Posted: 5/31/2024 12:46:03 PM EDT
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Anyone have a good reference for beginners to kayaking? I hope to eventually do some local river trips with the kids (8&10). They have a couple of sit on youth kayaks already. We will be doing some prep on some local ponds and small lakes. I’m more interested in the trip, but I’m not ruling out fishing. If my budget is low ($300), any specific recommendations? Just go with whatever’s on sale at Walmart or tractor supply? Borrow one until I know what to look for? |
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I've been paddling for 58 years. Find a local paddling group on Facebook. They will be happy to give you advice, let you try out different boats, and teach you how to paddle safely. I suggest renting kayaks for you and the kids to see if it's right for you. If so, then save your money and buy a decent kayak. Avoid the cheap boats sold in the big box stores. Sit-on or sit-in? I prefer sit-in. I like being lower in the water and find them easier to paddle in whitewater. Every time I paddled a sit-on I felt like I was paddling a bathtub. |
| I like my Ascend sit in kayak. Not cheap but comfortable to sit in and enough room for at least 1-2 nights on the river. It’s primarily a fishing kayak but I never fish from it. I plan to do a 130 mile trip within the next two years so will camp out of it for at least 4 days. I hammock camp when sleeping along the river so it’s pretty compact. I also put everything into dry bags. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Thanks to everyone so far. I’ve looked up groups on FB and found one that is sort of close to me. Hope to get some info there. Going this week with two youth sit on tops and two 10’ sit ins. Scrambling for accessories. I’ve also wondered if I’m better off with a canoe at this point… |
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Originally Posted By Vaquero: Thanks to everyone so far. I’ve looked up groups on FB and found one that is sort of close to me. Hope to get some info there. Going this week with two youth sit on tops and two 10’ sit ins. Scrambling for accessories. I’ve also wondered if I’m better off with a canoe at this point… I also own a canoe. I MUCH prefer the kayak. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By Vaquero: Thanks to everyone so far. I’ve looked up groups on FB and found one that is sort of close to me. Hope to get some info there. Going this week with two youth sit on tops and two 10’ sit ins. Scrambling for accessories. I’ve also wondered if I’m better off with a canoe at this point… Message sent...let me know if you don't get it. |
| $300ish is gonna get you in a lower tier boat, something like a Pelican Challnger, Lifetime, etc. Not terrible kayaks, pretty good for beginners. They’ll be a two-piece hull design that are geared toward the budget minded. Not the most durable but lightweight and easy for one person to handle when loading/unloading. If you can spend somewhere in the $500ish range you’ll get a much better quality boat. I have two Old Town Vapors (10’) and two Perception Sounds (9.5’). Both are one piece hull designs and are constructed of heavier material. Have used them for years and been very pleased. If you’re on FB marketplace check for used, there will be a ton on there and you can find some deals if you’re patient. |
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Originally Posted By WhistlePig270: $300ish is gonna get you in a lower tier boat, something like a Pelican Challnger, Lifetime, etc. Not terrible kayaks, pretty good for beginners. They’ll be a two-piece hull design that are geared toward the budget minded. Not the most durable but lightweight and easy for one person to handle when loading/unloading. If you can spend somewhere in the $500ish range you’ll get a much better quality boat. I have two Old Town Vapors (10’) and two Perception Sounds (9.5’). Both are one piece hull designs and are constructed of heavier material. Have used them for years and been very pleased. If you’re on FB marketplace check for used, there will be a ton on there and you can find some deals if you’re patient. Thanks. I’m kind of like a prospective gun owner walking into the gun store and asking for a pistol. Tell me to buy a used Glock 19 to shoot and learn with until I figure out what I want. |
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Originally Posted By ColtRifle: I also own a canoe. I MUCH prefer the kayak. Hah, I MUCH prefer a canoe.  It really depends on your use case OP. I swapped to a canoe because I do a lot of river fishing and camping. I got tired of lashing everything to the kayak and re-lashing every morning after camp. Plus the canoe was lighter(59lbs vs 72lb kayak). I have a Wenonah Fisherman that I can run double or flip it around and run solo. This one(except mine is all camo): |
"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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Originally Posted By 302w: I would suggest looking at Facebook Marketplace. Cheap canoes and kayaks can be had for less than $100, but you'll have to move quick. It's taken some time but I'm at the point I now have a small armada This. Facebook marketplace is a great place to find yaks for relatively cheap. In a truth $300 is not even going to get you a new Walmart yak which is pretty much garbage. And Im with ya on the Tupperware Navy in my shop. Tournament kayak angler with three sons and a wife who also Rec bass fish.. So Jackson, Old town, Pelican, hobie, wilderness and bonafide...I got enough plastic to take on a small countries navy. But yak is a way of life, I love and live it. Great way to spend time with family outdoors! |
Dont call it a comeback, Been here for years.
