Hi! Another “which kayak” question. My paddling experience so far-toodling around a small lake in an Old Town royalex canoe. A Perception SOT at a friend’s house in Florida-that’s when this started. A Necky Manitou 14. Fine, but i did not have the seat or foot pegs adjusted properly. I rented a Skylark, which felt great. I asked about a Sitka LT, but was concerned that it may be “too advanced” in terms of fit and stability. But then I paddled another friend’s CD Solstice GTS, felt great going straight, a bit difficult to turn. No problem with being too tight or tippy. So I’m considering the Eddyline Sitka LT. I’m thinking 14’ is about the sweet spot in terms of speed vs ease of storage and car-topping. For use in bays, and estuaries, lakes or a river. I’m 6-0, 168lbs. Thanks!
Looks good. Can you try one on and paddle it?
Yea uh! Fourteen is sweet.
Of course, that would be ideal, but I probably won’t be able to.
Have you considered buying a used boat? Many people, myself included, have gone through a few boats before finding one that fits well, and/or progressed to the point of wanting something different.
Buying used allowed me to use a boat for a while, see what I did or didn’t like about it, adjust my idea of my desired boat, and then sell the ones I decided weren’t quite right for me without losing any money. In the process I tried quite a few boats, which was very helpful. And, depending on where you live it could be quite easy to find many good possibilities. Where I live it’s a cornucopia of great used kayaks.
Regarding the Sitka, people generally love Eddyline and the Sitka is popular. Whether it not it’ll be great for you is hard to tell, depends largely on how it fits and feels to you.
Following up-I have ordered the Eddyline-won’t be in till April! In the meantime I found a Conduit 13 for a very reasonable price. So for now I’ll have a pretty good boat to paddle.
Then when your new boat arrives, you’ll have a spare boat for a friend. After you use the PFD and paddle for a while, think about any changes you’d like to make. If you decide to ugrade, move the current equipment to the reserve fleet for a friend. You’re building an armada.