Hi everyone,
Of course this is my first post since was about to go out and look at some kayaks so I figured I would try to find a forum first and get some information before taking the plunge, no pun intended, lol.
I have no boating experience and cannot afford a powered boat but would love to take advantage of my area since I'm a block away from Lake St. Clair, Ontario and in all honesty I think it would be good excercise plus the benefit of not contributing to putting toxins into the lake.
I have been looking at some of the kayaks at Canadian Tire for sometime now and I'm not exactly sure what to look for.
I was actually looking at this model since I believe is on for $299 and thought it might be a good beginner boat with no experience what so ever.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443250433&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672334&bmUID=1183214169949
or maybe this
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443297042&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672334&bmUID=1183214169997
My only problem as well is getting it around, I have no rack system and did see some kayaks that fold in half but didn't know how good they would be. I have one big question, how do you get back it if you fall out?
Thanks, any suggestions would be welcomed.
A place to start
would be the “Product Review” section of this site. Look to the left and about halfway down for the link. Also, the “Guidelines” page has a lot of good info for the beginner. I am new to this as well and those links were a big help to get me going. Good luck.
To the left… to the left…
Sorry, the kids are watching MTV.
Look on the left side of the screen and check out the links to “GuideLines” and “Buyers’ Guide”.
You will find good beginners info. there.
As far as falling out of your boat, I’m designing a jet powered helmet that will get you to shore, but I think I may be able to tweek it so that it picks you up out of the water and deposits you back into your boat. Still in the R&D stage, so you’d better learn some other methods 'til I get this to market.
Thanks
Thank you, I laughed my butt off with the jet helmet. I will explore the topics. I just came back looking at the Sevylor K1 but couldn't see it inflated. I did however stop by the local boat store and they sell a folding kayak called the Bic Yakka 120 and I would love to get that but its over twice the cost of the other, $299 vs $748(includes the paddle and seat), but no comparison.
I will keep researching. Obviously I'm limited to a packable or more portable option.
Sevylor k-1 and Prodogy 10.0
The Sevylor K-1 kayak is a good quality boat. It is also very good for beginners, and very stable.
http://www.sevylor.com/canoes3.html
I also recomend that you try out a Prodogy 10.0, a great beginners boat made by confluence watersports. My kayak was made by confluence and I have had only good experiences with it. The plastic is very strong and long-lived.
http://www.canoeimports.com/images/prodigy%2010.jpg
Dont consider a pelican kayak, they are poor in quality and you can get a much better boat for the same price.
whatever kayak you get…
…make sure it doesn’t have a grey thing in the bow!
awkard how
that never gets old.
Sorry about your accident . . .
Sorry about the accident with your butt while you were laughing. Now that you don’t have one, there is less of you to get back in the boat. That should help also 
HA HA HA!!!
ROTFL!!! LOL!!
Bic Yakka
http://search.ebay.com/bic-kayak_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQfromZR40
Scroll down for Bic Yakka 120 less than $600 new. Bic Yakka 80 if you;re less than 175 lbs.
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1876
Sevylor
Here's that Sevylor K1 some one already mentioned. 299 at Campmor. Have fun whateve you wind up with!
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39303148&memberId=12500226
info
Wow lots of replies since yesterday. You will have to forgive me I change me mind so much. My biggest dilmena is getting the boat to the lake and my car does have an available rack system that I could buy and then buy an actual plastic boat. With the cost of the Yakka 120 in Canada for $789 isn't a bad deal but I came across the Hobie Maui that I really like too now. That Prodidy is nice, thanks Pamlico_14. I actually found the Prodigy 10 EXP on sale for $412.50, regular $550. So thats a smoking deal, US price.
I think this week I'm going to try and locate a local club and maybe try to speak to some of them as well because I've never been in a kayak and I know if I like it, it will have to be a SOT. I have this weird fear that if I tip out I will be submerged under the water, I know its silly. Oh yeah the K1 is only $299 CDN @ CanadianTire.
Not much of selection around here to look at anything so I'm stuck with looking at them online.
I have lots of time, in no hurry. Thank you everyone.
Local Club
I agree with your idea of finding a local club. That might allow you to sit in a few boats and discuss their pros and cons. I myself would never consider an inflatable boat for lake use due to the wind.
Maybe…
http://www.ovkc.org/
I bought a Prodigy 10 EXP
a month or so back. I loved the boat except I found the seat quite uncomfy after an hour or two. I returned the boat and ended up with an Old Town Loon 120. It is longer (12’ vs 10’) and heavier (52# vs 45#) but I feel a better fit for me. Just put it on the James River yesterday and it performed quite well. I would have kept the Prodigy in a heartbeat if it had a better seat.
Check the K1
Well I went back to Canadian Tire again today. Looked at the Pelican and man is the shell ever flimsy. The Dimension Escapade was better but they are still really weak the plastic, not sure if thats normal. I almost bought the Sevylor K1 but I told the guy if I take it home, assemble it and don't like it ,can I return it and although he said yes if I can get back into the bag as unused, so I opted out.
I have a funny feeling that inflatable boats will just flex all over the place and Lake St. Clair gets some big wave action so I think it may not be a good solution. I'm seriously going to check out a rack system for my car and then take a look at full plastic boats. I don't have a lot of money but I'd rather save up and get a better boat from the get go then waste my money and have it sit in the garage. I think you could swap out the seat too in the EXP but there really are alot of choices on the one piece models around 10 feet. I did mention a SOT but it looks like the others you would fall out if it tipped so thats ok too, I just don't want a waist hugging model.
I'd really like to talk with an owner of that foldable Yakka 120 and get their honest opinion in the difference between it and say one in the same length but one piece.
The saga continues. I did find this site and they might be a good place to try something out too.
http://www.kayakcorral.com/
**Update
Well I'm going to visit the KayakCorral on the weekend and going to go sit in some kayaks but I am set on the Prodigy 10 EXP. It is approx. $165 more than the regular 10 but I will see if its worth the extra. I will want to carry some camera equipment eventually bit not until I have some experience under my belt.
I have decided on getting a Thule rack system for my Protege 5 so it should make a good hauler of a 10' plastic boat. Will post back when I have actually made a purchase.
And a big thanks to Pamlico_14 for showing me this boat, it looks to have a huge seating area so I don't think I will be too afraid of tipping over and not falling out. I think it will be a good starter.
What about the Blackwater 12?
You can’t go wrong
with a nice and inexpensive rec boat to start. The stability is such that you may never swim from that boat. I started out with an OT otter and ran some crazy creeks (flat farmland type crazy, nothing serious) without incident. It performs well in flat water but tracks like a short boat obviously. When I moved up to a ww boat, and I assume a proper sea kayak is the same way, thats when balance really became an issue to contend with.
car rack
I used to have the same car and i have a perception mountor (sp?) and just tied it to the roof rack, it’s the cheapest way to transport it and works just fine. ofcourse if you don’t have a factory one it’s a different story. the blackwater would probably be a better boat, it will take you longer to outgrow it and you will be able to do more with it.
don’t know where Lake St Clair is
but here are some used boats available around Toronto
http://toronto.craigslist.org/search/boa?query=kayak&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max
Thanks
I really can't go wrong buying brand new for $435 CDN for the Prodigy 10 EXP. I am considering the 12 footers too. Lake St Clair spans from the Canadian side in Windsor, ON to Detroit, MI. Its a beautiful lake but its huge and gets nasty but its very shallow, you can wade waist deep for an 1/8 mile out easy.
Yeah no factory rack, will have to find one or Yakima or Thule.