I am looking to buy a kayak for myself and my wife. We will be dry testing some kayaks at REI this weekend. Before I ask my question, this is what I plan to do. I’d like to get a kayak to play around with in AZ. Not much for water where I am at but I will be hitting a few lakes around the area while camping. The main reason I want a kayak is that I will be in Alaska this summer for 6 weeks. I will have about 3 days each week to my self to goof off while the wife is tide up with an externship. I will be in a camper on the Chena River in Fairbanks. I thought to pass time I could kayak and ride Mt. Bike. At least one weekend I will be near the coast and would like to do some guided kayaking. If I enjoy the kayaks I will keep them but if not I would try to sell them in AK. If I kept them I am sure we would be making trips to Lk. Powell, Mojave. I have not settled on a make or model kayak yet. Someone I know has a Old Town Kayak and talks highly of them. I have a source that can get me a pretty good deal on the Old Town kayaks with no shipping fees. I have been looking at Perception, Dagger, and Necky brands also. My weight is 200lbs, 6’2", size 12 shoe and the wife is 125lbs, 5’10", size 6 shoe. Specifically I have my eye on the following pairs of kayaks for my wife and I;
Necky Manitou Kayak 12’10"
Dagger Catalyst 12.8 Kayak 12’10"
Perception Carolina 13.5 Kayak w/rudder 13’7"
Perception Carolina 16.0 Kayak w/rudder 16’
Necky Zoar Sport Kayak w/rudder 14’
Necky Zoar Sport LV Kayak w/rudder 13’7"
Old Town Castine Kayaks w/rudder 12’9"
Old Town Nantucket Kayak w/rudder 14’9"
We will be testing most of these for fit of course but as far as build, durablity and handling which should I consider more? The Old Town Kayak would be priced better than the above. The reason I am asking is I have never seen an Old Town kayak. I have seen the others. Thanks for any input.
OT Kayaks
I looked at the new Dirigo line and sat in all three of them. They are comfortable and look well made. The hatches are really nice and are better than the old slip-on style of cover. The Polylink material is stiffer than normal polyethylene and look like it will resist oilcanning better than most. I am going to seriously consider one of these for my new yak.
OT kayaks are great
I have had their Adventure XL139 since July. It is built rock solid. I used to have a Dagger Blackwater before that with the “Exolar” plastic and their is no comparison. The Polylink 3 material on the Old Town seems much more durable and more stiff. The new camlock hatch design is also great, very easy to open/close and seams to seal well, although I have not ever submerged it. This hatch design was new for 2004, so make sure you check on that before you buy your Old Town. Checkout the other boats on your list and see what you think, but of those on your list, from a construction/durability standpoint you can’t go wrong with the Old Town.
2 cents
With your height, I would consider one of the xl models- the 139 or the 160.
Popular genre
The type of boat you’re talking about is popular and you should be able to find some decent used ones at good prices. That’s worth considering. Since you’re relatively new to the sport, there’s a chance you’ll want to sell the boats if you find you don’t enjoy it, or to upgrade if you do. Buying used minimizes the hit you’ll take.
Manitou
The Manitou is a superb little boat even in big seas and high winds. The neo hatch / cover isn’t as convenient, but it’s more water tight. I love that little boat.
OT Boats
Are great. I’ve owned a bunch. Their Polylink 3 plastic is superior to other poly boats. Very stiff and durable, no oil canning. I have never had an OT boat deform in our summer heat in excess of 95+. However, I can’t say the same for other kayaks I’ve owned. OT makes good kayaks and canoes.
OT ALASKA
I LIVED IN ALASKA FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND WHEN I WAS UP THERE I HAD AN OT KAYAK I HAD BOUGHT SECOUND HAND FOR 150 BUCKS. I SPENT MORE MONEY ON A GOOD DRY SUIT. I KNOCKED AROUND COPPER CENTER, AND UP ON THE YUKON. I ALL SO HAD A FRIEND THAT WAS A PROF. AT UOFA IN FAIRBANKS AND IT WOULD GET UP TO 90F A FEW TIMES IT WAS A 100F. ANY WAY I NEVER HAD ANY WARPING, AND THAT BOAT WENT FROM HIGH HEAT TO GLACIER BLUE MILKY FREEZING WATER ALL SUMMER. THE LAKES HEAT UP NICE AT LEAST THE FIRST 4 FEET, DO TO THE ALL DAY SUN BUT WATCH OUT FOR THE RIVERS. I DID A BARREL ROLL ONCE IN COPPER CREEK AND CAME UP BLINDED FOR ABOUT 5 SECOUNDS. IM TALKING ICE CREAM HEAD ACHE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT BUT FAIRBANKS HAS THE GREATEST TEMPATURE VARIATIONS THAN ANY WHERE IN THE WORLD. WHEN I LEFT ALASKA I SOLD THE KAYAK FOR WHAT I PAID FOR IT. I DON'T CARE FOR OT CANOES, (THATS NOT TO SAY THERE NO GOOD) but the ot kayak I had was very rugged and I put it through hell, we even used it as a sled at a place called FLAT TOP, REMEMBER TO WAX THE UNDER HULL FOR SLEDDING.
