kayak vs. canoe

[freedomrider]

Hi all,

I'm planning to get my family more involved in some paddling activities and was looking for opinions regarding the pros and cons of kayaks versus canoes. My planned usage is varied: fishing, camping, or just paddling on ocean, bay, rivers, and reservoirs.

It'd be my wife, 5 year old son, and myself. The major advantage I can see with a canoe is the capacity to accommodate three people. We had the three of us on a yak when my son was younger but I don't think it'd work very well into the future. Having two or more boats isn't necessarily a problem as long as their purchase doesn't break the bank and I can work out transport on top of a truck and cap/shell.

I did quite a bit of lake and slow river canoeing as a kid and some kayaking as an adult (Mono Lake and Trinidad Head in "sit-in" yaks and a few sit-on-top days in calm water) and had fun every time (well, solo paddling a canoe upstream into a strong headwind didn't seem fun at the time ).

I'd appreciate any thoughts and experiences regarding versatility on the water, ease of transport, and any other factors I have no doubt overlooked. Thanks in advance.

Cheers!
Mike

 

[BushHead]

I would guess it depends on how much your wife likes to paddle. With the canoe you can do most of the work while they ride. I find that canoes are easier to pack heavier.. we would always take a big cooler, kid toys, dogs, etc. You can get yaks or canoes to be as versatile as you want or need but its easier to take 1 boat than 2 IMO. Both are great fun, just think about what you need your craft to do and how much weight it needs to hold.

 

[scanny]

I have 2 kayaks (for me and my wife) but after a while we bought a canoe. The main reason was canoe capacity of course. We enjoyed kayaks a lot because they are fast, agile and you can paddle at your own pace. Also you can paddle on variety or water bodies with more confidence than in canoe. The issue with kayaks was that my wife gets tired faster than I. So I had to paddle not so fast or had to stop and wait for her from time to time. Another thing is when you go camping with kayaks you are very limited in cargo space. For fishing kayaks are not the best boats in my opinion. Unless maybe you have big sit-on-top kayaks.

So as I said at the end we got 16’ Sportspal canoe and pretty happy with it. Now we can carry all our camping gear and have some space left. Or you can easily carry 3rd person in the middle. Our canoe is perfect for fishing – it has a lot of space and very stable, I don’t think it’s possible to capsize it at all. Potentially we can attach small motor (up to 3HP) if we got lazy with age. But as it goes with stable canoes it’s not as fast and it’s probably would be hard to steer in fast water.

I would definitely recommend to buy a canoe for family trips on lakes or going downstream on slow rivers, for fishing and camping. Not so sure about ocean though, never tried to paddle in the ocean. And if you decide on a canoe, make sure you got one with right balance between stability and speed for you and a canoe you can easily lift to put on top of your vehicle and carry some distance to the water. I would look at canoe under 75lb, mine is 58lb – it’s not the lightest but still manageable.

 

[MOguy]

I have a canoe and it hasn't moved an inch since we bought kayaks.

I have seen so many people get in arguments (myself included) with the other rower in a canoe. With a kayak you can padle how you want and go where you want. They are far more stable than a canoe and much easier to control. There are four of us in my family. We can fit more than enough tings into the 4 kayaks.

BUT with a 5 year old I am not sure I would want to turn him loose in his own kayak.

 

[762X39]

I'm planning to get my family more involved in some paddling activities and was looking for opinions regarding the pros and cons of kayaks versus canoes.

Canoes and Kayaks have their place. I have a 15.5' Cedar Strip canoe for hunting and outings with my wife. For solo use I am going to buy a Kayak. Luckily, there are lots of places to rent both so you can try before you commit. I recommend you rent both before you buy. Everyone is different and every family is different.Don't rush into your purchase and heed the feelings and opinions of your wife. Have fun out there.

 

[Coachgeo]

... I recommend you rent both before you buy. Everyone is different and every family is different.Don't rush into your purchase and heed the feelings and opinions of your wife. Have fun out there.

Good 2cents of info. IMHO another .02 to consider is how well can each person handle a potential adverse situation. Can they roll a Kayak back up? After rolling a canoe...... can they right it and climb back in? Take training for both situations and others and make that part of your decision as well.

 

[Christophe Noel]

For starters, only white water and sea kayakers actually "roll" their boats and that is a very advanced skill and can only be achieved with specific types of kayaks. Anyway...

Tandem kayaks require far more synergy with the other paddler than a canoe. With tandem kayaks, there's a definite chance to bang paddles together, not so with a canoe, although working together is essential to keep frustration levels low. As others have said, the autonomy people have with their own kayak is what most people find appealing. I've sea kayaked for thousands of miles in Alaska and Baja, and have started to once again lean towards a canoe. I like that my wife and I can share the same space, ********-chat, and enjoy the experience together. In our sea kayaks, we were literally more disconnected. I also love the ease of a canoe. It's like a floating pickup. Chuck it in and go. It's also easier for two people to deal with one light canoe instead of two kayaks for obvious reasons.

I was never much of a canoe guy, but I'm starting to enjoy it way more.

