Basics Of Kayak Buying.

[Kyle Mahaffey]

After years of beating the banks up the wife ok'ed me buying a fishing kayak. The only problem I have is that I have no idea what I'm doing. I browsed bps and dicks for sometime just eyeing them but never really understood what I was really looking at. So what is all involved if buying a yak,paddle & life vest? I only have three poles right now so do I need a rod holder? What other goodies do I need? I have about 1000 to 1500 to spend.

[Kyle Mahaffey]

Will be great full with all hell but keep in simple terms or put simplified terms after a term.

[dumfish]

You may want to hold off , the designs are really taking off on the stability end of things. I'm also looking at purchasing a kayak, but  the big boy's are greedy on their pricing, and I will not give in to it, I'll make one first. So I would keep looking, you want to make sure you are looking at a fishing kayak at least 10' long, the givaway will be rod holders cut in the rear sides. Also a sit on would be better than a sit in. For me the hole point of having a Kayak is access to small waters without a fuss. 

[flyfisher]

Well i have bee nkayak fishing for a few years now and owned a few boats and there really isn't that much to figuring out what you want for your first yak because i can almost guarantee that you will want something different as your skills and experience increase.

 

I see you are from VA and ther ejust happens to be the best demo days ever coming up this weekend at Appomattox river company in Farmville. 

 

http://blog.paddleva.com/category/events/

 

I know it will be a little bit of a haul for you to get down there but you will probably not ever find a spot where so many boats and so many knowledgable pro staffers and reps alike will be in one spot.  Oh, and you will get to paddle pretty much every kayak you could imagine, which brings me to my first piece of advice:

1-paddle a few different boats

Each boat has different stability characteristics and seating postions.  If you have a boat that is uncomfortable in the seat after an hour just imagine what that will feel like after 6-7 hours on the water.

2-Figure out where you will use the boat the majority of the time--and be honest with yourself.  It is easy to have all these high hopes offar away places and situations but if in all reality you will be fishing lakes more often then a river boat like a coosa or a ride 115 may not be your best bet

3-Figure out a budget-And keep in mind you will need a PFD and a paddle so account for around $150+ depending on what you want to spend and also how are you going to trasport the boat, car top, rack truck bed??

4-Have fun!!!

 

Also you do not need to spend huge amounts of money on your first kayak.  My first kayak was a Heritage (now native) redfish 12' sit on top that i used for an entire season on rivers and lakes.  I loved that boat but wanted something different so I sold it for $125 less than i paid for it and picked up a Jackson Coosa.  That boat is great but not hte best for windy days or for longer days of paddling but on rivers i love it.  Last year i added in a Wilderness commander 120, hybrid boat, to the fold for lakes and i love that boat too.  Keep in mind too that while the name brand boats cost a little more than the house stuff from BPS, Dicks etc...their resale value is also much better.

 

Bottom line is you want to find a boat that you are comfortable in, fits your budget and fits your style of fishing and if it gets you off the bank you will have fun.

 

Next on my list is a pedal powered boat of some sort

 

Good luck, have fun and above all else, ask questions as there are quite a few kayakers on this board that will be more than willing to help out.

[BrianSnat]

One key is to select a kayak designed for fishing.  While you can fish from any kayak, and can pimp out most kayaks to make them fishing machines, kayaks designed specifically for fishing will be stable from the get go and will come with rod holders and many other accessories meant for fishermen.

 

But if your chief goal is just to off the bank and out on the water why a kayak? Why not a canoe or small jonboat?  I've always found them much more comfortable to fish from than a kayak, where you're basically stuck in the same position all day.  And you can probably pick up a used 8 ft   or 10 ft jon boat for a fraction of what you'd pay for a kayak and use the leftover money to add a trolling motor, swivel seats, fish finder, etc.

[Hanover_Yakker]

The number one factor in any kayak purchasing decision regardless of brand and model is real seat time on the water in as many different kayaks as possible.  Word of mouth is a great way to identify ones you should consider.  In the end, only your body will can give you true feedback on how comfortable you will be on the water.  Never ever underestimate the importance of comfort while on the water.  If you're not comfortable sitting in the kayak factory seating and footpeg position, imagine how uncomfortable you will be after an hour? 2? 3?  Try 8-10 hours like some of my outings in the salt water where there is not way to just get out and stretch for a bit!

