Sure it is. You can get advice for almost any question you ask here. The trick is not to argue with the people who give it to you and then continuously instigate by starting multiple posts, about the same thing, to drag the drama out.
There is also a lot of info here from previous posts that people can browse for the answers before asking the same old questions over and over.
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I think probably most all of the paddlers on here have friends with rec kayaks and have gone out with them, without insulting their boats or telling them they need to upgrade.
I have paddled with people in short open-cockpit boats and am happy to do that with my friends, we have fun. But when they want to go out on bodies of water or in conditions the boats aren’t suited for, I’ll tell them I don’t think it’s a great idea, and why.
That’s the exact same thing people on here do for strangers. Obviously you can have whatever boat you want and do whatever you want in it, but if you come asking my advice, I’ll tell you what I actually think. I’m not saying “your boat sucks,” I’m saying “ your boat isn’t designed for the ocean and is unsafe in those conditions.”
Also I have had people diss me for my sea kayak, when I’ve paddled it on lakes, etc. as if I have it just to show off, or because I’m a dumb rich person. I got my boat used, scouring Craigslist for one I could afford, and waited patiently to find it, because I want to learn kayaking skills and learn to be safe on big bodies of water. You don’t have to want to do that, many people don’t; but if you do, then people on here will tell you, you need a new boat.
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I got no problem with somebody tellin’ me I need a new boat. I’m all about gettin’ another boat, and another, and another. As far as rec boats go, I assume there are good ones and bad ones. Occasionally I’ll do the rec boat thing in my canoe or a long ww kayak. Group paddles on a class I stream. Lots of nice folks and they are having a good time. Quite a bit of floating and I’m more about active paddling so I tend to do my own thing even on a group paddle. It also seems to take a bit longer to run shuttles and get organized. That could be group size or just the fact the process is less familar to some participants.
The majority of my paddling is on class II-III streams. It is pretty common for me to encounter rec boats in that environment. Some folks have it dialed in. They’re wearing a pfd, have boat control, and save the partying for when they are off the river.
Sometimes I meet folks that are clueless. I usually try to help them out but there are times when I let the debri field float past. Part of me says that if you are trying to achieve a darwin award by not wearing your pfd in class III water, use a boat that is designed to sink when full of water and use a boat that doesn’t turn particularly well, and doesn’t have much secondary stability then you are asking for trouble…but the truth is people don’t know what they don’t know. So paddler education is the answer. The truth is I learned a lot of my lessons the hard way as well.
Nah, absolutely no ridicule intended, just laughs. I have nothing against Pelican kayaks - I have zero experience with them. I meant to find video of a pelican pool toy running rapids so I could show how recreational pelicans send whitewater, but I only managed to find a bunch of unicorns, shamus, loungers, bucking bulls, gators and other pool toys, including puff the magic dragon and of course pink flamingos, on the Nanty. High hilarity. However I found the pelican pool toy in case someone wants to have a go at it. It has great flotation, but no perimeter lines, so it’s definitely not ocean worthy. It doesn’t look easy to roll, either.
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@Celia @Jyak @Oldboo @Doggy_Paddler
Thanks for the replies and you are correct I have seen excellent and well thought out encouraging advice given out here to beginners thru expert paddlers. I try and make it a point to thank people for such advice personally and with likes when I can.
This thread and a few others of late maybe I read too much into and maybe the OP who has also gave me pause more than once with flip flopping and thread starting has wore on some here.
Here is what I saw from my perspective in a thread that grew to well over 100 posts in a few days. The OP in yet another thread came to exclaim rec-boats can be fine for some people long term. To quote him.
“ Some people are perfectly happy with a rec kayak, and you should pat them on the back for getting out there rather than making fun of them. Let’s be more supportive, OK.”
Clearly he has rightly or not felt like he hasn’t felt support in his convoluted path to the outcome of buying this rec-kayak and on the other hand I’m not condoning him arguing advice. I even told him that in one post saying take all the advice thank people for it and then do what you want.
Of the 100+ posts about half were offering some kind of advice and half were trying to poke fun in some manner.
As always I have learned something here and my next WW raft will without a doubt be a pink flamingo. Now I’m going to take my own advice and not read threads or posts wildly off topic.
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I’ve had people ask why I was paddling sea kayaks in CO. Ignorance…sk works fine in sea OR lake. Rec kayak at sea, not so much. I used to travel every year to do “real sea kayaking,” except when we lived by the sea. I also used the same kayaks near home, in lakes.
I also used to paddle my short WWK in the sea sometimes. No reason not to, as long as conditions were suitable. But it is not designed for open water, and the lack of bulkheads would have been a serious risk if I did not have a combat roll on both sides. Never needed it on those carefully-chosen days and route. A beginner without skills or knowledge of local weather would be a whole different combination.
