How much to budget for a kayak?

[CybrSlydr]

So we got my brother the inflatable pontoon and it looks great.  However, we can only fit one in the trunk and have no vehicles with which to tow or the like.

 

So I think I'm going to go with a yak - which means I'll need a roof rack for my car.

 

I'm about 280lb, 6"1'.  A 12ft is probably what I will need.  A sit on top is my preference.  Comfortable seat a must.

 

So while I've been looking around the $600 Mark, most reviews are saying they're of questionable quality.  So, how much should I budget for a good kayak?  Not a top of the line, but something I could use on rivers and lakes?

 

Also, what brands as I'm very new to kayaks in general.  Is there anything to stay away from?  

 

What do you wish you knew when you got your first kayak?  

 

Appreciate your help folks.

[HeavyTwenty]

I don't have first hand experience with the sub $600 retail kayaks, but I've read they're generally fine except for comfort. They usually have awful seats. Generally the higher the seat, the more comfortable it will be.

 

Fortunately you can generally get "high end" brands close to that price if you buy used. I'm not sure how close this is to your location https://columbus.craigslist.org/boa/6110365703.html. I've heard its very comfortable with a high seat and stable enough to stand on. The width would probably make it a bit slower than a narrow kayak that you can't stand on. I have a narrow kayak, the Wilderness Tarpon 120, and I would trade it in for something wider. Bed fishing would be much easier if I could stand and see 20 feet out...

 

Its a bit over your budget, but you might be able to negotiate on pricing. Also you avoid tax by buying used. It took me a month of craigslist browsing to finally find my kayak at a really good deal.

 

Another thing that strongly influences comfort would be the PFD. I went to the store and asked for the "best kayak PFD". They directed me to this:

 

But it is awful for fishing kayaks because the rear interferes with the seat. Look for either a thin life vest or something with nothing on the lower back like this:

[CybrSlydr]

I wouldn't say 600 is my budget, it's just what I figured I could come up with quickly.

 

That's why I'm asking what I should budget for a good one.  

 

So you think around 850 would be able to net me a good kayak?

[fishnkamp]

What I suggest is for you to spend some time reading all of the previous threads on kayaks. There are hundreds of them on here, get a good consensus of the ones that keep surfacing and what people think of them.  I have personally read at least a dozen on  more on the topic of Kayaks just in the last few months.

Next I suggest you research what outfitters and big box stores carry kayaks, and who has demo days. Go demo some. Nothing teaches you more about fishing or boating then seat time. Something that I may love may drive you crazy.

 

Lastly, do some research and see if you can find a fishing guide that offers Kayak fishing trips. I have one here in MD. He supplies the yak, and gear needed to use it and you can fish with your gear or some of his.  He offers 4 and 8 hour trips. If I wanted to figure out things that I like and things that I did not then I would try some of these options.

[Master Bait'r]

$1500 is a solid bet for a killer boat/paddle/pfd. 

[camo]

Might want to look at the Ascend 12t or the Vibe Sea Ghost 130. Don't forget to factor in paddle cost, Pfd and anything else most people use while kayak fishing like an anchor trolley, a kayak cart etc. There are Facebook groups for Ascend kayak owners and Vibe kayak owners which will provide you a plethora of information regarding those two brands. Also tons of YouTube videos out there. Good luck!

[MassYak85]

Make sure to include the costs other that the kayak, like paddle, pfd, safety gear (flag, light, whistle etc.), roof rack, and any mods you might want to do (anchor trolley is a basic one that will do a lot of good). I think you can get all that done for under 1000 if you look around. I use a 500 dollar sit in and it does what I need just fine. I've done a bunch of mods to it and I had to get roofracks and I upgraded my paddle so again, definitely under 1000 all in all.

[Hawkeye21]

$1,000 is probably the price line for getting something really good.  I think you can find what you need for around $800 though but that would be the low end for something comfortable and stable.

[CenCal fisher]

Like others have said $1000-$1500 will get you a good setup that you won't want to upgrade after your first outing. What I was looking for when I upgraded my kayak was a stadium style seat, 12ft or longer, a wide enough hull to stand in and a low hull weight so I could carry it if I didn't want to use a cart. A transducer ready hull was a plus but not a requirement. 

 

Also make sure that you are well under the max weight capacity. At 280 I wouldn't consider any kayak that didn't have a max capacity of at least 450lbs. If i were you, the vibe sea ghost 130 would be the kayak I would compare everything to when considering other options. It has a rudder, stadium seat, high weight capacity, rotomolded, a low hull weight for what it offers and it's under $1000

[22hertz]

The budget will depend on the right kayak for you IMO. First you need to figure out what you want from one, then find the one that best matches your expectations. Buying used can knock some cash off and sometimes you can find a previous year leftover for a discount.

