Any Kayakers here?

[brainsagolfer]

i am planning on pulling the plug on work in a few months. I plan tomove closer to the beach (SC or NC) since there is so much to do year round outside.
I see people kayaking in the lagoons and waterways - fishing or whatever - but i have never done any boating let alone kayak.
Looks like a pretty serene way to spend a few hours.

So.... how easy is it, how do you transport it, etc. I know there are classes - so i am pretty sure i would go that route - but just curious to hear some advice/experiences of those who do it.
What kind of kayak do you have?
Anything to be cautious of when beginning?

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I love kayaking and I'm going to do more of it when I retire. I have a sit on kayak- mostly because I don't like putting my bare feet in a closed up space where there might be bugs. Mine only weighs about 50 lbs, and I can wrestle it into the water myself (I'm a 5 ft tall woman) You can put a kayak rack on top of your car or put it in the back of a pick up truck.

Longer kayaks are easier to steer, but they're too heavy for me to handle on my own so I don't have one. I find kayaking wonderfully relaxing and enjoy going by myself or with friends. It's ridiculously easy. Kayaks are much more stable than canoes. You'll love it!

 

[YakGrl]

I have been kayaking for about 20 years. I love it. I highly recommend it. I would advise to find a local kayak outfitter that rents and provides lessons and they usually also provide guided local outings. That will give you an introduction without a big investment. Then you can determine what kind of kayaking you prefer so that you can purchase the right equipment for your needs. Rent for a while and enjoy some short outings.

 

[braumeister]

One oddball thing you might look into is a folding kayak. Mine is a 12 foot flat bottom folding kayak that fits into two bags that can easily be tossed into the trunk of any car. I've had it for 23 years and used it all over the country and parts of Canada. Takes 15-20 minutes to assemble or disassemble.

 

[levindb]

We just went out today at Markham Park, Sunrise FL. I would recommend lakes and canals with slow currents. Once you get comfortable with getting in and out, and the impact to your shoulders and arms, you can decide if you want to get into more rigorous environments. Also, there is a good amount of effort launching and storing these if they are on top of your car.

We have car top racks to handle our 2 9.5' kayaks. The idea of classes/renting should give you a taste before you decide if you want to make a more significant investment.

 

[cbo111]

We have a two-person kayak. We went this route primarily because DW has limited energy and strength to paddle alone. I recommend strongly that you rent kayaks several times to see if you really like it, otherwise you will have a very large paperweight clogging up your garage.
Also, if you do purchase, spend the extra $$ to get a quality lightweight carbon fibre paddle, like a Werner. You will be able to spend a lot more time on the water without your arms pooping out.

 

[like2]

Yes! DW and I have been renting kayaks for a few years now, and finally bought a couple last year. We really enjoy it. We purchased our kayaks at Sams Club. They were made by Lifetime and are the sit on top type, which we both prefer. Definitely rent a few times before you buy. Also consider how you will transport them, kind of a pain to load on roof racks but we have a pick up so it's not too bad to load them in the bed and tie them down. Remember life vests, hat and sunblock!!

 

[Souschef]

I have kayaked for a number of years also. I do not do it often enough to buy one, so I just rent.
I prefer the sit in kayaks as you able to get more back support, plus your center of gravity is lower for more stablity. But YMMV.
It is great fun, and you only have to go as far as you feel comfortable.
One of my best kayaks was in Beauvert Lake in Jasper Park. I wanted to get some shots of the surrounding mountains, so I paddled out to the middle of the lake clear of tree.
Remember, put sunblock on the tops of your feet-very important

 

[travelover]

There are different types of kayaks depending on what type of water you like to paddle on. We have "leisure" kayaks that are good for small lakes and calm rivers. Whenever we camp, we carry them on the roof of the SUV and use them during the day if there is water nearby. They are easy to learn to paddle, though I'd recommend taking a safety course to learn how to self rescue if you were to capsize in open water as well as how to help someone else. I've never capsized, but it is good to be prepared.

