Kayak Suggestions

January 23, 2005

well, I don't Own a kayak but I have played in them when ever a chance arises and I have also been on a whitewater trip even though we only did class 1/2's and maybe a class 3 but with that I was also doing the whitewater meritbadge for boy scouts

so they did teach us about kayaking and how to do wet-exits (flipping and exiting with sprayskirt on) and heres my advice if you are geting a sit-in kayak make sure the cockpit is big enough because during the classes I had the kayak was newer big enough

so I could get out ok but when we did the trip I got a older model with a small cokpit didn't it at the time but when we did the first set of rapids it was i am pretty sure it was a class 3 but when I went down it I didn't line up straight enough so I flipped on the very first rapid and there was about maybe 10 rapids in the set so when I went to exit did every thing they taught us and my legs get stuck inside so here i am going down the rapids upside down under the water think I was going home in a pine box......................huh how did I get on my side oh well maybe I can ride the rest of the way down like this so when i get though they can get me out of this thing......................whoa how did I get out of it? picture rapid..............oh yes I am Out Of it Oh look Here's My Kayak scoutmaster paddles up helps me tow my kayak to shore

I trade with another scout for a open top make the rest of the trip and make it home not in a pine box thank goodness <_<

will I do it again Yes

Do I still want a kayak Yes

Does my dad still says no Yes <_<

Do I have A model I want Yes

it is a ocean kayak drifter big enough to go on weekend trips and it is a open top so self bailing.

yes this is a true story :huh:

January 25, 2005

Be sure to buy a kayak GPS mount to go with it.

Or this?

Hey! That looks amazingly like my boat, a Nigel Dennis boat from Wales called the Romany Explorer. BTW, a local kayak shop sells a similar (but slightly smaller) Romany kayak for $4300, and that's just a single kayak (i.e. one person, not two or 2.5).

Scrolled down a bit and... hey, that take-down buck saw looks familiar too! :sad: Can't go camping without it!

3.8k · January 25, 2005

And don't forget the iPod with wirless FM transmitter and the take down buck saw

i prefer soy saw to duck saw... never tried buck saw.

Buddy of mine has an inflatable Sevylor 2 person kayak he got on ebay for $50. Works pretty good. He and some others used it to find Baltimore Hydrocache #1. Just make sure to use the rudder.

January 25, 2005

My wife and I each have Seaward Quest X3 kayaks. We bought those to grow into, but it seems like they are a bit much. Not too much to handle, but too much to bring along on a camping trip, or road trip. We are going to pick up a couple of smaller sit on top kayaks called "Ocean Kayaks". These are all around, not rapids kayaks.

I live in Santa Cruz CA. and would love to have some kayak only caches. BRILLIANT! WHAT A GRAND IDEA

January 25, 2005

I'm jumping into this conversation a tad late, but jumping in just the same. For inland lakes like you describe, or smaller rivers, a Pungo is actually a very good boat. You don't need a 19' tandem kevlar composite multi thousand dollar boat. Barefoot and I have done a fair amount of kayaking together caching and critter watching. I have been in my handbuilt Atlantic 19' cedar strip kayak and he in his Pungo. There are times when that beautiful 19' boat just can't get there from here and times when that sleek hull form is just the thing to slice through the waves. Would I take my 19' wooden boat into the rapids? No way! It won't turn, and it would be splintered on the rocks. Would I take the Pungo out into the open ocean? Not likely either. But I WOULD take the Pungo, or Loon, or any other rotomolded boat into the rapids cause it ain't gonna break on the rocks. Whatever you do, I would strongly advise that you try as many different kayaks as you can before you plunk down your hard earned money. Kayak fit is a very individual thing. You should wear a kayak as much as ride in it. If it's a sloppy fit, you won't be able to shift it around with your hips to brace and lean. If it's too small, you are going to be miserable and it will just sit in the rafters gathering dust. Now, if you aren't ever going to be bashing against rocks in a river, then build your own! Kits and plans are available for all sizes and shapes and materials. You don't even need that much woodworking experience to build a beautiful and functional kayak (or canoe) of your own. The top names in kits and plans right now are Pygmy, Shearwater, Chesapeake, Guillomot, and Laughing Loon. You can also built a skin on frame boat from scratch with minimal tools. Too bad you're in Nebraska, or I'd let you try one of my four.

