For the love of Kayaking

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Exactly! I didn't know if I needed to get something specifically for me at first or what. I've been looking a bikes for much the same purpose as the kayak. I am opening up my life to healthier living and am enjoying being outdoors more and more. The idea of kayaking around some of the lakes and streams we have here is super motivating!

Like others have said, RENT, or watch for Demo days where you can test paddle so many models, there are pro's that can help you with what your really wanting out of your Kayak...
Then when your ready, and you know what you want, craigslist, or resale used kayak shop. I bought a kayak, that many hate, they say it's more for racing, well it's fast, Yes, but I learned how to paddle in that when I was a kid and never forgot the feel and the ride, So I paid special attention to finding one, adding my fishing gear and up graded my racing kayak into an awesome fishing Kayak. It's not as stable as the newer kayaks, but it's made for my balance and technique so I don't have any gripes. Good luck and take your time, don''t buy because it's cheap... Most people that buy cheap, end up wanting to up grade.

[Blaze]

Speaking of racks and travel. When I had my jeep Cherokee I used the basic style foam

then there are
Now that I have my truck, I use the half rack from harborfreight, got it on sale so it cost me $39.00 and I love it! you can pull the rack off and put it back on when needed! I didn't like drilling into my truck bed, but... hauling my yak is a breeze.

Some also use the extended bed holder for yaks, this seems more easy. But I like my rack because I can carry lumber and it's less attractive for thieves to steal off your truck while your paddling.

[Blaze]

This guy Robert knows how to reel them in. Fishing in a kayak. Seen him last year in Tiki Island.
http://youtu.be/6tajGjUgTiQ

[DapperButch]

So I have only done canoeing in calm waters and of course the standard white water rafting group thing.

I have been wanting to try kayaking for years, but never got around to it.

tantalizingfemme wants to try it too, so for my birthday she got us a gift certificate for a guided eco-tour. They have different tours and we are going to choose the tight river, swampy type one. I am looking forward to it and if we like it enough and we can find some kayaks in our price range, we may have a new activity!

I am trying to decide if we should rent a tandum kayak or a two singles. I am leaning towards two singles, but it would be fun to be together, too.

What are people's thoughts on this? I am assuming that if we want to get into this as a sport we will buy singles (?), so I figure we should use singles on this tour to assess how much we like this sport. Thanks.

[Sparkle]

I would recommend single kayaks to begin. I think its important that you both find your center of gravity and your paddle style separately before tandem kayaking.

What type of water will you be going in?

Besides the practicality of learning individually before getting in one boat together...

I call tandem kayaks: "divorce kayaks".

I have never enjoyed them, I find it frustrating and slower going. It takes patience to get in sync paddling both in style, in stroke length and speed. (I am not patient.) It also requires a distinct leader/follower relationship in terms of setting the course and speed.

I love the feeling of freedom and independence the kayak gives me, so the tandem always felt like work and perpetual negotiation, it took all of the joy out of the experience for me.

Occasionally I've even considered swimming back to shore rather than remain in a tandem.
But that could just be a me-thing.

I know people who love tandem kayaking.

[Oiler41]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

So I have only done canoeing in calm waters and of course the standard white water rafting group thing.

I have been wanting to try kayaking for years, but never got around to it.

tantalizingfemme wants to try it too, so for my birthday she got us a gift certificate for a guided eco-tour. They have different tours and we are going to choose the tight river, swampy type one. I am looking forward to it and if we like it enough and we can find some kayaks in our price range, we may have a new activity!

I am trying to decide if we should rent a tandum kayak or a two singles. I am leaning towards two singles, but it would be fun to be together, too.

What are people's thoughts on this? I am assuming that if we want to get into this as a sport we will buy singles (?), so I figure we should use singles on this tour to assess how much we like this sport. Thanks.

To me, tandem kayaks are a lot of fun, in particular, when one seasoned kayaker is introducing someone to kayaking. But, if the plan is to decide if you want to get your own kayaks, then I would suggest two singles. The thing about doing an analysis on a trip like this is that they will tend to have an average, middle of the road size of kayak. Several things determine what type, length, width, etc. kayak is right for you.

