Edit: I will be looking at 12-foot boats based upon feedback below. Suggestions for those would be good.
Hello Community! This is my first time here. As warm weather approaches in the Grand Rapids Michigan area I am getting the bug for a new kayak. I will try to give you as much info as I can.
Currently I have a Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, which was given to me for free. I got to use it once last summer and I loved the experience. It was fun being on the water. I know this is a big box store kayak and is probably frowned upon, but I am ignorant as to what is good, and hey…it was free. I have decided the best way to get people to do things with you is to have duplicates of your toys, so I will use this one for friends to go out on and I am in the market for another one.
The situation now is I can get another one of these for $170 brand new, or I can step up to something around the $500 range with some flexibility. This is where I need your help. What brands and models should I be exploring that would truly be a step up and have more benefit? I will use it primarily for slow moving lakes, and perhaps some slow rivers. I don’t think the rivers around me in Grand Rapids are very fast at all, despite the name of the city. I think it would certainly be fun to explore the rivers as opposed to just lakes. I won’t be using it fish, so no pure angling kayaks. A storage area for a dry bag could be cool, and perhaps a cup holder area, but I find the cup holder areas are usually ridiculously small for a tall Camelback Eddy anyway so perhaps that is not the best seller. Obviously I am looking for something that would be a good blend of the usages and not break the bank. For reference, I am 6 foot 2 and weigh 200 lbs. Is there a certain length I need for my height or is the length mainly for performance/tracking? I will use this some after work and on weekends. I like the chill aspect to paddling, but I also love physical exercise.
In summary, based on my information and stats above, what are some Kayaks I should be checking out? I would love to hear your opinions on what brand, model, and place to purchase…feel free to shoot any killer deals my way. Thank you all!
What do you weigh?
You can really get some exercise in most of those, paddling hard and going nowhere. If you weigh over 200, none of those are suitable .
At minimum, look for a 12’ NOT branded by a major retailer. Go to an outfitter and look at kayaks made by people in the kayak business.
Dagger is a good name and maybe Old Town.
@grayhawk said:
Is there any reason other than price that you are not looking at longer boats?
There are some much better boats for your weight in the 12-14’ range.
I suppose I was looking at 10 foot boats due to knowing I fit well in the one I have now. I know that might not be the case across different brands though. I was under the impression that a 12-foot boat would offer better tracking and not necessarily have more room. I am totally open to a 12-foot boat if that makes more sense.
@string said:
What do you weigh?
You can really get some exercise in most of those, paddling hard and going nowhere. If you weigh over 200, none of those are suitable .
At minimum, look for a 12’ NOT branded by a major retailer. Go to an outfitter and look at kayaks made by people in the kayak business.
Dagger is a good name and maybe Old Town.
@string said:
What do you weigh?
You can really get some exercise in most of those, paddling hard and going nowhere. If you weigh over 200, none of those are suitable .
At minimum, look for a 12’ NOT branded by a major retailer. Go to an outfitter and look at kayaks made by people in the kayak business.
Dagger is a good name and maybe Old Town.
Good to know. Dagger and Old Town have some decent boats on BackCountry. Their prices seem good at least.
Great to see another Michigan paddler here. JaredSD - you do not want a 10-foot boat. You will never learn anything from such a kayak except ultimate frustration - unless you enjoy going nowhere fast.
You’re probably going to get some more advice just like this: Get a real kayak at least 14 feet. You will really thank yourself if you go for something closer to 17 feet. Yes, they are a lot more money, but the difference is worth every penny.
While you’re at it, you might as well resign yourself to some more realities about kayaking. You will need a decent paddle and don’t settle for cheap. Figure on spending over $150 for a paddle and close to $100 for a pfd. Then there are boots, wet, or dry suits, and lots of other accessories. If you’re anything like a lot of the rest of us, you will end up with several boats, a bunch of paddles, half a dozen, or more pfd’s, several pairs of boots, gloves and on and on. That’s just the way it is.
@Rookie said:
Great to see another Michigan paddler here. JaredSD - you do not want a 10-foot boat. You will never learn anything from such a kayak except ultimate frustration - unless you enjoy going nowhere fast.
Convincing and fair enough. I won’t be doing white water for sure. Mostly flat lakes, perhaps some light rivers, and I believe the area around Pictured Rocks can be lighter on days (that’s quite the haul though and could just rent one up there).
With that in mind, it sounds like a 12-foot recreational boat could be a good option. I do like what I see by Dagger and Old Town for sure.
Wilderness makes the Pungo series and Current Designs the Kestrel series both good rec boats.
I’m on my second Kestrel 120, the first one destroyed in “Irma”.
That looks nice above, and the price is def getting up there as well. I am trying to avoid going too high on price if possible. I am trying to find that fine balance if it exists haha.
@JaredSD said:
That looks nice above, and the price is def getting up there as well. I am trying to avoid going too high on price if possible. I am trying to find that fine balance if it exists haha.
That Kestrel is way over the top for a Rec boat, it wants to be a Nordcap when it grows up. It was a left-over and I got a good price on it.
The poly version paddles as well, is more rugged, and many $$ less.
Also check out The Power of Water in Lansing. https://www.thepowerofwater.net/ They may have used/demo kayaks for sale that will fit you. Also offer classes.
@Rookie said:
Also check out The Power of Water in Lansing. https://www.thepowerofwater.net/ They may have used/demo kayaks for sale that will fit you. Also offer classes.
Nice, thanks for the link! I would have had no idea. The 2017 Hurricane Santee 116 Sport $699 (999) Demo looks decent.
I checked Grand Rapids Craiglist and found several nice boats for just a bit over your stated budget. If funds are limited, definitely buy used. Even if money is abundant, there’s no reason to buy new if suitable used boats are available. And they are.