 

[Bamaman]

Many of the great kayakers live in the Atlanta area so they can be close to the Ocoee, Nantahala and Chattooga rivers in Western NC, Northeast Georgia and the SC state line areas.

We often go by the Ocoee River and by the Olympic kayaking center. The river is absolutely incredible, and full of kayakers and rafters on weekends.

 

[omni550]

I recommend renting and trying out several...sit on top, sit inside, longer, shorter, blow-molded plastic, or carbon fiber($$)...to see what you prefer. (Dealers or clubs sometimes sponsor a day of sampling various kayaks at a local site. Possibly ask around your area and see if one is scheduled.)

My preference is a sit inside (better back support, lower center of gravity, easier to "pull hard" if you are working against the wind or current/tide, less sunburn of legs/feet...also sheltering lower body if it's windy or rainy.

I also vote for buying a lightweight paddle. It's well worth the ~$250 as it's the one item you move with every stroke...and a few hours of paddling on a windy or wavy day or if the tide turns when you are out...and it makes a HUGE difference in your comfort.

A lasso to keep your paddle attached to the kayak (in case it slips out of your hands) is a good idea, too.

Be sure to have a PFD (personal flotation device) and I suggest you wear it at all times. They even have lightweight inflatable ones that feel like you're hardly wearing one. I have a whistle attached to my PFD to attract attention if I need help.

I suggest wearing gloves (I wear workout gloves, which protect my hands and leave my fingers exposed for doing any knot-typing, etc. activities.), a hat, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen.

And a small dry-bag for your cell phone and car keys).

Have fun!

omni

 

[harllee]

DH and I have tandem kayaked all over the U.S. We use a flat water tandem sit in kayak (not whitewater--not skilled enough for that). Our tandem kayak weighs 60 pounds, we carry it on top of our SUV, we can handle it but we would not want anything heavier. We are considering getting a kayak trailer to pull behind our SUV so we will not have to lift the kayak up on top of the car.
We also have a skirt for our kayak (covers the opening to keep the legs warm) so we can kayak in the cold weather. I wear kayak gloves but DH does not. We always wear life vests.

If you have not kayaked before definitely rent one first. You will be surprised how much upper body strength it takes and how tiring it is. Now we can kayak for miles but we had to build up the upper body strength. We exercise on a rowing machine in the off season, that helps.

We kayak on the NC and SC coast--be careful of oyster beds and be especially careful of alligators. While kayaking in a SC swamp we had an alligator jump from the bank over the top of our kayak, it scared me to death.

 

[nativenewenglander]

My wife and I bought ultra light canoes last year rather than kayaks. My wife has a 10'5" version it weighs 14 lbs. Mine is 13' and weighs 19 lbs. You paddle with a traditional kayak paddle. I fly fish out of mine all summer long and now can go to some really remote ponds as the boat is so light to carry. The boats are a matrix of carbon fiber and kevlar.

 

[momoftwo]

DH and I retired to a lake house in NJ last year.
Water is calm.
Mid 60s, never kayaked before.
Watched youtube videos to learn a bunch.
Bought a second hand 8ft sit on top from local nextdoor site.
One afternoon and we were hooked.
Bought a second inexpensive Lifetime 6ft sit on top, some vests, paddles and a few dry bags.
Maybe $700 total.
They store covered under our deck off back of house off season.

Transport on top our SUV would be difficult.
We plan on using only on the community lake anyway.
We pull the boats to the landing down the block using these strap on wheelie things.

If we can do it, you can too!

 

[ckelly78z]

We have inflatable 10' paddle boards that we take camping with us, and short trips to many local lakes.

https://irockersup.com/product/iroc...MI8YbSn5mR5wIVYP7jBx3sWgIkEAQYAyABEgIAZ_D_BwE

 

[Ronstar]

I kayak quite a bit. I have a Wilderness Systems Pungo 120, a 12’ recreational kayak. We live on a small lake, about 200 acres, so almost all of my kayaking is done in my backyard. I keep my kayak on my dock 24/7 spring, summer and fall. I have transported my kayak in the back of my pickup truck / but only .2 miles to the next lake.