ALL SO I WOULD NOT SPEND MUCH MONEY ON ANY KAYAKS FOR ARIZONA COUNTRY, FOR WHAT FEW WATERING HOLES THERE ARE MOST OF ALL THIER LAKES ARE GROSSLY POLLUTED BECAUSE OF THE POWER BOATS AND PWC
Old Town Kayaks
Thanks for all the replies. Well I will test a few OT Kayaks and if they fit and feel good I will more than likely get one. Other wise I will get a cheaper non-OT. I hope the OT fits since I can save about $200 by going with the OT rather something comparable in another brand. Thanks again, John
Just make sure it has two bulkheads
I know the Castine and Nantucket do.
You don’t want to capsize and have the kayak flood or stand on end (Cleopatra’s Needle). Especially in Alaska.
My first kayak was a Castine. The proprietary plastic “sandwich” was stiffer than most plastic hulls, which is good. A bonus that nobody ever mentions is how well it insulates. The layer of foam really does help.
I’m going on my
fifth year with my Castine Polylink. It has been a good performer. I use it for smaller rivers as I have another mid length tourer as well as a sea kayak. I think that you will be happy. You won’t have any problems fitting as I am taller with larger shoe size. I dumped the factory seat and carved my own and added some thigh braces as well. Good stability, easy handling, carved turns are a snap and rolls like a champ.
Joe
OT KAYAKS
MY SON’S RUSH GOT ME HOOKED ON OT’S QUALITY AND
COMFORT. I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE VIOLENT TORTURE IT’S BEEN THROUGH. AT 6-1 ,220LBS
IT’S WAY TOO SMALL FOR ME, BUT NOBODY TOLD IT SO.
I JUST PURCHASED A PREDATOR 111. SINCE THE 9’-5"
RUSH STILL SEEMED TO DO WELL FOR MY LARGE FRAME,
I CHOSE THE SMALLEST OF THE PREDATORS. I HOPE THAT IT IS AS GOOD ON THE WATER AS IT LOOKS.
Polylink 3 is great
I’ve had a Castine for going on 3 years. For me it’s been a great boat. I usually use it for fishing/paddling excursions. Very stable to fish from. The polylink 3 plastic is pretty much indestructable. Of the 3 kayaks that i own it gets used the most as most of my trips are fishing trips. For the price it’s a great boat. It all depends on what you want.
You’ll do best to try first. Feet care!
I like my Old Town (Castaway, same hull as the Castine). However, if you try out the Castine, you might want to wriggle your feet around a lot and see if they are comfortable. I wear a size 9 - 9.5, and sometimes I find the hull space a bit crowded for my feet unless they are at an angle. This is okay for 1-3 hours, but longer paddles find me wriggling my feet around due to discomfort around my ankles (even trying multiple footpeg settings). Most of the time it is not a big deal because I’ll just shift around, but it might be avoided completely with a different kayak.
So, remember your feet if you get a chance to test out the Castine hull. You MIGHT get away with just wearing neoprene booties or some other “non-shoe” footwear, but I’m guessing you might have a hull-space problem.
Thanks for the replies
My wife and I dry tested some boats last weekend. I hope the term “dry” means sat in at the store and not on the water. We tried most of the boats listed above and more. Unfortunately they didn’t have the three OT models I really wanted to try. As far as the OT quality, I am sold on them. We were comfortable in the OT Diringo and Necky boats. The Carolina was ok but it didn’t fit like I would not mind being in it for hours on end. They had a pair of used Eclipse for a great price but they were too uncomfortable. As far as feet clearance I measured several boats and necky boats were the smallest that felt comfortable. Both OT boats have a bit more inner clearance (I was told). Cockpit size was fine in all except the Eclipse. The cockpit hole was wide but too low clearance inside to slide in easily. I feel that we were satisfied with the Necky models and the OT Diringo models. I wish they had the Adventure XL 160, Nantucket, and Castine to sit in. Next weekend we will be getting some lessons in some different boats. I will try to find the OT models we are leaning to. Otherwise Necky will be the next baots to look into. Any more comments on performance? How well do the Adventure, nantucket, and castine track, roll, etc? Thanks for your comments and replies. GD
The Castine
will track well for a short boat. I have never noted any weather cocking. It will not track as well as the Nantucket. If you are going to be out on some big water you will want more length. Other than that she is a good boat. I have been out on some big lakes in 2’ seas and was comfortable and stable, just a lot of bouncing up and down. As I said before she rolls easy. Turns quickly. Comfortable seating. I found the factory seat a little hard for my posterior so replaced with a carved foam seat, foam hip braces and a back band. This lowered the CG a good amount and she fits me like a glove. At the very edge of secondary stability she gets tender but you can lay her over a long way before that. Just my opinion, but I think that the cockpit on the Adventure is bigger and will pose problems with rolling and control.
Joe
I agree
The Castine tracks well for its short length. It is a very nice rec kayak, with high initial stability good for photography and just goofing around on calm water.
However, I don’t recommend it as a “sea kayak” because the wide, flat bottom turns the boat unruly when the sh*t hits the fan, waterwise. I got caught in a summer thunderstorm in this kayak. (Not in the ocean, just a reservoir with lots of places to bail out.) When the kayak got turned sideways, the waves practically flipped it over. In those conditions, the wide bottom turns into a long lever that more easily flips the boat over than a skinny, more rounded hull. When I bought a sea kayak and got caught in much worse conditions, I was surprised at how forgiving it was as long as I stayed loose.