Lisa S

January 26, 2005

I'm jumping into this conversation a tad late, but jumping in just the same. For inland lakes like you describe, or smaller rivers, a Pungo is actually a very good boat. You don't need a 19' tandem kevlar composite multi thousand dollar boat. Barefoot and I have done a fair amount of kayaking together caching and critter watching. I have been in my handbuilt Atlantic 19' cedar strip kayak and he in his Pungo. There are times when that beautiful 19' boat just can't get there from here and times when that sleek hull form is just the thing to slice through the waves. Would I take my 19' wooden boat into the rapids? No way! It won't turn, and it would be splintered on the rocks. Would I take the Pungo out into the open ocean? Not likely either. But I WOULD take the Pungo, or Loon, or any other rotomolded boat into the rapids cause it ain't gonna break on the rocks. Whatever you do, I would strongly advise that you try as many different kayaks as you can before you plunk down your hard earned money. Kayak fit is a very individual thing. You should wear a kayak as much as ride in it. If it's a sloppy fit, you won't be able to shift it around with your hips to brace and lean. If it's too small, you are going to be miserable and it will just sit in the rafters gathering dust. Now, if you aren't ever going to be bashing against rocks in a river, then build your own! Kits and plans are available for all sizes and shapes and materials. You don't even need that much woodworking experience to build a beautiful and functional kayak (or canoe) of your own. The top names in kits and plans right now are Pygmy, Shearwater, Chesapeake, Guillomot, and Laughing Loon. You can also built a skin on frame boat from scratch with minimal tools. Too bad you're in Nebraska, or I'd let you try one of my four.

Lisa S

Now I've wanted to build my own kayak for about a year now. I've got the plans to build a guillemot 17'. I've got the skills and the tools and time to do it. But I don't have a heated garage, nor the work-space in my el-cheapo rental house's garage. Plus cedar is kind of pricey, half your money gets turned into sawdust by the time you cut all the strips. But man, they are a pretty boat when you are done. I'll build the guillemot one of these days, but for now i'm going to settle for a roto-molded rec kayak for cheaper.

6.4k · January 26, 2005

I've wanted to build my own kayak as well. Sadly, the money in the kayak fund got spent on one of these instead. Plus, I moved and now longer have easy access to a full on woodworking shop. For now I'll have to settle for drooling over LisaS's whenever I get the chance.

January 26, 2005

i currently own two toys that would be applicable to your needs. i have an old town pack model canoe, which has been my main flyfishing flagship for quite a few years now. it is made of royalex, which is the plastic compound used in many kayaks. old town claims you can wrack it on a bridge abutment and it'll still pop back into shape. it is very lightweight, only 33 lbs. for its 12-foot length, and durable. it is extremely quick, light, and manuverable, especially when used with a kayak paddle as old town suggests. i never hesitate to take it when i know there will be some trail-carrying from parking spot to water or portaging. i'm pretty new to caching and haven't used it for caches yet, but as it is perfect for fishing, i know it would be a great caching craft, as you kind of never know what you'll be in for when you go to a cache site. i bought mine on a yahoo auction for about $500. my other waterbuddy is an ocean kayak "big yak." it is the new big brother of their very popular "yak" series. i bought this brand new last year, and if you look around they can be found for under $400 new (i paid about $370 at a local dealer/outfitter). i bought it for surfing the waves on the outer banks and exploring the sound, but have found it to be an excellent all-around boat. it is an extremely stable sit-on-top, easy to get on and off, tough as nails and very manuverable. it is an excellent all-around kayak, with plenty of storage space for rods, gear, etc. as with most sit-on-tops, it doesn't have the speed and "glide" of a sit-inside kayak, but it was a trade i was willing to make for stability and versatility. (my daughter likes to put it in the pool and rock in it to see what it takes to roll it over, and it's pretty amazing!) if you ever want to take it to the beach or on slightly "sporty" river water you can do that, but if you want to explore flatwater bays or lakes you can do that comfortably and keep all your gear dry too. it's heavier than the canoe, about 50 lbs for its length of about 10 feet, but ocean kayak "yak sticks" make portaging a snap. yak sticks are a set of wheels that sit on sticks that slip into the kayak's scupper holes. (you just toss them into the kayak when you get to the water.) i would take either one of these boats to any cache expedition, although i would probably favor the canoe if i was taking a friend (as light as it is, the pack still holds hundreds of pounds of payload) or thought i might have to do some trail hiking to get to the water. you really can't go wrong with either one, though. happy hunting!!

