Any kayakers here?

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carolc
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by carolc »

We’ve been paddling kayaks for about 20 years now. Started with 16+ foot boats. Now down to 14’ (and 35 lbs) as they are much easier to put on top of the Outback. We paddle lakes, rivers (not white water) and the ocean (but staying in harbors and along shorelines). We tried a tandem boat ONCE and learned from that experience that we need our own boats.

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sailaway
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by sailaway »

A440 wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:43 am Is there a particular model/feature I should look into if I tend to have back issues?

I'd also be interested in hearing more about a pedal kayak. Not for fishing, really just for an additional workout while enjoying the lake. Also, can these type of kayaks travel on top of car racks?
The Hobie mirage drive pedals back and forth, rather than round and round. You are pushing flippers back and forth, like a penguin swimming. I can do it for hours and its rhythm can be hypnotizing. The pedal length is adjustable, so you should be able to make it comfortable for yourself, especially with Hobie's new seats. I wish they had made them backwards compatible for the schmucks who bought a year early!

Someone mentioned a hitch loader up thread, those can make a big difference. When we had the kayak on the Jeep, we had to lift it up and over our heads (especially mine). I doubt my husband could do that anymore with his neck and shoulder issues. Lift with your knees all you want, without help, you probably have to lift your kayak from your side to over head at some point and that twisting with weight must be done attentively.

The other issue is getting the kayak from the car to the water. The wheels work great, sand is sand and rocks can be even worse, not to mention embankments. I think someone is more likely yo injure themselves forging ahead through that because the lifting is daunting and we out thought into it.

Other kayaks tend to be lighter and there are new ones that pedal round and round to power a propeller. My concern would be draft, but I haven't really looked into them because we LOVE our Hobie. It lives on our sailboat now and we raise and lower it with a block and tackle system attached to the halyard.
goodlifer
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by goodlifer »

Emilyjane wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:37 pm How do you all haul your kayaks? I am thinking of buying a kayak trailer, but since $2000 or more, have been thinking about it for a while. Right now, we mainly kayak at Lake next to our house, but would be fun to do some exploring.
If we are just taking two, we use J hooks with the roof rack. If we need three or more, or we want to take our bikes or other gear, we use a folding trailer we built. The yaks go up top on the metal rack, Yakima Blockheads for the bikes, and all the paddles, vests, fishing poles, etc go into the "floor storage".
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Wricha
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Wricha »

daheld wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:26 am Branching off recent hobby discussions regarding Boglehead weight lifters, I started wondering if there were any Boglehead kayakers around here.

I'll start: Grew up doing a decent amount of canoeing as a kid with my uncle. Once I got old enough to start taking vacations myself, I did a whitewater kayaking day clinic through Nantahala Outdoor Center that involved technique instruction on a lake followed by running some class 2-3 rapids on a river. Since then, I've bought my own boat (a 9' hybrid kayak with drop down skeg for tracking) and done a fair amount of kayaking. Mostly do class 1-2 small rivers here in Missouri, but hoping to progress.

Hoping to hear from more Boglehead kayakers!
Funny you should post this. I am currently at Nantahala Outdoor Center taking 5 day kayaking course
https://noc.com Very well done PM me if you want more information.
Colorado14
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Colorado14 »

Yes! I "splurged" and bought my own. I like calm water kayaking...such fun. It's a 96 degree day here and I'm not on the water, but want to be! :-)
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hsmith
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by hsmith »

friar1610 wrote: ... It's getting a little harder than it used to be to schlep the kayaks onto the roof of the wagon and transport them...”
We have a couple of these canoes http://placidboatworks.com/index.html. They’re made of kevlar and carbon fiber, so they’re very light -only 18 lbs. They’re easy to get up on the roof of the SUV. We paddle them like kayaks.
Yooper16
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Yooper16 »

DCB-- you should have some great 'yaking where you. Gave the WS systems Pungo 100 and Aspire some thought, but we were just a tad to long legged for them. Our Eddylines weigh 40 pounds which with our soon to be medicare aged bones, lighter weight was also considered.

