Favorite Good Boats
A guide to some great kayaks I've known.
Most newbie kayakers run out to the local big box store and get a cheap plastic 10' "Bucket That Floats" as my kayaking guru once said. Some seem intimidated by a whole ten feet, and try an eight footer. Or hope they can fit in the little sit on top made for kids.
While anything that gets you on the water is a good thing, better things can be had.
Taking a tour around local listings and marketplaces can net you a Really Good Boat for stupid cheap... perhaps the same or less than the Bucket That Floats. Or, as someone said: get your second boat first.
WHY? Because a good boat will not frustrate you. It will glide through the water easily. You can paddle it all day, or an hour, and not be exhausted (exhaustion on the water can be dangerous). You can handle wind, waves and current. You will be comfortable. You will go farther, with less effort and see more things. You will have more leeway for when conditions change, or you decide to go with a more adventurous group.
Some things I've seen in reviews about kayaks in general: wet ride, gear gets wet, hatches leak, hard to carry/move/transport, stability (or lack thereof), agility (ability to turn) tracking straight or weathercocking.
These are a few of the boats I haved owned or paddled. There are other great boats out there. Do your research, talk to people who paddle, to outfitters not big box stores, read reviews. Find the boat that fits for a lifetime.
Repairs: you can find videos online for all kinds of repairs. Pipe insulation to seal hatches, plastic welding kits for cracked hulls, Flex Seal tape to finish it off, new bungee line and more.
Also thanks to Dave Tristan for catching some of these shots: if I'm in 'em, probably his (as long time kayak buddy), others are mine mine mine.
While anything that gets you on the water is a good thing, better things can be had.
Taking a tour around local listings and marketplaces can net you a Really Good Boat for stupid cheap... perhaps the same or less than the Bucket That Floats. Or, as someone said: get your second boat first.
WHY? Because a good boat will not frustrate you. It will glide through the water easily. You can paddle it all day, or an hour, and not be exhausted (exhaustion on the water can be dangerous). You can handle wind, waves and current. You will be comfortable. You will go farther, with less effort and see more things. You will have more leeway for when conditions change, or you decide to go with a more adventurous group.
Some things I've seen in reviews about kayaks in general: wet ride, gear gets wet, hatches leak, hard to carry/move/transport, stability (or lack thereof), agility (ability to turn) tracking straight or weathercocking.
- A long lean boat is faster and more efficient. They usually track straighter, but my dorky 10' Lifetime Tahoma tracks well because of its good design.
- A shorter boat usually turns faster, but my 14' Scupper turns on a dime.
- Wet gear? OMG USE DRY BAGS! No kayak is dry. Put anything you want dry in a drybag, drybox or multiple ziplocks. Stuff your hold with air (bags, gallon jugs, pool noodles, gear bags full of gear and air, flotation bags) so your boat CAN'T fill with water.
- Leaky hatches: there's ways to fix that, including pipe insulation. See YouTube and talk to Mr Google.
- Does the boat fit YOU? It should be comfortable. It's the Boat You Wear.
- Wet butt? Yaaaaaa, it's a SIT ON TOP (SOT) it's designed for surf and waves and such, It's a cross between a surfboard and a kayak. Wear appropriate foul weather gear, a wetsuit, drysuit or just go out in warm weather. Carry a sponge and bilge pump for the hold (in case the hatches leak). Also you can pad the seat a bit to get out of the puddle.
- Also, it's a kayak: if you're worried about getting wet, stay home!
- Don't push yourself or your boat beyond what both of you can handle.
- Stability? It's like learning to ride a horse: learn to balance. However, if you're casting a giantass surf rod over your shoulder, you might need a bigger boat...
- What kind of water/paddling is your boat designed for? Is it a rec boat that is good for flat calm lakes? Then don't try to run the storm swollen creek. Is it a long sea kayak? Maybe don't try class 3 rapids. Do the hatches leak at all? Use dry bags, flotation bags, pool noodles, gear in dry bags, inflated dry bags, plastic jugs of air to fill your hold or cockpit so your boat doesn't sink. Carry a bilge pump and sponge. Have buddies. Maybe don't paddle ten miles offshore. Did you want to carve on waves (agility) or paddle long distances (tracking, speed, efficieny); make a choice, your boat won't do both.
- You CAN heel a well designed SOT: if you fit it. Your legs are against the sides of the boat, and control it much the way one does in a traditional kayak.
