I am a beginner with no kayak experience and would like to get into paddling lakes and slow rivers. I have some experience paddling canoes on whitewater and flat . I have a line on an Old Town 138 at a good price which is a real factor right now . I have looked at shorter boats and like them for their portability however, I weigh 245lb and am concerned about weight limits etc. Othe boats I have considered are OT Otter and Dagger Zydeco. All thoughts appreciated.
check out
the Perception America 13.5. We have 2 of them and are very happy with them.
Ditto on the americas
Perception seems to have upgraded the boat (and kept the low price)
Perception also offers the america in a low priced off brand name (Gander Mtn. carrys them as does Dicks)no hatch or bulkhead and minimla deck rigging but about $200. cheaper.
Another worth looking at is Wilderness systems Pungo 140. The plastic on the WS is far superior to Perceptions and the 140 is a pretty fast boat for a recreational style…good tracker too.
the loon 138 i a good boat
I have one, it is very stable, you have to try to gey it to go over. It will float level if it does swamp. It is well made, but a bit on the heavy side. The seat adjust for and aft, which helps in trimming the boat, the seat id also comfortable. There are no bulkheads, so you can stash all kinds of stuff under the decks, and there is plenty of leg room. I don’t think you would be unhappy with it.
Zydeco and Otter
I don’t think you’d be happy with the Zydeco or the Otter for long. Too short, slow, and I don’t know what the weight limit is on them, but I feel quite sure the Loon 138 is a better choice. A tad on the heavy side, but they’re good, solid boats.
Nix the lil’ boats Bob.
At 245# a 10’ boat’s going to push a lot of water and will drag bottom more often. The Loon138, America13.5, or Pungo140 would be better choices. For that matter, you could check out the Carolinas and the Tsunamis, though I don’t have any personal experience with these. You’ll probably be happier, longer with a boat 14-16’ unless you like twisty creeks.
Jim
Thanks
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like the loon is a good choice.
agree with Longshadow
a short boat will not work nealy as well for big folks. For shallow water check out the Loon or America. Otherwise the Pungo would be a good choice too.
Rec yak
I’m 6’ 2" mostly legs and about 245 lbs.
The best fit for me is my Pungo 140.