We;ve found that the twist and shoulder extend that starts a stroke has been wonderful for reducing shoulder and neck stiffness. Even the massage person says she notices a difference in muscle tension.

Stay safe and good paddling.
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daheld
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by daheld »

Wricha wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:29 pm
daheld wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:26 am Branching off recent hobby discussions regarding Boglehead weight lifters, I started wondering if there were any Boglehead kayakers around here.

I'll start: Grew up doing a decent amount of canoeing as a kid with my uncle. Once I got old enough to start taking vacations myself, I did a whitewater kayaking day clinic through Nantahala Outdoor Center that involved technique instruction on a lake followed by running some class 2-3 rapids on a river. Since then, I've bought my own boat (a 9' hybrid kayak with drop down skeg for tracking) and done a fair amount of kayaking. Mostly do class 1-2 small rivers here in Missouri, but hoping to progress.

Hoping to hear from more Boglehead kayakers!
Funny you should post this. I am currently at Nantahala Outdoor Center taking 5 day kayaking course
https://noc.com Very well done PM me if you want more information.
NOC was where I did my 1 day whitewater kayaking clinic. They're the best in the business. After spending a weekend there, I wish I would've taken the opportunity to work a summer there as a college student.
vested1
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by vested1 »

sailaway wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:06 pm
The other issue is getting the kayak from the car to the water. The wheels work great, sand is sand and rocks can be even worse, not to mention embankments. I think someone is more likely yo injure themselves forging ahead through that because the lifting is daunting and we out thought into it.
For sand we use this:
https://www.amazon.com/Wheeleez-Kayak-M ... kayak+cart

For rocks we use this:
https://www.amazon.com/TMS-CART-CANOE-K ... kayak+cart

You can lift one end as you walk or buy two if money is no object. The Wheeleez is indispensable on a sandy beach.
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Wricha
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Wricha »

daheld wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:26 am
Wricha wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:29 pm
daheld wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:26 am Branching off recent hobby discussions regarding Boglehead weight lifters, I started wondering if there were any Boglehead kayakers around here.

I'll start: Grew up doing a decent amount of canoeing as a kid with my uncle. Once I got old enough to start taking vacations myself, I did a whitewater kayaking day clinic through Nantahala Outdoor Center that involved technique instruction on a lake followed by running some class 2-3 rapids on a river. Since then, I've bought my own boat (a 9' hybrid kayak with drop down skeg for tracking) and done a fair amount of kayaking. Mostly do class 1-2 small rivers here in Missouri, but hoping to progress.

Hoping to hear from more Boglehead kayakers!
Funny you should post this. I am currently at Nantahala Outdoor Center taking 5 day kayaking course
https://noc.com Very well done PM me if you want more information.
NOC was where I did my 1 day whitewater kayaking clinic. They're the best in the business. After spending a weekend there, I wish I would've taken the opportunity to work a summer there as a college student.
Exactly what I thought. Really good experience
Townline Lake
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Townline Lake »

Long time kayaker here. Grew up in upper Midwest fishing for trout from a kayak and even took a whitewater kayak class on a whitewater river through the Boyscouts with my son.

Just bought a Dagger Axis 10.5 and really like this versatile kayak. Also bought a Werner carbon fiber paddle and can’t believe how much difference a good quality lightweight paddle makes over the traditional aluminum paddles.
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Elsebet
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Elsebet »

Sorry to bump an old thread but I didn't want to start a brand new one with all the good info in this one.

We just used our kayaks for the first time last weekend. We live in PA near Lake Erie (we can walk to it) and bought our kayaks from Costco earlier in the year. We bought this model, the Pelican Mission Sit-In Kayak: https://www.costco.com/pelican-mission- ... 92364.html

Had a great first ride, it was a little scary at first so we stayed close to shore, but we gained confidence quickly and pretty soon left the shore for the deeper parts of the lake. Spent about 2.5 hours paddling and floating. We did not take any classes or try kayaks before buying, just watched a bunch of videos on Youtube. We fell in love with it immediately and can't wait to go back out over Memorial Day weekend.

The only issue I had was being a bit sore in the middle of my back and my arms. Plus my legs got badly sunburned because I wasn't thinking and didn't put any sunscreen on them. I guess I thought they would be covered by my shorts + the boat, but I learned the hard way that was not true.

