Hello, I am looking at purchasing a sit on top kayak and the only one around me that’s available is a White Knuckle Fury kayak. It’s on the cheaper side but seems pretty solid. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Wide and slow. What do you plan to do with it?
rental business…
Should be as safe as a rental can be as long as the renters wear life jackets.
Hi I am looking to buy as well. We are a family - just bought a lake house on Lake Erie. First time kayakers on LARGE lake. Likely will stay close to shore. Will this be okay?
Thanks inadvance for thougths
The Great Lakes are inland seas. They have the same wind and wave issues, even dangerous shoreline currents, that affect sea coasts. I have lost 2 relatives who died due to sudden weather changes just swimming “near shore” in one of them. Any kayak is only as safe as the experience, judgement and knowledge of the people using it.
Basically, short cheap kayaks with big open cockpits and no flotation compartments are NOT safe for use on big waters like Erie. They can swamp and sink and, more importantly, being hard to propel and keep on track in rough or windy conditions which can cause paddlers to be swept out far enough that a capsize could prove deadly or they would be unable to paddle the boat back to shore.
Of course it is tempting when you move into a place on the water to want to be out on it. But just because something floats doesn’t mean that it’s safe to expose yourself to potential hazards. A father and his small child died just a few years ago on Lake Erie after heading out in a rec style kayak on a day when the winds picked up. You can’t count on things staying benign on the Great Lakes so you need to be equipped and prepared for serious conditions.
Do you have experience kayaking? Does everyone in the family know how to swim? Adults? Kids and what ages? What’s your budget? Lots of variables to sort out. And at this point, availability is a big question mark for any water craft. So take some time to dig into information for now. It will be many months before Erie is warm enough for recreational boating anyway.
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