nirvana
i’m seeing my nirvana on the whitewater… if i want to be upside down and flipped all around, i’d rather go all out… to further use my analogy of a car ride… if i want to reach nirvana with my car, i’ll ride 150mph on a race track.
I have had a nice ride on calm waters
put me in the water several times.
calm waters
– Last Updated: Feb-03-07 2:24 PM EST –
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Best Wishes
Roy
If you can up the budget to $900 - 1,000
You might consider a plastic Necky Chatham 16 or Tempest 170 or similar kayak built more for all around versatile touring on the water.
Possible downsides are that the cockpit is smaller and the boat isn’t as stable as with a rec boat. Certainly not the best choice for fishing, or absolute maximum ease of getting in and out of the boat. The Tempest 170 and Chatham 16 are both pretty stable for their class though, and both have comfortable cockpits. You would certainly need to try them out of course, as these factors are relative to the characteristics and preferences of the individual person.
Up sides are that the boat is perfectly good in pretty much any conditions except class 3 and above white water. You also have bulkheads and (except for small leaks) water tight compartments.
My favorite paddling is on a glassy, flat lake, about 100 ft from shore. It’s beautiful, deeply relaxing (the words don’t do the feeling justice) and good exercise. I seriously considered a Pungo for this. In the end I bought a Tempest 180 (doesn’t come in plastic yet), now a Tempest 170. I recently took my daughter out in a Chatham 16. We had a great time!
Here’s the thing. I like to paddle bays, too, and would eventually like to try the coastal surf zone, just 3 ft max waves to start. I also like to follow the coast of a lake or bay for 5 miles without worrying too much about whether I can get back if the wind and waves pick up.
These plastic sea kayaks with skeg are a marvelous step up from a rec boat. The wind doesn’t effect them as much, they ride on waves and chop very well, and if you need them to track better you can put some skeg down.
I think a rec boat is perfectly legit for a warm lake (60 F water or better) on a calm day, close to shore, and not too far from your take out. (Or a cold lake, similar conditions, wearing a dry suit. (I’m risk averse.)) You can have a lot of fun and great experiences for not a lot of money.
If you think you’re gonna want to extend your experience though to bays and coast, a plastic touring kayak will do great on the flat lake, and will get you anywhere else you want to go. You would just need to add a little more gear (spray skirt for example), and skill over time, to get there. I say a little more gear because most of the same gear would be needed in a rec boat, to be safe in rough or cold water, as in a touring boat. It’s mostly that the boat would ultimately be your limitation.
The boat market varies by location. Around here I’ve seen new Chatham 16s on sale for $900 between Oct and Feb, and used Tempests from guide fleets around November for about $950. These are just two models.
And again, if you decide to go with a rec boat, it’s a perfectly legit paddling space. I see lots of them on some of the same lakes I paddle, from summer through fall. The paddlers look like they’re having a great time, just like me. It’s just that they’re mostly a couple hundred feet from shore (just like me, actually) and within a couple miles from their take out. If the wind picks up to maybe 10 mph then they tend to get off the water.
I’ve seen tour kayaks, but never rec boats, on Alsea bay where I paddle, and on the coast.
Paul S.
Didn’t mean to intimidate you or
anyone else. There are several easy fixes.
- Take some classes - you’ll start learning with better technique and not have to undo bad habits later on.
- If you buy a boat without bulkheads and watertight hatches add some float bags to the bow and/or stern. Float bags are inexpensive and will displace much of the water if you flood the cockpit.
- Practice capsize and re-entry so you know what will work for you. There are many tricks and some inexpensive devices that will assist you to get back in your boat.
- Have fun paddling and have fun learning.
You may never capsize and never need any self or assisted help. On the other hand, a capsize can happen in a fraction of a second, when you least expect it. So, I think it’s a good idea to prepare for that event. Remember, kayaking is a water sport. You are meant to get wet. It’s all part of the fun.
~wetzool
Another Option
Do you have any woodworking experience? Because if you do, you might consider building your own kayak. I built a woodstrip kayak and I spent about $700. I would have spent much less, but I had some epoxy and fiberglass problems that caused me to waste a significant amount of material/money. You could also build a Stitch and Glue kayak which requires less woodworking experience.
I’m also relatively new to kayaking and I think that paddling has a pretty fast learning curve. I would suggest that you buy (or build) something that you won’t outgrow in a couple of months, because then you’ll be trying to get rid of one kayak to buy another. In the end, by the time you find a kayak you want to keep, you’ll have spent more money than if you would have bought it from the beginning.