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The only thing I’ve ever seen under $100 is the kids sit on top we bought for $50. However, I now have some brands to look at. I have several saved on marketplace, but I don’t think this is a good time to buy kayaks cheap. I think it might be best to borrow or rent through the summer, then start looking to buy something used in the fall. And to be clear, my ultimate goal is to be able to take some day trips with wife and kids 8 & 10. Older kids (young adult) May also join in from time to time, but they can provide for themselves. |
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I've been researching as well, and really like this guys channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HeadwatersKayak Lots of videos on kayak materials, kayaking tutorials, even does shootouts at certain price points. I've learned a ton there. |
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Spent a little time with the kids and a six foot sit on top in the pool. Went over getting on and off, paddling, getting back in from the water. The next day, took my eight year old daughter to a small lake. She climbed right on and paddled away. We spent about an hour before she wanted to get to the “beach” and catch salamanders. In that hour, she learned that you can see all kinds of wildlife and go all kinds of places that mere pedestrians cannot. I used a borrowed Potomac 10’ sit in. It was fine for my purposes, but I can definitely see the need for some additional features. I also want to say that this is an amazing group of people in this thread. I’ve received several offers for people to take me on trips and even to loan me kayaks and gear for the summer. Bravo, gentlemen. |
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Kayaking in Va is great, everything from oceans to slow moving rivers to rapid filled rivers. I live in the Richmond area and we have a few great groups around here for all skill levels. Personally I like sit in kayaks, usually 10 or more feet for the tracking and storage. I bought two nice boats on marketplace this year for my son and I paid less than you would for just one. Have fun OP |
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Grew up canoeing in the scouts for 10 yrs and canoed/portaged the boundary waters of MN/Canada for two weeks. Later in the Army did a lot of sea kayaking around the world oceans in foldable Keppler/Folbert sea kayaks. Another who prefers canoes but wife likes kayaks. |
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All solid responses thus far. I will add that statistically, new paddlers are in the most danger. So, follow all the safety advice to the letter. Always wear a PFD. Never paddle alone. Have a float plan and be careful not to deviate from it. Let some one "on shore" know your plan. Hypothermia kills. You have to Dress for Duress. Much like the gun world, there are paddling Fudds. Nuff said. For the kids, shorter distances are better and must include fun. Play. 112 |
"The 1st Thousand Are The Hardest" - Scott Winfield
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
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Originally Posted By Paddler112: All solid responses thus far. I will add that statistically, new paddlers are in the most danger. So, follow all the safety advice to the letter. Always wear a PFD. Never paddle alone. Have a float plan and be careful not to deviate from it. Let some one "on shore" know your plan. Hypothermia kills. You have to Dress for Duress. Much like the gun world, there are paddling Fudds. Nuff said. For the kids, shorter distances are better and must include fun. Play. 112 This time of year always concerns me when it comes to new paddlers. The weather is warming up and off they go, not taking into consideration that the water is still cold and how fast it can debilitate you. |
| For fishing and just playing around, get a sit on top. It does not take a lot of effort to just straddle the boat and sit. They are really stable and easy to fish from, especially if you have one with an elevated seat. For long trips get a sit in touring kayak. They allow you to store gear and they track and paddle a lot easier. |
Joined:
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VA, USA
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Kayaks are a blast! I too am from the Richmond area (west end, Henrico Co) and fish on the James River, Swift Creek Reservoir, and Amelia WMA lake, out of my kayak. I have a Cayman 124 fishing kayak, that is extremely stable with dual channel keels. They say you can stand up in it to fish, but I've never done it. Edit: As far as advice or recommendations.... If you around the Richmond area, go check out Robious Landing Park or Watkins Landing in Chesterfield Co on the James River. Lots and LOTS of boaters, kayakers, canoes, etc... They are great people and friendly enough to ask advice! 