I've read that the kayak seats are replaceable so I may upgrade the ones in ours, any suggestions? I'd like to be able to withstand longer rides as soon as possible.
"...the man who adapts himself to his slender means and makes himself wealthy on a little sum, is the truly rich man..." ~Seneca
Hebell
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Hebell »

I've been canoeing with my husband almost since the day we met, 38 years ago. We've been married 33. We've owned a few canoes, most recently a Winona Aurora 16 ft canoe. We prefer rivers.

We like canoes better than kayaks, because we like the higher sides, and we always put our touring gear in the middle. It's been a great partnership, and one of the things we enjoy more than almost anything else to do together.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I kayaked for the first time somewhat reluctantly about five years ago on a small lake and instantly fell in love with the sport. It’s so different from what I expected. It’s fun, relatively easy and relaxing. The water really carries you buoyantly: although it certainly is good upper body exercise, I expected it to be more difficult but you are mostly just steering with the oars. I used the larger kayaks (hard plastic 6-8 footers) that don’t trap you inside or flip over easily. I started to look into buying a kayak, including a collapsible version, but they have them to rent at the lake I go to so together with living in a city I let the idea slide but I have another larger lake Id love to take a kayak.

Finally, I was surprised how social the sport is and what a good conversation piece it was at work. Also it’s pretty interesting to be floating placidly on the same level as a duck, at a similar pace, have him look over (and roll his eyes “why do they try, they’ll never be like us”) and just be like, I’m here too, get used to it.
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Mon May 23, 2022 7:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
fposte
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by fposte »

I've been renting kayaks in state parks periodically since last year. I'm toying with buying but I'm not there yet. I'm very much a gentle touring kayaker on calm water, and I really love being the only person out on the lake. I enjoy checking out the birds but I haven't mastered the art of using binoculars from a bobbing and drifting boat.

Does anybody use a really small kayak? I'm not crazy about the inflatables or folding ones and I'm thinking one of the well-reviewed 8-footers might work for me. I'm only doing Midwest inland paddling and I like the idea of one that's easy for me to haul around and that I could tuck into my hatchback rather than carrying on the roof.
rosalee
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by rosalee »

Whitewater guy here and if you can find a group to paddle with, that's the way to get started with some real adventure in 'out of the way' places. We were very fortunate to live in Knoxville TN which i would venture is the best place in all the world for year round whitewater, from Class I-V. Sure, need good skills to go Class V, but the challenge is there.

Nearby the mountains of TN, WV, NC, KY and others supply the gradient and rainfall during the summer. But also many dam released rivers, like the Ocoee (TN), Green (NC) and Upper/Lower Gauley (WV) offer super fun during the dry seasons. Many quiet and pristine river environments plus a few shots of adrenaline make for a great day out.
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WoodSpinner
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by WoodSpinner »

Kayaking is one of our great joys! We use inflatables since they are easy to carry in our Class-B RV. I try and combine paddling with my other favorite hobby, photography! It’s been a great adventure!

Invest in a good Lifejacket and take some lessons on paddling and Recovery (just in case you tip out).

Enjoy

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Circe
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Circe »

Former white water instructor. Getting too old for that so sold my ww boats (Mamba and Fun). I now have a 10' Riot for smaller streams, a Necky Manitou 13' for most of my paddling and a Perception with a rudder -- nice boat for ocean or bays but it's really heavy and I mostly loan it out to friends. I mostly paddle NJ and PA rivers, NJ shore area and Chesapeake Bay. It's all good.
bog007
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by bog007 »

hobie outback pedal drive I use. on vacations I take advanced elements inflatable. goes in 36 inch package
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vested1
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by vested1 »

Happy to see this thread revived. I posted earlier in 2018 at a time when my wife and I still lived in CA. We shipped our two sit on top kayaks, 15' and 16', to our new lakefront home in SC where we used them along with the canoe, the new pontoon boat, and the new bass boat for a couple of years and found that our greatest enjoyment still came from paddling the kayaks and fishing from them.