So this trip would be a good introduction, but after the trip, as Blaze said, look around for somewhere that will have kayak demo days. They will have every size and style of kayak for you to hop in and try out. And, it depends on where you plan to do the majority of your kayaking. I like lakes and rivers, nothing too rapid. My kayak is long (14') and fairly wide. I like the stability, but a 14' kayak isn't one you want to be in on many rapids. It can't be turned fast enough for that activity. Also, the more narrow the body of the kayak, the easier it is to flip,,and in water where you can't stand up, it is pretty hard to get back in, lol.

Kayak paddle length and style is another issue; I like an ergonomic paddle with a curved shaft; some folks like a straight shaft; some like the blades straight, some like them offset; how long your paddle is depends on your body size, arm length, kayak width, etc.

But I will say this, when you find a kayaking set up that fits you, it is an activity that can be done for many years to come and can take you to places that powered boats can't go. You can sneak up on wildlife and get some great pictures too, lol.

Enjoy your trip!!

Glynn

[Oiler41]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I've been kinda randomly following this thread and appreciate all the good info.

We live around several lakes and prime canoeing spots. I told Jack a few days ago that it looks like pretty good exercise for the upper body and that I wanted to pick up a Kayak.

She thinks I'm too clumsy

Once you get in one, is it fairly easy to balance?

Wish I had known this when you were here; come visit again and I'll take you out kayaking so you can give it a try, lol. We will try to drag littleman along too!

Glynn

[DapperButch]

Wow great information and much appreciated advice, Sparkle and Oiler!

Sparkle - the only thing around here is calm waters, except for the ocean. I don't think I would be too keen on that. My dream though would be to do white water kayaking though (but, I could never do that on a regular basis due to location, so that is out). Our trip is the bay side down the beach.

The information on the tandem is very useful. It would annoy me to have to work with someone else. I have never had patience for "group projects"!

Oiler - Thanks for the suggestion of a demo day (somehow I forgot Blaze mentioned that when I read that post yesterday!), including the information on different paddles.

We are taking a mini hiking vacation in June and I am heading to the outdoor store to check out hiking boots today. I will take a peek at their kayaks and see what I can begin to learn.

Thanks again, guys!

ETA: Now I am wondering the cost to add a kayak attachment to my SUV roof rack?

[Oiler41]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Wow great information and much appreciated advice, Sparkle and Oiler!

Sparkle - the only thing around here is calm waters, except for the ocean. I don't think I would be too keen on that. My dream though would be to do white water kayaking though (but, I could never do that on a regular basis due to location, so that is out). Our trip is the bay side down the beach.

The information on the tandem is very useful. It would annoy me to have to work with someone else. I have never had patience for "group projects"!

Oiler - Thanks for the suggestion of a demo day (somehow I forgot Blaze mentioned that when I read that post yesterday!), including the information on different paddles.

We are taking a mini hiking vacation in June and I am heading to the outdoor store to check out hiking boots today. I will take a peek at their kayaks and see what I can begin to learn.

Thanks again, guys!

ETA: Now I am wondering the cost to add a kayak attachment to my SUV roof rack?

Adding a rack depends on a few things:

1. Do you already have roof rails?
2. If you have roof rails, do they already have crossbars?

If you have roof rails, you are one step ahead; if you already have crossbars, you are two steps ahead. If you don't have one or both, racks made to attach to a vehicle in the rain gutter can be somewhat pricey.

Yakima and Thule offer high end racks with mostly high-end prices, but it just depends on what you are starting with. Also racks can vary depending on what you want the rack to be able to do; there are racks that make it easy to raise and lower from the side to get the kayak closer to the ground for unloading; there are racks that have bottom rollers to facilitate easier loading from the front or back of the vehicle, but you have to be able to get at least one end of the kayak up to the rack to use them. Malone racks are not as pricey as Yakima or Thule, but again, it all depends on what you are starting with and the size of the kayak(s) you are trying to haul.

It can also depend on whether you are going to haul one or two; two somewhat narrow kayaks can travel flat on the bottom of them; if you have one narrow and one wide, one of them may have to be on the rack sideways. You pretty much have to get your kayak(s) first and then figure out your rack. Some racks are generic, but some have to be purchased specifically for your vehicle if you don't have factory side rails. But, you can always just get the foam blocks the kayak rests on while on top of your vehicle. Personally, I don't like them but they will work in a pinch.

