The water doesn’t care
And in some ways it doesn’t matter what you paddle. Just get on the water. The rest will fall into place.
Bell
makes very nice boats and I own one but it looks like the dragonfly is made for a midget per the footbrace. Their spelling on the site is also defective. Intricate not intracate. Mentioned that to them but no response. Minor gripe maybe.
Roof racks are a good investment that will facilitate loading of any boat.
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I’ve been in canoes all my life…and I’ve never had to get my feet wet. I dont know what everyone else is doing out there, but if you want to keep your feet dry…it’s very easily done. Saying you have to get your feet wet while using a canoe is like saying you have to get food all over you when you’re eating. It’s complete nonsense. I suspect the people claiming you’ll have wet feet regardless are yakers who haven’t graduated from the dark side and found God’s gift to water-going man…the Canoe! A yak…yeah you’re feet are going to be wet…so will your arms from the drips…must feel wonderful in early April when you’re fishing for trout and you’re soaking wet.
To the original poster, I would strongly suggest a canoe for so many reasons it would take an hour to jot them down. I would say go try both and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Once you feel the ease of a canoe, the practicality, the beauty and function…it’ll be an easy choice. Have fun out there!
Depends on your launch points
– Last Updated: Feb-19-11 9:41 AM EST –
Where we paddle, canoe or kayak, it's just not always possible to keep feet dry short of a investment in decent waterproof tall boots. Those boots get hot on a summer day. Rocks tend to be awkwardly located unless you want to take hug gouges out of the hull, including in my solo canoe.
I also don't understand why wet feet are a problem in a paddle boat, as long as it isn't cold enough that they get chilled. I haven't seen it make anyone melt, at least yet.
Think about windage
– Last Updated: Feb-19-11 3:41 PM EST –
It appears you are a new paddler. One issue to keep in mind with a canoe is that it has more windage, so is tougher to make go where you want if you get caught out in even moderate winds with. If you take the time to learn good single blade skills it's not a problem, but the learning curve for most people is considerably steeper for a single than a double blade.
And yeah, double blades are not just about speed.
I happen to think that a canoe suits the personality of your paddling well. But I strongly suggest that you try both a single blade and a pack (double blade) canoe, preferably on a somewhat windy day, to see if you'd rather deal with wet feet or a higher risk of having to work hard to get where you want to go. Wet feet can be mitigated with better boots, but there's no quick and dirty fix to handling wind in a canoe.
That’s what drytops are for
heard of them? Apparently not.
advantages of decked boats
– Last Updated: Feb-19-11 11:51 AM EST –
I think there are some irrefutable advantages to decked boats (sit in kayaks and fully decked canoes, or C-1s).
As Celia said, these boats present much less surface to the wind. As such, they are affected to a lesser degree by adverse winds.
They are easier to keep warm in (as long as one stays in the boat) in cold conditions. The one exception might be the hands, which seem to get more cold water exposure in a kayak than a canoe.
They are not susceptible to swamping in surf or large wave trains. It is possible to add flotation to open boats, and even roll them, but even the most thoroughly bagged-out open boat weighs hundreds of pounds more after being swamped or rolled up.
The biggest advantage is the potential for a very rapid self-rescue (by rolling) allowing one to come up quickly and "good as new".
Additional advantages that kayaks have over decked canoes is a strong paddle brace on both sides of the boat, and (for most people) a higher stroke cadence.
I think the advantages of decked boats make them the clear choice in the open ocean or when it is likely that big waves will be encountered. Open boats can be paddled under these conditions, but they are at a disadvantage.
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I have heard of them…they’re for people who cant keep their feet dry. I’ve found it very easy to stay dry without them, usually yakers need them for some reason.
I also go out to eat and dont need to wear a huge plastic bib with a picture of a lobster on it. I can eat without getting drenched in food much like I paddle a canoe without getting my feet drenched in water.
I probably should remember that whats easy for me may not be easy for everyone.