 

The other thing to remember when it comes to comfort is actually wearing the PFD you will be using while on the water.  If you aren't comfortable with the PFD on in the same factory seating and foot positions, two things are going to happend.  One, you won't wear your PFD properly; or, second, you won't enjoy your time on the water in the kayak you just spent your hard earned money on.

 

Now, not all retailers that sell kayaks have the ability to get you real seat time for a demo on the water.  If that's the case, ask around some of the kayak focused forums in your area.  Heck, you might even have a friend or two locally that has a model you can try out.  If at all possible, avoid purchasing a kayak you have never paddled before.

 

Save the rigging concerns until after you figure out how you will be able to fish out of your new kayak.

[Kyle Mahaffey]

I am also looking at canoes I can put a motor on the back

[Kyle Mahaffey]

Just trying to get off the bank. With kayaks I can get so e exersice bit with a canoe I can put a motor on the back. But with canoes I might need a second person to help me load the canoe on the too of my SUV. With a kayak I can do it by myself.

[Darren.]

Just trying to get off the bank. With kayaks I can get so e exersice bit with a canoe I can put a motor on the back. But with canoes I might need a second person to help me load the canoe on the too of my SUV. With a kayak I can do it by myself.

 

There are kayaks you can mound trolling motors on and get the best of both worlds.

 

Most you will have to either buy or build a mount. But the Wilderness Systems Commander has a square stern you can mount one on. See page 9 of this PDF.

 

Personally, I did not like my sit-in time with the Commander. I preferred the Native Ultimate 12. So I can't second enough Hanover's comment to find the one that fits YOU, not me, not him, not someone else.

[Sodus Bay Scooter]

$1000-1500? Just buy the new Native Slayer 12 and thank me later! No but seriously, I would look for a 12' kayak sit on top and consider the seat design because you'll be on the water for good stretches at a time and if your back is killing you you'll be hating life.

I've been using my kayak, an emotion kayaks renegade xt for 2 seasons now which is a ten foot boat and I got to try out my friends kayak, a field and streams eagle talon from dsg and wow what a difference. His was much faster and tracked much better and was much less affected from the wind. I was getting blown everywhere WITH a drift sock and he was sitting right in place.

Don't skimp on a paddle either. Buy the lightest quality you can because remember, you're paddling with it the whole time.

Good luck

[Kyle Mahaffey]

I looked at the field and stream and they look no e for the first termed kayak.

[HeavyDluxe]

There are tons of options in your price range... I just bought my fishing kayak this spring (just slimed it yesterday, as a matter of fact) so I was where you are.  My only advice, given your budget:

• Stick with a known, 'major' manufacturer... That isn't to say that off- and store-brands can't be good boats.  But, there's a reason the people with name brands have them and I think the quality/feature differences will be seen in the long run.  
• Get as much seat time as possible in all the boats that seem to be in play as you can.  You'll be surprised how quickly you get a 'feel' for liking a boat or not.  The seat time is also invaluable to really understand the differences in form/function between, say, hybrid boats and SOT-style kayaks.

Have fun!

[Kyle Mahaffey]

It's either a field and stream or an Ascend fs128t

[Hanover_Yakker]

Kyle,

 

Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Farmville, VA on Saturday June 8th like flyfisher said and get some real seat time in as many kayaks as you can like I said.  I'll be there in the Hobie booth, but I have several friends I fish with that that are pro staffers and will be in the Wilderness Systems, Native Watercraft, Ocean Kayak/Old Town, Jackson, Hurricane, Elie, Perception, Feel Free, Necky, Heritage, etc.  ARC typically offers an awesome deal on this weekend where you can get an entire setup at a nice combo price and within your price range.

 

Something to take into consideration is the fact that the companies listed above have been in the business of designing, testing and producing kayaks for years.  The folks at Ascend (Bass Pro) and F& S (Dicks) have only been in the business of selling kayaks for a handful of years.  In all honesty, they aren't even the manufacturers of those kayaks, they simply sell them, so the staff on hand at those stores typically does not have the real experience to place you in the proper kayak.  Not saying that they do not make a quality product nor am I saying that one of theirs wouldn't work for you.  All I am saying is that reputation and a loyal customer base speak volumes of how good a product is.

[Kyle Mahaffey]

I can't make it out on Saturday but do you know if there is a kayak shop around Northern Virginia?

[Hanover_Yakker]

Sort of, Backyard Boats near Annapolis is one I know of and have a friend named Matt that works there.  You can also try the ones listed here:

 

http://www.paddling.net/dealers/VA/