Hello! I’m looking for some advice on what kind of kayaks may be good for me. I’m a first time buyer, but have had some experience kayaking. I’m looking more for recreational kayaks for day trips on lakes, ponds or slow moving rivers. I have looked at a few 12 foot kayaks after using a friends Perception Prodigy 12 for an afternoon trip. I’m 5’8" and about 150 pounds. I’ve looked at Wilderness Systems Pungo 120, Dagger Axis 12, Wliderness Systems Tsunami 120, and Perception Prodigy and Carolina 12. They all seemed to have decent reviews, but I’d love to hear peoples opinions on what kayaks may be good for me.
Hi. Of the boats you’ve listed, only the Tsunami and Carolina have two sealed bulkheads, You need two sealed bulkheads because if you capsize, you want the kayak to float horizontally so you can get back in the cockpit while in water over your head. The other boats would need a float bag installed or be dragged to shore to empty (which would be a challenge).
The Tsunami and Carolina also are the only kayaks of the five that have full deck rigging and perimeter lines. Perimeter lines don’t stretch and are quite important if you’re swimming next to your kayak and need to hold on to it, or you want to raft up with friends, or another paddler will help you get back into your kayak in deep water (or vice versa, once you learn how to do that). The Carolina weighs 49#, the Tsunami 50# (the others are heavier). Weight’s a consideration not only for loading and unloading, but moving it to and from your launch/take-out - unless you have a cart for that.
Do you have an opportunity to demo the boats of your choice? You really do need to test paddle any kayak before a purchase, and the longer the better. Hard to judge a boat if you only can spend 15 or 20 minutes in it.
Have you had any lessons which teach you the various strokes and how to get back in your boat after a capsize?
Thank you for your advice. I did notice a lot of reviews for the others said they would need a float bag, is that something that is easy to have installed?
I haven’t checked to see if I have the opportunity to demo any of the boats. But I would like to get out and test a couple if possible. I was hoping to narrow down my choices first.
No, I haven’t taken a class, but I may take one in the future. I have had some decent experience in day trips with a counselor of mine, but he never gave very formal lessons.
Float bags are an added cost, have to be tethered securely, and they take up space. Those bulkheads on the Tsunami and Carolina are also hatches, where you can store your lunch, an extra set of clothes in a dry bag, first aid kit, etc.
I’ve not paddled a Carolina, but there were two in a group when we crossed Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, about a 5.5 mile crossing. The Carolinas handled the water nicely. Those boats on your list without full rigging or two bulkheads would not have been allowed on the trip even if they had float bags, safety being the foremost consideration.
Thank you so much for your input! I will look into the Carolina more for sure, as well as the Tsunami. Would there be any other kayaks that you would personally suggest?
On float bags, they are needed if you are paddling farther from shore than you can swim (which may not be as far as you think you can if the water is cold). Without float bags, your rescue should you flip is to swim to shore. With float bags or dual bulkheads, you can get back in in shallow or deep water, but it takes a bit of practice (best with lessons). On ponds and slow moving rivers, it is likely such that you can swim to shore. Lakes - depends on the size.
Outside of this, I would only consider boats which you have access to at local dealers.
Trying out on water is best if you can. Sitting in at dealer’s showroom is not quite as good, but better than nothing.
Hi Alyssa. Just an FYI, reviews and ratings of rec kayaks are often from new owners and about basic stuff like whether they can make them go fairly straight. This is useful information but it doesn’t go to safety.
I have two friends who have Pungos, which are great boats for their staying in ponds and quiet creeks where you could almost walk to shore in a capsize. But when they come to visit me at my rental on the shore in Maine I won’t take them more than 15 feet from shore and we stay in the protected cove. Because they couldn’t get back into their boats themselves nor could I get them in should they capsize. I might see the Pungo go under, but the owner the property could pull it with a motor boat if needed. Or hope for better access at low tide.
It matters how big the lakes you are talking about might be, like how far out you might go. Especially if you would be alone, you need the features that Rookie is talking about.
There is also the matter of paddling comfort. You are tall enough to have an easier time than me, but still a narrower boat is easier over distance. Less effort to get the paddle into the water and overall a narrower boat is a faster boat.
Look around at the articles on this site under LEARN, especially the topics “Getting Started” and “Techniques and Safety”. . There are videos that will make some of this clearer.
I have a Pungo 120 and 140. For recreational kayaks, they are fairly quick and easy to handle. And the seats can’t be beat for comfort. They are intended for flat water ,like rivers and sheltered areas on lakes.
My grandson , who is your height, finds both easy to paddle.
The 140 has 2 sealed bulkheads. It might be a bit big so you need to get in one .
Celia, thank you very much for your comment! I’m very appreciative of all of the advice I have received, and am now looking more at boats with two bulkheads for the reasons that gave been listed. It has bee very helpful hearing from more experienced paddlers and their suggestions and advice.
I’ll be sure to check out some of those videos as soon as I get the chance!
My advice is to not go for anything less than 14"; 15’, or 16’ would be even better. My preference would also be to go with a skeg boat instead of a rudder. You might think that a shorter boat would suit you better, but I assure you that the time will come when you will want, or even need a faster better handling boat. Don’t go cheap on the boat, the paddle, or the pfd. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot, just go for quality–you won’t be sorry.
