Touring kayak for lake Tahoe??

[HotCarl]

I have a lady friend who is looking for a touring(i guess thats what you'd call it) kayak for cruisin around the lake. I don't really know to much about these types of kayaks. Any suggestions?

[RootSkier]

how much ground does she want to cover?

[crackboy]

How big is she?

Probably look for something in the 15-17' range. I have paddled mostly Necky and a couple current designs boats. Of the CD ones i paddled i liked the Storm the best. I would question their durabilty over the long run. Necky has a ton of boats, suposedly their quality had dropped recently but it seems to be going back up.

See if you can find an older Looksha IV, its a great boat. The elaho (sport i want to say) is nice too

[HotCarl]

Hmm,she's maybe 5'7,135. Maybe just looking for a day-tripper,overnighter at best. Thanks for the replies. I don't know much about touring kayaks

[XXX-er]

longer is faster, some thing around 17ft is good for a real seakayak

there are real seakayaks and rec boats,the rec boats are shorter /lighter/cheaper to be easyier to handle both in & out of the water ,if all you wana do is splash around on small lakes in the sunshine rec is fine

if you want to do some longer trips you need room for gear and some length for speed ,a hull that is seaworthy handling wise

they come in plastic vs composite ,plastic is cheaper /heavier /takes a shitkicking /is slower .A kevlar boat is $$ ,my buddy has a kevlar seaward passat double and its the ferrari of seakayaks beautiful to paddle. Glass is gona be almost double the cost of plastic

I just got a virtualy unused used Elaho HV (high volume) for 1700$ in plastic last time I was thru Vancover .At 60lbs its about the limit of what I want to put on the car myself ,fortunatley its plastic cuz I would be beating up a glass hull pretty bad muscling it up on the car

sounds like she may be a rec user ? look at the necky lochsha or manitou ,she should really try some out

[sethschmautz]

Carl,

How much boating has she done? What's her budget? Is she fairly athletic and adventurous? One of the big frustrations for a lot of paddlers (esp. somebody her size) is manageability. Muscling around a 60 lbs boat is one thing for a 6' 190 lbs dude, but somebody in the 5'7" 135 lbs range, it's almost impossible unless you have help or maybe one of those hully roller thingys.

If she has much paddling experience, I'd actually recommend looking for a used surfski like a Fenn Mako XT, Huki S1-R, or perhaps an Epic V10 Sport. I've been paddling whitewater for about 12 years and flatwater for something like 5. I believe that there are some real advantages of a surfski-style boat over a standard decked sea kayak for a wide variety of reasons. A few of those include:

Upsides:
1. lighter weight - my surfski at 21' long weighs 25 lbs. and only cost me $900 (Your results may vary).
2. safer - It's a sit on top design, so if get knocked over, you just climb back on. Worst case scenario, you've got a huge floatation device.
3. Hatches - while not a standard option on most, if you purchase new you can get these added in at that time
4. Layup options - You can get just about any combination of materials that you want including kevlar, carbon, fiberglass, etc.
5. Price - similar to composite sea kayaks, pricier than plastic
6. Speed - Usually much faster than normal sea kayaks allowing you to cover more ground faster

downsides:
1. Are usually a little less durable. That said, I race mine in big open water ocean conditions as well as very shallow rivers and my boats have held up really well.
2. Stability - Some surfskis are pretty tippy. There's usually a little bit of a learning curve that goes along with learning to paddle one.
3. Warmth - You have to dress warmer, generally. This can also be an upside as your entire body is out of the water and you can be cooler on hot days.

You could also check out the Epic line of decked kayaks. They are a high quality manufacturer. If you have any questions about surfskis in general, drop me a PM.

Seth

[crackboy]

the elaho sport is good for smaller paddlers as would be the looksha IV. typically, necky's sport models are more suited for smaller paddlers.

[crackboy]

Depending on location, assumed near Tahoe

check this out
Narpa http://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/732672901.html great boat, does day tours well and one of the best overnight boats. might be slightly big, but i had no issues with it at 5'8 140ish

http://reno.craigslist.org/boa/733574792.html perception boat

[Huckwheat]

The cheapest, and least tippy option is a sit on top.

We knew nothing of boating, and bought a tandem sit on top Ocean Kayak. It is slow compared to nice boats, but you get sun, get a bit wet, can swim off it and get back on. Just fun for Tahoe.

[XXX-er]

I was there a long time ago but Isnt Tahoe really cold for a wet boat like anything sit-on-top ?