-denali

eta: http://www.oceankayak.com/bigyak.html

Edited January 26, 2005 by denali7

January 26, 2005

Since I live in the middle of nebraska

How far away from Valentine do you live? There are some outfitters up there you can rent a couple of different brands (I know I have seen Old Town) of kayaks from and test them out on the scenic Niobrara River. I think there are a couple of caches on the river also.

The Dismal River may not be far from you either, but is a little more challenging.

January 26, 2005

If anyone is interested in building a wooden yak, this is a good resource for ideas.

January 27, 2005

Since I live in the middle of nebraska

How far away from Valentine do you live? There are some outfitters up there you can rent a couple of different brands (I know I have seen Old Town) of kayaks from and test them out on the scenic Niobrara River. I think there are a couple of caches on the river also.

The Dismal River may not be far from you either, but is a little more challenging.

I live in Kearney, so roughly about 3 hours. Not to far. What are some of the outfitters up there? It'd be worth a trip up. I've been down both rivers and the dismal is my favorite, but both are fun. Are you from nebraska also?

January 27, 2005

I live in Kearney, so roughly about 3 hours. Not to far. What are some of the outfitters up there? It'd be worth a trip up. I've been down both rivers and the dismal is my favorite, but both are fun. Are you from nebraska also?

Here is a link to some of the outfitters:

Link

I know a couple of them offer kayak rental.

I live in Northeast Nebraska. We go down the Niobrara a couple of times a year. I am looking forward to finding some of the caches in the area next time we go up.

I have never been on the Dismal, but would love to try it. Did you find the springs on the Dismal that you can float in like a cork?

January 27, 2005

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Hi,

You're probably getting alot of advice on this topic, but I wanted to add my two cents to help out. Kayaking, like so many other sports these days, has become

"high-tech" and there are a myriad of good boats available. Sounds like you have decided what you want to do with it, now you must decide what type of boat will best fit your needs? If you want to do serious voyaging on flat water, you will need one with sufficient storage space, flotation, speed, stability, and ease of paddling to handle larger bodies of water. For day trips, gunkholing, and the like, it is less important to have a long narrow boat. Something a little shorter and wider, with a large cockpit that is easy to get in and out of, works well. My suggestion is to borrow or rent several different types or styles of boat to see what works best for you. I have found that buying a kayak is like buying a pair of shoes, you'll know when you find the one that fits right. Stick with a name brand manufacturer. They are still in business because they usually have good working designs, selection, and quality. You can find really good used boats and save lots of money. Hope this helps out some. Good luck! Rick [/font]</span>

Edited January 27, 2005 by R&T4SURE

January 27, 2005

Did you find the springs on the Dismal that you can float in like a cork?

I did find one of those springs. It was about 20 feet in diameter and the water was about 55 degree's. It was bubbling up from who knows how deep. It created a layer of quicksand about 2 feet below the surface of the water. when you walk in to it the water only looks about 2 feet deep, but then you sink up to your chest but the spring floats you up and you can't feel anything on your feet. It's weird. We had a fun time jumping into it and dissapearing below the sand only to be sky rocketed back up. It was a fun time, but it deposits sand everywhere you can image. It would make a good cache if I can find it again. I wonder if it would make approval of a virtual since there really isn't a place to hide one at the particular spot

January 28, 2005

I wonder if it would make approval of a virtual since there really isn't a place to hide one at the particular spot

It would be fun to have the coordinates of that spring.