When we moved in December 2021 we conveyed the kayaks and the canoe with the house and sold the pontoon and the bass boat. We now live on a smaller lake with direct paddle access to a larger one. The old kayaks were too big for the new house because they had to be stored in the garage, but after a few months of not having one we broke down and bought two Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120's (12 foot sit on top), and a couple of paddles that were far too expensive.

https://www.nextadventure.net/catalog/p ... PlEALw_wcB

Some might think we're overdoing it at 69/70, but there's nothing like paddling the lakes, even here where you have to be aware of the presence of alligators.

One is never too old to embark upon a new adventure.
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daheld
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by daheld »

I am the OP of this thread, and I'm glad to see it revived! I actually upgraded boats this winter and just got the new one out for it's first paddle a couple weeks ago. I previously had a Jackson Rogue 9, which is a hybrid kayak designed to be used on flatwater up to class III. It served me well, but it wasn't very comfortable and didn't have the storage room I wanted.

I bought a brand new Old Town Loon 106 in February, just paddled about 20 miles on the Jack's Fork River in southern Missouri. If any of you are relatively close to Missouri, the three rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the Current, Jack's Fork and Eleven Point are a must visit. The area is full of springs and other natural wonders; we're supremely lucky to have it nearby.
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bampf
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by bampf »

daheld wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:16 am I am the OP of this thread, and I'm glad to see it revived! I actually upgraded boats this winter and just got the new one out for it's first paddle a couple weeks ago. I previously had a Jackson Rogue 9, which is a hybrid kayak designed to be used on flatwater up to class III. It served me well, but it wasn't very comfortable and didn't have the storage room I wanted.

I bought a brand new Old Town Loon 106 in February, just paddled about 20 miles on the Jack's Fork River in southern Missouri. If any of you are relatively close to Missouri, the three rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the Current, Jack's Fork and Eleven Point are a must visit. The area is full of springs and other natural wonders; we're supremely lucky to have it nearby.
Relatively new to the sport. Purchased a couple of Sea Eagle explorer inflatables and its been a lot of fun so far. Did a couple of lakes and that was ok but just got back from doing the lower Gunnison river in Colorado and that was amazing. The inflatables are nice because they pack up quite small and make for easy transport. I imagine the hard shells might be a big easier to paddle. Sea Eagle is a nice brand in terms of quality. It's quite fun.
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punkinhead
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by punkinhead »

My brothers and I grew up canoeing and kayaking because our parents were into it. My father got heavily into whitewater so I was running class 3&4 by 12 years old then 5's and an occasional 6 by 14. My brother ended up taking breaks during college to be a river guide in Colorado and Zimbabwe. I pretty much stopped paddling after college and 30 years went by. A few years ago some friends who are into kayaking invited my wife and I along on a trip so we rented kayaks and soon after bought a couple Wilderness Systems Pungos. I haven't paddled whitewater in 30 years and don't plan to get back to it, although during the covid shortage I bought an old Dagger whitewater canoe because I wanted to bring along my dog and it was the only solo canoe I could find. My brother is still into whitewater and guides on weekends so I'll give him the Dagger now that I've found a replacement more suitable for class 1&2 rivers.

We paddle at least once a week during the spring/summer/fall and have a nice river just a few miles from our house and quite a few within an hour. One of the best things about being retired is having the river pretty much completely to ourselves during the week.

We have a Class B motorhome on order and I haven't come up with a good way to carry a kayak and canoe yet. I have a couple trailers but the point of a van is to be maneuverable so I'd like to find a way to get the boats on the roof. I haven't found a good solution to getting them on top of a high roof van yet.
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daheld
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by daheld »

bampf wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:33 am
daheld wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:16 am I am the OP of this thread, and I'm glad to see it revived! I actually upgraded boats this winter and just got the new one out for it's first paddle a couple weeks ago. I previously had a Jackson Rogue 9, which is a hybrid kayak designed to be used on flatwater up to class III. It served me well, but it wasn't very comfortable and didn't have the storage room I wanted.

