I try to limit the purchases and sales. I think the requirement of 2 bulkheads limits it quite a bit anyway.
I looked at the Perception conduit 13’again and don’t see the front bulkhead. Am I missing something? they only point out the rear bulkhead. At least on the picture the “C” is in the rear. it has front storage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean bulkhead.
I considered flotation bags for the front since that would open up so many more boats But think I rather pay more for the kayak instead of buying the flotation bag. And the bag also needs to be re-inflated and still will have less buouyancy. A bulkhead never gets forgotten, doesn’t need to be fixed, doesn’t need to be inflated. Obviously that would be a nice new kayak if it had 2 bulk heads.
I noticed many manufacturers have a recreational 12-14’ selection, which only shows the rear bulkhead. and a touring oriented kayak of same size with 2 bulkheads. I would think they would advertise it better if they have 2 bulkheads.
Sure, someone very flexible and knowledgeable can make money buying and selling kayaks (or anything else). But I have a full time job and if a good deal appears now 40 miles away, I can’t be there before some time later in the week or the weekend. And I’m not knowledgeable
Do people usually sell their boats in fall, or do people keep them over winter assuming in spring there is more demand? I guess someone desperate for money may sell in fall knowing they lose some money.
Here’s a good boat for $950 paddle included plus they’ll deliver it. No sales tax. Better than the Conduit, I’m guessing. Haven’t paddled the boat myself but CD kayaks is a definite good quality brand.
After paddling only canoes for ten years, unexpectedly, a composite CD Kestrel 140 sort of just happened.
First time paddling a kayak. First kayak, too. Not disappointed with it in any way. I’ll be happy with this kayak for some time to come.
It’s only natural for most of us to wonder about other boats, performance, etc etc - but this one fulfills all my current wishes for paddling a couple time a week.
I enjoy the Kestrel 140’s range of performance, handling, comfort, utility and design conveniences.
It has a front bulk head. I own one. It is a good option for what you seem to be looking for. Current designs makes a nice kayak and I am sure the Kestrel would be a great choice as well.
You can receive lots of advice here but you will never know what suits you and your needs until you get practical experience.
Good to know it has 2 bulkheads. I’m surprised they don’t make such features more obvious. I totally see myself buying that and keep for a few years. the ones Perceptions actually has in stock, are available from them directly under MSRP. So I assume in fall I can get one for a good price.
The Kestrel ad is already deleted. So it probably was a good deal
I’m pretty sure before July 4th weekend there will be nothing good used available that doesn’t sell right away. And my experience with FB and CL is that half the ads still showing are already sold and the seller just didn’t bother deleting it.
I looked at the classifieds of this site. but since I can’t sort by location, it didn’t seem helpful. Is there a typical classified for Kayaks local to me besides CL and FB? I just assume everyone posting on a kayak-specific platform also posts on FB and/or CL. So I’m not necessarily missing any offers.
I probably didn’t pay attention since it was a bit above what I considered for used. I’m sure it was a good deal, but may have been too much boat for a beginner.
This is not a set rule and is flexible. But my current considerations are:
new 12-14’ up to $1K
used of the above up to $500
One of those 10’ nutshells the rental places use for <$200 to save rental fee and sell after I find one of the above.
The higher the price, the more of my requirements it has to meet:
Kayaks don’t come with replaceable keels. Plastic ones just get scratched up (though it’s best to try to avoid that) and it doesn’t affect performance. People with injected molded or composite boats (fiberglass, kevlar, carbon, etc.) are more careful about protecting their hulls. My folding kayaks have sacrificial black rubber tape along the keel line to absorb any scratches and I can tape over them when they get badly gouged.
A week ago I had recommended a used CD Whistler to you that popped up in your area for $450 plus a Werner Skagit paddle for $100. Don’t know if you checked them out at the time but that and the Kestrel listing prove there are good deals to be had in your area so it would be worth checking listings religiously and, once you have the rack, responding as soon as one posts.
By the way, most sit in kayaks over 12’ tend to have dual bulkheads. Like the popular Pungo, which has only a stern bulkhead in the 12’ model but both in the 14 footer. As was already mentioned, the Perception Conduit 13 could be a good value and appropriate boat for you – new ones were only about $700. More common similar boats would be Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140 and Perception Carolina 14. SOme of the mid sized older Necky kayaks often turn up too, like the Looksha 14 and Manitou 13.
Any kayak that has two bulkheads will have two accessible storage compartments. However, use dry bags for anything that you don’t want to get wet to be on the safe side. Except for a day hatch, these compartments are not accessible when paddling unless you are paddling with other people who can access them for you.