I never had a chance to demo cuz I was in a hurry ,I jsut asked the shop what a good boat was and they recommended the elaho of what they had used .I wasnt that crazy about the elaho till I outfitted it like my WW boats ,played with the knee braces and velcroed in 2.5 inches of mini-cell at either hip ... now it really takes a lean nice for steering & my ass doesn't move at all but its a good idea to demo if you can

BTW does she want a rudder or not ?

[TBS]

Fit is the most important thing about a sea kayak. Gotta be able to get in and out quickly w/out losing lots of shin tissue, and yet has to be snug enough to use your feet, knees and hips for leverage. Necky and Wilderness Systems seem to fit smaller people well. Best thing is to go shopping - have her sit in several to judge fit, read the literature, then look for a used boat with same basic specs.

I wouldn't go for a sit-on-top at Tahoe - you just get a lot more wet with wind and paddle splash. That's fine when it's hot , but I think there are too many sunny days that are too cold for a SOT - even in a wetsuit - but beautiful for a traditional yak.

A rotomolded 17' boat is gonna run 60lb or more outfitted. That might be a little heavy for this woman - my 17.5' glass kayak is too heavy to carry far. REI sells a small two wheel kayak cart - $49 two years ago and stows in a reasonably-sized hatch.

Good luck

[crackboy]

i would say no to sit on top, Tahoe is always cold and there can be lots of boat traffic so wake is an issue

if she is small i know Necky offers some models in low volume, i know the elaho comes in LV or sport

[cantunamunch]

Wake + wind + light person in big boat = weathercocking + slap into waves.

A single-hatch low-volume (15, 16ft) Greenland or British-design kayak will minimize wave slap. So will an Aleut baidarka-type but those are much hard to find. You want something she can turn without a rudder.

A rudder can fix weathercocking but a far better solution is to trim the boat with a load box so the bow is 1" down or so. I have a 30lb box I velcro into the forward hatch when I don't carry gear.

Make sure the boat is fully rigged with deck lines or a rescue (particularly a self rescue) will be unpossible. Holding onto a heaving piece of wet plastic with frozen hands is not easy, let alone levering it right-side up while not drowning.

[HotCarl]

Damn,didn't know it could be this complex. I'm more of a rafter/kayaker so i'm new to this too. U guys bring up a lot of good points though. I may just have to link this thread to her. She's new to boating and she said her budget was,like,800 or so. She's definitely gonna have to find something that she can muscle onto the top of her SUV though,so i'll bring all this to her attention.

Thanks

[XXX-er]

I like a rudder ,but I don't use it to steer the boat unless I am in weather cuz it cuts speed ,I tilt the boat which is why I need all the hip pad to keep me in place .You never see outfitting in seakayaks but now I thnk its really important ,specialy if you wana roll a seakayak

a newbie might like a rudder tho

never tried a retractible skeg

[XXX-er]

She's new to boating and she said her budget was,like,800 or so. She's definitely gonna have to find something that she can muscle onto the top of her SUV though,so i'll bring all this to her attention.

Thanks

http://www.neckykayaks.com/kayaks/re...nitou_13.shtml

probably the manitou 13 , its only 45lbs compared to the 60lb full sized seakayak which isnt far off the weight and length of the old ww boats which were doable for cartopping

its fairly wide at 24.75 for stability ,has a hatch,has good seaworthy lines and looks like a real seakayak...some of those rec boats look like something from star wars which is a turnoff for me

probably in her $ range ,I sold a few of these when i was working a shop but never actualy paddled one

[crackboy]

well there are ways to get around weight issues. they have the rolly roof rack attachments and kayak carts that are effective

friends of ours rigged up a pully system so they only need to drive the car under it to load it up

[cantunamunch]

well there are ways to get around weight issues. they have the rolly roof rack attachments and kayak carts that are effective

At the stated budget, foam pads and straps will be the order of the day if she buys new.

Not much action on Reno CL for used boats, I see some Seawards way beyond her budget, and a Perception Shadow.

If she is willing to drive to SF and maybe add some $ she might be able to get something nice like this Merlin.

[XXX-er]

well there are ways to get around weight issues. they have the rolly roof rack attachments and kayak carts that are effective

friends of ours rigged up a pully system so they only need to drive the car under it to load it up

well sure if you are trying to load a seakayak solo you can do the pulley thing in yer carport ,I rigged up a nice system using a winch from a boat trailer BUT then you gotta unload it wherever you wana paddle it and get it back on the car after your paddle

at 5"8" 170 with a slightly bummed shoulder I find 60 lbs of 17 ft of plastic pretty tough to muscle around ,I find a 60lb canoe is actualy easier canoe is actualy easier cuz you can flip it an use the yoke




one of them telewhankers is asking the same kind of thing

www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=46513