So I took a kayaking class and enjoyed it for the most part. I used a sit in kayak and knew right away that I wanted a sit on kayak. They invited me back a few days later to try their new sit on kayak. Loved it. Definitely the way to go for me. Now the hard part, which sit on kayak to buy. I looked at a Riot Escape 9. Really liked the overall look and feel of it. Sat in it on dry land. The dealer does not have demos so I’m not able to take one on the water. At my kayak class, I got to try an Evoke Vue 12. It handled beautifully and seemed pretty comfortable. I know I want a shorter one so I can fit it in my SUV and a smaller one will be easier to handle and store. Evoke makes a 10 foot version so that’s a possibility. Price is also a factor. The escape is $400 and the evoke is $600 or $700. How the heck do I pick the right one? I’m a complete newb at kayaking. Any advice would be appreciated. Anyone have specific experience with either of these kayaks?
say more about
your size and intended use of the boat (what type of water, for example, and what you plan to do) – that will help folks respond.
New kayak considerations
A short little 9’ boat will certainly be easy to load and handle…right up to the moment you put it in the water. Then all those selling points that were so important on dry land become invalid.
If you are using it to paddle the 9 footer on lakes or open bodies of water, its short length means it is not going to track well at all. You’ll have to work pretty hard just to maintain a relatively straight course. Not only is it a barge, it will be a barge that spins pretty much on its own axis.
It’s not likely you’re considering a short, cheap SOT for playing in the type of fast moving water where a short boat is called for. Unless you’re looking to primarily dart around on small rivers and streams, the short boat is going to be the wrong boat for you.
As others are likely to prompt, more info is needed about you and where you intend to use the kayak. Without that, any advice will be generalities that may or may not be helpful to you.
9 Ft
Agree, 9 ft is great for carrying and storing. Crappy for actually paddling.