@SeaDart said:
My advice would be to start simple and keep it simple. Carrying a lot of gear with you on the water is a pain, you have to shlep it to your car, then load up the kayak, and it’s hard to leave the kayak unattended with lots of gear.
Kayak weight - the weight of the kayaks you are looking at are listed at 77 and 70 lbs. Usually these kind of weight numbers are for very stripped down boats, Just the hull of an example that weighed in light. In the real world plastic fishing kayaks weigh a lot more than the advertised weight, especially after a day of paddling and dragging them up a bluff and putting them on your vehicle. For a comparison the kayak I use most often weighs just 32 lbs, and my SUP weighs 14 lbs, they get a lot of use because they are easy to load and go. 77 lbs plus gear is going to be a big drag everytimeyou have to load it up.
mmmmm, real food for thought. 77# Plus a dog and beach gear :#
@AmyD said:
As a fellow newbie, a removable beach chair sounds absolutely fabulous. But you probably shouldn’t listen to me! I totally see what you are envisioning though. Best of luck to you!
See you can see it too! Ahhh, relax on the beach after paddling a while… this is my kinda fun, before I saw the fishing kayak I imagined towing all my beach stuff behind me on an inner tube LOL <3 B)
Yes she is small for her breed 75-80 is more where we expected her, she’s a golden retriever & standard poodle mix known for love of water…and your picture is just what I have in mind, paddling with my buddy! Great photo!
A lot of the doodles I’ve seen have curley hair. Yours is more normal looking.
Remember that dogs don’t sweat. Sun affects them more than people (even white dogs). Dogs can heatstroke out when you think it is fine. Any whimpering, restlessness, hot skin, and dry hot nose may be a sign of heat stress. Wet the dog down get to shade. Swim the dog and keep it wet before it gets too hot. Of course in Florida, and South Georgia you have to select gator free water.
Thank you. My other dog (who won’t be paddling with me) is a Saint Bernard and we’ve had Chow Chows for many years before that… This may be my first dog who enjoys being outdoors when it is above freezing! While always being vigilant about the heat with my winter-loving furry family members, I’ll have to keep an new awareness to this one who loves being outdoors. As for Gators, yikes, I’ll be avoiding them as well, keeping to the Gulf!
My first kayak was a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120, neon green so other boaters would see me. I’m selling it ($750 w/ thigh braces thrown in) only because my husband says I have to if I’m going to get a racing boat). I really hate to let it go. It’s been an absolute BLAST! It’s incredibly stable, so no fears in big waves, & it can go pretty fast too! I placed 2nd in my class in the 2017 BluzCruz Race down 22 miles of the Mississippi River - so stable AND fast! And it will carry a TON of stuff - more than you’d ever really need. Two dry hatches & a cargo area - great for picnics, toys, tackle boxes, extra gear, whatever! Lots of great features. I think you’d enjoy the Tarpon or other fishing kayaks, especially if you’re looking for stability and family safety. Did I mention paddling one is a blast?
Blueberry, my desire to look at the Quest died in the review that said it was slower than a Tarpon of equal length.
I am on my 4th Tarpon, 3 160, one 140, and I just paddled a 120.
For that class of kayaks, I don’t think you can do better.
Sunparrot, Looks like a great kayak, but it’s the removable beach chair seat my heart is after…you’ll easily get $750 for it, thanks for thinking of me though! I can’t wait to get out paddling, weather is just starting to get nice up here in NY!
I would pass on the Pelican. That thing is 34 inches wide. I cannot imagine that being any fun to paddle. Also is your dog going to be happy sitting on a hatch cover in the bow?? Did you look at the Native Slayer 12 or 14. They are very good boats, have the fishing chair you want, an open bow, and the 14 at least paddles faster than most fishing barges. I would also check out the Perception Pescador Pro. It also has the fishing seat and the open bow. I don’t think the Hobie paddle kayaks work for you because the bigger ones have bow hatches. If you give up the seat, then you have a lot more options for you and the dog. Definitely an Ocean or Feelfree come to mind. The recreational sit on tops don’t eat up space with closed hatch compartments for fishing gear, leaving more room for the dog. A lot of people do use a front hatch or gator hatch for the dog. They just take off the hatch cover. If the boat has an open hatch and you capsize, that’s a problem in a 70 pound sit on top.
Out in the T160 today. My partner’s Jack Russell, who normally sits in her tankwell, hopped on my bow deck and loved it. She obviously loved being the lead dog.
