Yak advice.

[mojo]

Hi all,

Me and the missus have been looking to buy a kayak. Nothing too fancy (or dear :p), just a fairly basic 2 person sit on top kayak, for recreational paddling in lakes/creeks/rivers etc, and a bit of stuffing around in small surf.

So far we're interested in the Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 XL, and the Perception Surge. I'm guessing some of you guys do a bit of kayaking, and was just wondering if you'd had experience with either of these, or could recommend any others?

Cheers

Sean

[waynep]

Have you been to Anaconda ?? A mate got a really good deal on a couple of sit-on kayaks there.
I believe they have a 20% off everything sale tomorrow ( Thursday ) too

[mojo]

Yep, we've been notified about the Anaconda sale so we'll be going there tomorrow night. Not sure how big their range is though - I don't think I saw any double kayaks last time we were there, but maybe they can get them in.

[Wazza]

the store on the gold coast often has "sit on" as well as "sit in" doubles on display.

Could give them a call.


Wazza

[Wazza]

Plus you can hire Kayaks etc from them for the weekend.
So you might be able to hire a model or two to try them out before you buy.

Just a thought.

Wazza

[mojo]

Thanks Wazza, I'll give them a call.

We've found another place near the Gabba called Goodtime, they let you hire a kayak and if you decide to buy then the hire cost comes off the price. I suppose Anaconda might do the same sort of deal ...

[Phoenix]

The sit on kayaks are great fun on most any water surface, rivers, lakes or even surf. I've not tried one in rapids, but that's not what they are designed for.

One comment though, make sure you get back rests, without them it doesn't take long to get sore.

[vnx205]

There are just so many brands and models and so many uses for kayaks, its hard to know where to start.
What one person finds perfect for their needs will be useless for someone else.
There are some places that hire kayaks. If you go ahead and buy, they deduct the hire fee from the purchase price. It helps a lot if you can try before you buy.
Be aware that a SOT kayak the length of the ones you mentioned will be slow.
That won't matter at all for messing about in the surf, but if you happen to go a few kms up a river or around a lake and you have to fight your way back against the wind at the end of the day when you are tired, then you will wish you had something a bit more efficient. A few of the people I often go with on leisurely paddles have swapped their very short, fat, slow SOT for a proper sea kayak for that very reason.
It is possible that you will love your kayak in the surf, but hate it on the river.
A kayak under 4 metres will be slow, but a tupperware kayak over 5 metres will be heavy. Not a problem on the water, but a PITA when it's time to lift it onto the car.
As with so many things, there is no design that will suit everyone. You just have to be fairly sure about how you will use it, try it out before you buy if possible and accept that every design is a compromise.
My needs are quite different from yours, so my kayaks are quite different. I have a 4.57 metre single that weighs under 12kg and a 6.4 metre double that weighs 24 kg. I love them, but they would not suit you.

[Phoenix]

carrying on from what vnx205 said, have a look at this webpage
http://www.southernadventures.com.au/pages/SitontopKayaks.htm

it rates 4 major aspects of each kayak, and where they are from/made. a good page to start from.

[Greylandy]

The only double sit-on-tops I can recommend are the Toyboy Voyagers. We use them in our Kathmandu Adventure Series.

http://www.lakemacquariekayaks.com.au/product_info.php'manufacturers_id=13&products_id=169&osCsid=e3efc4d7101e797dfaaac8e4d44b5318

They can take a beating and are good in flat and choppy water.

If you plan to do any sea kayaking, touring or plan to spend more then 1 hour in the boat ... bite the bullet now and get a proper glass kayak. Plastic sit-on-tops or even plastic sea kayaks are slow, heavy and only puts people off paddling.

If you want to save some cash look for a second hand unit. Most people buy them with the best of intentions and they end up in the garage, only used a couple of times. Giive this webiste a go http://www.geartrade.com.au/

Look for a Mirage if you can find one.

http://www.mirageseakayaks.com.au

[mojo]

Thanks for the advice and the links guys. I think for our needs at the moment we will be happy to stay with the sit on tops, even if they are a bit slow. I can't see us spending hours on the water or paddling km's up a river, so the fairly large price jump to the better kayaks just wouldn't be justified.

Hopefully I can get some time to try a couple of them out over the next week or so - we're wanting to head to Fraser for a few days in NOvember, and I'd love to have one by then!

Cheers

Sean

[mittadisco]

Get one each - more fun. (But they can be a pain to transport - we have 3 on top of my subaru forester). I wouldn't want to lift them on top of a disco or defender. Check the weight before purchase.

[vnx205]

Greylandy is right. Secondhand can be a good option and they have often had little use. (Especially the SOTs :p)

[mojo]

We considered getting 2 singles, but I think the missus likes the idea of being able to take a break while I paddle her around like a slave ... :mad::D

[mojo]

If I can find a second hand one that suits we'll definitely be interested, I'm keepng my eye out on Ebay and the Trading Post ...

[isuzurover]

If I can find a second hand one that suits we'll definitely be interested, I'm keepng my eye out on Ebay and the Trading Post ...

I would be interested to know what you get and if you are happy with it. We are also considering buying one. Not sure if SOT or sit in yet though.

[100I]

I'd recommend a sit in if you can stretch the $$.
Firstly, you get a wet bum and it's just not much fun anymore. You can paddle more months of the year if you're warm & dry. It won't be very long before you tackle bigger stuff (and you'll find a 10km daytrip down a river is really not a challenge at all).
FWIW my cousin bought a SOT single and we paddled down from Harry's hut to Elanda (sp) point a few months ago. She found it a real struggle to keep up with me punting my ancient and very second hand 14' flat bottomed 'glass canoe. To be fair tho, I have fitted a home made rudder with pedals and I use a surfski paddle.

If you find it a chore to push thru the water & keep it in a straight line, then you'll be less inclined to use it, so it will end up mothballed and a waste of money..

2.2c inc gst:).

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I thought you wanted one of these...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c9/YAK-55.jpg/767px-YAK-55.jpg

[vnx205]

I know I would LUUUURVVV one of those timber jobbies but they are far to exxy and we decided to put our spare cash into Landies....I mean...you can't do EVERYTHING :D:D

Are these what you mean by those timber jobbies?
They weren't expensive, just time consuming to build.
Each cost less than $400 for materials but took 150-200 hours.

[p38arover]

I, too, immediately thought of Yakovlev aircraft See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev)

[mojo]

Actually, I've often thought it'd be fun to fly a light aircraft, but unless they're around $1000 then I think I'll be sticking to the kayak ... :p

As for spending a bit more and getting a sit in kayak, I don't think the budgets going to stretch that far ... as I said though, I'm keeping an eye on the second hand market so we'll see what comes along. :)

[Phoenix]

I thought of Yak aircraft at first as well.

I've still got a 1/2 built marine ply sea kayak that I never finished, and the plans for it somewhere. I doubt i'll ever get around to finishing it either :(