These are a few of the boats I haved owned or paddled. There are other great boats out there. Do your research, talk to people who paddle, to outfitters not big box stores, read reviews. Find the boat that fits for a lifetime.
Repairs: you can find videos online for all kinds of repairs. Pipe insulation to seal hatches, plastic welding kits for cracked hulls, Flex Seal tape to finish it off, new bungee line and more.
Also thanks to Dave Tristan for catching some of these shots: if I'm in 'em, probably his (as long time kayak buddy), others are mine mine mine.
Above: Mak-eh-Nuk's Fin and The Tardis at Pokomoke State Park. Looks like I've got a waka on my roof. Perception Sea Lion and Wilderness Systems Cape Horn. Note the Tardis sticker on The Tardis. Sea Lion: foreground.
Mak-eh-nuk's Fin: Perception Sea Lion: 17.5'... sea kayak
The name came from a reference in a book on orcas to a northwest coast legend. In every culture around the world who lives alongside seals, there are selkie legends of seals who take off their sealskins to walk on land in human form. On the northwest coast, there are the whale folk who take off their fins to walk on land... the fin becomes a boat. This is my "sealskin/soulskin". "Mak-eh-nuk" is from "Orca: the whale called killer" by Eric Hoyt; it is a badly angliziced version of the Kwakiutl word for orca. It relates to a character in my stories.
I accompanied a friend to a cabin in the Adirondacks one summer. They had kayaks. At least one had "Aquaterra" emblazoned across the bow. "In 1977 Perception began manufacturing rotational molded (roto molded) plastic kayaks. Then In 1984, Masters started another company called Aquaterra to manufacture touring kayaks. Eventually, Aquaterra was absorbed into Perception Kayaks as the touring arm of its operation." I had originally meant to snorkel all week (floatin boats were to jump off of to look at the sunken boat) but the vis was to my elbow so "what about those floatin boats?" I got in one, weebled, wobbled, yawed, and finally set out across Franklin Falls Pond (a giant honkin lake) and pretty much didn't get out of it for a week.
I need one of these.
Next spring, I went to a paddling demo, the sort of thing outfitters do at parks to get folks interested, and maybe buy a boat. I met a lady from a kayak/canoe club and joined up. She knew someone with a kayak for sale.
It was a hugeass 17.5' boat. "I was picturing something...smaller?"
But Gail waxed eloquent about the awesomeness of the boat. I went home, and a few days later the miniscule income tax refund came in: it was the price of the boat. To quote Maui in Moana: "A BOAT! The gods have sent me a boat!"
I have paddled it for a couple decades in everything from a handsbreadth of water to open ocean. Mostly it's been lakes, rivers like the Susquehanna and Sassafras, parts of the Bay or around Chincoteague, or chasing a Viking longship. I can paddle faster than they can row, and keep up with them under sail, mostly.
The Sea Lion is long, lean, efficient, versatile. I've had newbies and kids in it... and once, a cattle dog on deck. You can pack two days worth of backcountry gear in it (or more). It has waterproof bulkheads (which I have resealed with silicone caulk). I've replaced bungees, hatch covers (they're neoprene under plastic covers, and the neoprene wears at the edges). Fixed a rudder. And at least once, paddled to The End of The World (Assateague's Hook) and had the rudder fall off. I carry string and duct tape and fixed it enough to paddle back across wide open water in wind, tide and waves.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
Sea Lion S. Length: 16'-8". Width: 22". Weight: Standard 54 lbs. Carbon 44 lbs. Cockpit Size: L: 32" x W: 16". Dry Storage Capacity: 8050 cu. in.
One reviewer calls it HUMONGOUS. 17' (more with rudder) and over 60 pounds. It has fabulous primary stability and secondary stability: you can heel it over and stick it there. It does NOT turn on a dime (give me 40 acres... and heaving it around on big swells is... interesting) but it will get going and keep going with the fierce determination of a Malamute. The cockpit is just right: not big enough to ship water, not too small to be claustrophobic. You need to "wear the boat", have contact with seat, thighs, feet... like riding a horse... to feel the water and to control the boat. This gives you that feel and control.
My friend also got a Sea Lion, without the rudder. It really NEEDS a rudder. The bottom of the hull is smooth, rounded and weathercocks if the wind thinks of blowing, the rudder keeps it tracking straight otherwise, you are fighting it, paddling harder on one side to keep straight.
