I don’t think I will ever kayak on the open water/ocean. That’s not what I want. I enjoy lakes, streams, calm water where I don’t have to worry about big waves or being far away from shore. I like looking at houses and landscaping, birds, even meeting people along the shore. If I see a fish bigger than my foot, I will seriously freak. I want to see swans, not sharks lol. I want to lie back and enjoy the sunshine, not be on the lookout for waves.
@Szunflower
I get that if you see big waves you would stay away. But the Great South Bay is often very calm looking. Even the north shore can find people going out with the intention of staying near shore because it looks easy, then finding themselves somewhere they did not want to be. I could search stories and find a pile of such incidents.
So part of what people are advising, since it appears you would tend to paddle alone, is for boats that make it more likely you can handle a problem should it occur.
One other comment as a solo female paddler who is NOT experiencing their sixties as a weightlifter… SOTs are overall heavier per foot than sit insides. And unwieldy as hell to get onto the top of a car solo because there are limited grab points. The lesser options for car topping a boat work a lot better for a solo female trying to load something with a 12 ft or so length and edges of a cockpit to grab . Especially if you are trying to do this without investing in a rack system, for which you can generally find loading assist add-ons.
As people have said above, there will be deals on used boats towards Labor Day. That’s only about 9 weeks away now. Take this warm weather to explore rental or group paddling on the island so you know what will work for a while, then spend money.
Quite the contrary. It would have been very helpful indeed when I was at the same stage.
To be clear, I am not specifically referring to anyone who has responded to this post. No one in particular, in fact. I’m recalling and sharing experience from my own early days when calling out this important fact.
When I started out, I was one of those people with shiny new gear and more dollars in my wallet than hours in the seat. The majority of adventures I undertook that were beyond my skill level were solo. But when I did paddle with others all they saw was the gear and some fancy paddle tricks they couldn’t know I was doing wrong at the time. I was unjustly idolized.
Fortunately I’m a quick learner and that stage didn’t last long. After I increased my physical skills and learned to exercise prudence, many group trips were off the table due to safety concerns over skill and leadership - not to mention the painful velocity differential.
I’ve learned to quickly recognize those people who have never made it beyond that first stage, despite their delusions to the contrary.
This is an important issue those new to the activity don’t realize. It’s why I now point them to reputable companies offering training instead of informal social groups.
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Szunflower, keep your eyes open for used roof racks while you shop. A trailer hitch may be able to be fitted to your car, then an inexpensive used utility trailer or small boat trailer may be an option.
I will never ever ever go anywhere except calm water. I refuse. That is not the kind of activity I am looking for. So that’s the end of that discussion. I will continue to rent and try out other kayaks and after I’ve had more experience, then I’ll maybe buy. Being a woman, 51, 5’4, average weight but not petite, I am worried about loading etc. Was hopeful about the LI Paddlers club, which I attended tonite, but I seem to be the baby of the group. Was hoping to meet some people more my age or younger, not older, altho I’m not knocking anyone and understand these members have a ton of experience of which I would greatly benefit. Would love to go kayaking more often, and I will. If anyone is single and looking for a kayak partner, and u perhaps have an extra kayak, let me know haha.
Back to the weight. If you poke around aggressively for used boats you might find one like this. 12 pounds lighter than the SOT’s you posted, deck lines and a cockpit and a length that make it easier to load solo. https://hurricaneaquasports.com/our-kayaks/day-touring/sojourn-126/
A brand that comes up used a lot is Wilderness Systems.
I am your height and have been loading sea kayaks onto and off of cars since the late nineties. Often alone before and always since my husband passed away. My back shows the impacts, literally, of some of my past activities and is hanging in there OK. But paying a lot of attention to how I load a kayak for the last 20 years is the only reason I can still do it. I would not touch a SOT myself because there generally are not enough things to hold onto to reduce the strain on me.
And while you likely do not understand this right now, the kayaks under 12 feet are a lot tougher to car top because the are not long enough to easily prop one end on the roof.
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@Szunflower said:
I will never ever ever go anywhere except calm water. I refuse. That is not the kind of activity I am looking for. So that’s the end of that discussion. I will continue to rent and try out other kayaks and after I’ve had more experience, then I’ll maybe buy. Being a woman, 51, 5’4, average weight but not petite, I am worried about loading etc. Was hopeful about the LI Paddlers club, which I attended tonite, but I seem to be the baby of the group. Was hoping to meet some people more my age or younger, not older, altho I’m not knocking anyone and understand these members have a ton of experience of which I would greatly benefit. Would love to go kayaking more often, and I will. If anyone is single and looking for a kayak partner, and u perhaps have an extra kayak, let me know haha.
Calm water’s perfectly fine. Two important factors: Always wear a life jacket specifically made for paddling no matter how calm the conditions or how great a swimmer you think you are. Do it for your kids. Always check the weather forecast before you start paddling. Windy.com is a fairly good app for weather and wind. iOS and Android.
For the age thing, you might check out this meet-up: https://www.meetup.com/Long-Island-Paddle-Sports-20s-30s-40s/
In your used kayak search, also consider an Eddyline Skylark. Weighs 41 pounds and has two sealed bulkheads. Thermoform kayaks are lighter than rotomolded.
A helpful site in boat choice and all things paddling: http://www.paddlesafely.com/kayaks/
Yes, you should buy a kayak.
I have a Necky Arluk 1.9 that’s been sitting in my shed for the last 10+ years. I live in Albany NY and if you’d like to purchase it
I would sell that kayak for $400…I have other numerous ‘stuff’ that I’ve collected over the years that I’d either give you or sell real cheap. BTW, I don’t purchase cheap kayak products. I have paddled Fish Creek/Saratoga Lake many times…let me know what you think…
Had
@Szunflower said:
I don’t think I will ever kayak on the open water/ocean. That’s not what I want. I enjoy lakes, streams, calm water where I don’t have to worry about big waves or being far away from shore. I like looking at houses and landscaping, birds, even meeting people along the shore. If I see a fish bigger than my foot, I will seriously freak. I want to see swans, not sharks lol. I want to lie back and enjoy the sunshine, not be on the lookout for waves.
We are also calm, nice day only kayakers. Our first journey of the year was maybe 7 days ago or so and was maybe an hour and 1/2 long. __We don’t even want to go fast or far. We paddle, drift, paddle, gaze, breathe the fresher air etc.
We have absolutely no interest in adventure. For us its another way to spend time together, kinda like our frequent walks–different mode but the same purpose.
Many of the posters here are really into the technical and skill advancement aspects and rightfully have SAFETY as the number one concern. So at times it may seem that the casual paddler is being put upon to upgrade their thinking etc.
We wanted to buy safety, quality etc. Had the issue of no roof rack on the van and couldn’t use foam blocks as one side of the van has no working windows or passenger door. Even a dealer for rack systems is 90 miles away. That limited us on transport to trailer or inside. We went inside.
Rookie mentioned Eddyline Skylark. It is the kayak I use(5/10 and 160) and my spouse has an Eddyline Sky 10 (5/8 and 145). We can haul them inside the van, easy loading, lightweight, dual bulkheads.
Sounds like you are like us and very mindful of what type of kayak experience you want and it is in keeping with your personality. Have fun with caution and care.
Thank u for all the great info!! I appreciate all the advice and comments!
Please let us know what you get.