Question about returning to Kayaking

I also agree with Celia. Although much of the Inside Passage is somewhat protected from the full power of the Pacific it is still largely big open water. Tides and currents can be extreme and weather can change quickly with little warning. Currents, especially around some of the islands, may be impossible to paddle against at full flood or ebb. Tides can range to 30’. Be prepared for a lot of rain.

Wide flat bottomed boats are not suited for the conditions that are common in this area. I would want a true expedition rated sea kayak with a good spray skirt. Some folding boats qualify. I would also want to be very confident in my kayaking skills, not just getting back into the sport.

Water temperatures consistently range from 45 - 51°F. This, combined with the potential sea state requires a full dry suit for safety. You should also have a hand held VHF with weather alert and a satellite based PLB or satellite messenger device with GPS. Have these on your body, not on the kayak.

Keep in mind that if you are caught by a weather change, suitable bailout points can be rare in some areas.

With all due respect to the OP, he mentions in another thread that he might be a little more out of shape than he thought, and he’s a heavy guy. Starting off with a wide, stable recreational kayak and sticking to waters suitable for that kind of kayak might be the best way for him to get back into kayaking. Then like others have done, upgrade when those “suitable” waters are just too limiting.

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I (also) had a subsequent thought from the original post. It appears that some of the basics of sea kayaking, like edging for turning, have not been among past skills. This stuff is not optional paddling solo even on the inside passage in relatively protected areas.

My thought was that perhaps the OPer should get a fully capable boat now, so that there is time to learn these skills before taking off on the larger trip. A boat that limits what they can learn to execute well may not help.

I’m afraid that the OP may need to consider carefully his intended use. The Goldeneye has the same cockpit as my Arctic Tern 17’ = 17" X 33" i.e. a Seals 1.7 which is very large. Pygmy had larger (19" X 36") on a couple of the Pinguino line and the Borealis XL. That is a Seals 2.2/2.5 skirt. I don’t know what else on the sea kayak range has that size.

From another thread, it appears that the OPer has some extreme tightness that needs to be addressed anyway. This is also someone who has not kayaked in many years. So just about everything has to be rebuilt. Might as well do it in a better boat.

An analogy I’ve used with people who argue that they think they should “learn” to kayak by starting with a short, wide rec boat with a big cockpit is that nobody learns to drive a car on the interstate by using a golf cart on a sidewalk.

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