Entry-level kayak? Good value?
- Thread starter cshontz
- Start date
compactcamping
Explorer
Thanks ...
Here is a woodstrip kayak I also built. More of a touring kayak, maybe not the best beginners project.
Here is a woodstrip kayak I also built. More of a touring kayak, maybe not the best beginners project.
compactcamping
Explorer
Yes woodstrips are a bit more involved and take a lot longer to see the results of your efforts. Check out the DuckWorks site if you're thinking about building another, many nice smaller plywood kayak/canoes and stories about them being built.
Happing Paddling
Happing Paddling
TrailBlazer03
Observer
I wouldn't buy that from L.L. Bean. I'd surf the net and poke around at different sites, and get in a price range of your liking, and then go from there.
02TahoeMD
Explorer
Kayaks R Me
Thought I would chime in
I got severely addicted to kayaking a few years back. The first kayak I tried was a simple Old Town Otter, and I paddled it on a friend's pond. I had always loved canoeing but was instantly hooked on kayaking.
Within the month I had bought my first kayak and gear. I am a big guy ( 6'5") so it is kind of hard to find boats that fit me. My first boat was an Old Town Adventure XL 139 ( a 13' boat ) which I got from an LL Bean outlet as a "blemished" boat. I was very lucky in that the salesperson I dealt with was an advid boater and he did not steer me wrong. The price was great, and I got set up with some good gear for a starter.
I have kayaked some pretty small streams with her, so shallow I was dragging my keel in places, the Conowingo Dam resevoir ( south of you on the Susquehana, the last dam before the Chesapeake ) all the way up to going way out into the Atlantic Ocean and playing with dolphins of the coast of Duck, NC. It has been a great boat and is very stable. I have used it to play in surf, though you have to be careful to keep from getting swamped, it is fun. It is what I use now as my loaner boat in the family, so they can have a good ( read: dry ) kayak experience.
My next kayak was a P&H Capella 16', she is lean and fast compared to the Old Town. Not nearly as stable, as I have gotten good at upside down exits in rough surf. It fits me like a glove, very cozy. But she is a joy to paddle as I go blasting past the rest of my family in their Old Towns.
My next kayak will probably be either a heavy duty inflatable or a collapsable that I can throw in my roof basket and take on my excursions to the west. Every time I am out west and see a lake, I miss my kayak.
A simply great resource that I can not recommend enough is:http://www.paddling.net/
There are tons of boat reviews, as well as trip guides and ideas for places to paddle. Probably places near you that you didnt even know about.
Just a couple of pics to whet your appetite....
My Tahoe loaded up with both boats. Lovely sight!
Out on Currituck Sound in my Adventure XL in 2006
Same place, but with my P&H in 2007.
Thought I would chime in
I got severely addicted to kayaking a few years back. The first kayak I tried was a simple Old Town Otter, and I paddled it on a friend's pond. I had always loved canoeing but was instantly hooked on kayaking.
Within the month I had bought my first kayak and gear. I am a big guy ( 6'5") so it is kind of hard to find boats that fit me. My first boat was an Old Town Adventure XL 139 ( a 13' boat ) which I got from an LL Bean outlet as a "blemished" boat. I was very lucky in that the salesperson I dealt with was an advid boater and he did not steer me wrong. The price was great, and I got set up with some good gear for a starter.
I have kayaked some pretty small streams with her, so shallow I was dragging my keel in places, the Conowingo Dam resevoir ( south of you on the Susquehana, the last dam before the Chesapeake ) all the way up to going way out into the Atlantic Ocean and playing with dolphins of the coast of Duck, NC. It has been a great boat and is very stable. I have used it to play in surf, though you have to be careful to keep from getting swamped, it is fun. It is what I use now as my loaner boat in the family, so they can have a good ( read: dry ) kayak experience.
My next kayak was a P&H Capella 16', she is lean and fast compared to the Old Town. Not nearly as stable, as I have gotten good at upside down exits in rough surf. It fits me like a glove, very cozy. But she is a joy to paddle as I go blasting past the rest of my family in their Old Towns.
My next kayak will probably be either a heavy duty inflatable or a collapsable that I can throw in my roof basket and take on my excursions to the west. Every time I am out west and see a lake, I miss my kayak.
A simply great resource that I can not recommend enough is:http://www.paddling.net/
There are tons of boat reviews, as well as trip guides and ideas for places to paddle. Probably places near you that you didnt even know about.
Just a couple of pics to whet your appetite....
My Tahoe loaded up with both boats. Lovely sight!
Out on Currituck Sound in my Adventure XL in 2006
Same place, but with my P&H in 2007.
02TahoeMD
Explorer
Emotion makes nice kayaks, I researched them when I was looking at getting a second boat. If you have a place to take a test paddle, go for it. The New Jersey Paddler ( located in mid- NJ I believe ) actually has a pond right at their store where you can try boats out. If that is not close enough for you, try to find a local sales expo to attend. There are regular ones held in Annapolis where you can get hands on trial of a boat before buying, and they have been hosted at a local state park as well, so there is a good chance you will be able to find a show that you can get some seat time at.
For a first kayak, I would get one with a relatively wide beam, so it would be more stable to use for a first timer, and make sure it is one that fits your body.
Good luck!
For a first kayak, I would get one with a relatively wide beam, so it would be more stable to use for a first timer, and make sure it is one that fits your body.
Good luck!
jim65wagon
Well-known member
So, will that even fit on top of a Mini?
Streakerfreak
Jan-Kee
jim65wagon said:
I know its just a joke from his thread, but believe it or not when we were living in South Florida we saw two couples stuff there two tandem sea kayaks on top of a mini. Then both couples stuffed themselves into it.
Last edited:
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
So this Kayak I'm getting - where can I use it, and how can I expect it to perform in different waters?
I'm going to be using it primarily in the Susquehanna, which is a slow-moving river, not much chop, and should be well-suited. However, the Chesapeake Bay is also nearby, and the waters are a little choppier.
The Emotion Glide is 9' long, and supposedly tracks fairly well for a short, entry-level, day-paddler. Do you think the kayak might be worth trying, but probably difficult in the Chesapeake Bay - OR pointlessly difficult, and not worth trying?
I'm just excited, and constantly thinking about where I might go.
I'm going to be using it primarily in the Susquehanna, which is a slow-moving river, not much chop, and should be well-suited. However, the Chesapeake Bay is also nearby, and the waters are a little choppier.
The Emotion Glide is 9' long, and supposedly tracks fairly well for a short, entry-level, day-paddler. Do you think the kayak might be worth trying, but probably difficult in the Chesapeake Bay - OR pointlessly difficult, and not worth trying?
I'm just excited, and constantly thinking about where I might go.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
You can bring it down here and try it out on the Rappahannock...it's an excellent river to enjoy a 'yak on....