Another thing, for your weight and size, I would definitely suggest something at least 16 feet long. I weigh 205, and my kayak is 18.5’ long and 22" wide (20.6" at the waterline). It’s stable, very fast, and easy for a beginner to get used to. It was my first sea kayak and I even learned to roll it right away. My point is that just because you’re a beginner, you don’t have to start off with a water plowing barge for a kayak. If you want more information about kayak building, let me know. I’ve built two and I will probably build more.
Good luck,
Pedro Almeida
Advice from a recent beginner
Slash,
You had asked me (half jokingly) for some help/advice in another thread and here is a quick and dirty input from my recent slide down the slippery slope of Kayaking.
First and foremost know yourself and be honest. I am a bicyclist and tried out kayaking due to some respiratory issues that was/is keeping me off the bike. I also thought as an added benefit I would get some much needed upper body exercise.
As a bicyclist I also know that I like and can feel and appreciate the difference between low end bikes and parts and the “really nice stuff”. So getting into Kayaking I was trying to keep from spending a lot of money on another sport (as was my history with Bicycles).
I know lots about Bicycling having worked in the industry for over 10 years. Kayaks were just something that floated and used a 2 sided paddle so I wouldn’t need someone in the front to paddle with like a Canoe (my apologies to canoeist I was just as ignorant about them 
) . The fact that I could toss the boat I bought into the back of my Toyota Pickup, and it was much cheaper than those boats costing (gasp) $800-$1500 was a big deciding factor also. Basically I bought on a complete whim with almost no fore knowledge, and only short paddle in a friends 9’ Walden many many years ago.
Less than I year and 7 kayaks later……
I have learned that I really like Kayaking (and so does my family). Kayaking is an old and subtle way of traveling over water rich in history and (to me) almost magical. Kayaking can be as serious as a heart attack and can get you into trouble faster than that hot to trot underage neighbor girl.
If you are the sort of person who likes to challenge yourself and has larger bodies of water close by, you need to seriously think about a sea worthy kayak (full bulkheads and modest beam) and educate yourself in whatever ways work for you and your budget. Check out Pnet classifieds and other sources for used boats.
If you feel you would be satisfied with lazy paddles on small lakes and ponds or slow rivers, then a Rec boat would probably suit your needs. Just remember its limitations, always have a PFD (preferably wear it) and carry spare water, sunblock, and a snack.
A word on those picturesque lakes.
I mostly paddle lakes due to my living in the mountains, but my favourite lake, Lake Jocassee is large enough to get waves easily capable of swamping or capsizing a rec kayak in short order. These conditions are not always apparent from the launch where it might seem like only a small chop. And many times these windy/wavy conditions come up fairly quickly.
I have seen more than one disheartened Rec boater taking out at the launch wet, shaken and exhausted and I am always glad that they made it back and hope it doesn’t discourage them. But I also hope they take a moment to learn from the experience and learn a bit more about the sport before they venture out again.
I hope that was somewhat helpful.
Bob
If you’re in the Maryland area
Here are a couple sites that offer training. I am a newbie too. Just took a lesson for $60 in NJ (indoor pool). It was fun and I learned wet exit and self rescue. Definitely a good idea. It was fun and not as intimidating or perhaps as daunting as all of this may seem.
http://www.kayaktraining.com/
http://www.potomacpaddlesports.com/
Good luck.
Gee, where did slash go?
Maybe he got overwhelmed by information overload.
Slash, my advice is simple and worth what you paid for it:
Get a boat in the 12’-14’ range if you can afford it. Try to get one with a front and rear bulkhead. I saw a nice new Dagger Specter (12’10") for about $400 on e-bay today, also saw a brand new 2007 Old Town Castine (12’9") for $521. The prices make me think these might be seconds, but that usually just means a scratch or color flaw, nothing structural.
Start with easy paddles in calm conditions. Then work up to more by taking classes, practicing self-rescue, etc. Always wear your PFD. If you paddle in cold conditions, gear up accordingly.
Now go have fun.
SP
10 to 11 feet
Yes, based on my experience with small boats other than kayaks, I’d say at your weight, a 10- or 11-foot boat will be too small for you. It’ll float you okay, but it’ll be a dog. Also, it will be noticeably slower even discounting the overload factor. Even as a non-kayaker, I’d say don’t go any shorter than 14 feet for the uses you stated.