After years of paddling, plastic boats acquire scratches, and on one recent voyage on a calm lake, a scratch turned into a crack and the cockpit began taking on water. I pulled up on a beach and bailed. My friends laugh at my packing All The Things in the boat (Ilearned from serious touring and expedition kayakers)... and on this day I did not have All The Things... but my Boy Scout Mom friend had duct tape. I had spent a few months using duct tape as the last layer on a horse hoof, in PA spring mud, and duct tape had worked. A few layers on a dry hull and it lasted the next four hours. It is something you should carry, if you were well away from your put in you could still make it back even in more difficult conditions. Also, bilge pumps and sponges are your friend. They make plastic welding kits specifically for this kind of thing, and there are a gazillion YouTube videos showing how to weld a hull.
As I was loading up that day, a group beside me had "spilled the crayon box" all over; a colorful mess of kayaks were being loaded. One bright yellow one caught my eye..."IS THAT A SCUPPER PRO?"
It was and it was not for sale, but the guy knew where one was.
Except his buddy comes over and goes: "I have an old Scupper... for $125..."
Both date from the 80s, and are the first sit on top kayaks designed. I paddled my friend's Scupper Pro as a spare boat for years. it is awesome. Of course I followed Scupper Dude and his wife to their house and came home with a boat...
I accompanied a friend to a cabin in the Adirondacks one summer. They had kayaks. At least one had "Aquaterra" emblazoned across the bow. "In 1977 Perception began manufacturing rotational molded (roto molded) plastic kayaks. Then In 1984, Masters started another company called Aquaterra to manufacture touring kayaks. Eventually, Aquaterra was absorbed into Perception Kayaks as the touring arm of its operation." I had originally meant to snorkel all week (floatin boats were to jump off of to look at the sunken boat) but the vis was to my elbow so "what about those floatin boats?" I got in one, weebled, wobbled, yawed, and finally set out across Franklin Falls Pond (a giant honkin lake) and pretty much didn't get out of it for a week.
I need one of these.
Next spring, I went to a paddling demo, the sort of thing outfitters do at parks to get folks interested, and maybe buy a boat. I met a lady from a kayak/canoe club and joined up. She knew someone with a kayak for sale.
It was a hugeass 17.5' boat. "I was picturing something...smaller?"
But Gail waxed eloquent about the awesomeness of the boat. I went home, and a few days later the miniscule income tax refund came in: it was the price of the boat. To quote Maui in Moana: "A BOAT! The gods have sent me a boat!"
I have paddled it for a couple decades in everything from a handsbreadth of water to open ocean. Mostly it's been lakes, rivers like the Susquehanna and Sassafras, parts of the Bay or around Chincoteague, or chasing a Viking longship. I can paddle faster than they can row, and keep up with them under sail, mostly.
The Sea Lion is long, lean, efficient, versatile. I've had newbies and kids in it... and once, a cattle dog on deck. You can pack two days worth of backcountry gear in it (or more). It has waterproof bulkheads (which I have resealed with silicone caulk). I've replaced bungees, hatch covers (they're neoprene under plastic covers, and the neoprene wears at the edges). Fixed a rudder. And at least once, paddled to The End of The World (Assateague's Hook) and had the rudder fall off. I carry string and duct tape and fixed it enough to paddle back across wide open water in wind, tide and waves.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
Sea Lion S. Length: 16'-8". Width: 22". Weight: Standard 54 lbs. Carbon 44 lbs. Cockpit Size: L: 32" x W: 16". Dry Storage Capacity: 8050 cu. in.
One reviewer calls it HUMONGOUS. 17' (more with rudder) and over 60 pounds. It has fabulous primary stability and secondary stability: you can heel it over and stick it there. It does NOT turn on a dime (give me 40 acres... and heaving it around on big swells is... interesting) but it will get going and keep going with the fierce determination of a Malamute. The cockpit is just right: not big enough to ship water, not too small to be claustrophobic. You need to "wear the boat", have contact with seat, thighs, feet... like riding a horse... to feel the water and to control the boat. This gives you that feel and control.
My friend also got a Sea Lion, without the rudder. It really NEEDS a rudder. The bottom of the hull is smooth, rounded and weathercocks if the wind thinks of blowing, the rudder keeps it tracking straight otherwise, you are fighting it, paddling harder on one side to keep straight.
