Kayaks

[ERAUMattmom]

Does anybody here have any experience with Kayaks?

I live in a part of Long Beach, CA. that has a lot of inlets/canals/flood control channels on the land side of the harbor... that would allow for kayaking for a beginner like me WITHOUT all of the (fun) strong currents, rocks and danger and quicker flowing water that a more experienced kayaker would be into.

I got the idea after seeing a tandem kayak at Costco (sit on) with 2 paddles and a car carrier for under $500...

But as I checked into Kayaks I realized that there is a lot to choose from.

Does anybody on this forum have any experience with Kayaks that can help guide me in what I should consider before making any purchase.

I looked on Craigslist and there seems to be a variety of used Kayaks available, but I'm confused to whether a sit on or sit in would be better...then some are inflatable....others come apart and pack into two bags and need to be put back together and their skin put on before use....

HELP from anybody with any experience please....All that I am sure of is that I want a tandem kayak that I can transport (down the street) on the roof of my car...

 

[kinnem]

Does anybody here have any experience with Kayaks?

I live in a part of Long Beach, CA. that has a lot of inlets/canals/flood control channels on the land side of the harbor... that would allow for kayaking for a beginner like me WITHOUT all of the (fun) strong currents, rocks and danger and quicker flowing water that a more experienced kayaker would be into.

I got the idea after seeing a tandem kayak at Costco (sit on) with 2 paddles and a car carrier for under $500...

But as I checked into Kayaks I realized that there is a lot to choose from.

Does anybody on this forum have any experience with Kayaks that can help guide me in what I should consider before making any purchase.

I looked on Craigslist and there seems to be a variety of used Kayaks available, but I'm confused to whether a sit on or sit in would be better...then some are inflatable....others come apart and pack into two bags and need to be put back together and their skin put on before use....

HELP from anybody with any experience please....All that I am sure of is that I want a tandem kayak that I can transport (down the street) on the roof of my car...

I have no experience with a break down kayak.

We have 3 kayaks. We have a sit on that my son uses. It's good for beginners but you will undoubtedly get a little wet in it. Not much though and it's rather agreeable on a hot day with no shade. Some folks love them because they'll have a flat platform in the back for a milk crate full of fishing gear or a cooler to be strapped down. They're not the best for good tracking though so they'll veer one way then the other as you paddle. When we take our scottish terrier out with us she rides on this one with the son.... while wearing her doggie life jacket. Yes, they have life jackets specifically designed for dogs.

Mine is a sit in that has room for 1 adult and a small kid. I was certainly able to load it with gear for camping etc. I also have it heavily rigged out for fishing although I don't actually do too much in it. Maybe when we move to the beach in a year or so. It's pretty wide abeam and a bit slow compared to the next one I'll describe but it's great for me. Similar tracking problems to the sit on.

My bride has a long sleek (14 foot) sit-in sea kayak. Has a drop down "tiller" in the back and can carry a fair amount of camping gear and is really designed for touring. Because of the tiller it tracks well and is quite fast. It's narrower and a bit less stable than our other kayaks but it is definitely the fastest and cleanest tracker we own. My wife is the most serious kayaker among us but she still doesn't get out all that often. She would like to though.

If you just want to get out for some fun paddling and a little exercise in warm weather where a bathing suit, t-shirt, and some sandals you can get wet, a sit on will work just fine for you.

EDIT: If stability is a major concern a sit-in is more stable because your weight is lower. Getting on/in a kayak is a bit tough at first. For me, the best technique seems to be to straddle the kayak and get my butt into it first.

 

[GoArmyBeatNavy]

Go take a lesson. They will give you great advice on kayaks, teach you to remount a sit-in kayak in the water, how to handle waves and rough water entry, etc. Its a fun afternoon. Bring a snack and sunscreen.

 

[ERAUMattmom]

Thanks for the input....

I'm normally a really bad impulse buyer....fortunately for me I was in a hurry the day I saw the Kayak in Costco and the box was too big to fit on even the biggest cart....otherwise I would have already been the proud owner....

I am going to take the above advice and take a lesson....I'm sure my dogs will appreciate both the fact that it's OK to bring your dog along....as well as the fact that I will be taking a lesson before doing so......

I noticed that a few of the Kayaks that I saw on craigslist had some kind of pedal that attached to I think the ore.....do either of you know what I am talking about.....if so ...is that a good something to have while building up arm strength for rowing?

I'm 51, just got back into exercising and getting healthy again after quite a few years of laziness. Both my leg strength and upper body strength is probably better than the average (having not exercised in a while 51 year old female)...due to years of riding and training horses......but I expect that it is going to take my body a little time to adjust to this different use of upper body strength.....

 

[GoArmyBeatNavy]

Rent a kayak and get advice from your instructor. Bend his/her ear at lunch/snack time. They will have a lot of experience and good advice. Lots of different kinds of Kayaks. You might not want a tandem after the lesson.

The beginner sit-in sea kayaking class will teach you entry, basic paddling, stearing, wet-exiting, T-Rescue and paddle float self-rescue techniques. Throw the instructor a tip when you are done. Good luck!

 

[Jcleppe]

Take a look at a Wilderness Pungo, they are great for beginners and very comfortable.

I agree rent a few and see what fits best, take a couple lessons, it will help you get started.

 

[LineInTheSand]

Sit-on-tops SEEM like they're more stable, but because of the hull shape they're not. That said, if they roll over, and you just roll them back and climb back on. I have the longer kind you sit inside (it's called a Wilderness…. something). Initially you'll THINK you're going to roll, but you won't. Over a very short time you'll realize you're MUCH more stable. It's also MUCH more efficient moving through the water.

Either way, get, and wear, a properly fitting Coast Guard approved personal flotation device!

 

[ERAUMattmom]

I know the area well from when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton. Here is what I would recommend to start with. We have two of these that my wife and I use on the rivers and streams around us.

http://www.neckykayaks.com/Kayaks/Recreation/Rip_12/

This is the one I use on open water when we go down to Beaufort:

http://www.neckykayaks.com/kayaks/touring/Chatham_17_Composite/

I use it all the time

So you too would recommend staying away from the tandem and getting 2 single seat kayaks? I also noticed the price difference between the 2 kayaks that you posted links to.

Although my house backs up to the San Gabriel River (bed) my intensions are to ....at first putt around Alamitos Bay and Marine Stadium while getting familiar with the craft.

I looked around on-line for lessons and while finding many businesses offering wind-surfing lessons....and kayak rentals....I didn't see anything right in my area for Kayaking lessons so I'm going to have to do a little more legwork.

Thank you and everybody else who has taken the time to school and advise me in this manner. I am definitely taking it all in.