Finding the right kayak

Hi. I am new to the discussion process, but I am looking for the right kayak. I am looking for a sea kayak I can handle in the wind.
I am 109 lbs. 5’4”, and plan to do both day long and full weekend touring.
Several people have suggested I would likely do well with a Pilgrim LV or an Avocet LV. I am looking for ideas, and someone who might be selling one of those boats.
Thanks for any help!
Barbara

Where are you?

Lake Placid, Florida

Also spend summer in Maine

Are there other kayak models I should be looking for?

I currently own a Hurricane Tracer165 which is a nice kayak but has too much sail surface for me.

You might check with Sweetwater in St. Pete they are a Valley dealer. I have bought from them… good people.
https://sweetwaterkayaks.wordpress.com/

Just as a thought, there is a Superior kayak sparrow hawk LV for sale in the classifieds. If the maps are correct, it may be a couple of hours away from you if you wanted to see if the owner would allow a test paddle.

@Barbara H said:
Are there other kayak models I should be looking for?

Current Designs Prana LV, Sisu LV, or P&H Cetus LV are other options. As to finding boats to try, look for upcoming symposiums. They generally will have demos to try and sometimes to sell on the spot.

Good luck in your search. I know from experience how frustrating it can be.

Do you prefer composite or plastic?

On the Avocet LV you mentioned, the composite version is supposed to be a better fit for smaller paddlers than the plastic version. The Avocet is no longer made - I believe the Valley Sirona line is the replacement, but not sure about how well they fit smaller paddlers.

Some smaller people kayaks (based on what my 5’1" 110 lb girlfriend likes):
Jackson Journey 13.5 (day touring - might not be enough storage enough for your camping)
Valley Gemini
Sterling IceCap (very expensive)

Most any boat with an LV designation might be worth trying.

The Echo, is NDKs newest LV kayak. It is for very petite paddlers. A friend down in Charleston, received the first one, in the US. She is ~5 and weighs ~100lbs. The Pilgrim had to much volume, for her. She had some input, in the design of the Echo.http://maineislandkayak.com/new-ndk-echo/

@grayhawk said:
You might check with Sweetwater in St. Pete they are a Valley dealer. I have bought from them… good people.
https://sweetwaterkayaks.wordpress.com/

Agree.

My wife called them. They took her size information and made an appointment. We arrived they fitted her in three likely boats. They took the boats to a local launch and let her play in them as long as she wanted.

Maybe I can contribute some here. The word “wind” caught my attention. When I first started with the kayak thing I really valued tracking. After going out in some stiff wind and significant waves I realized that tracking is NOT the attribute I wanted all the time. What I needed in higher winds was a boat that was easier to correct when it got pushed around. I found that a somewhat shorter boat (14 ft) was the thing to have. If I were you I’d definitely look at the boat that Peter-CA mentioned… Jackson Journey 13.5.

Try to demo boats on a really windy day.

Thanks everyone for your comments, I met briefly with Russell at Sweetwater kayaks and he is helping me look too. He was the one who suggested an Avocet LV, but he only had a moment at the time. Great guy!
I’d love an Echo, I think, but new ones are above my budget,…sigh.

Consider not buying into any of those options and just cheapening out and seeing what you find on Craigslist. It’s a bit of a gamble but you can get some great deals. I have the opposite problem as I am 6’4" but in the end sometimes it’s better to learn how to fit into things then it is to stay on a quest to find something that fits you because then you learn how to deal with stuff and become a better paddler.

Also do remember that composite will never be as durable or resilient as plastic which is heavier. No plastic isn’t as nice, it’s harder to carry and less responsive but you can do everything you’re not supposed to do to a kayak repeatedly and for years and get away with plastic. While it’s hard to fix if truly broken, it can be dragged, beached and launched from rocks stress free and it’s inexpensive enough that after decades of such abuse that it obviously can take can be replaced inexpensively so it’s a “fire and forget” no stress, worry free 100% reliable, literally zero maintenance type experience.

I live in the rocky Northeast and briefly tried out wood/composite with not so good results but I am not into resurfacing or varnishing or that sort of stuff and the beaches, if they exist, are just “dry rock gardens” for the most part.

Eventually the sit inside Kayaks are way better but it’s not bad to just spend a couple hundred bucks on something cheap to try out and then see every level above that how you get improvements so you know what each level feels like and can give you. Also the biggest hit is when you buy new, but if you buy used then you can usually turn around and re-sell it on craigslist for more or less what you paid as long as it didn’t take serious damage which is something worth considering. For such a low commitment or outlay it’s hard to go wrong just to see what you’re getting into.

Continue working with Russell, that’ll be your best course. He is familiar with paddling conditions in Maine, he came up regularly to coach at sea kayaking symposiums in the Downeast area.

@CA139 said:

Eventually the sit inside Kayaks are way better but it’s not bad to just spend a couple hundred bucks on something cheap to try out and then see every level above that how you get improvements so you know what each level feels like and can give you. .

Unsure if you read Barbara’s post that she’s been paddling a 16’5" sea kayak and is 109# and 5’4" tall.

I did, I have kids that are about 5" and 95lbs each who aren’t doing too bad in a 12 1/2 and 14 foot Tsunamis but Craigslist gives you the chance to try stuff out because if you’re used to a 16.5 foot Sea Kayak it will be much faster, generally more stable and track straighter. There’s a significant differenec between our Tsunami 125 and 140 and that’s just 18 inches of difference!

The difference of a smaller boat could be considerable and after a lifetime of being long and thin I always had problems fitting into every which thing I just gave up trying to find things that fit me. My wife criticizes me for plopping myself down, not using pillows, not making myself comfortable and assuming the most uncomfortable postures or positions to which my answer is I gave up years ago and am just dealing with it but that’s how I roll.

I am sure there is some importance to position but if it were that important the Kayak manufactures would allow much more adjustable seating like in a car.

Rookie and CA139, no need to refine the size and fit discussion here. The OPer has hooked with an outstanding resource in Russell down at Sweetwater. She will be steered correctly.

I’ll add an Impex Force 3 to the petite paddler mix. Problem will be keeping up with her. :wink:

See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
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