new to kayaking

[Dwayne Denison]

I am thinking very seriously about buy a kayak. I am in need of advise on what to look for. I am a big,short leg guy, I think I like the sit in type. Any information, would be helpful..........Thanks Dwayne

[rick]

What kind of fishing do you plan to do, where, and how much money do you want to spend? I had a Hobie Oasis double with mirage drives. Liked the boat but it was too heavy. I sold it and now have an Old Town Discovery 119. With the very uncomfortable seat taken out and replaced with a Walmart $10 canvas beach chair it's around 37# and has lots of room for gear. Great pond and small river boat and to me functions much better than a sit inside kayak. There are lighter better boats that I'd love to have, one of the Native Watercraft boats in kevlar for instance (at $2400). But for $400 at Dick's Sporting Goods, I love the boat that I have. Lots of boat reviews at paddling.net.

Rick

[Dwayne Denison]

Thanks for reply. I plan on fishing small lakes and rivers. Looking to spend around 600. Could you post a pic of your setup? Thanks Dwayne

[rick]

Don't have any yet, Dwayne. But if you look at the reviews an Dick's and paddling net you'll find some. I have a milk crate with a three place rod holder screwed to it that JUST fits in the boat in front of the front thwart. I'm going to add an anchor trolly which allows the anchor to be put on next to the seat and then moved to the bow of the boat without moving out of said seat. There is also a pretty cheap soft sided aerated bait holder out there that I would like to get and I definitely plan go get a small depth/fish finder that has a suction cup transducer. The boat is a little tender and takes some getting used to. It also paddles best with a double paddle like a kayak. Like I said there are better, lighter and more stable boats out there but this boat is a great compromise for the money if you're going to fish small water. If I won the lottery I'd buy the 10' Native Watercraft built in a tough layup they call tetra. Weighs 30# or so, is indestructible and has enough stability that you can stand up in it. But like I said, it's over two grand.

[JC]

Dwayne

 

I would strongly suggest that you look around locally and see if there is a state park or outfitter that rents kayaks. Usually a rental is very inexpensive and a great way to get a feel for kayaking.

 

I fish in mostly sheltered waters, so a sit in kayak works best for me, but for hardcore kayak fishing with lots of gadgets, a sit on model might be more suitable.

 

I notice that a lot of kayak anglers own 2-3 models, so don't feel like your first kayak has to be the perfect one.

 

Sometimes you can find a used model very reasonably to get you started. Later, if you enjoy fishing from a kayak, you can purchase a full featured battle wagon.

 

I will warn you this type of fishing can be addicting. I typically fish via kayak 1-4 times a week!

[Steve Crowder]

I agree with JC Dwayne, find a retailer that rents kayak/canoes. Better yet is demo days at your retailer. You can try a bunch of boats and compare. Always look closely at weight limits on each boat. You will find SOT's usually hold more load. For fishing, I think a SOT gives you more room and mobility. Plus you can't sink or swamp a SOT. (But you can still punch a hole in a boat, then you do have problems). But to each his own own. Everybody has their likes and dislikes.  But always try before you buy. Good luck.

P.S. JC is right, once you get in a boat, you can't get out!

[JBplusThuy]

As you may have seen from my post on the front page, I'm looking into getting a canoe or small boat. A kayak wasn't really on my list because the seating position looks (for me, my back, and my knees) to be less comfortable than a boat or even a canoe.

Buuut.... yesterday I happened to read about the Nucanoe Frontier, and it's kind of an interesting boat. Do any of you have one or have you tried one? What do you think of them?

The nearest dealer to me is over 100 miles away as far as I can tell from Nucanoe's website. You'd think California's third largest city, located in California's second largest metro area, would have a Nucanoe dealer, but apparently not :p 

[JBplusThuy]

I should also add that using a kayak paddle might be problematic for me because of some shoulder tendonitis issues. Is it doable/practical to use a canoe paddle in a kayak? My primary propulsion would still be an electric motor (easier to install in a canoe?), the paddle would just be for backup.

The Hobie Mirage Drive looks interesting, but wow, those things are pricy!