I am looking for a poly kayak in the 12ft range but not a wide one which is all I have seen. Something like the Perception Tribute but not that wide. I currently paddle a tempest 165 at 21 inches. I really dont want to go wider than 23". Anything like that??
I want to have a kayak that I can handle easily and not twist my back when unloading/loading. I have tried many ways with various types of loading help and I don't want to struggle when alone.
It is to be used in PA on rivers/smallish lakes.
Maybe something new this year that I haven't seen yet?
SUP & Crazy Creek At less then 30# and topped with something like a Crazy Creek chair you could use a 230cm+ paddle and do quite well I’d think. Your parameters don’t seem to mandate the need for a cockpit.
It seemed to work well for me yesterday taking my lunch hour out on the Hudson River while the weather was nice.
You are sliding, not lifting, yes? I can't say that I am fast at loading and unloading a full out sea kayak myself, but with a set of rollers hanging off the end of the roof rack and a good cart for the ground I manage it without ever carrying full weight.
That said, a small easy boat to throw up is damned nice. When I start pool sessions in February, I'll likely first grab the little Inazone even though I "should" be bringing the 15ft Vela. But it's hard to ignore the virtues of a boat that I can fit into the back of the station wagon.
Have you considered a skin-on-frame (SOF) custom made kayak? There are folks that will build them for $1000 to $2000, which is not a whole lot more than a quality rotomold boat. I have poly kayaks and a SOF (wood frame with urethane coated ballistic nylon skin) and the SOF is just as tough but half the weight. My SOF is 18' long x 22" wide and weighs less than 32 lbs. A 12' of similar construction would be under 25 lbs.
And I paddle primarily in western PA streams, rivers and lakes. I see we are in the same area (I live in Pittsburgh). If you'd like to take a look at my SOF and see how amazingly light and strong these are, it might give you a different perspective and a plausible option.
Brian Schulz, one of the premiere builders of them has a great website with background on SOF's and lots of photos. http://www.capefalconkayak.com
Brian will custom-build one for you to your exact body dimensions for $2,250 including shipping. Or you can go out to Oregon or any of the places around the country where he does workshops, and in a weeklong shop course for $1300, he will help you build your own.
dagger alchemy The alchemy comes in a regular and low volume version. It’s 14’ and plastic but I have a couple of small female paddler friends who can load them solo. They use them for coastal rock gardening and surfing but I hear they do well in small rivers as well and turn on a dime.
Pygmy,plywood, boats has some small models that are 35 lbs but are 24-25" wide.
The difficulty in make a short boats very narrow is the buoyancy is so low that the max paddler weight will be barely over 100lbs and the average american female is 165 lbs.
Alchemy I tried one and was highly impressed with how nimble it was. It feels very slim, highly “fitted” to the body, which is why I imagine it’s a favorite of the rock garden folks who also like their whitewater boats. It’s fast too. Can’t speak to the paddler weight issue, though.
I’m 6’, 180 lbs. with a 11.5 shoe size. It was tight, but manageable for me.
I was hoping in the 40 ish lb limit I am short but not skinny…(over 150) and this type of kayak I am looking for is definitely a compromise for paddling but it is for here and there easy padddles. I have 2 in University and cannot spend the money for another long kayak which i dont need as i love my tempest and sometimes use a CD squamish which is still on the heavy side for what i am looking for.
The dagger alchemy s is an awesome kayak but not in the category of what i am looking for. I have a few short sit on tops which are not great for paddling but I would like a more all season kayak with cockpit.
I have the rollerloader and thule bars that pull out but I just dont want the hassle with the weight for some simple relaxing but on the water paddles.
I sold my Sparkys as they were soo wide but if they had been narrower, i would have kept them!
building light kayaks here’s a video of how the ultra-light skin on frames are built (this was a week-long group class). Gives you a good look at their construction. Those finished boats would all be around 30 lbs.
Willowleaf, I saw your sof once a few years ago as you were leaving the Regatta at Lake Arthur. Haven’t run into you since though - do you ever paddle with WPPSA on mondays at McDanels? We are there most mondays.
you would have kept them? Then take a look at the Eddyline Sky 10.
Thirty five pounds, 26" wide--same as the Eddyline Skylark only 2 ft shorter. Tracks well.
I am very familiar with the Sparky, as I've had a Swifty (same thing) for 11 years now, and still use it some when I don't want to risk my "nice" boats.
Compared to the Sparky, the Sky 10 is 6 inches longer, 4 inches narrower, 5 pounds lighter and the thermoform is much stiffer than the rotomolded plastic.
eddyline Well its thermoformed plastic a Eddyline Merlin LT. its 23 inches wide and 42 pounds max load of 325 lbs. Maybe you can look for a used one. I doubt you will find a 12 foot yak at 23 inch wide. The Merline is 13.5.
The Merlin LT is dee V bottomed, doesn’t turn very quick for a 13’ boat when edged hard and may be a bit too roomy for the O.P. but only she would know for sure.
It’s not a good shallow water boat because of the deep V bottom…
Walrus Griffin At 13’11" the Walrus Griffin is a bit longer than your target length, but depending on layup weighs in at as little as 31 lbs. and has a 21.75 inch beam.
I’ll be test paddling the Griffin on Monday. Write me if you want a report!
Samba maneuverability The Samba is more maneuverable than the Merlin LT. The V is not as deep and there’s more rocker. Plus there’s a skeg, so you also have the option of tracking strongly if you want it. 13’ 10" long, 22.5" wide, 43 lbs. More expensive than a poly boat, but very high quality.