I paddled an Ascend FS12T for fun - for exactly 3 trips before I sold it. I am positive that this kayak appeals to individuals who will use it as intended - primarily for fishing - but as a dual-purpose / play kayak, I’m not so convinced. When I paddled in groups, it reminded me of the time when all my friends got 10 speeds for the holidays, and I was still stuck with my ole single speed bmx bike. Just trying to keep up with the group was exhausting.
Pros: Super comfy seat. Heaps of room for your gear - your friends gear, and your friend’s cousins gear. Very stable. Drifting down stream is an absolute dream with a few course corrections. Super comfortable. It was like hanging out on a recliner bobbing down the stream…
Just bear in mind - despite the comfort level of the seat - it was clearly manufactured exactly like the mini beach chairs you’d find at your local dollar store. It wasn’t a revolutionary design, or anything truly earth shattering in terms of how sturdy it was manufactured. I could seriously see that seat selling in its country of origin as “small chair” for 8 dollars.
Early versions of the FS12T had problems where the seat pins would break off where they rode inside the rails. (that is, if you were looking to buy a pre-owned kayak). After 3 freshwater trips (fully neglecting rinsing / etc) - small bits of surface rust was starting to form within the hinge / joints of the seat. So - if you do wind up with a kayak with that type of seat, be sure and keep enough silicon / etc to keep the rust away.
Cons: Weight. At around 78 pounds, it is a beast to load / unload / move around on land. It also has a tendency to drift all wonky in the water making you correct your course a lot. I considered a rudder / skeg system - then thought - nah, that’s even more weight added on! Paddling back upstream against a 5mph current was it’s nail in the coffin. Also, did I mention weight? Hoisting it atop an SUV sized vehicle posed a few problems for me (at 6’ 200lbs) even with a little help. I had less problems sliding it up the side of my station wagon though, but it was still 78 lbs of material to maneuver around and tie down.
I’d personally rather paddle a 50 pound kayak and carry a 3 pound beach chair (for the beach) - than lug around an 80 pound kayak that came shipped with one…
"This may be my first dog who enjoys being outdoors " I’m pretty sure your so-called poodle was initially trained as a sight-hound…pure hunter, many years ago! Add that to a Golden and you have got yourself a wonderful hunter. And mainly a great companion. Let her swim and have a great time. The more she enjoys your day, the better you’ll enjoy her. Aren’t there some small reservoirs in that Hudson valley that have some small parks. Rent before buying.
Enjoy the day!
dennis
Dig these sight-Hounds
The weight of a fishing type SOT may argue for adding trailer to your life, or a Hulliuvator to shave 45 lbs off the lift. Or a truck to lay it in the flatbed. But it could be a lot of fun in FL as long as the alligators don’t find it too tempting.
On the Goldendoodle, people tend to forget that the standard poodle was originally developed as a hunting dog. Take look at old enough French prints and you will see standards pictured out with riders chasing prey. The traditional clip is functional for getting thru underbrush. It is a working dog, which can make it a lot more of a handful to keep occupied than the smaller versions. Add that to a Golden and you get a dog that may be smarter than the Golden and have different level of need for exercise. Or sometimes you get all Golden in the head with a coat that causes less allergic response.
Size is all over the place. One of the biggest dogs in the neighborhood for a while was a Goldendoodle who caught the full height of a large Standard along with the heavier build of the Golden, and a pure Standard coat. The two I saw at the farmer’s market last week came in the size of a lightly built Golden.
Wow this thread suddenly took off again!
So update! I bought the 12’ Fishing kayak from Tractor Supply. I dosen’t have the chair I wanted but lots of room for the dog.
Chloe is small for a golden doodle about 40-45 lbs, I took her on her first ride, she was scared, as she is with everything new, but she did great. Never made it to the roomy bow, sat between my legs, but had fun. So far I have only paddled the wallkill river a 1/2 dozen times, it’s a nice 5.25 mile run from county park launch to town park launch.
My kayak is big and heavy but paddling with a much more fit friend in a lightweight sit in, I had no problem keeping up. I did the Paddle Run in the spring, same area of river and my time was comparable with most of the paddlers so I wouldn’t say the barge slows me down. I could never get this on the roof of my car by myself, and I’m 6’ tall…but it does fit in back of suburban if I stick it out back window (The river is nearby).
All in all I am happy, got this one because it was 1/2 the price of the ascend I wanted and figured if I upgraded next year my hubby or kids could use this one. Good first kayak for $300.
