if you’re in south florida
i have a rob roy that you’re welcome to paddle.
the current seat is an ed’s contoured cane seat that’s mounted under the ash rails. it’s high up, relatively, but my wife loves it set up that way.
chad19
Oh James…
>> Sit on top kayaks leave you very exposed.
Ah, but what about the sit-on-top kayak you say. In a
sit-on-top kayak, you’re not confined or restricted
by the deck or spray skirt. The thing about
sit-on-tops is they are fair weather water craft.
They sit low in the water and most have drain holes
in the seat and foot area that fill with water over
every ripple. They’re not really suitable for a crisp
fall day on the river which, in my opinion, is the
best time to paddle.
SOTs are not ideal in very cold water or if your primary goal is to stay dry. I agree with that much.
I don't agree with SOTs being fair weather craft. A SOT is the ultimate in simplicity with the weather turns on you. In heavy rain, that canoe is filling up minute by minute. The rec kayak with no skirt is as well, just a little slower. You need a skirt to keep water out which means you need to practice rolling or wet exits. With a SOT you just keep paddling. Fall off and hop back on.
Add a wetsuit or a drysuit and you can paddle year round in many areas. In the South, I can pick my days and paddle most any month of the year.
SOTs are not the ultimate kayak for many people because they are wet, but once you get beyond that they have several significant advantages:
* Water comes in, water goes out
On whitewater, in rain, or just paddle drips, you don't have to bail your boat or stop to drain your boat, or carry a pump, or wear a skirt.
* They don't swamp easily
If your hatches are decent, you can flip them over and back and take on very little water. Flip a canoe and see what it takes to empty it out. And while many kayaks have two bulkheads, a SOT has no cockpit to flood.
* Easy self rescue
With minimal practice and effort, getting back on most SOTs is the easiest self rescue there is. Flip the boat upright and pull yourself up.I can self rescue and be paddling again before some kayakers can get their paddle float ready.
* Easy to assist others
Many places use SOTs because for rescue because they are often stable and easy to mount/dismount. They can also be helpful when draining a boat on the water. I can pull a WW boat up in my lap, drain the water over my knees and drop it back in and then assist the paddler getting up and in his boat without any fuss.
And some SOTs are very dry rides, even with over 200# in them, there are boats that I can paddle and not get wet.
jim
I love them both
But I prefer the kayak to the canoe when I am way off shore in the ocean.
Today I’ll be paddling the canoe on a lake.
Tomorrow I’ll be paddling the kayak in the ocean
If the water is rough and there are large breaking whitecaps, I much prefer the safety of my kayak with a skirt.
I wouldn’t give up either though since they both give me equal pleasure.
Cheers,
JackL