Ok here it is, I am on a very limited budget.
I’m looking for a new kayak though for weekend trips and just day trips with the friends.
I’d like it to be a minimum of 14feet long and somewhat stable, however I am comfortable in a kayak and have been paddling a sit in for two years now and a sit on top for four years prior to that.
I’m not a small paddler at 6’ and 190lbs so please no recommendations for something with a cockpit below 19"wide.
the two models that I’ve looked at so far are the Heritage Featherlite angler 14 and the Pelican Getaway 140 I don’t know how much fishing I’ll do out of them but i’d like the option to be there and the weight capacity on these ones are great at 350 and 450 respectively.
any advice would be greatly appreciated.
???
Limited budget = buying used. Ebay, Craigslist, or the local club swap meets etc…
Second used
Also, you aren't really a large paddler. The small/medium/large ratings in long boats are still pretty much built around guys. You would be floating in a boat for a truly large paddler.
Used will give you a lot more flexibility in boats. Also, do your future plans include just staying with your friends or going for some of the skills like rolling etc? That makes a diff in what boat will keep you happier longer.
yes but
unfortunately in my area, near Chatham Kent, Ontario Canada, there is literally no used market. I found two kayaks on kijiji that are within two hours driving and they are both R5 river runners which I’m not interested in as they are only rated for 250lbs and under with no hatches at all. I’ve been trying to look for good end of season sales but am coming up empty handed there as well, only the boats out of my budget are on sale and still out of my reach… i just have this feeling I’m not going to get something in my budget $700.00 give or take Canadian currency. that will do what I’m looking for… having expensive hobbies really sucks…
Don’t worry about cockpit
I’m 6’1", 260 lbs and the cockpits on both of my boats are 16 inches wide and present no problems. Don’t limit yourself based on cockpit size. Just test it out first.
Yoicks
Didn’t realize you were so far from used options.
You’re not too far …
from Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland. Be patient, there are good used boats that pop up from time to time that would be within your price range. Look for classifieds from local paddling clubs like this:
http://www.seakayaker.org/Classifieds/tabid/61/Default.aspx
~wetzool
Check with White Squall. They usually
have a good selection of used boats. They are up somewhere along Georgian Bay. Frontenac may have some used boats also.
Featherlite 14
is sold at our local shop for $595, new.
Fun to fish out of. I’m 6’1", 186 and don’t consider myself big; but then I only carry 20 lbs of gear and not 200.
Decent ratings in Product Reviews.
Across the border
only 1.5 hr drive to Detroit. There are lots of used boats there.
http://detroit.craigslist.org/search/boa?query=kayak&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max
not sure of local
if anyone knows of a local dealer in my Area (southern Ontario, Canada) Near London. that carries the Heritage 14, please let me know as I can’t find one that does… and the ones from the dealers list on Heritages web site have not gotten back to me yet as I inquired straight to the company and the sales rep got ahold of all dealers in my area to call me and no one has done so… I don’t know if there may be other dealers not listed that I’m missing… I know a lot of people on here aren’t from here so no big deal in no-one can help me out with this… I’ll just keep plugging away…
a local Masonic paddling buddy
got a premo fiberglass sea kayak off the local want adds for $200. You never know when providence will smile on you.