Looking For My First Kayak

[maxwellq]

I am looking to get my 1st kayak. I am a little on the short and heavy side 5' 9", 255 and I am concerned with stability. I also have bad knees and would like to be able to stand and fish without falling out. I have decided that a sit-on would be best, and looking for any recommendations. I don't mind paddling, but some kind of drive system would be nice if it can function in shallow, weedy areas. I am thinking a 12 footer should work. I would like to stay under 1k if possible and wouldn't be opposed to buying used. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[richg99]

1st kayak. I am a little on the short and heavy side 5' 9", 255 and I am concerned with stability.
Wider would be better than narrow.

I also have bad knees and would like to be able to stand and fish without falling out.Hard to do with good knees, at least for me. Definitely, wider would be better. Agile yakkers stand all of the time and they choose their yak with stability being important.

I have decided that asit-on would be best, Good choice.

I don't mind paddling, but some kind of drive system would be nice if it can function in shallow, weedy areas. Depends on your definition of "shallow". I do not own a pedal yak; one of the reasons is that I often fish in ten inches of water or less. (Texas Saltwater Flats). I do not know of any pedal yak that can do that. The very well regarded Hobie system can be "fluttered" but not fully utilized in very shallow water. I have read that they are less than efficient when used as a paddle yak. I believe that they are large, heavy, and very expensive.

I am thinking a 12 footer should work. Generally speaking...longer is faster, shorter is more maneuverable. Wider is more stable, narrower is faster but tippier.

I would like to stay under 1k if possible and wouldn't be opposed to buying used. There are many yaks that you can purchase under $1,000.00. I know of NONE that would have a pedal system for anywhere near that price, new or used.

You can add a trolling motor to almost any Sit-on-Top yak for $200.00 or so. ($100.00 30 lb TM; $50.00 or so for a battery; $50.00 for a home-made rudder system.) But, then, in most States, you will have to register and/or license the yak.

Try it before you buy it is an old, and wise IMHO, adage. Used yak sellers may be able to provide a quick spin on a local pond. Many yak dealers hold "Demo Days". I'd imagine that any yakkers in your area would let you take their personal yak out for a quick trial spin if they were going fishing anyhow.

Both Paddling.net and Austin Canoe and Kayak ACK.COM websites have tons of reviews on most styles and brands of yaks. I suggest you do a LOT of reading, so, if a good, used, yak comes on the market, you already know its features.

Check to see if there are any kayak groups in your area. They not only might provide a demo ride, but used yaks first appear in local groups. Good Luck, richg99

p.s. I am 6'1; 255 lbs so I feel your pain. Ha Ha I am also 77 years of age, so agility is only a word that I can spell, not use.

[bilgerat]

I recommend a stadium seat in addition to the above advice. They put you a bit higher in the yak, which makes for a more comfortable fishing experience.

[richg99]

Great advice from Bilgerat. The seat can make a day on the water fun or just plain miserable. You can modify and improve on what you get, but a good seat is a blessing.

[fluke1987]

In all honesty...the NuCanoe Frontier 10 would be a great boat for you. 10 feet long, 39 inches wide...500 pound weigh capacity. Price is about $1250.

You can add a bass boat style seat to the base which would be super comfortable and you can add a trolling motor to the rear since it has a square transom to mount on. Only paddle when you need to then. They sell a stand up bar that will mount right in the gear tracks of the kayak for you to brace yourself on...and the boat has a deeper cockpit area with side walls to brace your shins against as well.

https://www.nucanoe.com/frontier-10/

[Warhawk]

You and I are about the same size. Besides bad knees, I have a bad back and definite stability issues. There is no chance I'm ever standing up in a kayak. For me there are three things I need, a comfortable seat, stability and ease of paddling. The last two are kind of at odds, the wider the more stable but wider also makes it slower and harder to paddle. My first kayak was a Jackson Coosa that I traded a rifle for. It's made for rivers and has almost no tracking, meaning the front end swings around with every paddle stroke. I didn't keep it long.