 

I differ from some guys in that I wanted a faster kayak VS one stable enough to stand in. 

I wanted my yak to get me to spots a couple miles away quick and without wearing myself out. Paddling up a fast flowing river I made a good choice in buying a faster yak. My friends with slower kayaks have a much harder time paddling back upstream to the boat ramp while Im cruising right along. Another advantage is pointing the front of the kayak against the river flow I tend to stay in the same spot longer than the slower kayaks which drift off during a cast and retrieve. I still drift off but not as quick and maintaining my position is a lot easier.

 

Don't forget to budget in the lightest paddle you can afford if you plan to make long trips or be out for hours.

 

You're right a comfortable seat is a must. My Tarpon 120 seat starts to irritate me after about 3-4 hours in. My brothers cheap plastic kayak with molded in seat kills my back after every trip to the point where it is sore the entire next day.

 

I bought a Mustang MIT100 inflatable PFD and am happy with the comfort and reputation for safety.

 

For roof rack I got the basic Yakima round bar rack with JayLow carrier. Im happy with that system overall even though I feel its overpriced for what you're getting. It has held my yak securely for hundreds of miles at high interstate speeds and its easy to load and unload the yak with the carriers positioned on the side of the car.

 

Do a lot of reading online to see what people like, and if you can find a place to try a few before you buy. I have let a few people try mine at the boat ramp.

At 210 lbs I found my Tarpon 120 didn't like a lot of heavy gear in with me before it started to ride lower in the water and the performance suffered. Even though the weight rating says it should be fine what they don't tell you is the more weight you load up the lower the yak sits in the water and the more the yak pushes the water instead of cutting. I once put a small 60 lb kid in my yak and he flew around in it because the yak was sitting so much higher and had less weight (momentum) to overcome. I assume a kayak designed to carry more weight should be faster with a heavier person than one with a lower weight rating even if the lower rated kayak is a faster design, but thats only an assumption.

 

One more thing to consider. Every time I go out in my kayak Im so glad I did a lot of research before buying anything. The kayak is a pleasure to paddle and fish out of. It has a good compromise between stability and speed and has adequate comfort for a few hours. The Werner paddle I bought has a light swing weight and suits my high angle paddling style and is efficient with stiff fiberglass blades that don't flex under power strokes. The roof rack is easy to load/unload and securely holds my yak at any speed and driving conditions. When Im out and the wind is blowing me all over the place causing me to make constant corrections the kayak corrects quickly and easily. I get frustrated using my brothers cheap kayak and cheap heavy plastic paddles for any distance and fighting the wind and current. Choose your gear wisely the first time and you will save money in the long run from not having to spend twice.

Having said that you don't have to go broke getting a good setup. I have paddled a Perception Pescador 12 with a Bending Branches Angler classic paddle and it was nice for the money the guy spent. He caught the kayak on sale for $400 at Academy and bought the paddle used on Craigslist. He had about $520 invested in those two items and I felt it was a phenomenal value for the money spent. I cant say how the seat was over time since I only paddled it for 5 minutes but it wasn't as good as my Tarpon seat, but that could be replaced down the road.

 

Good luck brother, and tight lines.

[PECo]

The thing I've learned after owning eight or nine kayaks is that EASY is best. A kayak that's easy to store, easy to transport, easy to paddle and easy to sit in for long periods gets used. The same thing is true with paddles. You should spend the $125 or so needed to get a super light paddle with a carbon fiber shaft and nylon blades.

 

The two kayaks that I still own are easy. My Hurricane Santee 116 Sport weighs weighs only 36 pounds. It's not really a "fishing kayak", but I never think twice about throwing it into the back of my Jeep and going fishing in it. My second kayak is an inflatable Hobie i9s with a Mirage pedal drive. If your brother had gotten one of these, you could have gotten one, too. Both of them would have fit in the trunk. However, neither of these kayaks is inexpensive.

 

A new fairly inexpensive kayak that just came on the market and looks like it would be easy is the Pelican Catch 120 NXT. While Pelican isn't one of the more prestigious brands, this kayak looks like it's well thought out. The only really significant omission I see is the lack of a molded-in transducer scupper, but you could easily install a through-hull transducer in it. I'd also put keel guards on the lower portions of the double keel. Unlike polyethylene, it's hard to put a good patch on laminated Ram-X. However, I think that the weight-savings of the Ram-X are worth the extra precautions needed.

 

http://www.pelicansport.com/en/products/kayaks-2017/sit-top-kayak/catch-120nxt-new

[Darren.]

On 4/30/2017 at 2:17 PM, CybrSlydr said:

I wouldn't say 600 is my budget, it's just what I figured I could come up with quickly.