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The best advice I can give you is to spend money on a good paddle. The paddle is what connects you to the water...and where you will spend 95% of your energy. It may not seem like a lot, but a 3 pound crappy aluminum and plastic paddle vs. a 1 1/4 pound carbon fiber paddle is a huge amount of work saved. You pick up and set down that 3 pounds tens of thousands of times during your kayaking day, and that is just one factor, a cheap paddle flexes so some of your pushing force is lost to that. A carbon paddle is RIGID. All of your push moves you forward. After a 8 hour river day, the difference will be huge in how your shoulders will feel. The cheaper the kayak, the more a good paddle will help. |
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Originally Posted By DoctorCAD: The best advice I can give you is to spend money on a good paddle. The paddle is what connects you to the water...and where you will spend 95% of your energy. It may not seem like a lot, but a 3 pound crappy aluminum and plastic paddle vs. a 1 1/4 pound carbon fiber paddle is a huge amount of work saved. You pick up and set down that 3 pounds tens of thousands of times during your kayaking day, and that is just one factor, a cheap paddle flexes so some of your pushing force is lost to that. A carbon paddle is RIGID. All of your push moves you forward. After a 8 hour river day, the difference will be huge in how your shoulders will feel. The cheaper the kayak, the more a good paddle will help. I have a Werner Powerhouse. It's not carbon, but it's only two pounds and is an awesome paddle!! |
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Originally Posted By WhistlePig270: $300ish is gonna get you in a lower tier boat, something like a Pelican Challnger, Lifetime, etc. Not terrible kayaks, pretty good for beginners. They’ll be a two-piece hull design that are geared toward the budget minded. Not the most durable but lightweight and easy for one person to handle when loading/unloading. If you can spend somewhere in the $500ish range you’ll get a much better quality boat. I have two Old Town Vapors (10’) and two Perception Sounds (9.5’). Both are one piece hull designs and are constructed of heavier material. Have used them for years and been very pleased. If you’re on FB marketplace check for used, there will be a ton on there and you can find some deals if you’re patient. This. You can find decent deals on FB marketplace. I'm sporting wilderness systems currently (Ride 135 SOT and a Aspire 105). My next one (for my needs) will most likely be a Dagger Axis 12.0. Someone mentioned finding a kayak group and test drive theirs. This is good advise. |
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I've been in about a half a dozen kayaks ranging from $150-2000. If I were going to get another Kayak it'd be a cheap sit in 10' ($200 or less) from Walmart, dicks, or Academy Sports or something like that. They are light and simple. Typically weighing around 36-38lbs. Easily handled/carried around by one guy. Comfortable enough for what they are. Even if you use it half a dozen times and decide you don't want it and sell it for $100 on FBmarket. It was still cheaper then 'renting' a kayak from somewhere. If shit happens to it. Its easily replaceable and not a big deal. I also have a tandom inflatable. It works great for traveling, but it sucks ass to deal with. I've been thinking about selling it and getting two cheapo's for my wife and I. We'd just need a roof rack on her SUV for road trips. Your higher end sit on top kayaks are better for fishing. But they reach a weight point where you either need to trailer them or you need wheels to put under it to wheel it to the water because they are too heavy to carry. My Hobie became a pain in the ass. Fully set up it was likely around 100lbs. Not too bad. But I needed wheels to get it to the water so I wouldn't drag it. And it was a pain to load in the back of the truck. I also discovered that fishing off of a kayak kind of sucks, its worse then a small Jon boat. Especially in 'big water'. Either get a cheapo from a big box retail store or buy used off of craigslist or FB market. More expensive Kayaks will be better & more comfortable. But its a fairly poor investment unless you're REALLY going to go all in on kayaking all the time. If you aren't going on big water (large choppy lake, bay ocean), and aren't going to be going through rapids. You don't need a high dollar/specialist kayak. I'd suggest wearing a life vest. I had a kayaking accident (rolled it in a river & dislocated my shoulder) that could have been fatal. No vest. Lucky for me I didn't hit my head and I'm comfortable swimming in moving water. (even with only 1 hand). I got too cocky. |
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Originally Posted By ICEAGE: I've been in about a half a dozen kayaks ranging from $150-2000. If I were going to get another Kayak it'd be a cheap sit in 10' ($200 or less) from Walmart, dicks, or Academy Sports or something like that. They are light and simple. Typically weighing around 36-38lbs. Easily handled/carried around by one guy. Comfortable enough for what they are. Even if you use it half a dozen times and decide you don't want it and sell it for $100 on FBmarket. It was still cheaper then 'renting' a kayak from somewhere. If shit happens to it. Its easily replaceable and not a big deal. I also have a tandom inflatable. It works great for traveling, but it sucks ass to deal with. I've been thinking about selling it and getting two cheapo's for my wife and I. We'd just need a roof rack on her SUV for road trips. Your higher end sit on top kayaks are better for fishing. But they reach a weight point where you either need to trailer them or you need wheels to put under it to wheel it to the water because they are too heavy