ok…
…thanks again everyone.
So, from what I’m gathering, no company makes a sit-inside tandem kayak that would be good for getting us safely on and off an ocean beach in low-to-moderate surf conditions?
No, there are ocean doubles
There are good ocean-going doubles, but I gather they take more skill than singles, because of the extra length, and the need to coordinate two paddlers actions.
There’s the NDK Triton, and the Valley Aleut II. Those are the two I’ve heard about. No experiences though.
The sea kayak doubles by Necky and Wilderness Systems that I have some experience with aren’t really suitable for surf or rougher waters, IMO. They have fairly large cockpit openings that are nearly impossible to brace in, and cavernous cockpits that hold waaaaay too much water when swamped.
Nate
Tandem for the ocean
My choice would be the NDK Triton, it is designed for this type of challenging use. The class of tandem you have now is designed for casual waters, just messing around, nothing demanding. Another abundant category of tandems is for rentals for expedition-type use, not on wild ocean. These are huge, no need to pack carefully because they are SUV size. Most experienced kayakers prefer singles, so there are more high-quality singles than high-quality doubles.
Any tandem will be challenging in medium or larger surf. Lots of mass, lots of speed, need to coordinate two paddlers.
Ocean Double
We have a Passat made by Seward. At 22 feet and 26 inches it is ocean capable, and indeed that is where we paddle all of the time. It braces well, holds enough gear to comfortably support us for anything under 12 days and is fun to paddle. It can hold more food than 12 days, but becomes sluggish.
We have paddled into and out of surf on beaches, and have paddled in small craft advisory conditions of 5 foot waves and 25 knot winds. It is stable. The last time we were in it we went 32 miles in 7 hours because we were not willing to spend a fourth night in the rain here in Southeast Alaska.
The patter about doubles being divorce boats is not relevant, in my opinion, if that is what you learn to paddle, or if the experience level of the two people are the same. It is a challenge when one person thinks they are a decent paddler and the other isn’t. And then only because the one who does think that way, probably isn’t.
Ditch the bath tub and buy a good Canadian double, eh!
About surf
Surf is as much or more about the paddler knowing how to handle it as the boat, within reasonable bounds. A rec boat, especially a double because of the huge cockpit, is generally not within those bounds. An ocean double, as Nate says, still takes a category of skill in surf on the part of both paddlers that may be less complicated than two people each in their own single. Harder or not I am not sure, but definately some additional paddling skills.
Overall you are looking too much to the boat and too little to your own paddling skills. Surf just requires more from the paddler. Doing the wrong thing in even moderate surf can result in a broken leg - this is not so big a risk in non-surf situations.
You have a boat and should try to use it - but for the time being not in surf. Get some work on your own paddling before you try that.
Ditto That…
The “safety factor” is more dictated by the skills, endurance and judgement of the paddler(s). Having said that, for a couple of beginners who are cautious and want to go out in a tandem, go with a SOT. You have a way better chance of getting back on than “getting back in” with a tandem SOT than a tandem SINK.
Do check out topkayaker.net: http://www.topkayaker.net/KayakData/KayakStats7.asp
do a search on SOTs 16’ and longer. Shorter may be eaiser to carry but you are going to be bumping your paddles which is very frustrating. Give yourselves some paddling room.
Immersion gear – that’s important whether you’re on a SOT or in a SINK. You are dressed for the worse case scenario… a capsize and immersion time.
sing
Doubles in surf
– Last Updated: Jul-21-10 9:00 AM EST –
I'd second the previous comments about your looking too much to the boat and underestimating the skills and knowledge development that you need.
Paddling a double in demanding conditions, such as you may find on the ocean, takes a higher level of individual skill than paddling a single, plus it requires the practiced coordination of those skills and techniques with your partner. Those are high bars.
In addition, two paddlers in two single kayaks are almost always a stronger & safer unit than two paddlers in a double. The single boats are easier to handle, and you have more options to solve problems that may arise. In calm, sheltered water this may not be a big issue. On the ocean it is.
Even in single kayaks, paddling in and out through "moderate" surf (less than 3 foot) is typically considered to be, at minimum, an intermediate level skill.
The ocean is unforgiving. Folks get killed, regularly, for underestimating it or for not knowing what they don't know.
In Nova Scotia, another good place to get training, along with a realistic assessment of your own skill level, is Coastal Adventures, in Tangier, about an hour east of Halifax.
skill over boat
"So, from what I’m gathering, no company makes a sit-inside tandem kayak that would be good for getting us safely on and off an ocean beach in low-to-moderate surf conditions?"
You gather incorrectly. 
There’re boats suitable for ocean surf, as others had mentiioned. But it takes a lot of skill to paddle that kind of conditions, whatever boat you use.
Bottom line: your boat is totally ill-suited for the condition you want to paddle in. However, even if you “upgrade” to a better boat, you’re still not safe due to your lack of skill.
