Can one person handle a two man kayak alone? any drawbacks or issues?
Yes but…
– Last Updated: Apr-24-12 3:24 PM EST –
Yes but it depends on the kayak design as well as conditions. Doubles are designed to perform best with two persons because the weight will be distributed as intended. You will have to deal with the excess volume and if it's windy out you may have your hands full. Adding ballast could fix any wind issues but it's best to experiment and se what works.
Gary
Depends
Depends on the person.
Depends on the kayak.
Depends on the water.
Depends on the wind.
Most, but not all tandem kayaks are really heavy. Hard to get to or from the water by yourself.
Tandem kayaks are designed to have two people in them. Paddled solo the trim will be off. Probably not a big deal on a calm day on a pond. Potentially dangerous in big water or wind. In in between conditions it could be a matter of annoyance to a skilled paddler, or could cause an unskilled paddler to be unable to control the boat.
Hard to know without trying.
Some open cockpit styles, like an Old Town Loon 160T that I have, have the ability to slide the front seat back to allow proper trim as a solo paddler. That certainly helps, and I’ve used that kayak to taxi friends to and from sheltered islands, and find it well mannered enough paddling back or forth solo. Depending upon wind speed, I just slide the seat and footpegs to eliminate weathercocking or leecocking.
Tandems with separated cockpits don’t give the option of adjusting trim, so you would have to experiment with it, but it certainly isn’t ideal. You may end up with either strong weathercocking sitting up front, or strong leecocking sitting in back. And it may prove impossible to handle in winds.
The thing with tandems is that they are designed, in general, to support double the weight. Weight is supported by the submerged portion of the hull. To support two people, that submerged portion has to sink deeper, be wider, be longer, or a combination of those. A lot of this design has to do with efficiency balanced against stability. In sea kayaks, efficiency is often substituted for other properties, which you can discover paddling different kayaks of approximately the same width and length. Some may feel a bit sluggish and more maneuverable, or efficient and less maneuverable, or maybe efficient and less stable, etc. Many of the compromises in sea kayaks are largely only useful in surf and steep, good-sized waves. And even then, often only marginally so, compared to what you may hear touted. So it pays to understand where you will paddle, and what designs benefit your paddling environment the majority of the time.
Back to tandems. With my Loon, the ability to support two is done largely with width (going for higher stability and not so worried about high efficiency). So paddling it alone, I have a little more width than I would need to paddle solo with the intended stability, and I’m sinking less than the intended weight range would, so a little more freeboard (kayak above the water) exposed to the wind, than would be necessary to get the intended characteristics in a solo version. This leaves me less efficient, and a bit more windblown than what would offer any benefit to me as a solo paddler.
Given the overall population of kayakers, I’m fairly strong and experienced, and I get along just fine in the Loon open cockpit tandem with the seat adjusted. It’s just not what I would use given a choice.
As an only kayak, I would sacrifice the ability to taxi dogs and friends, and the occasional very enjoyable tandem paddle with my girl (we were out Saturday), and I’d pick a solo kayak first.
But I sure would love to pick up a nice efficient tandem one day like the CD Unity. Almost did a couple years ago. Had begun shopping, but we found a house, and closing costs and appliances shut me down.
Have fun with whatever you decide.
If I wanted a tandem I could paddle solo
I would look at building Pygmy’s Osprey triple:
http://www.pygmyboats.com/boats/osprey-triple-kayak-kit.html
This is a triple cockpit boat that is not abominably heavy. Paddling the boat solo from the center cockpit eliminates the trim issues.
It is a lot more boat to paddle solo than anyone but a really large person requires and is broader than most folks would care to have it for efficient paddling but it is doable.
You would be more than welcome…
to try our 23 foot long 100 pound Necky expedition tandem.
I can get it to just about 6MPH for about a hundred yards before my lungs want to explode.
With that said, I have seen lots of small sit on top tandems that are a snap to paddle solo.
Jack L
2 man kayaks
I have a Necky Manitou II (length=14’8", beam=28", weight=75lbs)that has a sliding seat and it works quite nicely solo. I have used it on a couple of overnight trips on calm rivers (40 miles and 20 miles) and appreciate the ability to store my dry bags in the front compartment. As mentioned it does help to trim it a bit when paddling solo.
2 man kayaks
I have a Necky Manitou II (length=14’8", beam=28", weight=75lbs)that has a sliding seat and it works quite nicely solo. I have used it on a couple of overnight trips on calm rivers (40 miles and 20 miles) and appreciate the ability to store my dry bags in the front compartment. As mentioned it does help to trim it a bit when paddling solo.
Old Town Dirigo tandem plus xt
I have paddled a Dirigo 15.5ft tandem solo for over a year. It is obviously slower than a single kayak, and you need to use proper ballast or it will paddle like a mule. BUT, it does have great stability, nice for a LARGE paddler like myself giving me extra leg room and comfort,and you can bring the kitchen sink along with you. So if you’re happy with your boat keep it, but you will dream about buying that SOLO. I know I am.