You OU pretty much get what you pay for in a kayak. The good ones ain't cheap. The cheapest of the pedal drives is the new Perception 12 footer at $1799, but I don't thing they have all the bugs worked out of the drive just yet.

You want to stay at about 75% of the maximum capacity, so if it's rated for 400# try to keep the load (you plus gear) at about 300#. I broke that rule by a little with my Jackson Tripper 12, rated for 375#. And the Tripper can carry LOTS of gear.

i also have Native Slayer 10 Propel that I recently bought (used). I'm still getting used to it, and am glad that I kept the Tripper. The Slayer is a sit on top with the pedal drive and I can probably carry 20-25% of the gear that I can carry in the Tripper. There just isn't much room.

The pedal drive boats boats need a minimum of about 18 inches of water to function, and grass and weeds suck. It's no fun at all raising the drive to clear the prop. A paddle kayak will float in a few inches of water and weeds have no effect.

My wife has a Jackson Tupelo, it's only rated for 300# but I have used it a few times. It's a very easy to paddle kayak, that will cover a lot of water with not much effort. Unfortunately it's not well suited for fishing, you can do it, and I have, but you have to go with minimal tackle.

For $1000 in a new kayak I think it's impossible to beat the Tripper 12. It's 95% the same boat as a Kilroy, compare them and you'll see what I mean. I added $50 worth of slide track and rubber mat to the deck and I'm good to go.

Bass Pro sells the Ascend line that would be in your price range. A friend has an FS12T and likes it, he likes mine better tho.

Academy Sports has a few in your price range. A Perception 12 footer and the Pelican Catch 120.

The best kayak for the money is the Vibe Sea Ghost. It comes with a paddle for $899 for the 13 and $829 for the 11 footer. Riptide kayaks down in Texas sells a very similar 13 footer for the same price.

Dont forget that you'll need a paddle, and good ones aren't cheap. And a life jacket, the ones made for paddling have bigger arm holes. I am using a manual inflation PFD and really like it.

[Royjulius]

Great post Warhawk. Especially the part about the pedal drives. I had already thought about areas on my local lakes that would be too weedy to pedal in, but I never considered how difficult it would be to clean one off.

[fluke1987]

Here is a nice picture of the NuCanoe Frontier 10 with the bass boat style seat

Screenshot_20170509-115537.jpg

[RoadrashPaul]

My dad has the bigger Nucanoe and my biggest complaint is weight. It is heavy.

[fluke1987]

My dad has the bigger Nucanoe and my biggest complaint is weight. It is heavy.

The Pursuit can be heavy if you leave the seat in it...but at 13.5 feet long its very comparable to other kayaks of the same length at 82 pounds without the seat. The Frontier however is very manageable with the 10 foot model at 62 pounds and the 12 foot model at 77 pounds without the seat.

[richg99]

Depending on the age and "physicality" of the yakker, sooner or later putting any yak onto the roof of a van or car can get troublesome. If you have a truck and can slide it into the bed, that should be much easier.

Everyone that I know who buys a heavy Hobie pedal yak winds up with a trailer.

[magnumb]

Nu Canoe is heavy....I would try a Native Ultimate 12FX or 15FX with a NuCanoe adjustable paddle.

Hard to find a more stable yak with high-low seating and tons of open floor space. It's pretty much a canoe where the hull is shaped as pontoon. 600lbs capacity, can stand up, probably the best seat in the market and great for fishing. Another cheaper option would be Old Town twin heron.

[fluke1987]

Nu Canoe is heavy....I would try a Native Ultimate 12FX or 15FX with a NuCanoe adjustable paddle.

Hard to find a more stable yak with high-low seating and tons of open floor space. It's pretty much a canoe where the hull is shaped as pontoon. 600lbs capacity, can stand up, probably the best seat in the market and great for fishing. Another cheaper option would be Old Town twin heron.