After years of paddling, plastic boats acquire scratches, and on one recent voyage on a calm lake, a scratch turned into a crack and the cockpit began taking on water. I pulled up on a beach and bailed. My friends laugh at my packing All The Things in the boat (Ilearned from serious touring and expedition kayakers)... and on this day I did not have All The Things... but my Boy Scout Mom friend had duct tape. I had spent a few months using duct tape as the last layer on a horse hoof, in PA spring mud, and duct tape had worked. A few layers on a dry hull and it lasted the next four hours. It is something you should carry, if you were well away from your put in you could still make it back even in more difficult conditions. Also, bilge pumps and sponges are your friend. They make plastic welding kits specifically for this kind of thing, and there are a gazillion YouTube videos showing how to weld a hull.
As I was loading up that day, a group beside me had "spilled the crayon box" all over; a colorful mess of kayaks were being loaded. One bright yellow one caught my eye..."IS THAT A SCUPPER PRO?"
It was and it was not for sale, but the guy knew where one was.
Except his buddy comes over and goes: "I have an old Scupper... for $125..."
Both date from the 80s, and are the first sit on top kayaks designed. I paddled my friend's Scupper Pro as a spare boat for years. it is awesome. Of course I followed Scupper Dude and his wife to their house and came home with a boat...
Ocean Kayaks Scupper Pro 14'+ ..."surf kayak" or "ocean kayak"
In 1970, Tim Niemier, a teen in CA who wanted to scuba dive beyond the surf break, modified a surfboard to carry his scuba gear. By 1989, we had the Scupper Pro... the most legendary sit on top kayak ever designed. I paddled my friend's, and it is, indeed, legendary...
Scupper Pro 14 ft 8 inches in length, width 26 inches, weight approx 55 pounds.
At over 14', it is long and narrow enough to be fast and efficient. It can hold a day's worth of gear (or more, think like a backpacker), and handles rough water, wind and tide. It's also got the kind of primary stability that makes newbies feel safe too. It REQUIRES a seat or at least a back: support for you back while paddling is essential. See photos below: Harmony makes a nice seat that includes butt pad and back. You can't put a "lawn chair" style fishing kayak seat in this. The Pro accomodates many sizes of paddlers, including larger ones. It comes with thigh straps, for rough water, but I never used them. Newbies probably shouldn't as there is some vague possibility of getting stuck.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
I will contrast this boat with the other Big Yellow Boat I had: a Mainstream Tandem sit on top got from a big box store (where they know nothing about boats. I knew more, and got it cheeeeep cause I worked there). It was a TANK, and you needed weight in the bow to level it out and get the whole hull in the water. You could not paddle it from the front seat, it did not handle or steer well that way. You sat in the back seat and threw in a dog or a friend or a few gallons of water in jugs or all your gear in the front. It was 12' long and must have been 3' wide. It plowed through the water if you put enough effort into it. I would be in the Sea Lion doing one stroke... look back, friend in tandem paddling furiously... me, waiting... stroke... them/furious... me/waiting...
Only one maniacally fierce friend could keep up, paddling that boat. It did get various folk on the water, I tried dogs (not too thrilled), shoved it through surf once, may have put scuba gear on it... I finally sold it to a nice couple because I needed a computer.
Scupper Pro 14 ft 8 inches in length, width 26 inches, weight approx 55 pounds.
At over 14', it is long and narrow enough to be fast and efficient. It can hold a day's worth of gear (or more, think like a backpacker), and handles rough water, wind and tide. It's also got the kind of primary stability that makes newbies feel safe too. It REQUIRES a seat or at least a back: support for you back while paddling is essential. See photos below: Harmony makes a nice seat that includes butt pad and back. You can't put a "lawn chair" style fishing kayak seat in this. The Pro accomodates many sizes of paddlers, including larger ones. It comes with thigh straps, for rough water, but I never used them. Newbies probably shouldn't as there is some vague possibility of getting stuck.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
I will contrast this boat with the other Big Yellow Boat I had: a Mainstream Tandem sit on top got from a big box store (where they know nothing about boats. I knew more, and got it cheeeeep cause I worked there). It was a TANK, and you needed weight in the bow to level it out and get the whole hull in the water. You could not paddle it from the front seat, it did not handle or steer well that way. You sat in the back seat and threw in a dog or a friend or a few gallons of water in jugs or all your gear in the front. It was 12' long and must have been 3' wide. It plowed through the water if you put enough effort into it. I would be in the Sea Lion doing one stroke... look back, friend in tandem paddling furiously... me, waiting... stroke... them/furious... me/waiting...