The next time I go down the Niobrara, I am bringing my gpsr to mark coordinates of some of the waterfalls on the river. There are quite a few cool ones that you can't see from the river.

January 29, 2005

This isn't a recommendation on any one to buy, but my friend has made his own and is currently making another.

Check out his website at:

Rob's Kayak

Mike

January 30, 2005

Well, I'm surprised the old time kayakers haven't said this yet, but..before you buy anything, put your butt in the boat and paddle it. Period. Once you decide on a lake kayak, a white water boat, a sea kayak, the rest is how comfortable you feel in the boat.

You can get arguements about molded vs fiberglass, skeg vs rudder, rudder vs no rudder, hard cline vs soft, yada , yada, yada. If you are not comfortable in the thing, it ain't going to get used much.

I drove the local Portland Maine dealer nuts while I looked, but I've ended up paddling for ten years, everything from along the Coast of Maine to backwater swamps, camping on the coastal islands, to many a night on a local pond, half bottle of red, a tupperware container of American Chop Sue, and watching the sun going down. I'm comfortable in my boat!

We've got a couple of caches in the northern part of Maine that are a lot easier with a kayak!

February 8, 2005

What does this have to do with Geocaching?

6.4k · February 8, 2005

What does this have to do with Geocaching?

I guess you missed the 2 pages of posts above yours by people who geocache by kayak? Why am I not surprised. :rolleyes:

How would you get to an event like this without one? I've found at least 30 geocaches that required a canoe or kayak to get to.

You would think that someone that's figured out how to search for a few hundred geocaches would be able to figure out how to search/read a forum for his answers.

38.2k · February 8, 2005

What does this have to do with Geocaching?

For starters:

February 8, 2005

And....

this event cache

and

this event cache

and

this event cache

and

this event cache

:rolleyes:

February 8, 2005

Stonedust is right on when he says comfort is the #1 thought. If you buy a yak because you got a deal on it, you may end up not using it due to a sore back or such. I rented alot of boats before we bought ours.

Good luck.

11.3k · February 9, 2005

Jumping in late, but I bought a Necky Looksha Sport a few years ago. It was purchased second-hand from an outfitter who was downsizing.

I really wanted a brand-new Perception (similar size and shape as the Looksha), but for some strange reason, my back would hurt after being out in it for a couple of hours.

My Looksha doesn't have such a problem.

Many years ago I had an inflatable Sea Eagle and it was very serviceable, and super handy when my car was a tiny Honda Civic. I used it on the Salmon River in Idaho and on other streams. It wasn't good for flat water if the wind was blowing . . . :blink:

February 9, 2005

I found a scuba shop here in town that sells/rents the "sit-on-top" style kayaks, cobra brand to be exact. They are a little pricey though. I might try those out, I'm still thinking that I want a "sit in" style kayak. I'm still leaning heavy on a dagger element. I need to go to scheels and try one out first before I plump down my money. I had no idea this thread would take off like this. :mad:

38.2k · February 9, 2005

I found a scuba shop here in town that sells/rents the "sit-on-top" style kayaks, cobra brand to be exact. They are a little pricey though. I might try those out, I'm still thinking that I want a "sit in" style kayak. I'm still leaning heavy on a dagger element. I need to go to scheels and try one out first before I plump down my money. I had no idea this thread would take off like this.

I don't care for the SOT kayaks. I've tried a few. The back support is very poor, there really is no place to store your gear and keep it reasonably safe and dry. You really can't stop for a bit to relax either because there is nothing to lean your upper body or arms against. They also tend to be slow. They're ok for toying around the beach or your local pond, but that's about all.

I agree with your instincts and and say go with a traditional kayak.

Edited February 9, 2005 by briansnat

February 14, 2005

Jumping in late, but I bought a Necky Looksha Sport a few years ago. It was purchased second-hand from an outfitter who was downsizing.

I really wanted a brand-new Perception (similar size and shape as the Looksha), but for some strange reason, my back would hurt after being out in it for a couple of hours.

My Looksha doesn't have such a problem.