Wet feet again
– Last Updated: Feb-19-11 10:13 AM EST –
If you've been in canoes all your life and have never gotten wet feet, I can only surmise that you haven't paddled in very many different places. Sure, I find that lots of times I can keep my feet dry, but there are lots of times I can't (except by wearing boots of course). I think it was you who said one should always try to ram their boat up onto the beach when getting out, and to do the opposite when getting in. That attitude reminds me of what Bill Mason said about people who get through rocky rapids and hit lots of rocks on the way through, but since they consistently make it through without tipping over they think they are good paddlers, compared to people who get through those same rapids without hitting any rocks and without ever being at the mercy of the current. Anyway, ramming the beach won't work on many kinds of shorelines even if you have a rugged canoe that you don't mind needing to repair someday (rocks will eventually wear through any hull) and never use lightweight paddles. Some shorelines are too gently sloping, some have lots of logs or rocks or trees in the way, some are marshy, and many simply can't be approached with any speed due to the complex maneuvers you must do in the current just to get there. Even if you do have a rugged canoe and a heavy-duty or cheap paddle, there's nothing wrong with using some finness (ever see a video of Bill Mason ramming the beach? What do you think of people who can't park their car without hitting things?). Crossing beaver dams often means you must get wet feet. Crossing stream blockages through a tangle of downed trees often means you must get wet feet, especially in cases where part of the trip must be through shallow water along the inside bend or among the tightly spaced top branches of a tree where no amount of paddling or branch-grabbing works. Few small rocky rivers can be paddled at all times of the year without the need to get out and walk the boat occasionally, and on any river with shallow spots, the need to get out and walk will be many times greater on upstream trips than on downstream trips. Whitewater rivers often have a spot or two where the only way to get the boat through is by lining, and as often as not you'll need to get your feet wet when doing so. In very swift water, bringing the boat to shore can only be done by ferrying, and in a lot of cases you'll need to quickly step out as you hit the shallows or your boat will be "blown" out of position before you can get all the way to the water's edge, IF there's an edge that the boat can reach before dragging bottom. You won't be able to ram the shore with any speed while paddling your tail off against the current while maintaining a very shallow ferry angle and there's a lot more cross section of the boat ready to snag the shallows before you get there. One of my favorite local rivers is as much as 1,200 feet wide, but there are lots of shallow spots that require wading which sometimes even a good paddler will find himself on, and I hit those places a lot when paddling at night when reading the river isn't possible. I could go on and on "for an hour" coming up with examples where you will get your feet wet when canoeing. What have YOU been doing all your life that you manage to keep your feet dry? It seems that you are very proud of the fact that you have never done anything "interesting" while canoeing.
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Yuck…where to start with guideboatboy’s questions? I’m flattered that you’re one of my super fans and follow me around on here, remembering each of my posts/ Maybe though, just find someone else to follow and bother? I’ve …ugh, never mind, you’re not worth the effort of my typing. If you’re proud that you can get your feet wet, thats awesome, we’re all happy for you. Brag it up…good job with the wet feet. Are ya gonna tell us all when you make a boom boom on the potty next? geesh.
Just stating the obvious…,
– Last Updated: Feb-19-11 12:05 PM EST –
... or at least what's obvious to most people. You make such a fuss each time someone says that paddlers should expect the need to step in the water sometimes that I figured you yourself must never encountered the need for some reason, and for some other reason were unable to imagine any water conditions that were different from what you've seen so far. And no, that doesn't make me a fan of yours, it just means that if someone writes in a particularly reactionary and condescending manner about such an insignificant topic every single time it comes up, I'm apt to remember it in spite of the fact that my memory is getting more fuzzy as I get older. Anyway, I gave some examples that I thought might make sense to you if you were to picture them in your mind, but even if it didn't make any sense to you, it allows any newbies reading this thread to see what's B.S. and what's not.
GBG
You’re falling for the troll again! Not worth the time.