Pam140 reincarnation has infected this site,
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I am thinking of christening the Flamingo “Metaphor with a Smile”. From my perspective it was a creative answer to why some resulting advice isn’t seen as supportive, and shouldn’t be supportive. It was a relevant if humorous response.
I don’t have a problem with what someone wants to use to get on the water. The Pelican I’m paddling in the surf photo is a cheap, thin plastic, lightweight, 10’ rec kayak with insufficient flotation. I added 12 full size pool noodles in it to improve the situation for when it became flooded. I didn’t have my helmet with me which is certainly something not to support, and which I point out. I am sure many folks here would have said what you would expect. I was playing with a pool toy, and there where much better boats for that. I agree! This site viewed as unsupportive, as an opinion, doesn’t hold in my experience.
P.S.
The Flamingo did get a surprising amount of support along side the criticism. I’m feeling conflicted should I feel supported or unsupported? Is this just part of the metaphor?
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You’ve got my support! I am completely obsessed with pool toys on whitewater now, and wondering which shaped craft would suit me best.
This is interesting as I have been asked on our river why I’m paddling a canoe. I have also got the response from folks on shore saying “Hey look a canoe, Way to go or an older person telling a youngster That’s how we used to do it.”
I also had an occasion this year with a group where we came up on some really shallow water rock bottom for about 50 yards and dozens of rec-kayaks were hung up some trying to pole with a paddle some getting out and having a tough go of walking on the round river rock in fast current and hanging onto their boats with no painter lines. Here I come thru with a barge compared to those rec-boats and glide right thru. I carry an 8’ aluminum pole that collapses to 4’ and I had it out but never used it. I got more than a few looks and a few comments.
On a side note does the forum really need a (Flamingo Metaphor) Castoff has given me an idea though when I bought the used canoe I cleaned the outside of old launch permits and some stickers and the OT logo was half missing so I got rid of all that, leaving the outside kind of plain looking. I have been looking for a good sticker for the bow and I might just see what pink flamingo stickers I can find.
Old Town Flamingo 147 has a nice ring to it.
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Most definitely, there is always a need for metaphors, and other literary terms on a written forum!
I vote for the second sticker, but it needs the addition of a paddle in its raised webbed foot.
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I like the second one as well. Will have to order up a couple.
In the bicycle forums I’m widely accepted as A Fred.
I’m new enough here I don’t know what a Pam140 is? Doesn’t sound good though.
Be aware your post might be mistaken for a bit of Canoe Snobbery, but not by me. I am a big fan of canoes! I have even played in the surf with a canoe. Once!
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Two stickers ordered and it is not a canoe it is a Flamingo Hybrid Recreational Kayak. Now to order a 270-280cm Flamingo Hybrid Recreational Kayak Paddle to go with it.
Will post pictures Monday when stickers arrive. It is too bad as we are venturing out with rec-kayak friends on Sunday. Would loved to have my stickers on. I think pink and green look good together. 
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Some VERY dangerous flamingos come in more of a firecracker-coral lame’ hue.
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That is a frightening photo.
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How Divine!
Flamingos are supposed to be frightening. That’s the whole point of the metaphor.
Pam140 is a classic from some years ago on this board. He had a rather overdone love affair with his Pamlico boat and repeatedly insisted it was better than any other boat and infinitely capable. Whether this was ever a real person is anyone’s guess.
Pammy also spawned the concept of “the grey thing”. His opening post was asking what the grey thing was in the bow of his boat and should he take it out. Didn’t take long for it to morph into a grey thing to be dreaded.
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To get the thread back on the topic of rec-kayaks and with me not knowing a lot about kayaks that are not rec-kayaks / sea kayaks I have a question for those non rec-kayak folks.
If you encounter a put in or take out where you have to say go down a rocky dirt bank say 45 degrees or steeper or up one say 50’ or so. We normally put a line on and slide the canoe or rec-kayak down the slope or drag them up from above to get out. Some people just throw them down the hill or drag them up with one end on the rocks. Would this practice be common with a sea kayak? What do you do?
If you are going down a small creek and the water gets really low how deep of water is minimum you can get thru where you are dragging bottom in spots on a river rock bottom? As I mentioned above and a excellent tip I received from @daggermat about getting a long aluminum pole 4-8’ and standing, kneeling, or even sitting and being able to stay in the boat and pole your way along where you wouldn’t have depth to paddle. Would you take your kayaks down rocks with say 3-4” of flow?
I’m just wondering if part of the appeal around here is low cost disposable aspect of rec-kayaks and low cost tough canoes like I have. I like my canoe a lot, but I only paid 150 bucks for it used and it was scared up and I have put a lot more in. at some point I may have to patch some deep ones and maybe even just go find another. To me we don’t try and abuse our boats but we also realize they will take a beating and are somewhat disposable.
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