I’m looking to purchase two of the STRAITEDGE™ ANGLER: AE1006-ANG Kayaks. These our 35 inches wide. I want to make sure the will be comfortable for someone that is 4 foot 10. I’m more concerned about the paddling.
Any insight will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Ken
too wide
The Angler is less a kayak than it is a raft. It is intended to be a fishing platform and not a boat for covering any distance. It would be slow and balky for a paddler of average size and for somebody that short it would not easy to propel at all.
Why are you considering this model and what kind of paddling are you planning to do? I am asking because there may be better choices for you than that.
Paddling Kayak
Looking to do some inland lakes, Rivers, Georgian Bay and maybe even take it to Florida. I never kayak before so not sure what would be an easy kayak to along with one easy to fish from.
Thanks for the advice.
Ken D.
get some seat time
I doubt you would buy a car before learning to drive or a bike before learning to ride. Get some seat time and, better yet, some introductory lessons, in kayaking before you jump into the sport. A smaller person typically is more comfortable in a narrower boat. Do some reading too, there are good articles on this site that will introduce you to the basics of boat selection and what you need to know for safe and effective kayaking. There is no “one size fits all” in kayaks and certainly no model that will suit all use. The characteristics that would make a boat suitable for Georgian Bay would make it unsuitable for use as a fishing platform. You could use an open sit on top in sheltered Florida bays for fishing, but not venture out onto the colder exposed waters of the Great Lakes with it.
Local ponds and slow streams are one thing, but Georgian Bay and even coastal Florida would not be places for an untrained paddler to venture. A boat like what you are looking at isn’t safe in waters with strong currents and wind. You could find it impossible to paddle back to shore with it and it would not be stable in waves. Wide flat boats can flip in rough water.
If transport and storage are a concern for you, you might want to look as folding kayaks (with internal rigid frames and cloth skins) such as the Pakboats, especially the Quest 135 and the Feathercraft Kurrent. There is also the foldable Orukayak. There are some very good paddlers who use wide inflatables in open water but it does require some skill which you don’t yet have. And your size will require some customization – kayaking requires a good fit for the paddler in the boat.
There is a forum for inflatables and folders at www.foldingkayaks.org. Unfortunately, it is not as well-attended as this one and you might have a wait for additional information on it.