stable kayak?

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
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I think this is the right place for a question about kayaks, maybe gadgets & gear.

Anyways, my wife wants a kayak. going to be used for lakes and small rivers, no whitewater at all, nothing even kind of fast.

She is a novice and not an athlete. Looking for something easy to paddle around in and very stable. Preferably light, so that I don't have to help her carry it. :cool: I might get my son one too, so the price should be pretty reasonable.

I have claimed that I will never get in a kayak again, due to embarrasing and slightly scary circumstances the one time I was in one, but if it was stable enough for my 300+ pounds, I might try it.
 
I'm not sure if you have something like this in the U.S. but they are a very versatile paddle craft.

I have two of them (one for when mates visit :p) and they can be used for overnight touring, as a platform for snorkeling, surfing or just a paddle workout.

http://www.spiritpaddle.com.au

How versatile? - check this out. Ahh bugger, can't get the image to link - just check out the link, remember that is a 4.5 m (14 foot) craft.

http://www.spiritpaddle.com.au/gall...ing/gal_racing11l.jpg&Title=Spirit Racing Ski
 
I have a Walden Sunapee that is very stable. I have even gotten tricked into taking it into whitewater. It weighs about 50#s. Very easy to handle and it tracks well on open water. It's a very nice compromise boat between moving water and open water. I paid around $500 for it. Shop around and you can get great deals on whatever boat you buy. Also ask for a package deal(especially if you buy 2 boats at once) since you'll probably need new paddles and vests. BTW my Sunapee would take your 300#s :)
 
Karen and I use the Perception Swifty's. They are 36 pounds and are very stable. Here in Maryland there is alot of water and we have been on the Potomac, Monacacy, and Patuxant rivers, inlets of the Cheasapeke bay, and we love them.

They cost from 325 dollars at Eastern Mountain Sports to 350 at a Galyans. Also L.L. Bean has one called the Manatee that is the same thing for about the same price.
 
As a summer kayaking and canoeing guide/instructor for the past 7 years, I can tell you that there are many stable boats on the market today that fit the bill. I'd suggest a Keowee, Perception Sparky, Wilderness Rascal, or any of the other entry-level recreational boats. All of these boats position the cockpit high above the waterline and all have excellent primary stability (the tendency or feeling of a boat to tip over when you sit in it upright) and mediocre secondary stability (the tendency or feeling of the boat to tip over once it is on edge.) They are all made of rotomolded polyethylene and can carry close to $350 lbs., some more. Keep in mind that the capacity is not limited to your weight but also your gear. Also, when trying out the boats, don't let a salesperson tell you you can use a boat if the weight exceeds the capacity. The boat will not perform the same and will be dangerous to use if overloaded (not responsive.) If you want to jump up in the kayak's weight, you could use a light touring boat. Slightly longer but they allow you more carrying capacity, better tracking and still provide you with the beam of the recreational boat.

Just some basic info. If you have any exacting questions, let me know. I'll help you out. I'd rather put someone on the water and have them be safe then have to pull them out of the water somewhere down the line.
 
There are a number of kayaks out there as mentioned in the previous posts. Old town has a lne of whattends to get called naturalist kayaks. they are usually kayaks that have good initial stability used by a lot of nature watchers who transport camera equipment. Typically having open cockpits not sit on tops but a larger opening then you see in white water or tripping kayaks.
As for the weight issue every boat has two weights that should be measure maximum capacity and optimum. you are interested in the optimum it is the most amount f weight you can put in a boat and still have it ffunction within suitable performance ranges. Sales people should be able to tell you he bith or at least know the difference and try and provide it.

As far as stability goes I am not familiar with the previous definitions for the terms used. I always though initial was on calm water secondary was in moving water. Thats at least how we market the canoes when selling because that what the makers intend for those definitions when designing a canoe. Flat bottum or as at least aas they are refered to are high initial stability boats they are also mostly found in the recreation class.
 
I think Perception also makes pontoons to add to a kayak to make it more stable, kind of like an outrigger canoe.
 
I'm resurrecting this thread, since my wife went out and bought two walden kayaks for herself and our son. She's after me to get one now, because she bought the one that was only rated for 225 pounds and I weigh considerably more!

They had a Kiwi Angler, that is a sit on top kind of kayak. I think I like the sit on top style. I was unable to find much about it except that its kind of hard to paddle, because it has kind of a catamaran hull. I don't care if its hard to paddle, but not if its impossible to paddle! Its designed for fishing. Anybody know anything about it? Thanks.
 
I use a sit on top Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. Usedfor fishing and diving in saltwater. It is very durable and stable; I can stand in it. This version has a hatch in the front for storage and a tankwell in the rear to hold gear. My other friends use other versions of the Ocean Kayaks and they all love them.

The yaks that I found to be faster in the water tend to give up stability like the Scupper Pro is faster although a little less stable than mine.
 
I use an Innova Helios, very stable, very comfortable (no cold butt next to the water) not as fast, but very stable. I like to deflate it and stick it in the back of the truck so I don't need a roof rack.
 
Well, I ended up with a Kiwi Angler\Stealth. Its a catamaran style kayak. Frankly, it didn't get great reviews in the websites I saw, but my primary concern was stability. I am 6' 310 lbs and needed something that would both support me and be stable. I nearly drowned in a sit in in Maine last summer and only got the kayak to appease the wife, who likes to kayak. The Cobra Fish N' Dive was also in consideration, but didn't feel as sturdy as the Kiwi, even though its rated for more weight.

Its set up pretty neat for fishing, although I guess it doesn't paddle all that well.

More importantly, now I have to get a couple of knives for fishing and kayaking. Yeah!
 
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