Kayak advice needed...

We carry an Innova "Sunny" inflatable kayak. Weighs just 25 pounds, seats two or you can move a seat and it is an effective single. Deflated it comes in its own backpack. More information here: http://www.innovakayak.com/
 
As I mentioned a while back, I got a Hobie Mirage Adventure Island - their sea kayak with folding outriggers and rotating mast sail and the Mirage pedal drive. It comes apart easily for storage or roof mounting the hull and akas.

This boat will do it all. You can paddle hard, pedal hard, go single hull or outrigger, or pull a cord and have the fully battened sail unfurl to do all the work. It is so solid you can lie down and take a nap. I have spent 10-12 hours at a time sailing it on long cruises. I can cover 40-70 miles a day easily in moderate winds. High seas do not bother it - it goes right through them without the slightest tip and only moderate roll. It runs fine on 20-30 mph winds, but you may want to furl the sail a bit on higher winds. You can furl the sail easily with one tug on a cord and can furl it down to a tiny triangle for heavy storms - 35-40 mph winds.

It is a sit on top type, so no problem of being caught underneath.

It is light, rugged and very fast for a cruising type kayak. I bought one of the first models 3 years ago and have loved every minute on it. Hobie provides good support and they have an owner's group online just like the C-Brats to help with questions and mods.

John
 
If you're looking for a quality inflatable, check out the Soar. For my money, the best thing going in inflatables.
Kent
 
I'd REALLY like to come up with a good double yak rack, and some sort of lift assist for bringing them up and down.
We saw a couple of the the advanced frame inflatables while in the Bahamas, very nice, but I haven't paddled one.
We have several plastic yaks, 2 WS Tarpon 14' sit-on-tops, a WS Tsunami 145, WS Tsunami 175, a 15' Perception Monarch (Dagger copy sold by Dick's), and an Old Town 13.5' Castine.
The Tarpons are my favorite for fishing...and I can actually stand up and cast from them in calm water.
The Tsunamis are the better long tourers, and can haul a bunch of gear for extended camping trips.
The Castine tracks great for 13.5 footer, but it's the only one in bunch that I haven't put at least one rod holder on.
 
The Sevylor Tahiti, "timex" of kayaks, has served us for many years - inexpensive way to go ashore, light-weight, great for white water rivers, fun for g'kids ... terrible for paddling straight or long distances in flat water. All depends on your intended use.
 
Our new Sevylor Tahiti was waiting for us when we got home Sunday night, $110 at Amazon.com (free shipping but WA state sales tax), Patty found one for $99 with free shipping and no sales tax, we will probably get two IF she can get in and out from the swim step! The paddle was there too, a $22 item from Amazon.com. Bill says they are the "Timex" of inflatable kayaks, but Sevylor has been making and selling them for 35 years, and they have gone just about everywhere in the world, so I guess they will be fine for us! I know you guys must look at these as one step up from bathtub toys, but no way we are spending the kind of dough a lot of you guys seem to be unless somehow we get hooked on kayaks! We will have it at Bellingham and Nanaimo and in the Gulf Islands in-between. We'll see how Baxter likes it!
 
I know you guys must look at these as one step up from bathtub toys, but no way we are spending the kind of dough a lot of you guys seem to be unless somehow we get hooked on kayaks!
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No doubt that I have quite a bit invested in 6 kayaks, but I acquired all of them at bargain prices (like I do with most everything).
175 Tsunami still had tags on it...list was $1750...paid $650
145 Tsunami was brand new on sale...list $975..paid $575
140 Tarpon was new on sale...list $950...paid $550
Other 140 Tarpon was new on sale...list $950...paid $450 and got a free PFD!

If you need another Tahiti I should be able to find one for $39 based on my record :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
And as for being "bathtub toys", I refer you to the doyenne of inflatable kayaks, Audrey Sutherland, who got her start in a Sevylor product.
www.mirabilis.ca/archives/000916.html
Eventually she moved on to a Semperit inflatable kayak (now owned by Grabner) but that little Sevylor did the trick for years.
www.seacanoe.org/inflate.htm

Want to sail your Tahitis? No problemo. Just rig up a Kayakamaran:
www.sailboatstogo.com/catalog/product.p ... =KAYAK_RIG (look for the double Tahiti rig on the snow!)

Bathtub toys? No way!

But get the skeg...it'll save you a lot of correcting strokes.
 
After having a chance to paddle a half-dozen different kayaks, the decision has been made in favor of a folding yak that weighs only 22 pounds:

It's the 12-foot-long Puffin Saco. (How the heck does one upload a photo to illustrate a message?)

The fact that it will fold down into a duffel bag that measures 29 by 10 by 14 inches makes it perfect for stowing on a small powercat such as ours. The light weight will make it easy to paddle and easy to lift aboard the TomCat.

The Puffin Saco doesn't come cheap. The total bill, including a carbon-fibre paddle, deck, skirt, skeg, foot brace and repair kit, will be just under $2,000.

More, after the kayak arrives from Pakboats and I have real-world experience with it.