Gnatcatcher
Few more points
Recreational paddlers tend to go out on perfect days - when there is little to no wind, temps are warm and the the water flat. Rolling, managing high winds, crossing large body of waters - stuff like that isn’t on a rec paddlers menu. Assuming rec paddler stays in the comfort/skill zone, rec paddling is about relaxing, being in nature, photography etc.
On weight of boat. I got hung up on weights before we bought our first boat too. Just understand that lighter weights usually cost more money because they use higher-end materials. The best way is to test what you can lift and you might be surprised. Maybe go sit near a local launch at a lake and strike up a conversation with other paddlers. Or go to a paddling shop and test lift some boats. They have many creative gadgets to manage getting a boat onto a rack today.
Inflatables. We paddled an Advanced Elements AF convertible all last year. The bow/stern ribs do make it track pretty well for an inflatable. It’s extremely comfty too. Our only issue was the rivers can have lots of underwater obstacles like logs and sticks that got us a concerned being in an inflatable. We took the plunge and switched over to a hard shell rec boat for this coming year, roof rack and all 
You wear drytops on your feet?
You were talking about wet arms. Though I suppose you could find a way to wrap a drytop around your feet if you really wanted. It’d be damn silly though.
You really, really don’t know squat about kayaks, and are hugely biased about any other craft than canoes. And you do a disservice to the OPer in some respects here.
This is a post that should take comments from people who have a sense of both types of craft. You don’t.
Me too but…
The troll doesn’t make any trouble replying to a thread where folks know paddling decently. Unfortunately he has jumped in on one where the OPer honestly lacks experience.
That said, his latest round of replies would make it clear to anyone that he(? probably) is here to make a point of value only to himself. So - 'nuff said now.
Plus you have to inflate them
The fantasy of having a pile of vinyl in the trunk and then actually paddling it diminishes very quickly when you find out the chore involved in inflating and deflating it. The spontaneity of going for a quick paddle for an hour is totally gone. It won’t take you long before you start looking for another boat.
Canoes are more stabile than kayaks?
I guess that depends on which canoes you’re comparing with which kayaks.
I have solo canoes and kayaks that are reassuringly stabile and some that are a source for adrenaline surges.
You may not have broad enough experience to make such a general statement as canoes are more stabile than kayaks.
My impression is that stability is one of the two main reasons paddle recreational kayaks, rather than solo canoes. The other reason being the nearly 0 learning curve required to paddle a kayak straight compared to a solo canoe.
My boats are floating when I enter them.
Depending on the launch site, that may require stepping into the water to enter the boat without dragging the boat on the shore or the bottom of the body of water - regardless or whether it’s a canoe or kayak.
Try entering my Blackhawk Zephyr the same way as you enter your Old Town Pack and more than your feet is likely to get wet.
I do appreciate your love of and devotion to your canoe.
Lets compare them to the automotiveworld
A canoe is like a big SUV, like a Range Rover. It is taller, more comfortable, and has a higher load capacity. And a flatwater/sea kayak is like a sports coupe- like a Lotus Elise. It is more compact, and fits around you like a shoe. You are pretty much sitting at water level, and speed is an advantage. Canoes are usually wider, like 30". Kayaks are usually under 30" in width, which makes them fit the person more, especially ones bellow 24" wide.
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– Last Updated: Feb-20-11 10:40 PM EST –
I think I've decided on starting out with an inflatable canoe (advanced elements- straightedge). It's really a sit on top kayak, but the top is open and it should allow kneeling. All the other inflatable canoes I saw appeared to not be as good at tracking. I'd be interested if there are any others to consider?
Hmm, cost wise I may be more limited - looking at the Sevylor Tahiti FH (basically a green version of the Tahiti Classic).
I figure if people can take these inflatables down white water, it will be more than okay for what I enjoy.
An inflatable will eliminate the issues of storage and car transport, while I get a feel for paddling. The only downsides are requiring 10 minutes to set it up (and down), and handling the drying. I figure I'd let it air dry, give it a towel dry, and carry/store it loosely folded in a bin.