I’m purchasing my first kayak this weekend. A friend is selling me a Hobie Mirage Adventure. It has a bimini top, the wheel kit for transporting, and has only been used once. I know I could have gotten a new kayak of another brand cheaper, but from what I have read, this one seems to be a good one. Any thoughts.
This is my first post by the way so HI to everyone
new kayak
Nope, I think you will have fun with that choice. I am in the market for a first too. I am looking very hard at the Sea Eagle Explorer 380. I am a Scout leader and Have 2 boys ages 5 and 9 that I want to introduce to the world of paddling. We live about 15 minutes from the Russell fork of the Big sandy river (those of you white water lovers should have heard of it) I am wanting to spend much more time on the water as I love to fish and I love river traveling. I am just waiting for the price of gold to go back over 900 bucks. as of right now it is 835.00. GO GOLD!!
First Kayak
– Last Updated: Aug-21-08 4:49 PM EST –
I listened to the advice of the local club when I bought my first and am glad I did. They said to never buy a new or expensive boat for your first one so I didn't. That's because you don't know what you're really going to like until you get into the sport. I had to get to my fourth whitewater kayak before I found the boat that was "me". The first was on old beater I got for $350, the second was a playboat that was too boxy and hard to roll, the third was a playboat that rolled easy but was too uncomfortable for downriver use. The boat I have now is a nice, fat, roomy creek boat, a Prijon Embudo, and I love it. :)
first kayak
thanks,
I have rented or borrowed kayaks in the past. Hopefully I enjoy it, if not I think $1250 for a once used Hobie Mirage adventure with trailer and extras is still a good deal. I think I can get my money back if I decide to sale it. I will be using it for fishing, and just exploring.
Kayak with a Bimini?
Does anybody remember when sea kayaks were designed to go to sea?
This site is getting so bad. The topics here reflect the current state of sea kayaking in the U.S. It’s rarely about paddling seaworthy sea kayaks. Its become mostly about floating beach chairs.
Sit-On-Top
First off, I’m not a sea kayaker but I just looked at that boat for the first time and it’s a sit-on-top kayak. I just have a personal disdain for sit-on-top boats because they’re usually slow and hard to handle. Personally, I’d get a starter sit-in boat and a spray deck and learn how to roll if you’re health allows. I think you’ll have a lot more fun in the long run that way.
we need not all be alike to share here
Different people with different needs, skills, or abilities make up the world. Everyone has their own reason for being out on the waters in their kayak or canoe.
This is a place where novice and newcomers meet others like themselves and also get exposed to folks who have higher standards shall we say.
Knowledge is a powerful first step. This site is one good place to gain knowledge.
Some folks have to or desire to live within the means they have. Others have to begin somewhere and see what comes next. Some of us may know more intellectually about various types of kayaks and kayakers but are physically and/or fiscally challenged.
Now if you want to go somewhere whey do launch lawn chairs may I suggest Yankee Springs State Park in Barry County Michigan on a hot summer holiday. That was a 4th of July I will not forget.
first boat
Hi, sure goood boat and I agree with people who say to go low expense on your first boat…go wide, err on the wide side and go out and just paddle alot.
Get a good car top carrier…and again control your cost…I have a cool one that mounts the boat on its side and it is surprisingly easy to put up on my old Astro Van and is very stable.
I have an older model Loon 138 kayak and for stability and ease, comfort and cargo capacity…it is wonderful. I suppose I could be faster on the water but what is the point?
first boat
Hi, sure goood boat and I agree with people who say to go low expense on your first boat…go wide, err on the wide side and go out and just paddle alot.
Get a good car top carrier…and again control your cost…I have a cool one that mounts the boat on its side and it is surprisingly easy to put up on my old Astro Van and is very stable.
I have an older model Loon 138 kayak and for stability and ease, comfort and cargo capacity…it is wonderful. I suppose I could be faster on the water but what is the point?
SOTs are great
I have two, a Manta Ray 14 and a Perception Torrent. Both big, wide, stable boats that aren’t likely to be in any Olympic trials, but they are still fun boats.
There are folks here who’s rather paddle a bamboo raft that a SOT, but no need to mind them too much. They are more or less like the guys that thought digital cameras would never be more popular than film.
Welcome to the site and we hope you enjoy the heck out of the new boat. Even if you do upgrade to a different boat, the SOT is a great loaner boat for bringing friends along.
Enjoy!
jim
Well go to a different site where the
Content is more appealing for you.
You’re just whinging !
Getting my first Kayak
thanks Jim.