Ok guys/gals I went to scheels today with my wife and tried some boats out. Thanks for all your advice. Here is what I've found/discovered:

Originally my wife rolled her eyes at the thought of me buying a kayak. After we started dragging them out she found it nearly impossible to stay out of them. So it looks like i'll be buying 2 kayaks this spring We both are of average build 6' 140-180 lbs. Here are the yaks we tried out:

Dagger blackwater 12.5 - Nice boat, stable, but the cockpit is too small and the seat is horrible. It was also the most expensive at $800. ** 2 stars

Necky Looksha Sport - This one had the most comfy seat, I felt like I was sitting in a leather computer chair, but It was too wide and I had a sloppy fit in it. It was definately too big for my wife ** 2 stars

Loon 138 - I couldn't see myself in this boat for any length of time. For me it just lacked character and storage space. It was also the cheapest at $300 * 1 star

Perception Sundance 12.5 - Now this boat fit me like a glove. Comfy seat, great storage, stability, and it fit me in the hips well, had really good foot braces, wasn't too wide, could accomodated me plus 220 lbs of gear, and the coaming was extended about an extra 6" so it made the cockpit easy in and out. Plus If I rolled it I think I could probably get back in it ok (assuming the water was deeper than I am tall). We put my wife in the Sundance 9.5 model and it seemed to fit her well also. The price was also perfect $600 for the 12.5 and $400 for the 9.5 ***** 5 stars

I orginally went in thinking I wanted a dagger element, although I didn't get to try one, the blackwater was pretty similar in size and shape according to the specs. The difference being the dry storage and an added skeg. I'm glad I tried them out first. I probably wouldn't have done that without everybodies advice. Checking the quality of construction between the looksha, dagger, and perception they were all equal with the exception of the hatches. For the money the perception was in the middle of them all.

Scheels were very nice about the whole thing and will price match the competition. So i'll be doing some online searches for lower prices. T hanks for everybodies help!!!

July 14, 2005

I found a scuba shop here in town that sells/rents the "sit-on-top" style kayaks, cobra brand to be exact. They are a little pricey though. I might try those out, I'm still thinking that I want a "sit in" style kayak. I'm still leaning heavy on a dagger element. I need to go to scheels and try one out first before I plump down my money. I had no idea this thread would take off like this.

I don't care for the SOT kayaks. I've tried a few. The back support is very poor, there really is no place to store your gear and keep it reasonably safe and dry. You really can't stop for a bit to relax either because there is nothing to lean your upper body or arms against. They also tend to be slow. They're ok for toying around the beach or your local pond, but that's about all.

I agree with your instincts and and say go with a traditional kayak.

have you checked out a Dimension Kayak? Not trying to change you mind about what you like, but for some people a SOT is better because they are a little more stable, most will not fill with water, and beginners feel a little safer in...on them. Dimension is now part of Old Town and their SOT, especialy the Voyageur, have great back support and offer some dry storage.

Last week in Nebraska I paddled an older model that was size specific, not like the newer ones with multi foot wells, and I did not fit well. I was glad I hauled a Blackwater 12.5 on top of the car from Texas :blink:

I think SOT's are great for cassual paddlers looking for a way to get on the water, but honestly feel that most that stay with it will move into a sit inside at some point for longer trips.

1.7k · July 14, 2005

There are literally hundreds of models of canoes and kayaks, suggest you look for Canoe and Kayaking Magazine Buyers Guide, which comes out each year and review that to see what meets your needs. Many large people are really not kayak adaptable, they are hard to get in and out of, and for them a canoe is much better. There are some great solo canoes on the market. Old Town had a small solo that weighed in at 33 pounds, light enough for anyone to car top. Also missing from the recommendations were Folbots, Check them out , you can fold it up and put it in your trunk. Canvas and neoprene over aluminum stays. I have build my own wooden strip boat and there the choice of design becomes most critical. I wound up with a nice looking craft that was probably the wrong design for my size.

38.2k · July 14, 2005

Paddling.net is a pretty good website. There are a lot of consumer reviews of various canoes and kayaks.

Kayak Suggestions

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