New to paddling, need some advice

Does anyone have any recommendations for a solo canoe that won’t break the bank? I contacted Old Town about their Discovery 119, and they say it’s a 500lb weight limit and a great solo canoe that would fit my needs (and weight). I’m not going to be using it for racing, and I might try to cross the St. Johns river if I’m feeling froggy or bored, but it will mostly be used close® to shore.

About three weeks ago I went on a kayak for the first time, a 12 foot Ocean Kayak “Scrambler” that my buddy and I rented. My buddy could glide through the water easily but I could not due to my weight of 336lbs. I spent most of the trip sitting in 3-4 inches of water since the scupper holes were working in reverse :smiley: and eventually I fell in after changing my center of gravity. I also figure the kayak I was on was like a beach ball trying to be held under water… and as soon as the path of least resistance was found, out it went :smile:

Over the course of three hours I basically paddled non stop just to keep up with my much lighter friend who was paddling, coasting, and taking it easy. It was a LOT of fun, super relaxing and I wanted to do it again, but wanted to look at a larger kayak so I went to Black Creek Outfitters here in Jacksonville FL and they were super helpful, and told me that most kayaks, to be “fun” need to be operated at 35-50% max capacity. This pretty much rules out all of the kayaks, except for the most expensive brands out there. I was pretty discouraged by it, but my wife suggested a canoe, and I started looking at weight limits… and I think this is the ticket to get out and paddle, and eventually fish.

I’ve looked online and found several larger canoe’s in the 15,16,17, etc length… but to me they all seem too long for the creeks and bays I want to explore and eventually fish. The main thing for me is that I’m going to be going at this solo. My wife and kids say they don’t want to go due to hazards in the water (Gators, Water Moccasins) and rather than get a boat that’s too big and won’t be used by multiple people, I was thinking of a solo craft. Would a 12-14’ canoe be a good starting point?

I don’t know a lot about the various manufacturers, but have more or less only been looking at Old Town due to price point for a new canoe (Discovery 119 seems to fit the bill).

Used, I have no idea what I’m looking at to be honest, though I see a LOT of tandem canoe’s and some fiber glass canoe’s as well. A lot of the sellers either don’t know what they have and can’t tell you much about it, haven’t taken care of their boats, or are asking too much money (at least it seems that way) for what they have, and a lot must not own a tape measure and can’t get me measurements.

Yes, I’ll be wearing a PFD before I get out there in a canoe, and I’ll also get canoe floats as well.

No, I haven’t tried a canoe yet, as I can’t seem to locate any place that actually rents them (though they list online that they do). I’m ok getting a used boat and trying it if it’s cheap enough, if it doesn’t work out I can just resell it.

I took up cycling several years ago, but after some close calls with people on their phones, I would rather deal with the Gator’s, Water Moccasins, and other wild life than get on a bicycle again.

Thank you.

Well, from one “Big Guy” to another, you would not like the Disco 12 footer. My experience with sub 14’ boats is they may HOLD your weight, but will paddle like a tub with those stems (ends) sunk deeply. You need to test paddle whatever you buy, but I think a used, small tandem would be your best bet?

A short list to look for is a Dagger or Mad River Reflection 15, Bell Morningstar, Nova Craft Bob Special, Nova Craft Pal, Wenonah Adirondack, Wenonah Prospector, etc. You can solo these tandems from the bow seat, with the canoe turned around and some ballast (weight) up front in easy water. But I highly recommend installing a center seat (actually, just aft of center) for better boat control.

Try the classified section here, E-Bay, and Craigslist. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

Thank you for the insight and comments, I appreciate it. I’ll look towards a smaller tandem and see what I can come up with. I’ve seen a few 14’ boats on CL, mostly fiberglass I think. I’ll have to give them another look.

What are your thoughts on Mohawk canoes or Indian River? I’ve seen a few of those as well. I’ve also seen a few aluminum boats, but I would imagine it would get hot as hell on the river in one of those with the sun beating down.

Welcome Seawolf, I’m not an authority by any means but for what it’s worth…
Don’t be leary of a longer (15,16) boat especially if you’re planning on fishing, you’ll need
some stability. I’m a smaller paddler but would not take a 11’9" canoe across a NJ bay
unless you have strong arms,mucho experience, a float bag or 2 and mother nature blesses you with calm waters. I live close to the shore I’ve seen weekend warriors try some crazy stuff.
paddling conditions change often. backbays may be ok. I fish and prefer a longer boat. Post back surgery I did spend 2 years fishing from a very light OT pack, almost the same dimensions as the 11’9 disco but not as strong structurally. It was fine for short paddles
but I would’nt want to put the miles on such a short canoe… it got me back OTW…

{"" A lot of the sellers either don’t know what they have and can’t tell you much about it, haven’t taken care of their boats, or are asking too much money (at least it seems that way) for what they have, and a lot must not own a tape measure and can’t get me measurements.""}