In that comparison, yes the NuCanoe Frontier 12 will be heavier than the 12FX. But your also comparing a sit in vs. sit on top kayak. Sit ins are inherently lighter due to less plastic in their build. The FX12 will not be self bailing too.

[Warhawk]

Nu Canoe is heavy....I would try a Native Ultimate 12FX or 15FX with a NuCanoe adjustable paddle.

Hard to find a more stable yak with high-low seating and tons of open floor space. It's pretty much a canoe where the hull is shaped as pontoon. 600lbs capacity, can stand up, probably the best seat in the market and great for fishing. Another cheaper option would be Old Town twin heron.

The Jackson Tripper 12 is very similar to the Ultimates, and $999 new.

[bksnaz]

Demo as many choices as you can. See if you can hook up with a local kayak angling group.
Your current budget pretty much takes you out of the pedal drive segment.
Definitely a ton of choices out there. List your priorities down on paper then actually demo or rent some and actually go through the entire drill a few times(fish in them). Then re-write or re-order your priorities.
Good luck and enjoy it.

[Nikonian]

All excellent advice.

I might also consider kayak weight. Just upgraded from a 13ft 50lbs sit-in-side to a Kraken 15.5 that weighs 85lbs empty. The Kraken is a PITA to get on top of the car by myself.

Regarding speed, the Kraken is a full 1 mph faster than the shorter and much lighter 13 footer according to the Garmin echoMap 53DV.

+1 on a comfortable seat. I love the Jackson lawn-chair style seat and can easily sit in it for 8 hours. My previous kayak required a shore pit stop every 2-3 hours for stretching.

I too would recommend a wide & stable kayak at about 12-14 ft, perhaps something in the 60lbs range if lifting is an issue. Here in the Midwest, jetskis are as thick as the bluegills. Boatwake is not nearly as bad on a wider kayak. Yes the big fishing kayaks are more stable and faster.....but getting one on the roof can be really tricky.

My latest method to get this 85lbs monster on the roof works quite well. I throw a moving blanket on the hood & windshield for protection. Lift the stern end on the hood. Then grab the bow and slide/push the stern right up onto the roof kayak cradle. I might get a few strange looks at the boat ramp, but I also don't have a hernia

BTW, the "Thule 898 Hullavator Pro Kayak Lift Assist Carrier” is only good for 40lbs kayaks. I tried one

Best advice is to demo and then buy.

[HAMEEN]

Buy used, best bet for saving some $$ and buying up.

[magnumb]

In that comparison, yes the NuCanoe Frontier 12 will be heavier than the 12FX. But your also comparing a sit in vs. sit on top kayak. Sit ins are inherently lighter due to less plastic in their build. The FX12 will not be self bailing too.

Handling, weight, storage, and seat comfort made me go with the Ultimate over the Frontier.
Self bailing is really nice, but you wouldn't have storage or weight advantage if it was self bailing. There was no perfect craft for what I'm doing, but the Ultimate came the closest and NRS Pike was my 2nd choice. I needed it to support 500lbs plus, have enough room for gear for 2Plus weeks of camping in Boundary Waters, carry good speed, stable enough to stand, comfortable seat to be able paddle for 8 hours or more and something I could portage.

[magnumb]

The Jackson Tripper 12 is very similar to the Ultimates, and $999 new.

That is a nice looking yak...I think I find the ultimate to have more storage area and it also may be more stable due to the pontoon hull. But for the price it looks nice if you don't need storage or not standing that much.

[richg99]

Ahhh The Boundary Waters.... God's country for sure. Packed in and canoed and fished for a week ......twice .....a mere 60/61 years ago!
Hope it hasn't changed much since then. Yes, you will need all of the packing and carrying capacity that your yak will allow.

Looks like a good choice. We will want a full report when you return.

I seem to remember that a chrome flatfish (probably no longer made) and some red/white Dardevle spoons worked well on the pike and smallies.

Have fun. richg99

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Darde...Q&gclsrc=aw.ds