 

[mtnbike28]

For us:
Canoe=divorce
Kayak=great day on water

It didn't help we were in a canoe on a low and rocky Rappahannock River for an overnight trip, quotes like "watch out for the rock" followed by crunch and multiple reminders I can't see them from the back, and need more than "watch out" (her story is different I am sure) We also didn't like the tandem kayak either... now everyone gets their own boat to steer!

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

We use both canoes and kayaks, but for three passengers, I'd recommend a canoe around 17' to 18' in length. If you go for a kayak, look for a good quality triple of 20' or so. They're heavy, but stable.

 

[Christophe Noel]

For us:
Canoe=divorce
Kayak=great day on water

It didn't help we were in a canoe on a low and rocky Rappahannock River for an overnight trip, quotes like "watch out for the rock" followed by crunch and multiple reminders I can't see them from the back, and need more than "watch out" (her story is different I am sure) We also didn't like the tandem kayak either... now everyone gets their own boat to steer!

We manage a canoe way better than a tandem kayak. We did a 100 mile open water sea kayak trip in a tandem in Alaska. Sucked big time.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Tandem canoes/kayaks have a nickname of divorce boats...

Personally I paddle both an open canoe and a whitewater kayak (and have paddled sea/touring kayaks as well)

If I only had to have one boat (knowing at times there would be 2 people in it) I'd have a 16' ish open canoe - currently I have a 15'6ish Prospector shape which is fine solo on whitewater, and a bit low tandem (but good on open water tandem)

Why a 16'? Manoeuvrability and weight - I have a PE plastic Venture Canoes Prospector 15, so it weighs in at about 30kg but decent rocker makes it quite easy to turn. The 16' version is longer (length generally = more speed and less turning) and about another 5 or 6kg IIRC. The PE construction makes it tough - I've bounced mine of rocky whitewater rivers in the UK quite happily, and used that construction for many years in the UK and France as instructor boats on G2/3 whitewater and under centre use conditions (used everyday for 9 months of the year)

16' is also short enough that it's manageable solo for short portages or paddling on a river - I tended to use a 15 - 16' boat when I was guiding, others liked a 14' or shorter boat. However, I am 6'3 and 80-90kg (depending on how much work I'm doing...) and fairly proficient so I can move a boat around quite well - a mate borrowed my 15' boat to compare to his 16' boat (same boat, just the 16' version) as he was certain my smaller boat was helping me... it wasn't only the boat in the end...

Sorry a bit rambling, but here's some pictures:
Kayaking:

Canoeing:

Working:

Whichever option you go for, get some coaching from someone who knows what they're doing - the tricks and tips that instructors know make life a lot easier and lot more relaxed!

 

[Coachgeo]

For starters, only white water and sea kayakers actually "roll" their boats and that is a very advanced skill and can only be achieved with specific types of kayaks. Anyway...
....

my bad..... wrong wording from a kayak know nothing; with a little Canoe training..... maybe could be better worded as .... "experience how to escape / swim out from under (is that right wording) if you roll over and how to "right" back up each type, along with climb back in/on without flipping it again. That experience should play into decision. Long ago had training on how to flip canoe back over. Was required before we were allowed to use the canoes. It can be a PITA. The one the user finds easist might be the best choice.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Capsize is the first stage... roll or recovery is the next.

I can roll my kayak, and I can paddle my canoe swamped to safety where I can empty it. I can nearly get under it and flip/throw it the right way up... but if you look closely you'll see the yellow bags in my 1st canoe picture - about 10' of airbags displaces a lot of water and makes self recovery a lot easier as the boat sits higher in the water.

 

[MOguy]

The recreational kayaks are far more stable than a canoe. The sit on sill never take on water. If you do fall off it will probably right its self, if not can you flip it over easily. it won't sink unless it is destroyed. The only time I have been out and see a kayak flip is when my 10 year old intentional rammed my wife and she wasn't expecting it. It was funny as hell but I couldn't let him see me laugh. Every time I go out I see more than one canoe getting flipped

A sit in sometimes come with foam pieces in them. These are for bouncy so if it does flip and take on water, it won't sink. If you don't have foam and are worried if you add anything that floats inside you kayak that will help.


If you have a sit on and take on enough water you many may have to get on shore to drain it.

If you are with another getting back into a kayak after you have fallen out is not too bad. If you are alone and do not go to shore to get back it there are techniques you can use to get back it and it will probably be simpler than getting back into a canoe in that situation.

 

[Stumpalump]

Short paddle craft are for fast moving water. Longer canoes are for lakes. We have lakes near us and have a blast. It's painful to blow by kayaks and short canoes with young strong people in them. Paddle boards are a joke except for exercise. We have the right long 18' canoe for our use. If we move near or decide to do white water again I'll buy another raft. If I was 20 and lived near class 4 stuff I'd buy a yak. I'd never buy a short canoe for anything. I'd never buy a yak because I like my wife, pet, cooler and go bag. I grew up on a river. I'm buying a 29-36' single diesel trawler to do the Great Loop as soon as I'm sick of working. I'll bring a tiny row boat dingy with me. I love row boats. They fly and handle very well once you get used to them.