Just a quick question I am buying myself a new Pyranha Fusion Connect 30 however the plan is to get my son out with me too, but he is 14 coming on 15 and at that age where it will soon not be cool to be with dad.
So looking for a kayak for little outlay as possible I seem to have 2 options a Dagger Fiesta 100% Recycled £269 or a Perception Madness for £100 or so but it will be for lochs / Sea bays / light river.
Would any of these 2 be up to the job and get him out there?
river or rec
– Last Updated: Jan-16-14 12:29 PM EST –
The Madness looks like a whitewater kayak that would drive him nuts to paddle in lakes or sounds. The Fiesta looks more like a fairly standard recreational kayak. I paddle something similar. It is a compromise boat; it isn't really perfect for anything but works for almost everything. It tracks okay (the whitewater boat will not) but is not too difficult to turn in current, can keep up with most boats (some effort required to keep up with touring yaks) and will handle light whitewater.
So, what isn't perfect about rec yaks? A whitewater boat is more responsive, easier to surf/play in whitewater, easier to learn to roll and will catch smaller eddies easily. A rec yak is a good down river boat (just paddling through the rapids without playing in the waves) up to class III water only. A touring yak can easily outpace a rec yak on a long paddle given the same paddling effort and is also likely to be easier to learn to roll (rec yaks are very stable; they don't go over easy but if they do they are hard to roll back up). A SOT boat would be better for hauling lots of gear and fishing (though I haul lots of gear and fish out of my rec yak).
Type of paddling?
OptiMystic has good questions about what direction to go. the Fusion is a crossover kayak, so kind of white water kind of flat water (but not great at either). How do you plan to use it? And what sort of paddling with your kid (if different)? What you would want to get varies greatly based on the type of paddling you plan to do.
What kind of paddling excites him?
I would suggest exposing him to surf kayaking and white water paddling. He can get started with a very inexpensive boat like you have found. Excellent venues for surfkayaking year round in the UK and lots of programs for young people.
Don’t be so sure that he won’t want to paddle with Dad.
My oldest son and I got into surf kayaking when he was 14, I spent a lot of time with him and also his friends in his teen years doing this; he’s 28 and we still look forward to going out when he is home visiting.
I would try taking a surf lesson together and if he likes moving water you have seen that you can buy used white water boats fairly inexpensively.
I’m not sure where you are located in the UK. Simon Hammond used to run a center in Bude that gave lessons, he would know of other teachers. If you contact Mega Surf Kayaks they are often organizing events to get people into the sport.
The guys who run this site are first class and a good contact:
http://www.surfkayakskills.com/
Cheap = used
Look for something used similar to your boat.
never to old
I still go out with my dad canoeing and I am 28. I actually take him now when we can. every fathers day my dad and I and one of my friends and his dad go out on a trip. wouldn’t miss it for the world!
I still go out with my friends as well without him on the long camping trips but I enjoy the trips with dad just as much.
You might want to spend a little more and get him something that he will enjoy a lot and it can become an important part of his life. sometimes with you and sometimes with his friends.
then on the other hand if he ends up not going anymore you could have 2 good yaks or when you resale it you can make more of your money back.
Not so
The Pyranha Fusion is actually a very capable river-running whitewater kayak. I know a guy who paddles the upper Youghiogheny River in one, and I have seen pictures of Wayne Dickert paddling his on Section IV of the Chattooga River.
What the Fusion might not be so great at is whitewater play boating.
UK paddling
As you appear to be in the UK you may want to try asking on the forum at http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum
Also I believe it is common in the UK to join canoe clubs which have equipment available.