What you seem to fail to “gather”, is the need to get some milage in safe environment before worrying about what boat to use in surf. You may want to do the milage in your current boat. Or get a better boat to pratice in. But either way, you should be doing your skill building in a more controlled environment. Perhaps a few lesson would be benefitial?
just to be clear…
– Last Updated: Jul-21-10 8:40 AM EST –
...my wife and I do perfectly understand the need to develop our paddling skills. We are painfully aware that we are pretty much completely new at this, and that there is an entire world of experience that's needed to be safe and successful at something like kayaking in surf (or in most anyplace else, for that matter). Our first priority will be to develop our paddling skills, in safer environments such as calm lakes near here, and probably involving sea kayaking lessons from instructors as well.
However, even if we were very skilled, we would still need a suitable boat for low-to-moderate ocean surf, and I'm realizing that this rec boat we have may not be up to that task. That is primarily the purpose of my original question--to try to figure out what is needed for that environment, so that I know the "upgrade path" I need to take.
Thank you everyone for your comments and advice.
Upgrade path
For stuff like surf, or for that matter any offshore environment at the distances you want to go, your first decision is whether one or two boats. Unless you and your wife are remarkably close in size, that means two different boats or at least a tandem tuned so that both paddlers have reasonably decent reach to the water for a good forward stroke. For smaller or lighter women, finding a double like that can be a tall order (literally).
There is also the question of hauling and paddling habits. I have known people who backed out of tandems because of the sheer weight of hauling the thing around - as backs age this gets tough. I have also known people who backed out because the spouses had very different desires in terms of paddling.
But the bottom line is that you probably can’t answer these questions until you both get some time with instruction and practice, just to see where your individual interests lie. The instruction will answer your questions about what boat much better than you can get from this forum while new to the sport. You’ll find out what makes a boat work for you.
Quite!
I know a friend who had two single and two double!
Why?
Sometimes, only one of them wants to go out – one paddler in a single! I mean, who wants to paddle a double solo???
Sometimes, both of them wants to go out so a double makes sense. But it’s a pain in the back (literally) to haul the heavy double down some steep and loose trail to the put in (or take out). It’s infinitely easier to carry 1 single at a time and come back for the second one.
When the launch is easily accessible and the two of them wants to stay together, the double(s) gets used.
Only they have TWO of them, one is heavy duty and can carry substantial gear. The other lighter weight but has no carrying capacity. So depending on what they plan to do, one wins over the other…
So, don’t get all hurry into buying yet another double. Paddle some more and then you’ll get a better sense of what you and your spouse REALLY want to do!
The bottom line is…
if you need to ask this question in the first place you shouldn’t be on the ocean. You should first gather the skills to cope with self rescues, coping with strong offshore winds, how to call for assistance and a myriad other things that make a safe ocean paddler. It is not about the suitablility of the craft so much as the skill level of the paddler. Stick to inland and sheltered waterways initially and only venture out further with experienced company.
Just consider, you and your wife are 2 kms offshore, a strong offshore wind springs up, and you didnt bring any means to call for help. What’s going to happen?
Geoff
the upgrade path is skills
NOT equipment. You get the equipment to match your skills or you recognize the limit of your skills and paddle accordingly.
This is the “upgrade” path, judgement, skills, equipment. Not the other way around. GeoffMurrays comment is worth repeating. If you have to ask the question you shouldn’t have been out there. But you’re probably as normal as the rest of us and have good judgement to know when you don’t have the skills but you’ve jumped over to equipment.
A double sea kayak will dump you just as well and you’d be in just as fubar a situation if it occured without wind and waves pushing you to shore. Believe me having bulkheads in a double won’t make you any safer if you don’t know the conditions that you can self-rescue your double. Which most people don’t because they go out in calm conditions and don’t practice self-rescues when the conditions are near the limit of their paddling skill/comfort. Which are the conditions people dump it. If safety is your concern two singles is better than one double. The ability to remove the water from a swamped double in rough conditions is harder than two singles helping each other.
The typical story for dead paddlers in cold water is someone going out without skills in the wrong boat in calm conditions. Then the conditions change.
But as long as you’re thinking of it there are lots of doubles, sit on tops or closed deck. Going through the surf zone is like learning whitewater. You can dislocate joints and break things.
au contraire
Jon Bowermaster and his team used two Necky tandems to paddle the aleutians.
not from a lawyer
The advice to get some training in conditions in a double is very sound. But we can also propose a few boats, and tell you why yours won’t be the best choice.
I believe someone else mentioned the CD double, also the NDK Triton and Valley Aleut Sea II. All have sea kayak cross-section profiles, which allow for more options in waves. Rec boats typically have wider sections and flatter hulls. As a result, a rec boat will remain more or less perpendicular to the wave surface when broadside; OTOH a sea kayak hull, with a good brace, can edge and carve into the face of the wave.
A double is by nature going to be more difficult. But people paddle doubles in the ocean all the time. If your goal is to get a double and learn while you’re in it (as opposed to getting properly trained and THEN making a purchase), than that’s certainly doable. In an ideal situation you might do the latter but either options are possible.
I don’t think you’d go wrong with any of the doubles I’ve mentioned.