I cant tell you how many times I’ve asked sellers here in NJ the same and couldn’t
get a straight answer from ‘em. I really think they just know what they have. also may
explain crazy pricing too. There’s always a bunch of tandems for sale in these parts…
nothing wrong with buying used. It’s usually worth what ya paid and like you said
you can resell and get something that works for ya.
Wildernesswebb gave some great suggestions on canoe’s to check out and you’ll
need to find a way to spend some time paddling before making the right
decision. plenty of helpful folks here hang in there and be patient
PS… a 28" striper can adequately pull a 15’ bell merlin…

Family Cabins and Canoes rent 50 year old aluminum 17 ft work horse canoes at the ichnetucknee spring head. Do that after Labor Day when the dang tubers go away.

The concession at Anastasia State Park. Rents canoes in salt run.

I don’t think Kayak Amelia rents canoes but might.

The St John’s river is way to hot in the middle of the day no matter what kind of boat.

Hana park also rents some canoes.

Jaxkayakfishing.com often has used for sale listing. Primarily kayak but some canoes.

@Sea Wolf said:
but I would imagine it would get hot as hell on the river in one of those with the sun beating down.

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out on the river in mid day. Paddling time is 0700 to 1100 and sundown after … in the summer. If your fishing be off the water by 1000 hrs.

@Overstreet said:
Family Cabins and Canoes rent 50 year old aluminum 17 ft work horse canoes at the ichnetucknee spring head. Do that after Labor Day when the dang tubers go away.

The concession at Anastasia State Park. Rents canoes in salt run.

I don’t think Kayak Amelia rents canoes but might.

The St John’s river is way to hot in the middle of the day no matter what kind of boat.

Thank you for the suggestions! We are going to check out Anastasia State Park on Sunday and see about renting a canoe. I’ll have a better idea then about what I need or don’t need I think. I’ll have to check out that jaxkayakfishing, might be a good place to find a boat too.

From another big guy (6’4"/300#), I’ve tried a number of different solo and solo/tandem models. I definitely recommend test paddling as many different models as you can. Your local retailers probably offer test paddles of their stock and may even sponsor or be aware of paddle festivals in the area.

I agree with the others that say no on the OT Disco 119. I’ve paddled the equivalent OT Pack. It’s cute but not practical for traveling any even moderate distance. Maybe an OT Next? I haven’t be able to try one of those yet.

Solo models I’ve found to be good for my size: Wenonah Prism (my personal favorite), Wenonah [or Clipper] Solitude (not as fast or straight tracking as the Prism, but still pretty good), Wenonah Vagabond (not great for long distances, but for smaller streams and rivers it’s pretty good), Wenonah Encounter (a little too large actually, but if you need to carry some gear it’s perfect). Wenonah Solo Plus (my least favorite of these five, but still a workable option).

The best tandem that worked for me as a solo was the OT Penobscot 16RX. No longer produced so you’d have to find it used. I modified one putting a seat in place of the rear thwart, bringing me closer to center than facing backwards from the bow seat (so no ballast needed), but still narrow enough for me to reach across both gunwales. Only downside is the 58 pounds. I sure wish Old Town would make this model in kevlar. All the other tandems I’ve paddled solo were okay, but generally feel like I’m paddling a tandem canoe solo. Once I got my hands on actual solos that fit, I stopped making due soloing tandems.

The one Mohawk canoe I’ve tried, a Solo 13, was a great boat, but too small for me unfortunately. I think the Solo 14 would fit, but I’ve never had the opportunity to try one. I believe they were made in Florida for a time, so hopefully you could get your hands on one. Reasonably priced new, should be a good deal used. If you get to try a Solo 14, let me know how it fits.

Two Wenonah solos that I’ve tried that were awful fits for me: the Voyager and Advantage. Great boats, for someone smaller. I’ve tried a Wenonah Rendezvous too. It fit fine, but it’s a whitewater boat and not well suited for the flat water I paddle.

There are other large solos from other manufacturers you may have access to in your part of the country that never seem to come up out west, so I can’t speak to those. But try all the ones you can and good luck. Let us know how it goes.

I’ll have to look into those models. I think the nearest canoe dealer is in Orlando, unless my google-fu isn’t up to par and I missed something here in Jacksonville.

Yeah, the more I read about the OT Disco 119 and look at youtube video’s, it doesn’t seem like a good fit for me. I’ve watched a few overloaded canoe video’s as well and I would prefer to avoid that.

The tandems I’ve looked into were the OT Guide 14, and the OT Saranac, both with the intent to put another seat in them… but they look like it would be hard to mod them. I liked the Saranac initially because it was narrower than the guide and I thought it might be good to use a narrower boat. Then looked at the OT Disovery 133, but the 40" width kept me away from that one as well. I’m not afraid to mod a canoe, but would prefer to do it to a used model if I can. I’ve seen some used fiberglass 14’ canoe’s but again I have no idea who made them or what I would be getting since the names have all been worn off or removed.