 

That's why I'm asking what I should budget for a good one.  

 

So you think around 850 would be able to net me a good kayak?

 

$850 should land you a nice, previously-used higher end kayak

by Native Watercraft (Slayer, Ultimate), Wilderness Systems (Ride,

ATAK, Commander), Ocean Kayak, Feel Free (Moken, Lure), and

other brands.

 

If at all possible, try to demo several before plunging into the 

kayak fishing world. Comfort is relative to the person helming

the yak and what I/we find "comfortable" may not be what you

find comfortable.

 

But #1 get a good PFD. I have been using the Bass Pro Ascend 

for a number of years and it has done well. It is a bit of a knock

off, but a good knock off. If you buy at a kayak shop, oftentimes

they will offer bundles, or discounts on anything you buy at the

store when you buy the kayak. Many great ones to choose from.

 

After PFD, you want a good paddle. Touch/feel and ask the folks

in the store what they recommend. Heavy paddles make for tired

arms after a day on the water....

 

Buying a pre-outfitted, fishing-specific yak is not necessarily the

route to go, either.

 

Why? Because an engineer made the choices of where the fishing

accoutrements were to go (usually with input from real fishermen).

Again, where they want stuff may not be most practical for you.

So fish a yak for a while and listen to the "hey, I wish this were here

instead of there" voices in your head. That tells you what you'd like.

 

A non-fishing-specific kayak is usually less expensive, too. I'm not

saying *don't* go that route, though. I'm a tinkerer and care about

where stuff is. If that's not a worry to you, then by all means, ignore

my advice to the contrary  

[CybrSlydr]

Thanks everyone for their responses - I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get back on here!

 

I've been thinking about the kayaks and doing a lot of reading.  

 

I don't think I've got a lot of interest in standing on a kayak.  When my brother and I went out on a canoe together (classic aluminum canoe) the thing just twitched and swayed with every movement.  I did NOT like that one bit - so staying seated is most likely what I would do.

 

Seating comfort would then be paramount to me - and those Feel Free with the Gravity seats look incredible - but you can stand in them and that's not something I'm interested in.

 

That Vibe Sea Ghost looks incredible for the price - but again, standing isn't really something I'm concerned with.

 

I'd also looked at the Pelican Premium Enforcer 120X but it's only rated for 350lbs and that's a bit close for comfort for someone my size.  lol

 

What times of the year are typically good to look for used kayaks?  I assume fall/winter when folks are looking to get rid of ones they just bought and no longer want?  Aside from Native, Feel Free, Ocean, Wilderness Systems, Vibe, Pelican, etc. what are other good brands?  Feel a bit silly saying, "Aside from those 7, what else?..."  lol

 

Again, thanks for all your help folks!

[Darren.]

22 minutes ago, CybrSlydr said:

Thanks everyone for their responses - I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get back on here!

 

I've been thinking about the kayaks and doing a lot of reading.  

 

I don't think I've got a lot of interest in standing on a kayak.  When my brother and I went out on a canoe together (classic aluminum canoe) the thing just twitched and swayed with every movement.  I did NOT like that one bit - so staying seated is most likely what I would do.

 

Seating comfort would then be paramount to me - and those Feel Free with the Gravity seats look incredible - but you can stand in them and that's not something I'm interested in.

 

That Vibe Sea Ghost looks incredible for the price - but again, standing isn't really something I'm concerned with.

 

I'd also looked at the Pelican Premium Enforcer 120X but it's only rated for 350lbs and that's a bit close for comfort for someone my size.  lol

 

What times of the year are typically good to look for used kayaks?  I assume fall/winter when folks are looking to get rid of ones they just bought and no longer want?  Aside from Native, Feel Free, Ocean, Wilderness Systems, Vibe, Pelican, etc. what are other good brands?  Feel a bit silly saying, "Aside from those 7, what else?..."  lol

 

Again, thanks for all your help folks!

 

I can attest that standing in my Native Ultimate is a much

different experience than standing in my old 16' Grumman

aluminum canoe. On that I put outriggers to give me some

stability. On my Native Ultimate, I don't need outriggers. It

is FAR more stable than was my canoe. Again, the Ultimate

and the Wilderness Systems Commander are hybrids, a cross

between kayak and canoe.

 

For other brands, look at Bass Pro Ascend yaks. Get decent 

reviews, priced low, a bit heavy, but functional and will get

the job done, standing or sitting.

[DogBone_384]

I started with an Ascend 128T that was $649 at the time.  It's a great kayak for the money.  It's BIG, stable, and has an ALL DAY comfortable seat.

 

I upgraded to a FeelFree Lure 11.5 a year later. It was $1,100 at the time.  Also stable and has an awesome seat.  