I understand everyone has opinons and that is fine, and I respect someones opinion even if it differs from mine. I live in Florida where it is usually HOT, rivers are slow, and for me a sit on top was the boat for me, but I didn’t want a wide slow one. If I don’t like it I will sell it and try another one. The boat lists for around $1800 and I got about $700 in extras and a trailer that I have no idea what it costs. I paid $1250 and I’m sure I can sell it for at least that. But again, I enjoy the opinions, and I definitely didn’t want everyone to agree with me on my purchase. Keep them coming, and I’m looking forward to this forum and my future in kayaking, no matter what type I’m sitting on or in:)
Little Kayaks on their J-racks
No doubt about it. I am whining. You should have seen the stuff I wrote and then deleted :-0
I HAVE moved onto other sites and Yahoo groups that are aimed more toward the sport of paddling and less about the comfort and color of one’s floating beach chair. However, I miss knowing I could always come to Paddling.net and engage in a lively discussion about the finer aspect paddling and kayak design.
Oh well. The paddling world has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. There are certainly more “butts in boats” today. But I am not convinced this is a good thing for the serious paddling disciplines. Hopefully, some of these people discover what sea kayaking is really about and decide to move into more serious equipment. But I am afraid it is too big of a leap for many of these so called “recreational” paddlers to get into a real sea kayak and all that it entails not only skill wise, but also price wise. It would be like going from a tricycle to a road bicycle.
I think the worse advice I have heard on P.net is to buy a short, cheap, plastic kayak as your first boat because you do not know what type of paddling you really want to do. These types of floating chairs are not a proper lead into the other more serious paddling disciplines. The only reason to buy a short, cheap, plastic kayak is if you want a short cheap plastic kayak and have no aspirations beyond the limitations of short, cheap, plastic kayaks.
If you aspire to someday paddle open water like a real sea kayak is designed to do, then your first kayak should be real sea kayak. If you desire to paddle white water, then buy a whitewater kayak. If your objective is to float around within a 2 mile radius in flat water then go buy a short, cheap, plastic kayak.
So I whine because it seems Paddling.net is becoming the home the latter type of paddler. There is less advice and information sharing on this site that will encourage all these “butts in boats” to greater things. It’s sad because short cheap plastic kayaks have become the status quo. And now the majority of people giving advice here are paddling short cheap plastic kayaks. It’s a self sustaining shift to the least inspiring equipment paddling has to offer. The perception of what real sea kayaking is has shifted downward with it.
Little kayaks on their J-racks
Little kayaks made of ticky-tacky
Little kayaks, little kayaks
Little kayaks, all the same
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And their all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.
Why…
Why have do so many posters feel like they have to belittle the recreational “let’s have fun” paddler? And hijack threads? (Sorry I’m adding to the hijack myself).
Just disregard the snobs on this forum who know everything & their elitist views and listen to the ones who really try to help and mentor. You’ll know who they are. The rest just whine and complain about how we’re clogging up the waterways in our ticky-tacky boats. Get over it and go paddle.
Paddling is for everyone to enjoy. It’s the same in cycling. I’d much rather see a nice family out on a leisurely ride than a pack of doped-up peloton wannabees taking up half of the road…but I digress.
Would you like…
some bread to go with that whine? I know a good recipe!!
Offensive
I was sure upset when I found out that anyone and their sister could get a pilots license. I thought I was a member of an exclusive club of talented people.
Then I found there were lots of people showing up at local crags with rock climbing gear that was CLEAN AND UNUSED! I thought that being a rock climber was being part of an exclusive club that only accepted hard-core danger junkies.
Don’t even get me started about mountain biking!
So I moved on to kayaking thinking that I would be special and that the club would not allow members of lesser qualifications. Boy was I wrong. It seems that if you want to have some fun and have some water near-by, the club will let just about anybody join.
All these people who are lesser than me joining my clubs shows that the clubs I am in are not special and are not exclusive to talented, skilled, above-average, individuals. That somehow means that I’m not special either… except maybe in my emotional maturity in being able to handle the situation gracefully.
What is the world coming too when other people have fun without working their asses off and seeking danger every step of the way. It sure does make my accomplishments somehow lesser because of it.
Dave
Why?
People who belittle others do so because their self esteem is low. Belittling someone else makes them feel better for a brief moment. If a person with low self esteem has managed to achieve some degree of expertise in a narrow field, such as sea kayaking, he is easily agitated by the thought of “his” sport not remaining exclusive.
Well said! nm
Recanting
I see the light now…
And hereby proclaim the following:
- All drivers should drive Audis
- All boaters should drive jet powered boats
- All bikers should buy Hondas
- All computer users should buy Macs
- All shoe wearers should buy Merrils
- All pen users should buy Parker pens
- All pilots should purchase F/A 18s
- All gum chewers should buy Wrigleys
- All hat wearers should buy Tilleys
- All sunglasses should be Ray Bans
- All cell phones will be iPhones
- All serious sea kayakers should buy Pamlico 14s
Anything else is just crap. Henceforth it is written and henceforth shall it be!
jim
don’t forget
power boaters must be rude!