I’ve been wanting to purchase a kayak for quite some of time and am finally ready to pull the trigger, however after reading kayak reviews and this forum I’m starting to wonder if I’m getting a little too hung up on what I think I’ll need instead of what I’ll actually need.
A little background, I’ve taken several lessons (although many years ago), done a few kayak day tours, and paddled my in-laws kayaks (10’ Dagger something’s) on several occasions. So, while I still consider myself very much a beginner, I do have some experience. I am 5’7" and weight 163 lbs. There are not a ton of outfitters in the area so I don’t think I’d be able to rent many of the ones I’m interested in and the used market is quite sparse. EMS and REI are most likely the places I’d be buying from.
I live in Connecticut about 1/2 mile from a small lake, 3 miles from the CT river, and 15 minutes from Long Island sound. Those are the main places I plan on kayaking (most often solo) and I’m going back and forth on what type of kayak I think I would want/need (recreational/touring).
I was recently in EMS and the Eddyline Skylark caught my eye. After reading up on it I thought it might make a great starter boat that, when I outgrew, could pass on to my very petite wife. I really liked the look of the thermoform plastic and the weight of the Eddylines. Upon further discussion with my wife, I’m not sure she would be all that interested in joining me on the water and I’d, therefore, have to try and sell the Skylark before upgrading to a bigger boat—not something I’d look forward to doing.
That lead me to begin considering larger boats that I could grow into more and would perform better on the sound. Something that I wouldn’t need to try and sell in a year or two. And something I wouldn’t regret having bought in the first place.
As I mentioned the Eddyline kayaks are what I’m currently lusting after (specifically the Equinox and Journey) but not sure if they’re warranted for where I plan on paddling. The Skylark is in my budget and the Equinox would require a little more convincing (begging) of the wife, but is probably doable. The Journey would exhaust most, if not all, of the good will I’ve accrued with the missus over the years.
So, I’m turning to you good folk and asking for advice on what boats I should be looking at for an all in budget (boat, paddle, etc) of < $2000. Should I look more at the polyethylene style boats and just resign myself to the fact that I will most likely outgrow and have to sell it? Or, should I extend the budget and start saving the pennies? Also, for where I plan on kayaking is a larger boat really necessary (or overkill) ? The sound is not nearly as rough as open ocean.
I find it makes more sense
To find a wife who approves of my hobbies than to find hobbies a wife approves of.
Buy the Equinox.
The inch difference in beam is a lot. 14 ft is not too big for small creeks. Assuming your Sound is like mine, I wouldn’t be out there in a 12foot boat, especially not solo and many groups have a 14 ft minimum length for some trips. Allow $250 for PFD and paddle and you will need a sprayskirt too.
Consider a Used Boat - Saves $$$
The Journey or a boat of similar dimensions would be what I’d want in the sound. 14’ to 17’ long. 24" to 25" wide and with a skeg (or a rudder). Watertight compartments fore and aft. Lots of manufacturers make boats like this. When it warms up go to some demo days or go rent some boats and see what you like.
Small Boat Shop
I would suggest visiting the Small Boat Shop in Norwalk.
http://www.thesmallboatshop.com
They are an excellent kayak dealer on a dock right on an inlet of the Sound. You will get better information and personal advice from them than the big box sporting goods stores, even REI and EMS. And you can test paddle right on the water there. They also often have pre-owned boats for sale.
Collinsville Canoe and Kayak
They will be having demo days in May. Worth the ride to try out some boats. Don’t get to obsessed with a certain boat that you have never paddled. You cannot lose with a used boat. I have seen a journey for sale for a long time on Paddle Swap. A Necky Manitou 14 or a wilderness systems Tsunami 145 would be a good boat for you. Should be able to pick either up for about $800 used.
Not rec boats for the Sound
You are underestimating it. There are safer corners of it, but it is not particularly less challenging than what you are thinking of as the ocean when things get interesting. And they do fairly often.
That said, you should not be on the Sound very far from shore as a solo paddler until you understand why I said that.
Take the guidance to consider a used boat, and try the outfitters mentioned above. There is absolutely no reason to spend top dollar on the first boat, starting out.
Check out Dagger Alchemy
Another great fouteen foot boat that turns really well so it is great for creeks.
I Second the Alchemy
The smaller one.
CD Whistler
Is a 14 foot boat that should be on your list IMO
You might want to take a ride to visit Marshal - The River Connection in Hyde Park,NY. He is a frequent poster on this forum and could steer you in the right direction.
Kayak Center
has a good selection of boats plus you can demo.
http://www.kayakcentre.com/index.htm
One of the few places that carry the Alchemy.
145??
Shiraz, I think you may have mis-typed that. The Tsunami 145 is a larger volume boat for big guys. The Tsunami 140 would be the right model for the OP's size (5' 7" and 163 lbs.) He would swim in a 145.
I agree that a 12' boat is too small for Long Island Sound. I've kayaked there (have a long time paddling buddy in Fairfield) and it's still the Atlantic, with swells, tides, and changeable conditions. I mostly used a 14' 9" kayak when I was out there and it was as short as I would have wanted to go. I'm 2" shorter and 10 lbs lighter than you, by the way.