 

They're both excellent kayaks but the Lure's fit and finish matches its price over the 128T.

[Hawkeye21]

12 hours ago, CybrSlydr said:

Thanks everyone for their responses - I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get back on here!

 

I've been thinking about the kayaks and doing a lot of reading.  

 

I don't think I've got a lot of interest in standing on a kayak.  When my brother and I went out on a canoe together (classic aluminum canoe) the thing just twitched and swayed with every movement.  I did NOT like that one bit - so staying seated is most likely what I would do.

 

Seating comfort would then be paramount to me - and those Feel Free with the Gravity seats look incredible - but you can stand in them and that's not something I'm interested in.

 

That Vibe Sea Ghost looks incredible for the price - but again, standing isn't really something I'm concerned with.

 

I'd also looked at the Pelican Premium Enforcer 120X but it's only rated for 350lbs and that's a bit close for comfort for someone my size.  lol

 

What times of the year are typically good to look for used kayaks?  I assume fall/winter when folks are looking to get rid of ones they just bought and no longer want?  Aside from Native, Feel Free, Ocean, Wilderness Systems, Vibe, Pelican, etc. what are other good brands?  Feel a bit silly saying, "Aside from those 7, what else?..."  lol

 

Again, thanks for all your help folks!

 

Make sure not to turn down a kayak just because it's know for being able to stand on.  You want a comfortable and stable kayak.  Standing is just an added benefit that you can take advantage of or not.

[J Francho]

On 4/30/2017 at 2:17 PM, CybrSlydr said:

I wouldn't say 600 is my budget, it's just what I figured I could come up with quickly.

 

That's why I'm asking what I should budget for a good one.  

 

So you think around 850 would be able to net me a good kayak?

 

You want something you'll be happy with for years.  Double your budget, and get some significant seat time in several boats.

[CybrSlydr]

Looks like we actually have a local shop that sells Feel Free, Wilderness Systems, Hurricane, etc. kayaks.  Marietta Adventure Company.

 

Think I'll stop by after work and check them out.

[Darren.]

1 minute ago, CybrSlydr said:

Looks like we actually have a local shop that sells Feel Free, Wilderness Systems, Hurricane, etc. kayaks.  Marietta Adventure Company.

 

Think I'll stop by after work and check them out.

 

Now that's a plan. Demo! Or if they don't have a demo

program sit in each kayak and get the feel, comfort, 

lack of comfort, and so forth. I didn't get to demo my 

Ultimate, but I did do a lot of sit-in time at the store

which is how I made my decision.

[CybrSlydr]

http://www.mariettaadventurecompany.com/rentals

 

They even do rentals and tours.  

[J Francho]

Sounds similar to the place near my house I used to teach out of.  Get plugged in with them!

[GetBent]

You're a big person, I would get something longer than 12'. I wish I would have spent more money on my first yak. I'm obsessed with fishing so I don't mind spending the $$$ 

[CybrSlydr]

Stopped by the store after work and came away very impressed.  Spoke with two young ladies who were quite knowledgeable about kayaks - one of them even grew up fishing for trout in the mountains of WV.  

 

So I got a lot of good advice and info from them as well as learned about their rental/shuttle service.  They do self-guided trips on some local waterways with a shuttle service so they can bring the boat to you if you can't haul one.  All I'd need to do is call ahead and schedule a day to take one out.  Pricing looks quite good as well.  http://www.mariettaadventurecompany.com/rentals

 

They also have a 3 month layaway, which I figure I'll utilize once I decide upon a boat.  I'd rather pick a boat, PFD and paddle and then pay like... $200 every two weeks until it's paid for than save it up (because saved money for one thing is typically spent on something else...  lol).

 

Now all I need to do is figure out which boats I'm going to demo.

[Darren.]

1 minute ago, CybrSlydr said:

Stopped by the store after work and came away very impressed.  Spoke with two young ladies who were quite knowledgeable about kayaks - one of them even grew up fishing for trout in the mountains of WV.  

 

So I got a lot of good advice and info from them as well as learned about their rental/shuttle service.  They do self-guided trips on some local waterways with a shuttle service so they can bring the boat to you if you can't haul one.  All I'd need to do is call ahead and schedule a day to take one out.  Pricing looks quite good as well.  http://www.mariettaadventurecompany.com/rentals

 

They also have a 3 month layaway, which I figure I'll utilize once I decide upon a boat.  I'd rather pick a boat, PFD and paddle and then pay like... $200 every two weeks until it's paid for than save it up (because saved money for one thing is typically spent on something else...  lol).

 

Now all I need to do is figure out which boats I'm going to demo.

 

Excellent! You're definitely on the right path here. Will find

the right yak among their selections.

[J Francho]

That's a great plan.  Pics of the demo rides!