to carry. My Hobie became a pain in the ass. Fully set up it was likely around 100lbs. Not too bad. But I needed wheels to get it to the water so I wouldn't drag it. And it was a pain to load in the back of the truck. I also discovered that fishing off of a kayak kind of sucks, its worse then a small Jon boat. Especially in 'big water'. Either get a cheapo from a big box retail store or buy used off of craigslist or FB market. More expensive Kayaks will be better & more comfortable. But its a fairly poor investment unless you're REALLY going to go all in on kayaking all the time. If you aren't going on big water (large choppy lake, bay ocean), and aren't going to be going through rapids. You don't need a high dollar/specialist kayak. I'd suggest wearing a life vest. I had a kayaking accident (rolled it in a river & dislocated my shoulder) that could have been fatal. No vest. Lucky for me I didn't hit my head and I'm comfortable swimming in moving water. (even with only 1 hand). I got too cocky. A life jacket (PFD) is absolutely mandatory. If you're going on a kayak trip that I am leading and don't show up with a PFD, you aren't going. WAY too many factors come into play if you go for a swim (cold water, lack of swimming ability, panic, etc), even if it is a flat water paddle trip. I don't want to pull your dead body out of a river because you think wearing a PFD is uncomfortable. The "cheap sit in" kayaks you suggested have virtually zero flotation (usually a block of styrofoam) once filled with water. |
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Not trying to hijack the tread. A lot of good information already provided. But, I’ve got a similar question to OP. Looking at getting something for myself and my 4 year old do some basic kayaking on. We’d be on the James river by Chippokes state park. I’d be doing all the work he’d just be along for the ride. I’ve tried searching but not finding anything specific to meet those needs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. |
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I would take a day trip out to Farmville to Appommatox River Co. https://paddleva.com/ |
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Originally Posted By MCFC: Not trying to hijack the tread. A lot of good information already provided. But, I’ve got a similar question to OP. Looking at getting something for myself and my 4 year old do some basic kayaking on. We’d be on the James river by Chippokes state park. I’d be doing all the work he’d just be along for the ride. I’ve tried searching but not finding anything specific to meet those needs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. One major point to remember is that rivers have current...even if they seem to not be moving fast. If you put a kayak in a river, you will need someone downstream to get you back to your launch point. And even the strongest paddlers can get really tired out paddling upstream. Be very careful on rivers. |
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Originally Posted By MCFC: Not trying to hijack the tread. A lot of good information already provided. But, I’ve got a similar question to OP. Looking at getting something for myself and my 4 year old do some basic kayaking on. We’d be on the James river by Chippokes state park. I’d be doing all the work he’d just be along for the ride. I’ve tried searching but not finding anything specific to meet those needs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. I question what it is like kayaking or canoeing with a four year old. I support it (I'll be in a similar situation, hopefully) but I wouldn't want to paddle a two person kayak by myself. I would try to Facebook Marketplace a smaller canoe and do my best to sit in the middle of it. |
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Originally Posted By pagoda: I would take a day trip out to Farmville to Appommatox River Co. https://paddleva.com/ Yep. I bought all four of my kayaks from them. |
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Originally Posted By 302w: I question what it is like kayaking or canoeing with a four year old. I support it (I'll be in a similar situation, hopefully) but I wouldn't want to paddle a two person kayak by myself. I would try to Facebook Marketplace a smaller canoe and do my best to sit in the middle of it. Appreciate it. A canoe does make sense. |
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Originally Posted By 302w: I question what it is like kayaking or canoeing with a four year old. I support it (I'll be in a similar situation, hopefully) but I wouldn't want to paddle a two person kayak by myself. I would try to Facebook Marketplace a smaller canoe and do my best to sit in the middle of it. Paddling a 2 man Kayak alone is no big deal. Especially if you have a kid or some gear in the front. Unless you're extremely heavy.... I have a 2 person inflatable and I can handle it just fine with my wife chilling in the front. And inflatables handle/paddle like shit compared to plastic. I personally think its easier to steer/control from the back. Take a look at this video. One of the guys on this trip is paddling a 2 man alone. He's all the way in the back and its not a big issue. He has some lightweight gear in the front but its lightweight stuff. https://youtu.be/9r5KJnr4ysE?si=_Qk2HRygizlmv8hh There are pro's and con's to Canoes and Kayaks. With a sit on top Kayak they are unsinkable and if your roll it. Its not a big deal to get it right-side up and even climb back in from the water. Canoes can sink. And if you roll it. Good luck dragging it onto bank and draining the water solo. Especially if you've got to deal with a kid floating with you. With that said if the water is really cold. A canoe will keep you drier (thus warmer). You can also tote more gear with a canoe without it getting soaked. |