I mostly use a 15' low volume touring kayak (a Venture Easky 15LV) now for just about everything, including the more shallow winding streams here in Pennsylvania. If you can negotiate any waterway with a full sized canoe, a 14 or 15 foot kayak will be a piece of cake. If you can find a Venture dealer they make some nice low volume boats that would be great for you or your wife. They've replaced the Easky LV with their 14' Islay LV. Same price range as the Tsunamis but a bit better performance. I find the Tsunamis kind of sluggish (one of my best friends has a 140)
Go sit in a few
The fit of the cockpit is pretty important, as is a test paddle.
Don’t blame you a bit for being drawn to Eddyline. I have two: Skylark and Samba. High quality, beautiful boats. Love the appearance and lightness of Carbonlite 2000. Would never go back to a RM boat. The rec boat is for inland waters; the touring boat is for the Great Lakes.
Keep searching online for used boats. That’s how I found my Skylark.
I’ll second the suggestion that you visit Marshall of the River Connection in Hyde Park, NY. You’ll get excellent counsel from a highly qualified outfitter.
Let’s get serious
Since you’ve already indicated you like Eddyline Kayaks, you might as well set your sights on the best of that line and that would be the Raven. You don’t have to worry about outgrowing that boat. Yes, it costs a bit more than what you were thinking of spending, but it’s worth it.
The Raven is a boat that you can confidently take anywhere you might want to paddle. It’s fast, handles like a dream and it looks like a sea kayak ought to.
The Eddyline Raven is one of the few boats that I have paddled that felt right within the first half dozen strokes of the paddle.
Some suggestions
For the OPs stated size this is what I would pull from the boathouse for the Test Paddle
Poly
North Shore Aspect LV
Venture Islay 14 maybe the 14LV
Venture Jura MV
FG - outside of the stated price range but hey, it’s in the boathouse
North Shore Atlantic LV
P&H Cetus LV
Lincoln Isle au Haut
That’d keep me out of the Showroom for a couple of hours.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Islay LV
There you go (response below) – Marshall can let you test paddle a Venture Islay LV.
Think you would like it, and if you could persuade your wife to try it sometime, it might bring her around to the idea of kayaking. Arrange a date some Summer afternoon to put in from the Military Highway bridge (route 12) and paddle down the Connecticut River and through the maze of salt marshes at its mouth at the Sound. The first time I paddled there we flushed a flock of 9 great white herons from the reeds. Fascinating place. After that paddle around in the Sound for a while until 5 or so, then head halfway back up the river and stop at the dock on the west bank, haul the boats up, tie them up and get a nice dinner at the restaurant there. Then paddle the rest of the way at dusk back up to the bridge. The river after dark is magical. There is enough light along it to navigate easily with a headlamp.
Wow! Thank you for the thoughtful advice
Thanks for all of the helpful feedback.
Let me try and sum it up…
A) For where I plan on kayaking (lakes, CT River, LI Sound) I should be looking at a minimum of a 14’ kayak.
B) A longer kayak would better handle the sound waters and it would be better, due to budget constraints, to go longer with a polyethylene style than shorter with a thermoform style, or rent while looking for used.
C) Sacrafice some time on the water to attend demo days and try various kayaks to find the best fit than possibly buy something that, while reviewed well, may not be the best option for me.
The last seems obvious, but being a busy person, it is certainly easier to just make a somewhat educated purchase and hope for the best. I’ve been successful in the past with that approach, but never with something quite as expensive and dependant on my body type.
Marshall sent me a personal message (thank you!) and I plan on contacting him to see if I can arrange a demo.
Thanks again for all of your thoughtful responses. Please continue if you have more advice. Otherwise, I hope to see some of you on the water this summer!
Excellent decision
to visit Marshall and the River Connection.
He’s been of enormous help to me over the past months. I trust his judgment and advice more than my local outfitter’s - which is only a 40 minute drive compared to the 800 mile distance between me and Hyde Park.
Am sure you’ll enjoy the experience.
The Eddyline upgrade path
I was sort of in your position. I started with the Eddyline Skylark, and it was a great first boat, but after a year or so I wanted something that was better for developing skills. So I bought a Samba. A little longer, narrower and more maneuverable, much more fun than the Skylark, and fully outfitted. My wife, who is a casual paddler noticed immediately how much easier it is to paddle than the Skylark, and had no trouble with the lower stability. So I sold Skylark and added a Raven. It’s a great open water boat, can handle most anything you would throw at it. So we now have the two of them, and I’ll take either one or both, depending on where we’re paddling.
Someone above mentioned a Cetus LV. I tried one, it’s a really nice hull, handles beautifully and fills roughly the same niche as the Raven, but it is on the heavy side, so lift it over your head to see if that’s a problem for you.
Sounds good
Two bulkheads and perimeter rigging, but Marshall and a 14 ft boat or so (which is actually 14 ft and some inches, kayak lengths tend to round down in shorthand) will get you into those features.
That was my plan until…
“I was sort of in your position. I started with the Eddyline Skylark, and it was a great first boat, but after a year or so I wanted something that was better for developing skills. So I bought a Samba. A little longer, narrower and more maneuverable, much more fun than the Skylark, and fully outfitted. My wife, who is a casual paddler noticed immediately how much easier it is to paddle than the Skylark, and had no trouble with the lower stability. So I sold Skylark and added a Raven. It’s a great open water boat, can handle most anything you would throw at it. So we now have the two of them, and I’ll take either one or both, depending on where we’re paddling”
Thanks George. That was my initial plan until I had a more serious talk with my wife who, despite taking lessons and going on a outing with me, revealed she’s just not that into kayaking and probably wouldn’t go very often, if at all. So. I couldn’t justify the expense of buying two nice kayaks within a year or so.