Sea Wolf one thing you need to consider is if you can rescue yourself if you tip over in a canoe. If I understand correctly you have never paddled a canoe before? If you are going to solo paddle you need to get some instruction in how to get back in a swamped canoe and get it to shore safely. I think if you find somebody who will let you try this, you’ll discover why sit on top kayaks are so popular. I wouldn’t rule out a sit on top kayak, look on the fishing kayak webpages and I’m sure somebody can suggest a SOT that will handle your weight and paddle fairly efficiently. It’s not going to be any more expensive than a canoe. Also once you have an idea what you want, buy used and save about 50% - check craigslist for boats that are available.

@SeaDart said:
Sea Wolf one thing you need to consider is if you can rescue yourself if you tip over in a canoe. If I understand correctly you have never paddled a canoe before? If you are going to solo paddle you need to get some instruction in how to get back in a swamped canoe and get it to shore safely. I think if you find somebody who will let you try this, you’ll discover why sit on top kayaks are so popular. I wouldn’t rule out a sit on top kayak, look on the fishing kayak webpages and I’m sure somebody can suggest a SOT that will handle your weight and paddle fairly efficiently. It’s not going to be any more expensive than a canoe. Also once you have an idea what you want, buy used and save about 50% - check craigslist for boats that are available.

You make a good point about recovery, and no, I’ve never been in a canoe before. I’m hoping the weather holds tomorrow when we go to the state park and I’ll rent a canoe there. The kayak was easy to paddle and get into, falling into the water was another matter and recovery only happened after I swam to shore.

Do you think this is why SOT kayaks are so popular? Because they don’t really sink, but float on the top?

Well… not sure what I’m going to do now about trying out a canoe. I wasn’t able to get to the state park this weekend, but did give them a call a few minutes ago. They said all their canoes were destroyed in the last hurricane (Matthew). I might just have to gamble and buy a used canoe that’s cheap and take it onto the water. I could probably use my brother in laws pool to try to get used to it and do drills. Aside from that, I’ve run out of options for canoe rentals in my immediate area.

There’s a 15 foot boat with 3 seats on Gaineville craigslist. In principle it should be just about ideal for your weight. Maybe you could email the guy and ask if he’d take 250 and whether a test paddle is possible. If it seems sturdy and you like it you can’t go far wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10H-X5tWPRY

SOT https:kayaks are popular with fishermen and others who paddle on open rough water, because if you tip over, if you know how, you can climb back in within about 20 -30 seconds and be back on your way paddling. If you tip over in a canoe if you are athletic you may be able to climb back in without swamping the canoe completely, but usually the canoe will be swamped and will need to be bailed or taken in to shallow water and dumped out. I have paddled canoes since I was 11 years old, and have been a Boy Scout merit badge counselor for canoeing and can tell you most large adults have a very hard time dealing with a swamped canoe. I think for what you want an SOT is the way to go. You do have to learn how to re-enter the kayak, and you do need to practice, and work on upper body strength if you are heavy. Don’t buy a fishing kayak with high sides, look for one similar to what is in this video, they are more expensive, but much more seaworthy and efficient at paddling, and easier to get back in …
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=10H-X5tWPRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnGjPUfOyvc

@SeaDart said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10H-X5tWPRY

SOT https:kayaks are popular with fishermen and others who paddle on open rough water, because if you tip over, if you know how, you can climb back in within about 20 -30 seconds and be back on your way paddling. If you tip over in a canoe if you are athletic you may be able to climb back in without swamping the canoe completely, but usually the canoe will be swamped and will need to be bailed or taken in to shallow water and dumped out. I have paddled canoes since I was 11 years old, and have been a Boy Scout merit badge counselor for canoeing and can tell you most large adults have a very hard time dealing with a swamped canoe. I think for what you want an SOT is the way to go. You do have to learn how to re-enter the kayak, and you do need to practice, and work on upper body strength if you are heavy. Don’t buy a fishing kayak with high sides, look for one similar to what is in this video, they are more expensive, but much more seaworthy and efficient at paddling, and easier to get back in …
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=10H-X5tWPRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnGjPUfOyvc

I appreciate the video’s and advice based on your experience. My wife and I talked about it, and I looked at more video’s and really had a heart to heart with myself regarding a canoe. While I like the idea of it, the reality is that I just won’t be able to get back into it without some serious problems. I would need a lot of flotation inside the canoe just to make sure that when I got back in, it didn’t take on more water.

We did try some other SOT kayaks this weekend and we had fun, didn’t tip, but did have fun. I’m thinking of getting a SOT that’s rated for 550 to 600lbs, similar to the Ocean Kayak Big Game 2, or Wilderness Systems Ride 135. Either of those will work, but as you said I would need to practice with them. I can use my BIL’s pool to practice drills though, as it’s definitely going to be necessary when I fall in again.