Sit On Top Kayak for female Newbie

What would be a good sit on top for a female paddler ? She is petit in size and is a newbie to kayaking . She would be paddling on a river in Central NJ that has some wind chop .

I am thinking a Ocean Kayak but would appreciate your help .

Thank you , Andrew

Phoenix 130
I just bought one for our fleet and it may be the lightest one out there. I’m only 5 ft 2 and I can carry and load it. Like the way it paddles too which is important since I own 2 sit insides that are pretty fast. Check with your area Hurricane dealers.

Note:it didn’t come with a seat pad and we chose the Skwoosh clip on seat pads with the water bottle holders-they are comfy

Heritage also makes(made?) SOT
for smaller paddlers.

Malibu Min-X, great little 10 footer,
even works with bigger paddlers and now even comes in pink… Liquid Logic Manta

Ray in the 10 or 12 foot length. Ocean Kayak makes the Venus, its for smaller women and other small persons, but one has to be very light for it…capacity is 175 lbs, basically meaning someone in the 110 range. Phoenix 120 may be better than the 130 for a smaller paddler. Try the Mini-X though. It may be 10 ft, but it keeps up pretty well with most 12 ft SOTs

Phoenix 120
My daughter is not so petite (5’10") but she has a Phoenix 120 and loves it. The boat weighs 38 lbs which is a big plus for small paddlers. If you are willing to spend the money and do some work to outfit the boat, the Epic GP Sport is one to look at. It is light (30 lbs) and fast but might be hard to find. One more place to look if you are willing to spend some money is the Wave Witch line by Hunt Johnsen. They are surf boats but do very well as paddlers. I have the Horizon and it is one great boat. Unbelievably stable.

http://www.huntjohnsendesigns.com/index.htm#wavewitch

Scrambler
It’s a basic boat, you can find them used for not much money, very seaworthy, works for small paddlers. Make sure she is going to enjoy paddling, it will be stable and functional in all kinds of conditions if she wants to try coastal paddling.

Scrambler, Tarpon, Other

– Last Updated: Jun-14-07 3:08 PM EST –

The Ocean Scrambler is also available at a number of big box retailers as well as some dedicated outfitters. In my area, the Academy Sports and Outdoors chains stock them.

In addition, check out Wilderness Systems Tarpon line...the 12ft model may be right up your alley (the 14 and 16 ft models start getting pretty heavy). Also, the Ride series (Wilderness), the Synergy (a canoe-kayak hybrid from Mad River Canoes) and the Search (Perception) are close cousins (all from the Concluence watersports group) to the Tarpon...they may also be available in areas of the country where the Tarpon may not be. While not a true SOT, the Native Watercraft line of canoe-kayak hybrids can be purchased in incredibly light models (for relatively modest prices). Check out the respective websites more exact specs, etc..



You will HATE a 12’ SOT if you are or
become any kind of paddler, although the Phoenix seems to be the best of the stubby boats.

CD Kestrel SOT?
The problem with most SOTs is that they’re wide and heavy for a small paddler to handle comfortably. The Kestrel 140 SOT is one you wouldn’t soon outgrow, but it may be more than you want to spend.

Liquid Logic Manta Ray 14
why?? because it is a SOT that actually handles like a kayak.

Bic?
Bic makes some SOT that are kind of cool looking - but I’ve never paddled or even seen one in person.

I have paddled a Bic :frowning: NM