My car had factory side rails, but not cross bars. Santa brought me a set of crossbars made for my car, which then allowed me to have a little more variety with racks. Just be careful when buying if you don't have rails and crossbars. Don't let someone trick you into buying a rain gutter rack system if it isn't specifically for your vehicle. You will possibly end up having to buy some parts to get it to work on your vehicle if it doesn't match.

If you have racks and crossbars, you can get a Malone set of supports for around a hundred bucks; then,,you have to tack on the cost of tie-downs. Spend your money wisely with your tie-downs. Standard ones are cheap, but you will cuss them in short order, lol. My favorite set of tie-downs is a ratcheting set that uses rope instead of nylon straps. A bit more expensive than standard nylon straps, but they are worth every penny for ease of use.

Glynn

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Wow great information and much appreciated advice, Sparkle and Oiler!

Sparkle - the only thing around here is calm waters, except for the ocean. I don't think I would be too keen on that. My dream though would be to do white water kayaking though (but, I could never do that on a regular basis due to location, so that is out). Our trip is the bay side down the beach.

The information on the tandem is very useful. It would annoy me to have to work with someone else. I have never had patience for "group projects"!

Well the great thing is that there is a huge amount of variety in "calm waters" - big lakes, little lakes, meandering rivers, small-rapid rivers, ponds, estuaries, bays etc.

I'm interested in sea kayaking but I've not had too much experience at it. I usually rent a sea kayak when I'm in Ptown and paddle cross the bay to Long Point which is the tippy top of the curve that is Cape Cod and sometimes just around Long Point - I am in ocean waters but mainly in the protected cove of the bay, and otherwise very close to the shore. I feel comfortable with that but I get nervous about going out very far, there have been a couple of news stories about kayakers off the cape spotting great whites, and the seals and manatees swimming by my boat make me nervous.

I LOVE white water kayaking, but it takes the cost of kayaking to a new level. Specialized equipment, classes at each rapid level, travel etc.

Most of my kayaking these days is done on some form of calm water. Its just more accessible and practical.

I know a few people that have kayaked around Manhattan *that* is the type of kayaking that scares me. Too much traffic on the water, it makes me nervous.

[The Oopster]

any reason to stay away from a used kayak?

I may look into getting a kayak when i get up to the forest in a week or so.

There are tons of lakes up there. Rivers also but I'm thinking I'm best to stick to lakes.

I thought I might see if I could rent one for a day just to get the feel but then also look to see if I can find used. However if I can't find a used one for much cheaper then a new one I'll go new if I decide I'll get plenty of use out of it!

[Sparkle]

I think a used one is a great way to start; and then get out and paddle in different types of water so you can get some sense of what you like, what you love, and what you don't. That will provide you with some direction when you're ready to buy a new (or fancier used) kayak.

Most places that rent kayaks will sell their used boats when they upgrade. That is a great place to buy because they generally have baseline/basic very user friendly boats.

Just don't spend too much on a basic used boat because if you get in to it you will want to upgrade within a couple of years.

/my opinion.

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by The Oopster

any reason to stay away from a used kayak?

I may look into getting a kayak when i get up to the forest in a week or so.

There are tons of lakes up there. Rivers also but I'm thinking I'm best to stick to lakes.

I thought I might see if I could rent one for a day just to get the feel but then also look to see if I can find used. However if I can't find a used one for much cheaper then a new one I'll go new if I decide I'll get plenty of use out of it!

Oopsterrrrrrrrrrr, Long time no see!
Good question, and it depends on the buyer. Some like a brand new unscratched bottom variety, while others like me. Prefer the vintage styles. Some got lots of cash to blow, while others got a budget...
I. Myself like used. I ask all kinds of questions, if it was garage kept, covered, kept hanging or stored on the ground. I take a look-see over and make sure there are no cracks visible to the eye. Press the top to see if its soft, feel the sides to make sure there not soft or collapsed. Then I ask to turn it over to check how the(Oyster rash) is. Because we have lots of oysters beds here in Texas and they chew up the bottom pretty quick. I check the haul, push for soft spots, check for deep gouges or dings. See if it looks like it's been soft welded, or plastic welded, you can tell these by the color change. And if your lucky, you can test paddle it before you buy! Because it's Blue and cool, doesn't mean it's just for you. Could have a lean to it. Be dried out, for example. I had to water seal and plastic seal my yak, but I wanted the challenge so it was a winter project for me and I much enjoyed the out come of my racer converted to fishing kayak. Right up my alley. Now. you may not want a fixer upper so then you follow the steps I just gave you and your on your way to happy paddling, what's used to one is new to another. Either way, just remember your PFD and your good to go! Kayaking it's an addiction.