 

[GreenEggs]

I'm not a kayaker but I thought I'd mention that I've seen a couple of interesting types of kayaks that you might want to consider looking at while you're deciding what to get.

I live on Lake Norman, near Charlotte, and have seen a few pedal-powered kayaks here. One guy pedals & paddles his, which looks like great exercise & it also goes pretty fast. Pedal-power is popular for fishing kayaks, since it's easier to pedal while fishing.

Another thing that you might want to look at is an inflatable kayak. I just watched a YouTube video of them. The one they had only weighed 17 lbs & packed pretty small. They're easier to store & transport than a rigid one.

 

[travelover]

I would not recommend a two person kayak. They take a fair amount of coordination between the paddlers to avoid paddle interference and thus are called "divorce boats". It is also more interesting, IMHO, to each have their own boat.

 

[grasshopper]

Landlocked Arizonan here, but we take small ship active cruses that includes kayaking in fun places.

 

[YakGrl]

Landlocked Arizonan here, but we take small ship active cruses that includes kayaking in fun places.

View attachment 33602

Last year I did a UnCruise small ship trip to Alaska and did Kayaking in Glacier Bay and Inside Passage. It was wonderful! I was able to sit and observe a large brown bear that was salmon fishing! Lots of otters!

 

[LRDave]

For coastal areas, I would suggest as long a kayak as you can handle. Do not get a sit-atop.

As others have said, go on a guided rental trip - maybe even a couple or more. See how you like it, see what feels comfortable, see how fatiguing it is for you. Good paddling technique helps - uses your core as well as your arms. I 2nd the recommendation of gloves. Paddling gloves are readily available on the interwebs and likely wherever you would acquire your kayak.

Happy boating!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

DW and I each have our own, I would recommend that over a 2 person model. We fish from them and just enjoy ourselves on rivers and small lakes here in MN. We love them.


We have Perceptions, I believe mine is a Swifty. Hers is similar. Both are about 9' and we haul them in the back of my Pickup. Get a model with a keel which adds stability, some of the cheaper ones you see at discount stores don't have that feature.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I used to be very involved in Sea Kayaking and have owned quite a few boats... my boat now is a Stand Up Paddleboard. I like the seaworthiness of a sea kayak but living on the gulf coast of FL, I don't really need it. You may want to try SUP as well before choosing a vessel. Things I like about SUP is it is cooler in hot weather, better angle to view sealife underwater (see so much more from the higher vantage point), can sit/kneel/and stand (and even lay down and take a nap!)... long trips in the kayak are hard on my butt! The SUP is also easier to transport being lighter and smaller.


That said, kayaks are better for hauling gear, seaworthiness (depending on the boat and skill of the paddler), and are more efficient if you want to cover longer distances.


No wrong way to get out on the water!!!

 

[GreenEggs]

The main problem I had with an SUP was it is VERY difficult to paddle against a strong headwind. Fortunately, I was in a lake and was able to let the wind win & walked home. If it had been out in open water I'd have been in big trouble.

 

[kitesurfer2]

I have way too much advise to give on kayaking. I would advise you to visit the charlotte whitewater center. hang out. watch people. talk to people. whitewater boaters are a friendly bunch and as a rule know a huge amount about boating, safety, and rescue. Also, join the CarolinaCanoe Club. They have members all over the state and have club paddles weekly. you will find that most white water kayakers also paddle sea kayaks and canoes. I personally go for comfort and speed...speed equating to faster with less effort. that means a long water line boat and a carbon fiber bent shaft paddle. don't expect to learn much about kayaking in a rental sit on top. they are slow and hard to paddle with the heavy aluminum ones the outfitters use.
I've been paddling whitewater primarily since the early 80's, but i've also owned and paddle sea kayaks too. I owned one sit on top for guest would they would rather flip and swim a ww boat than paddle a sit on top. I currently have a 17' and 13.5 for the wife, both skirted/sit ins and I have the latest and greatest ww boat, that i've paddled 3 times. I appear to have moved on , sadly. oh, I am also a certified raft guide