Only one maniacally fierce friend could keep up, paddling that boat. It did get various folk on the water, I tried dogs (not too thrilled), shoved it through surf once, may have put scuba gear on it... I finally sold it to a nice couple because I needed a computer.
Te Vaka: Ocean Kayaks Scupper 14'... "surf kayak" or "ocean kayak"
These are the original sit on top (SOT) kayak!
This is the earlier 1984 version that became the Pro... the one I got the day the Sea Lion cracked. I was singing ...badly... that We Know the Way song from Moana all day...by a South Pacific group called Te Vaka (the "canoe"...canoe being more properly translated as butt kicking sea going navigating the entire freakin Pacific Ocean sailing double hulled SHIP). The Scupper is a kind of cross between the arctic invention of kayak, and the Polynesian invention of surfboard. "A boat! The gods have sent me a boat" (Maui, in Moana).
14 feet, Width 26 inches, Weight 48 pounds, Weight Capacity 300 - 350 pounds
At 14' it's long and lean enough to be fast and efficient. It's also got primary and secondary stability. Put a newbie or a kid in it and they'll be fine. It tracks straight and turns on a dime like a reining horse. The seat is in the center so it is balanced and level in the water if loaded correctly. You can stow a day's worth or more of gear belowdecks. One reviewer claims it glides better (glide factor: when you stop paddling, it keeps moving forward) with about 50 pounds of gear in the hold. Any gear in a hold should be secured (pack air bags, other gear or pool noodles around it, or install bulkheads), and things that can't be wet should be in dry bags. Never trust a kayak interior to stay dry. The hatch seals are easily reparable with pipe insulation, bungee cords can be replaced. Cracks can be welded. There are still some old ones around and they are awesome.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
This is a nice intermediate size, longer than your 10' or 12' rec boat, shorter than a whole 18' sea kayak. A long boat is actually easier to load: you tilt one end up (use a roller on your rear window) and slide the boat after. It will not accommodate huge hips or very long legs. It is user friendly for small paddlers, though reviews I've seen suggest some large/tall folks have used it.
The "butt well" (seat) and foot wells are deep, so your butt is actually below the waterline, putting your center of gravity low, and thus more stable. You can "wear the boat" as you would a sea kayak: controlling it with your legs against the sides of the foot wells. A little closed cell foam padding can help you adjust the seat, raise you up enough to sit comfier. It REQUIRES a seat back, as does the Pro: for back support. You can buy a whole soft kayak seat/back or just use the back support made for the boat (which I have, and it's great).
This is the earlier 1984 version that became the Pro... the one I got the day the Sea Lion cracked. I was singing ...badly... that We Know the Way song from Moana all day...by a South Pacific group called Te Vaka (the "canoe"...canoe being more properly translated as butt kicking sea going navigating the entire freakin Pacific Ocean sailing double hulled SHIP). The Scupper is a kind of cross between the arctic invention of kayak, and the Polynesian invention of surfboard. "A boat! The gods have sent me a boat" (Maui, in Moana).
14 feet, Width 26 inches, Weight 48 pounds, Weight Capacity 300 - 350 pounds
At 14' it's long and lean enough to be fast and efficient. It's also got primary and secondary stability. Put a newbie or a kid in it and they'll be fine. It tracks straight and turns on a dime like a reining horse. The seat is in the center so it is balanced and level in the water if loaded correctly. You can stow a day's worth or more of gear belowdecks. One reviewer claims it glides better (glide factor: when you stop paddling, it keeps moving forward) with about 50 pounds of gear in the hold. Any gear in a hold should be secured (pack air bags, other gear or pool noodles around it, or install bulkheads), and things that can't be wet should be in dry bags. Never trust a kayak interior to stay dry. The hatch seals are easily reparable with pipe insulation, bungee cords can be replaced. Cracks can be welded. There are still some old ones around and they are awesome.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
This is a nice intermediate size, longer than your 10' or 12' rec boat, shorter than a whole 18' sea kayak. A long boat is actually easier to load: you tilt one end up (use a roller on your rear window) and slide the boat after. It will not accommodate huge hips or very long legs. It is user friendly for small paddlers, though reviews I've seen suggest some large/tall folks have used it.