--Georgs
 
GxK":2eq8wj46 said:
The Puffin Saco doesn't come cheap. The total bill, including a carbon-fibre paddle, deck, skirt, skeg, foot brace and repair kit, will be just under $2,000.
Pakboats
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Georgs, they DO come cheaper than that if you look for a bargain. The Saco is new off the line but the Puffin 12 footer -- essentially the same boat -- can be had from the discounted "demos" link on the Pakboats site (upper righthand corner of their page) or occasionally from eBay. I got my Puffin II from a guy out in Maine who (I think) scoops them up secondhand from LL Bean and lists them on eBay. Cost me half of what they wanted for a new one in Canada and it was in like-new condition. Ditto for accessories. Bought a never-used Advanced Elements 4-piece kayak paddle (38 oz) last week on eBay for $49. Even with shipping it was a deal. As long as you have retailers/vendors ship via USPS NOT UPS, you shouldn't get stung for Customs duties. The Puffin II actually came through with NO duty on it. Mountain Equipment Co-op www.mec.ca has about the best NEW price on most paddling items including 4-piece carbon paddles. They also sell reflective decals for those black paddles (which don't show up above the water as boldly as white or yellow paddles do -- something to consider in motorboat traffic areas).

Another Canadian Pakboat dealer with discounts on demos and the BEST pics of the boats using side by side comparisons: www.kayak-canada.ca . They also carry a good many other portable boats and items of interest.

Pakboats: Great boats. And fully backed up by the factory. When I got mine, the fellas at Pakboats were having quality control problems with the welded seams on the inflatable seats and sides. They sent me a TOTAL replacement package costing big $$$ even though I had purchased the item used. Ya can't beat that!

BTW My links to the Puffin line are on page 3 of this thread. I still prefer the 14-foot Puffin II because it can hold two paddlers and readily converts to a decked single -- and it only weighs in at 30 lbs. Look under the photo of the Kayakamaran linked above: the Puffin II in sailing action is right below it.

I think ANY of the boats that have been mentioned are quality items:

Innova, Grabner, Soar, Advanced Elements (Convertible double), Pakboats etc. You just have to know what your budget/use is and go from there. Tahitis are a cheap solution for some. Others, who may use the boats for more extensive recreational use, dig a bit deeper into the wallet and upgrade to the higher end models.
 
Speaking of eBay deals, have a look at the Pakboats Puffin 12 that's now up for sale. Bidding started at $19 bucks www.ebay.com . A reasonable snipe in the last 7 seconds might get you a like-new boat.

What's reasonable? I wouldn't go any higher than a last minute snipe of $557.99. New the boat is $890 with deck (but this one also comes with the optional sprayskirt so it was $965). All up with shipping, you'd probably be looking at about $600 (then add a paddle etc). DO NOT BID OPENLY on this or any other big ticket item -- it just runs the price up. This is sniper material. ( www.auctionsniper.com is the site I use.)

Good luck!

BTW If you do happen to win, phone the guys at Pakboats and find out if that boat had the leaky welds (use the serial number shown). If so, they'll supply FREE replacements. :wink:
 
I enjoyed paddling the Sevylor Tahiti inflatable around Squalicum Harbor last weekend, but Patty did not. Yesterday we took it out on Birch Bay together. Same result, I enjoy it, she hates it. Oh, well. It is mainly a backup to our Alaska Series (and for the 16) to get Baxter to shore, so Patty would only need to use it rarely. I was hoping she would enjoy it and we would then get two to paddle together but evidently not to be.

Although Sevylor says it is a "two person" kayak, it really works best for one person, who can then paddle from the middle. I can see the need for the skeg, hopefully it will make it a little easier to paddle in a more or less straight line (!) so I ordered one last night. The only other thing I can see needing upgrading is the seat. I guess I need to look at how seats are attached in other inflatables. NRS has one for $30 that says "fits nearly any inflatable" but I want to make sure it would work in the Tahiti before ordering. Any advice on that would be appreciated.

Next time out, I am going to try torso twist paddling, as so far I have just used my arms, and that is pretty tiring pretty quickly. I am not quite ready to paddle out of Birch Bay for Patos yet, but I certainly can see how I might do something like that someday!
 
One thing to remember about the Sevylor Tahiti and similar inflatables, is that they don't really have the wonderful ease of paddling that many other of the Kayaks have. Even our Hobie Mirage inflatable is no where as fast or easy to paddle as the hard boats. Of course there are lots of trade offs. But you may get more pleasure out of a boat with finer lines which is easier to paddle.
 
Next time out, I am going to try torso twist paddling, as so far I have just used my arms, and that is pretty tiring pretty quickly. I am not quite ready to paddle out of Birch Bay for Patos yet, but I certainly can see how I might do something like that someday!
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Paddle enough while paying attention to the use of your torso, arms, and shoulders, and you'll develop a habit of doing so. Then develop a rhythm, which will also quickly become a habit. When all of this falls together...you'll be miles into a paddle trip, enjoying the scenery, getting some really good upper body exercise, and not even know it because you're focused on your surroundings.
What I really like about kayaking is hitting that rhythm, (fast or slow) and being at that level in the water where you feel like you're an invisible visitor in the magnificent world of nature.
 
C-Wannabe":3hgfshgj said:
Speaking of eBay deals, have a look at the Pakboats Puffin 12 that's now up for sale. Bidding started at $19 bucks www.ebay.com . A reasonable snipe in the last 7 seconds might get you a like-new boat.

What's reasonable? I wouldn't go any higher than a last minute snipe of $557.99.
Click to expand...

The boat actually sold for $575, which was still a deal. Another one is now up by the same vendor (likely the second of a pair). Loser of last auction has started bidding and will top off at $565 or more.

Another opportunity...
 
Not saying I have mastered paddling, but I took the Tahiti out on Martha Lake in Snohomish County, paddled it easily from one end to the other and back using torso twist. Baxter loved it! The skeg also just arrived, have not had a chance to try it yet, but intend to do so soon. I think it really would have helped going in a bit straighter line on Martha Lake! The Tahiti has a wonderful fun per dollar ratio, highly recommended for those of you who cannot see parting with $500+ (up to ????) to try paddling. I am really looking forward to paddling on Lake Powell!
 
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