[Blaze]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

Well the great thing is that there is a huge amount of variety in "calm waters" - big lakes, little lakes, meandering rivers, small-rapid rivers, ponds, estuaries, bays etc.

I'm interested in sea kayaking but I've not had too much experience at it. I usually rent a sea kayak when I'm in Ptown and paddle cross the bay to Long Point which is the tippy top of the curve that is Cape Cod and sometimes just around Long Point - I am in ocean waters but mainly in the protected cove of the bay, and otherwise very close to the shore. I feel comfortable with that but I get nervous about going out very far, there have been a couple of news stories about kayakers off the cape spotting great whites, and the seals and manatees swimming by my boat make me nervous.

I LOVE white water kayaking, but it takes the cost of kayaking to a new level. Specialized equipment, classes at each rapid level, travel etc.

Most of my kayaking these days is done on some form of calm water. Its just more accessible and practical.

I know a few people that have kayaked around Manhattan *that* is the type of kayaking that scares me. Too much traffic on the water, it makes me nervous.

Wow, the envy... I have never done the hard core rapids... I want to, but I do so love lakes and most of all ocean kayaking,or bay fishing. I love shooting the waves and and turtle'in. I like getting past the front waves and dashing 2 or 3 miles out to troll while casting out in the open ocean. Nothing more fun than a big fish hitting your line and dragging you around, but you have to let your anchor drift go or your in trouble. But the rush of being pulled by a big fish is awesome! And if no fish are biting no worries, the seagulls usually like to make a quick pit stop, and the sting rays usually cruise beneath your yak.
Texas oceans are not like my home, Hawaii you could see what was around you all the time. Texas is mud water and sometimes when the bull sharks start getting a tad to nosy, I start to get my gaft stick ready. But usually they will swim a couple times around, see that I don't have a fish line hanging and leave. I long to kayak in other states. When we were in Little Rock, 50 miles towards Hot Springs, there were a lot of rental area's with crystal clear streams that I was foaming at the mouth to hit, but didn't have time. Maybe this year, one never knows....

[Dominique]

[DapperButch]

Sparkle - thank you for your thoughts. I am pretty confident in thinking that small rapid rivers/just rivers in general, will be my preference. I am concerned that a plain old lake would bore me. I have never been a boater type person, but I love to mountain bike on narrow trails in the woods. I have a vision of kayaking on a river/ narrow waterways will somehow have a similar feel. But, what the hell do I know?

I will do some research of the available water sources in my area that allow kayaking and then go from there.

Oiler - thanks for the information on the roof rack. I do have a rack plus cross bars as I mountain bike. If I get to the point where I decide to buy a kayak I will DEFINITELY be returning to the thread/seek you out by PM for recommendations.

Blaze - is it better to store a kayak flat on the floor or hanging?

Dominique - you are lucky you are such a short distance to where you want to row (is it "row" or what is it one says here?)

We probably won't be able to begin any kayaking until June, but prepare for lots of questions around that time! Thanks everyone!

[Blaze]

Hey there Dapper,
Well, I prefer the hanging style. Be it side mount or strap mount. It's a personal preference my friend. some store it on the ground, but here in Texas, it gets so hot that in my honest opinion, I have seen kayaks lose there shape or bow. Once again, if your in a cooler claimant,you can leave it in your back yard and it does well. Then again I am one that doesn't like to tow my kayak on it's rack upside down, cause my superstitious way is that if the yak gets use to upside down it might do that in water. That's just my hang up lol.
Hope this helps, but heck, there are some really good idea's in the thread so don't take my words, hold on, there are probably more insight to come...

[Blaze]

I just had to share this picture, And I thought I was bad about over kill on fishing poles and equipment... I wouldn't know which pole to grab if I got multiple hits. But still sooooo impressive!

[Blaze]

Holy COwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwabungaaaaaaaaa

[Blaze]

Seen this on a trailer, my sentiments exactly.