The "butt well" (seat) and foot wells are deep, so your butt is actually below the waterline, putting your center of gravity low, and thus more stable. You can "wear the boat" as you would a sea kayak: controlling it with your legs against the sides of the foot wells. A little closed cell foam padding can help you adjust the seat, raise you up enough to sit comfier. It REQUIRES a seat back, as does the Pro: for back support. You can buy a whole soft kayak seat/back or just use the back support made for the boat (which I have, and it's great).
Scupper Classic Reviews
Powered by paddling.comThe Tardis: (it's blue, it travels): Wilderness Systems Cape Horn 15' ...touring kayak
I got this one as a spare boat from my kayak guru, Craig at Ullers in Dallastown PA. It is long, lean, fast, efficient, primary and secondary stability, and a fair amount of agility, turning easily and easy to handle on waves. I've had newbies and kids in it. It works with rudder up or down... tracks better than the Sea Lion without the rudder. I eventually found it hard to excavate myself from the cozy cockpit (which doesn't ship water) cause I don't bend that way now. Sold it to a guy who was lean and wiry and had a wife and kid and a dream to camp along rivers. Perfect boat for short expeditions. Think like a backpacker when you load it. Total badass little boat.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
This boat hugs the water, so is easy to get back aboard from deep water: I keep fins on deck, put them on and kick yourself back aboard. Swim up on bow or stern, not the middle, to avoid rolling the boat.
Necky Eskia, Eddyline Merlin
Boats owned by friends. Turquoise Eskia, red Merlin.
The Eskia is a big sea/touring kayak, roomy, high volume. At about 16' with a roomy cockpit, and weighing about 60 pounds, this is a LORGE boat. You can find them used. Necky is no more, having been swallowed by Old Town (whose kayaks in my experience are tanks... large and roomy). Along with the Current Designs Storm (which two friends had) this is a big boat for big paddlers. Smol wee folk will rattle around in it like peas.
The Eddyline Merlin (13.5') is Carbonlite, and you can probably pick it up with one finger. One of my friends, paddling her Eddyline Nighthawk (a larger touring kayak at about 16') would always yell, in river rocks, "Will the people with the plastic boats please go first!" ...so we can find the rocks. Hah hah. The Merlin is playful, swift, light, agile. You can sometimes find a used one, cheaper than any new boat, but still not a mere $300. If you are lorge, you will not squeeze into this comfortably. You'll need a bigger boat.
The Eskia is a big sea/touring kayak, roomy, high volume. At about 16' with a roomy cockpit, and weighing about 60 pounds, this is a LORGE boat. You can find them used. Necky is no more, having been swallowed by Old Town (whose kayaks in my experience are tanks... large and roomy). Along with the Current Designs Storm (which two friends had) this is a big boat for big paddlers. Smol wee folk will rattle around in it like peas.
The Eddyline Merlin (13.5') is Carbonlite, and you can probably pick it up with one finger. One of my friends, paddling her Eddyline Nighthawk (a larger touring kayak at about 16') would always yell, in river rocks, "Will the people with the plastic boats please go first!" ...so we can find the rocks. Hah hah. The Merlin is playful, swift, light, agile. You can sometimes find a used one, cheaper than any new boat, but still not a mere $300. If you are lorge, you will not squeeze into this comfortably. You'll need a bigger boat.
Smol boats... recreational boats, 12' and under
Not all small boats are Buckets That Float. Recreational boats range from 8 feet to 12 feet. Some are just awful, some are pretty handy and will get you on the water in cofort and safety. They will not have the scope of a long boat: the ability to be paddled all day in harsh conditions, or on expeditions. Some will handle a certain amount of wind, waves and current.
A friend paddles a Perception Prodigy 12' which has survived a trip on the Sassafras River battling wind, tide, waves, beach landings, going sideways (paddler error) and getting swamped in mild surf, and a crossing of Tom's Cove at Assateague Island VA. It's a chonky pony of a boat, yet fairly efficient. The vast cockpit will be hard to put a spray skirt on, but you didn't want to do that anyway, right? It's high enough to not ship much water (on Tom's Cove, in the open, waves got higher, and the paddler simply heeled a bit, hull up toward the waves), low enough to not catch much wind, and to be comfortable paddling. Room to stow gear for a day. Comfy for larger paddlers, but accommodates smaller ones. easy to get in and out of if you've got physical issues. The high sides make getting in from deep water more challenging: take a buddy, have fins on deck to swim aboard, or tow it to shore.
Length: 12' 2" / 369 cm. Width: 27.25" / 69 cm. Boat Weight: 53 lbs. / 24 kg. Deck Height: 15.25" / 39 cm.
