Easky 15'

Is an easky 15’ a good starter kayak that I can learn in or can someone suggest something better? I will probably do 60% lake, 40% slow/medium speed rivers. I’m looking to spend around $1000 on a boat.

Easky 15
I’ve been paddling an Easky 15 for a few months now, and have found it to be a good fit for my needs. I’ve paddled sit on tops for several years and ended up needing something a bit faster, but fitting a tight budget and storage area. The Easky was easy to transition in to with it’s good initial stability and relatively large cockpit. It’s no high performance boat, but for rec/light touring I like it. Guess you can consider it and alternative to boats like the WS Tsunamis and Perception Carolinas etc. BTW, I got mine without the skeg and it handles just fine in the conditions I’ve put it through so far ( Carquinez Strait at the northern end of San Francisco Bay which can get pretty breezy).



The other alternative would be to find something on the used market and “grow into it”. For my purposes (I’ll admit it, I’m a rec. paddler) though, the Easky 15 does the job nicely. A couple things to keep regarding the current Easky, it’s a single layer rotomold boat unlike the previous P&H branded version and it no longer has the small day hatch behind the cockpit. Of course it’s now branded as a Venture Kayaks boat which is Pyranha/P&H’s budget line.



Hope this helps.

Ah
Thanks for the info on the difference between P&H and Venture. I didn’t know that.



I’d like to get something I won’t outgrow too soon. Would a Capella 16 be too much for a beginer? I don’t mind a challenge and if it take me a while to be confortable in the kayak I don’t mind. I’d rather that then wanting something new after a month. On the other hand I don’t feel any need to paddle around super fast.

try to find
a used tempest rm



seriously



Paul

2nd the Tempest RM
I’ve only spent a day in one, but I don’t think you can go wrong starting out with it. I’d take a few lessons and get a 22" wide boat, you’ll be OK with it soon if not immediately. (I started out with a P&H Sirius, 20.5" wide)

easky 15
is a nice boat, a good starter, IMHO. I paddled one one for several hours. P&H, or at least this particular easky, was very solid and well made. It was a good boat to learn how to edge in–I has hard, angled chine, so the boat just clicks into a good edge. However, that doesn’t leave much room for experimenting with your edging. Good boat though.

ok
Thanks for all the input.



I’ll watch for a used Tempest. While I wait, since it could be a while, I guess I’ll pick up whatever I can for a few hundred bucks to get some time on the water before it’s winter.



Then I’ll have a second boat for friends or maybe I can even talk my wife into paddling =)

I would
watch for a used Prijon Yukon. One was for sale on ebay for about $600 last time I looked. Now it’s gone.