I bought a brand new Old Town Loon 106 in February, just paddled about 20 miles on the Jack's Fork River in southern Missouri. If any of you are relatively close to Missouri, the three rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the Current, Jack's Fork and Eleven Point are a must visit. The area is full of springs and other natural wonders; we're supremely lucky to have it nearby.
Relatively new to the sport. Purchased a couple of Sea Eagle explorer inflatables and its been a lot of fun so far. Did a couple of lakes and that was ok but just got back from doing the lower Gunnison river in Colorado and that was amazing. The inflatables are nice because they pack up quite small and make for easy transport. I imagine the hard shells might be a big easier to paddle. Sea Eagle is a nice brand in terms of quality. It's quite fun.
I ran the Nantahala in NC in a two person Sea Eagle inflatable. I personally would not want to spend much time in an inflatable on water that's not relatively swift, but that's just my opinion. I have the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP on my list. Hope to get there soon!
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Shackleton
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by Shackleton »

We have two of the Eddyline Caribbean 14’ Sit-on-top kayaks. We use them to explore our local lakes and like the fact that they have enough room for our dogs and gear. Plus plenty of leg room for us since we are both 6’1”. The seats are also very comfortable and they are very stable.

We transport them on top of our suv, and used to use Thule j-hook racks, but just got some [url https://www.thule.com/en-us/winter-and- ... -_-1685448]Thule Hullavator racks[/url] to make loading them easier. Now it’s a one person job to load a kayak.
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zag00
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by zag00 »

Native Slayer Propel owner.
Hands free fishing with the pedal drive and leg power gives you a little more range than your typical paddle driven kayaks. Can withstand a little higher wind as well although 15mph is about my cut off, as you are still in a plastic boat anyway you slice it.
Been tough to get out on the water with 2 little ones recently.

Have toyed around the idea of getting into one of the many powered kayaks offered but am hesitant due to the current lack of use.
H-Town
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by H-Town »

daheld wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:26 am Branching off recent hobby discussions regarding Boglehead weight lifters, I started wondering if there were any Boglehead kayakers around here.

I'll start: Grew up doing a decent amount of canoeing as a kid with my uncle. Once I got old enough to start taking vacations myself, I did a whitewater kayaking day clinic through Nantahala Outdoor Center that involved technique instruction on a lake followed by running some class 2-3 rapids on a river. Since then, I've bought my own boat (a 9' hybrid kayak with drop down skeg for tracking) and done a fair amount of kayaking. Mostly do class 1-2 small rivers here in Missouri, but hoping to progress.

Hoping to hear from more Boglehead kayakers!
We usually do kayaking when we travel. Our favorite spots are around Orlando where they have many blue springs. The water is clear and the rivers are made for kayaking. We just rent a kayak. No point for us to buy one and haul it all over the place.

One time in a small surf town in Panama, I took a kayak to do an hour one-way trip to an island nearby. I don't know what I was thinking, but it's an experience that I'll never forget. The island is small and was abandoned for a few years due to storm damage. It was just me as the only living person on that island.
Time is the ultimate currency.
OhBoyUhoh
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Re: Any kayakers here?

Post by OhBoyUhoh »

H-Town wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:12 am
daheld wrote: Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:26 am Branching off recent hobby discussions regarding Boglehead weight lifters, I started wondering if there were any Boglehead kayakers around here.

I'll start: Grew up doing a decent amount of canoeing as a kid with my uncle. Once I got old enough to start taking vacations myself, I did a whitewater kayaking day clinic through Nantahala Outdoor Center that involved technique instruction on a lake followed by running some class 2-3 rapids on a river. Since then, I've bought my own boat (a 9' hybrid kayak with drop down skeg for tracking) and done a fair amount of kayaking. Mostly do class 1-2 small rivers here in Missouri, but hoping to progress.

Hoping to hear from more Boglehead kayakers!
We usually do kayaking when we travel. Our favorite spots are around Orlando where they have many blue springs. The water is clear and the rivers are made for kayaking. We just rent a kayak. No point for us to buy one and haul it all over the place.

One time in a small surf town in Panama, I took a kayak to do an hour one-way trip to an island nearby. I don't know what I was thinking, but it's an experience that I'll never forget. The island is small and was abandoned for a few years due to storm damage. It was just me as the only living person on that island.
Wilson!
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