I’m looking at two options for my family of 5 (two adults and 3 children 10 and under). Either an Old Town Discovery 158 for all of us or a pair of Loon 160T tandem kayaks and split the kids and gear between the wife and I. We live on the coast of North Carolina and this is kind of a budget thing combined with what’s available used. I feel like the DIsco 158 will be a bit crowded and hard to handle with all of us but I’m not sure. Any suggestions?
I used to put our family , same size as yours, in a Folbot Super . It was a 17’ kayak with seats front and back and an open center. The seats were on the floor.
I wish I could tell you what an equivalent boat is now. Our paddling spot was Lake Houston which even then was a power boat zoo. I sold my canoe to buy the Folbot because it handled boat wakes so well. The lower center of gravity made it very stable.
5 in a Disco 158 doesn’t sound like a really good time. The Loon’s are probably a better choice. both are for calm waters - not on the ocean. Your older child might be better off in his/her own small kayak.
I don’t know about the Loons, but cross off the OT Disco 158.
We had one for many years, and I would never put three toddlers along with my wife in it
I also found a 17ft Marathon canoe. It’s aluminum, but the owner says the listed weight limit is 650lbs, which the 5 of us would come up to 540 roughly without gear.
I had a Loon 160T, That could work for you, unless you all 5 of you try to go out in one. But with one adult in each, and kids paddling(or trying to, for a while) you’d do OK. A Loon 160T is heavy, and paddling one solo would be a chore, do plan going very far or fast. They can carry lots of stuff, coolers, toys, etc… It is also very stable, boring so. I have a picture of my daughter and her friend each standing on a deck, and both adults can lean on the coming and look into the water on the same side without worrying about tipping over. As I said, they are heavy, how will you transport them?
Paddling with kids in a tandem can an adventure in and of itself. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Is your wife as excited about this as you? That will be critical to whether you have a good time or not. Make sure your expectations are reasonable and plan short jaunts at first. plan for lots of play time with limited paddling time until everyone settles into it. Try to have a destination (islands work great for this) so the kids feel like it’s exciting and different. Considering the age of your kids and the boats you’re considering, only paddle in calm/protected waters. My oldest daughter paddled her own boat (a kids specific old town kayak that was about 8 feet long) and had no trouble keeping up when she was around 8 years old. We had a Necky Manitou II that was heavy and pretty wide, but worked well for a parent/kid craft. I strongly recommend a kayak trailer for your intended use. You can buy them pre made or modify a utility or old boat trailer.
Before investing significant cash, though, make sure it’s a family interest that will get support from all involved.
Oh my wife is very interested. My oldest son (he’s 10) paddled with me when we went out in our current canoe (Coleman 14’ Scanoe) and he did extremely well. We made a 6 mile trek around one of the islands here, stopping at various points to swim and explore of course. I think he would enjoy his own kayak, but that would be an expense for another time. Right now I’m looking at getting the whole family on the water and out to the islands for some fun.
There’s a post on NC Craigslist by somebody in Kill Devil Hills who seems to be selling off what I am guessing could be rental tandem sit on tops for a good price: $475 each:
https://outerbanks.craigslist.org/spo/d/2017-perception-tribe-tandem/6659282705.html
Also somebody near Greenville posted a very nice kayak that would fit your eldest for $350:
https://eastnc.craigslist.org/boa/d/episea-kids-kayak/6680326937.html
You could have two of the tandems and the kid’s kayak for $1300 total.
Thanks for that. Unfortunately those are both several hours away. Kill Devil Hills is just over 3 1/2 hours. I did actually look at those already. There’s a lot of them around that area.
Think about looking for used boats -they can save you money, and you might be able to get you 10-yr old his own smaller, much less expensive boat, too.
I don know the state of your family outfitting, considering you already have one small s/canoe, but there’s more to paddling than just the boats, of course. Good PFDs (adequate flotation, sized right, and comfortable enough for each to wear for the group’s time in the water) for all, decent paddles for you, your wife, and if captain if his own ship, your son are starting points. Someone mentioned boat weights, but that’s transporting them from your actual boat transportation to the water; you need to consider getting them from home to the put-in (and vice versa) if you don’t live AT the put-in as well, if you don’t already have some sort of rack system for your vehicle. Then there is dry storage for things like wallets, keys, and phones, plus whatever snacks you may want to bring along.
Again, I suggest you look used to save some money, for most of these items. Because you’re in coastsl Carolina, chances are good you will find many if not all of them. As fall approaches, check paddling shops for clearances and for selling off rental gear at reduced costs.
Good luck to you and your family as you
PADDLE ON!
Frank in Miami
Used is where I’m at right now. We have life vests for everyone and I have a bed extender for the truck that has worked well so far. Being prior military I still have a lot of old gear, including dry bags and weather proofed packs. We’re good on everything except enough boats (or big enough). The scanoe won’t hold us all and I want to get everyone on the water, especially this weekend.
Hey naviathan. 3 1/2 hours is an easy drive! If you buy a decent used boat it will also be easy to sell later if your tastes or needs change. 540 pounds is a pretty big load so for a canoe you want 17 feet or bigger (17.5 or 18 would fit you well too). I think the Marathon can carry your load. It could be a handful to get to and from the water because it is not a feather. One consideration is that the Marathon is a straight keel boat…a straight boat with a big mostly flat bottom. So it has high primary stability and is very stable on flatwater but it’s not ideal for taking big waves, especially ones hat hit you broadside. I’m in Michigan but just thinking about you island hopping; I hope the waters you plan to paddle are relatively protected. Finally, if you go for more than one boat (like 2 tandem kayaks) I suggest that YOU not make that decision…you want full commitment from whoever has to paddle the boat that you aren’t in. 
I would not recommend a canoe if you are planning to do coastal island hopping. Canoes are not good for surf and the kind of chop you will get along the NC outer banks. And if you capsize you would not be able to get back in which could make for a very bad situation with little kids along. A sit on top is something the kids can climb on and off in shallow water for swimming or snorkeling and that won’t be a hazard in deeper water.
Many rental liveries sell their boats off around this time of year – I recall from having worked in the outfitter biz that there are tax advantages to doing so. Tandem SOT’s are the common boat in rental fleets so I think that remains your optimal option.
I once drove 9 hours and then took a 3 hour ferry ride across Lake Michigan to buy a kayak I wanted (and of course had the same trip back). If you are planning to paddle this weekend anyway, why not head to the shore and buy the kayaks while there? Just a suggestion.
@willowleaf said:
I would not recommend a canoe if you are planning to do coastal island hopping. Canoes are not good for surf and the kind of chop you will get along the NC outer banks. And if you capsize you would not be able to get back in which could make for a very bad situation with little kids along. A sit on top is something the kids can climb on and off in shallow water for swimming or snorkeling and that won’t be a hazard in deeper water.
I don’t think a sit on top would be wise with the 2 year old. Although we plan to island hop, we’re not planning to go ocean side with the kids until they get older. This is why we’re leaning toward the two Loon 160T.
Many rental liveries sell their boats off around this time of year – I recall from having worked in the outfitter biz that there are tax advantages to doing so. Tandem SOT’s are the common boat in rental fleets so I think that remains your optimal option.
I once drove 9 hours and then took a 3 hour ferry ride across Lake Michigan to buy a kayak I wanted (and of course had the same trip back). If you are planning to paddle this weekend anyway, why not head to the shore and buy the kayaks while there? Just a suggestion.
We live on the coast so I know this happens at the end of the season. Unfortunately, if I want to get into the water this weekend with the whole family I won’t be able to buy anything from the shops right now. They won’t start selling until after Labor day.