Manitou
Do yourself a favor and just get a Necky Manitou 13. Fast, comfortable, plenty of room, perfect for the kind of paddling you want to do. People who have them love them:
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1310
http://www.neckykayaks.com/kayaks/recreation/manitou_13_select.shtml
two options
i am currently debating whether to buy a perception carolina 14 w/o rudder, or a wilderness sytems tsunami 12’. i am pretty sure that they will be at the demo tomorrow because they are a couple of their best sellers. if i have enough money by the end of june they have another demo day i will go to. every time you go to a demo you get a 15% off of any kayak not on sale, but it is only good for 2 weeks after the demo you got it at. that would save me about 142.50$ on one of the two i just mentioned at rei.
You may also
subscribe to the REI e-mail list. You immediately get a 15% coupon for doing so. Again, time limited, so subscribe just before you buy.
I bought not from REI but from Hudson Trail Outfitters (don’t think they are in your area though). Their prices were lower than REIs even after 15% off at REI…
LLBean Outlet also has some very good prices on whatever they have in stock. If you have one nearby it may be worth a look. For instance, they had a Tempest 165 for $999 new, which is probably 30% lower than REI.
Don’t forget about inflatables
– Last Updated: May-24-08 12:34 AM EST –
Two years ago I bought one of these:
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/SLRK79HF.html
So that my wife and I could get out and enjoy some flat water paddling. Since then I've taken it out with her exactly two times and both times were a pain in the butt because the Tahiti K79 handles like a truck with two people in it, especially when only one person has a paddle. Now, I have taken the kayak out numerous times on my own using only one seat. It still doesn't handle that great, even with the skeg to help keep it tracking straight. However, with that being said, it doesn't have any more problems tracking than a whitewater kayak would have from what other kayakers have told me. Also, the Tahiti K79 was used in the 1960s to TWICE traverse the entire length of the Amazon River. They are not pool toys. I'll probably get flamed because I don't really know jack about kayaking (being a novice myself), but I do know this - like any other sport there are people who deride products they don't like. Not everyone has $1000 to throw down to get a hardshell kayak. I personally don't want a hardshell kayak because I live in a dinky apartment with no storage space. Good quality inflatables serve a purpose and that purpose is to act as a means of introducing novice paddlers to the sport after which they can decide on whether they want a fancy sea kayak or a white water kayak. I suppose you could get technical about paddling technique as well, but if you just want a taste of kayaking I say get the original inflatable you first posted from REI. A LOT of people really like that kayak and for good reason. It tracks well, it's WAY more portable than any hardshell, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than most any hardshell. Also, you mentioned carrying this kayak on a trailer behind a bike? It'd be a heck of a lot easier to carry an inflatable that fits into a duffel bag than towing a 10+' long kayak behind a bike. Most recently I wanted a kayak that would track better and be more maneuverable and which would inflate more quickly due to smaller size. I bought this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Demo-Sevylor-U233-Pointer-K1-Inflatable-Kayak-3316_W0QQitemZ140209188197QQihZ004QQcategoryZ87090QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
Build and construction is nicer than on my K79 and it sets up in about half the time. I'll be taking it out in the next few days to test it out.
demo day was fun
the demo day was great. the first kayak that i ever paddled was a wilderness systems tempest 170. it was pretty stable. the one i liked the most was the tsunami 140. i liked the 140 because it was a good size, paddled nicely, and this particular one had a rudder which was very nice. i cut through 1’ waves cleanly and easily. i plan to get a car first, so i may not get a kayak this summer. it depends on the pay and hours i get. i think i will go for the tsunami 140 with rudder. it is expensive, but it is better than buying a cheaper one, getting bored with it, and then getting a better one. and since i will have a car already i wont have to worry about the fact that the cost of the kayak could go towards a car. Although, i am still looking at the carolina 14’.
differences
so are there any major differences between the way the tsunami 140, and carolina 14 handle?
they did not have a carolina among the demo boats, so i didn’t get to try one.
also, should i get a rudderless kayak to start with and then buy a rudder later if i want one? it costs the same to buy the boat with it, or buy it later.