Sit-In Kayak in Hawaii?

Advice
#1

Good day. I may be moving to Hawaii in a few months and curious if I should take my 2 x Dirigo’s with me or not. Does anyone have any information on recreational kayaking (i.e., not ocean) in Oahu?



Thanks, Rick

#2

It’s All Ocean
So leave your “sit-ins” on the Mainland. It’s all “sit on tops.” Only popular sit inside cockpit boats are the rudderless Tahitian style outrigger canoes called V-1’s.

#3

Ignorant:
Im ignorant to the culture of kayaking in Hawaii but interested in it.



Why is everything SoT? Is there some environmental factor that favors sit on?



Surf skis are very popular there, so I bet I could entertain myself just fine if I ever got the chance to move to Hawaii… but im stuck in (extremely frozen) Minnesota…


#4

Lot’s of paddling going on in Hawaii
Take your pick! Surf ski’s, outrigger canoes (OC-1 and OC-6’s), Sot’s too.



Each island has many canoe clubs, primarily OC-6’s for every age group and sex. Huge paddling culture, just different from the mainland. And the best part is that it’s all year round paddling.



http://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/109227719241938487931/albums/5935149849266739361


#5

Hawaii
I’m going to be in Maui in March 1-7 and in Oahu March 7-13 of this year. I would like to beg, barrow or cheaply rent an ocean kayak for some of those days. I’ve been kayaking for 4 years and, as a stay at home dad, I’ve put in hundreds of hours and miles kayaking in the Chesapeake Bay and Alaska. I’m currently paddling an Tempest 170 and would love to get a boat and a partner for some Hawaii ocean paddling. Thanks!

#6

Go Bananas on Oahu
They can rent you a decent SOT for paddling.



http://www.gobananaswatersports.com/

#7

Plenty of rentals
Kailua (Oahu) has several rental companies, but you can only get SOT’s from them. I managed yo rent a surf ski from Twogood kayaks, also in Kailua.

#8

Smooth
Wherever that link was from - that water is perfect for a sit-in kayak.

#9

Heat, Humidity, and Safety
Are the primary reasons for going SOT - you just hop back on w/o bailing. Now I paddle an Olympic K-1 out in the ocean and I don’t use a spray skirt. I’m not strapped in and I don’t do Eskimo rolls, so being close to shore or near a reef shallow enough to stand on are prerequisites in case of capsizing and having to bail tons of water out of the cockpit. Forget capistrano flips, for there are still tons of water left in the boat that must be bailed out or dumped. Play it safe and go SOT in Hawaii, for you got to respect the ocean and do as the local paddlers do. Sure there are some inland waters, but why risk getting lepto or staph infections. The ocean is cleaner, healthier, and more fun.