Pretty much all kayaks 12’ or longer have bow and stern carry handles. I’ve never heard of one that wasn’t old and well worn that failed.
If you buy used in good shape you can pretty much always sell it for about what you paid for it, sometimes more. Outfitters often sell off some of their rental fleets in the fall and dealers often offer steep discounts to move out older models to make room for new ones. However, it’s often easier to sell a boat in the Spring, just like a motorcycle.
There’s no real advantage to buying a new first boat, as after a season or two, most new paddlers often have a better idea of what they want and either move up to a different boat or quit kayaking altogether. If you buy new, you probably won’t recover much more than 50-60% on resale.
I don’t get why you’d be willing to pay up to $1000 for a new boat but wouldn’t pay that same amount for a better-quality used boat. I mean, if your budget is $1000 you can either get a $1000 new boat or a $2 or even $3000 used boat. Do you have some kind of general idea that a boat which retails for $2000 is somehow going to be too advanced for you? It might be perfectly appropriate for a beginner, but be overall better quality, more comfortable, lighter weight, have better features etc. That doesn’t make it any less beginner-friendly.
But of course everyone is different and as always YMMV.
I guess i don’t know enough to appreciate a $1k used boat. I’m just making up numbers to demonstrate my logic:
A $1K used kayak is a $2K new price. But a $2K kayak may have features or qualities a beginner won’t appreciate. So my idea is as a beginner I’m more a $1K guy and that would have a used price of $500. Like if I can buy a new Toyota for the same price as a used Lexus. but if i consider buying a used Lexus, I’m also ready to buy a used Toyota (for even less)
I’m ready to be flexible on that, of course. Used ones sometimes include paddles, or other items.
That Perception conduit 13’ for $700 new would be my yardstick to compare values. As a noob I’m sure a used kayak that cost $900 has some advantages, I just may not see them.
From my biking hobby I know it takes some years to appreciate the higher end equipment.
I shouldn’t have said replaceable keel. It seems to be called skid plate . So it protects the keel. I know in an ideal world boats don’t get dragged, but since I’m alone, this may happen. Some kayaks have keel-wheels.
Good advice on the outfitters selling old kayaks. I will investigate that.
I check FB and CL a few times a day I just had to focus on getting my roof crossbars ordered and hopefully installed this weekend. Then I’m more ready to strike.
Only heavy sit on tops and fishing kayaks have a keel wheel, and those are rare. And touring kayaks don’t typically have skid plates either. As I said, scratches don’t affect performance and are part of the typical wear for plastic boats. For about $30 or $40 you can buy a collapsible two wheeled cart that straps to the kayak so you can solo tow it to the water. Then the cart can fold down or come apart and stash in the kayak hatches.
From what I’ve noticed, there are far more touring quality kayaks that show up in your metro area than mine, and at good prices. You’ve got some quality dealers in Wisconsin and a lot of lakes and prime paddling locations in the upper Midwest so that is not surprising. I’m sure you’ll eventually score something pretty good for a decent price. I
But don’t expect there will be many of the usual rental end-of-season deals though this year. The outfitters I know are either planning to hang onto their fleets or sell them to preferred customers who got shut out by the shortages this summer.
The OT rec kayak we bought has a removable plastic insert in the stern keel that is there to be a skid plate I’m told. It has 2 screws to get it off and I haven’t tried taking it off.
A few times when she was in a hurry I saw her dragging it along.
It looked like a good idea to me I doubt she will ever wear it out but if she did it wouldn’t take much to make a new one out of a bar of nylon or similar. Looks like I could buy a nylon cutting board and make 15 out of it.
As to this boat buying dilemma. IMO this type situation can quickly become a case of (Paralysis by Analysis). You will know what you want when you see it and when the time comes trust your gut and go for it. Worst thing that can happen is you sell it and break even or lose a few bucks.
Just relax, there is no “perfect” initial boat buy. Sometimes we stumble into something that turns out to be ideal – but I think most of us get something decent to start off and figure out a few years later that we want something a little or a lot different, once we’ve paddled for a while and have a better sense of what we want a boat to do.
So don’t obsess too much about this. A kayak is a toy that is supposed to be fun, not a life or death decision.
It’s not like with a perfectly serviceable car where the manufacturer has to come up with more gee-whiz gizmos and cosmetic design features every year to convince people that they need to upgrade to the newest model. Once a design proves successful, most kayaks change very little from year to year other than some minor tweaks, if at all.
Once a new kayak hits the water it loses 40-50% of it’s value, and with a bit of seat time might prove to not be the one that you really want. A boat bought used can generally resell for about what you paid for it. However, if you are totally convinced that a particular boat is your lifetime boat, then by all means, buy new if that is what it takes to acquire it.
