer, also you have to maintain it, and have it registered, it gets shitty after a few years.
For kayaks even if they are long, you can just strap them down in your bed right?
>>601015
>you can just strap them down in your bed right
Roof racks are the way to go for both Canoes and Kayaks. Kayaks are longer than you think and they will stick out past the end of the box quite a bit.
>>599125
ive been debating between this and the expedition model for the past few days. Id like to get into kayak camping, and whitewater stuff (obvs this wouldnt suffice).
Should I do it, or wait until after the winter?
>>601237
I kinda wish I'd got the Expedition sometimes. Haven't tried it but I could probably carry 60L of stuff on the smaller Advance Frame if I had to (maybe 15 behind the seat, 35 on the foredeck and 20 on the aft deck) but that would be awkward and catch more wind. If you're serious about camping with it then the Expedition has a lot more room behind the seat. More leg room too.
The smaller one packs smaller and lighter though, I can fit it and all my stuff in a 140L duffle with backpack straps and walk down to the water.
I got the backbone to go with mine, and I think it's worth the extra money, I can feel the difference in the boat's tracking and handling.
>Should I do it, or wait until after the winter?
You might want to look at folders too before you rush into it, they're more expensive and take longer to set up but they'd hold more stuff.
>>600993
Sit-in kayaks are arguably better in big waves and whitewater (but I've seen people playing in the surf in canoes with float bags) and you can seal yourself in with a sprayskirt. Easier to paddle solo with a double paddle especially in the wind.
Canoes are easier to move around in, I find them more comfortable, they're much easier to portage if you're on a trip that involves that and better for fishing. Also they can carry more stuff.
Don't have any experience with SOTs but they seem kind of in between.
is a 10 foot kayak good enough for fishing? I plan on standing on it, and so I am going to get the outriggers on it. Sit on top more likely as the water around me is very calm except the bay.
>>602161
I fish out of a 10 ft sit in. What works fr you depends on what you use to fish, how much yackle you keep ect. Width of the kayak makes a big difference too
>>602161
Sot all the way. 10' will be fine for anything but ocean etc. You could use it for salt, but you would have to plan your day carefully according to the weather. Flat ocean only realistically. Or at least go with a buddy. Plan to get wet. If its cold, wear proper gear and plan for submerssion.
My 11.6' sot handles ocean waves fine, but I don't go in very rough stuff.
I recently came into two whitewater kayaks that I have no use for and I'm looking to sell; one is a Wavesport Ace 4.7 and the other is a Pyranha i:3 221. They're both in "fair" condition, as far as I can tell, but come with no paddles or skirts or anything. I tried craigslist but had no bites so I'm going to try to sell them to my local kayaking place. Would ~$150 be a fair price for both?
>>602663
I don't whitewater so I have no idea, but I think there are a couple of guys who do on here.
Does anyone have any recommendations of places to kayak in central and southern California?
I've done Bay Area and North quite a bit (Moss landing, Tahoe etc), looking to explore south more.
>>603817
Monterey Bay?
>>597488
You're going to want something with some storage fore and aft, or at least the room between your legs to store things.
DO NOT get inflatable. Total waste. Will get a rip, tear or hole probably 2nd or 3rd time you use it.
I have an old used Necky Gannet II tandem. I took off the rudder and foot pedals to make more room for equipment. Sturdy as hell and more than enough.
Just get something hard that you can put pole rigging on or strap things to. Inflatables don't allow for customization.
>>597488
>bear! bear! don't eat my kayak!
>>604176
Moss Landing is in Monterey Bay.
>>597488
i've got a ocean kayak trident ultra 4,7. it's kind of a compromise between a regular sit-in and a super wide sot. it cruises comfortably at about 3 km/h, about 25 % slower than regular kayaks. but it can carry about 190 kgs of load, so i'm happy.
>>602327
I work for a kayak shop buying and selling boats and do a lot of creeking. Just bought a used Wavesport EZG for myself for $200.
For the Ace you should start at $200, and for the i3 you should start at $300-$350. Never start off at your lowest price. The i3 has a solid design thats stayed in demand throughout the years and is still a great river runner that is low volume enough to do some play boating.
The Ace... not so much, i dont think ive ever seen one. Get what you can out of that.
If your in OR or Southern Washington I can buy that Ace off you for $125 cash
>>602327
>>605816
Also look online for your areas local boating communities. They usually have a forum, messageboard, or facebook group where people buy/trade/sell boats and you might have some better success there.
And fuck, I want the i3 not the Ace
>>597488
Go to a dedicated paddling shop and ask to demo a few boats, get some advice, and then peruse craigslist.