Lokigator: (Shuttlecraft Cousteau, The Green Pony)
I got a Lifetime Tahoma 10' sit on top (SOT, recreational version, not really for surf) as a spare and was surprised to find it tracked straight, even in wind, current and waves. You can stand up and dance on it, spin it in circles, yet it plows forward with determination, like a Shetland Pony. It accommodated an average sized dad and two 60 pound kids once (one on each end). It will accommodate dogs, kids, newbies, grammas, whatever. If you're a hearty sort of pirate you might keep up with somewhat larger boats... but the average paddler isn't going far or fast in this. It is fairly agile and turns easily. Try it as an SUP (stand up paddleboard). You do have to level it out by putting weight in the bow: your gear, water, an anchor, whatever. The seat is behind center and the bow will raise and splappity splap on the waves if not level. Keeping your whole hull in the water is important: you want a long hull line, more efficient, tracks straighter. easy to get back on from deep water: even in a mermaid tail! I keep fins on deck to help me swim up onto the boat. Swim onto a "pointy end" ... bow or stern... not the middle (you'll roll it).
10 ft x 31 inches wide x 14 deep, 50 lbs, weight limit 275
I paddled it with friends in Prodigies on the Sassafras River (wind, tide, waves). It handled all well... until about 4 miles in, going against the tide. I was done done done. We made it to 6.6 miles that day. I think it's a 4 mile boat. Depends whether you're a superhero or fighting tide or just floating on a lake. It is well designed enough to track well, which most small boats don't. It also has a great seat design, built in, and enough stowage space bow and stern for a day trip. I stuffed it with pool noodles, so even if it leaks it won't sink. A good idea for any rec boat.
A friend paddles a Perception Prodigy 12' which has survived a trip on the Sassafras River battling wind, tide, waves, beach landings, going sideways (paddler error) and getting swamped in mild surf, and a crossing of Tom's Cove at Assateague Island VA. It's a chonky pony of a boat, yet fairly efficient. The vast cockpit will be hard to put a spray skirt on, but you didn't want to do that anyway, right? It's high enough to not ship much water (on Tom's Cove, in the open, waves got higher, and the paddler simply heeled a bit, hull up toward the waves), low enough to not catch much wind, and to be comfortable paddling. Room to stow gear for a day. Comfy for larger paddlers, but accommodates smaller ones. easy to get in and out of if you've got physical issues. The high sides make getting in from deep water more challenging: take a buddy, have fins on deck to swim aboard, or tow it to shore.
Length: 12' 2" / 369 cm. Width: 27.25" / 69 cm. Boat Weight: 53 lbs. / 24 kg. Deck Height: 15.25" / 39 cm.
Lokigator: (Shuttlecraft Cousteau, The Green Pony)
I got a Lifetime Tahoma 10' sit on top (SOT, recreational version, not really for surf) as a spare and was surprised to find it tracked straight, even in wind, current and waves. You can stand up and dance on it, spin it in circles, yet it plows forward with determination, like a Shetland Pony. It accommodated an average sized dad and two 60 pound kids once (one on each end). It will accommodate dogs, kids, newbies, grammas, whatever. If you're a hearty sort of pirate you might keep up with somewhat larger boats... but the average paddler isn't going far or fast in this. It is fairly agile and turns easily. Try it as an SUP (stand up paddleboard). You do have to level it out by putting weight in the bow: your gear, water, an anchor, whatever. The seat is behind center and the bow will raise and splappity splap on the waves if not level. Keeping your whole hull in the water is important: you want a long hull line, more efficient, tracks straighter. easy to get back on from deep water: even in a mermaid tail! I keep fins on deck to help me swim up onto the boat. Swim onto a "pointy end" ... bow or stern... not the middle (you'll roll it).
10 ft x 31 inches wide x 14 deep, 50 lbs, weight limit 275
I paddled it with friends in Prodigies on the Sassafras River (wind, tide, waves). It handled all well... until about 4 miles in, going against the tide. I was done done done. We made it to 6.6 miles that day. I think it's a 4 mile boat. Depends whether you're a superhero or fighting tide or just floating on a lake. It is well designed enough to track well, which most small boats don't. It also has a great seat design, built in, and enough stowage space bow and stern for a day trip. I stuffed it with pool noodles, so even if it leaks it won't sink. A good idea for any rec boat.