The first order of business is to do a lot of looking at a good kayak store, or if that isn’t possible, spend a lot of time on the Internet. YouTube would be a good place to start. Check out Current Designs, Wilderness Systems, Valley, P&H, Stellar, NC Kayaks, Seaward, Eddyline, Delta Sterling and any other manufacturers websites you might run across.
I know you said you were interested in recreational kayaks–fine, but why not go for the real thing?
I agree with the others regarding stepping up to double bulkheads, with one caveat: you might want to have a look at some of the plastic entry-level surfskis.
If you are going to stick with light day trips, are interested in getting a fitness benefit, like simplicity, and you are not invested in learning to roll, the surfski might be a better choice.
Have a look at the: Epic V5, V7, Nelo 510, Pyrhanna Octane or Vajda Raptor.
You can also find lighter, used composite models for pretty cheap on some online classifieds sites.
@string said:
I have a Pungo 120 and 140. For recreational kayaks, they are fairly quick and easy to handle. And the seats can’t be beat for comfort. They are intended for flat water ,like rivers and sheltered areas on lakes.
My grandson , who is your height, finds both easy to paddle.
The 140 has 2 sealed bulkheads. It might be a bit big so you need to get in one .
Just a note on the Pungo 140. I have a friend who used to paddle one. Its made for HUGE people. My friend weighs in around 290 pounds. So for 5’ 8" 150 pounds you would be quite loose inside that boat.
There’s nothing wrong with a quality shorter recreational boat, used where appropriate. What defines “appropriate”? Well, the OP’s description of where she’d like to paddle fits the definition well. I love my long boats, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else has to have one. They take more dedication… a place to store them, transporting them, and don’t fit as well down some narrow creeks.
If you’re not doing any bigger, open water with possible wavy/windy conditions, or bringing along camping gear, there’s not much reason to get into the longer boat.
Sure, you may quickly find that you want to step things up to the next level. If you think this is likely, go for the long boat now and skip the short rec boat. It may happen even if you don’t see it now, but that’s life. I think it would be worse to get a massively long boat and never use it because it’s too hard for you to move around and/or store.
@Sparky961 961
OPer is not entirely clear .on the lakes part, like how big. More than one person has found that rec boats are not a plan for going across channels to islands in the middle of Lake George for ex. Other than that I agree, which is why I focused on distance from shore.
@string said:
I have a Pungo 120 and 140. For recreational kayaks, they are fairly quick and easy to handle. And the seats can’t be beat for comfort. They are intended for flat water ,like rivers and sheltered areas on lakes.
My grandson , who is your height, finds both easy to paddle.
The 140 has 2 sealed bulkheads. It might be a bit big so you need to get in one .
Just a note on the Pungo 140. I have a friend who used to paddle one. Its made for HUGE people. My friend weighs in around 290 pounds. So for 5’ 8" 150 pounds you would be quite loose inside that boat.
At 6’5" , 220 I am pretty loose in the P140. It is a very quick boat for a rec kayak. On a good day, I can keep up with some sea kayaks. Can’t be beat for camping, fishing, or carrying a child or dog. Recreating, in other words.
@Celia said: @Sparky961 961
OPer is not entirely clear .on the lakes part, like how big. More than one person has found that rec boats are not a plan for going across channels to islands in the middle of Lake George for ex. Other than that I agree, which is why I focused on distance from shore.
Just playing devil’s advocate for the rec boat. It seemed from many responses that few were paying attention to the original use case described.
And of course, someone buying their first boat rarely knows exactly what they’ll use it for. But at least she’s given some basic information and doesn’t want a hard-sided boat that can fit in her compact car’s trunk and circumnavigate Africa. (Yeah, yeah, I know that one probably exists but that’s not the point!)
Alyssa, I am just a bit beyond the newbie stage, and my advice if you’re getting interested in the sport, and are not yet sure exactly what you want or how you’ll be using the boat, is to either: 1) take some lessons first, using the kayaks provided by the people teaching you, and that way get a sense of how much you like the sport and what sort of use you might get from your kayak, in addition to trying out their boats; or 2) just jump in and buy a used kayak for a lower price, and figure you’ll eventually want to re-sell it and work your way up to a more ideal boat over time.
I did the second myself, but by now have also had some lessons and that would’ve been a good route as well. If you’re the jump-in type, know that you can very often find good deals on used boats sold by folks who bought new and then decided the sport wasn’t for them, or they bought the wrong boat. Try Craigslist or Facebook marketplace near you. Sit in it and preferably paddle before purchase and keep your eye out for ones with a PFD and paddle in a package deal. And post your potential finds here for good advice.
Good advice about buying used, but keep in mind paddles and PFDs don’t come in “one size fits all.” Especially PFDs if the boat was owned by a guy and a gal is buying. We’re special.
@Rookie said:
Good advice about buying used, but keep in mind paddles and PFDs don’t come in “one size fits all.” Especially PFDs if the boat was owned by a guy and a gal is buying. We’re special.
PFD are like shoes . It has to be comfortable so you will wear it.
