Kayak Question

[davecon]

The recent kayak thread makes me hope I can get some advice from you folks.

 

Here’s the situation - plan on getting my grandson a kayak for his high school graduation. I know nothing about kayaks and neither does he. Plus it’s going to be a surprise for him.

 

He enjoys fishing but is nuts about spear fishing in the saltwater where we live in the Tampa Bay Area. He always goes with his slightly younger brother or a friend. Therefore I want to get him a tandem model. Right now they just swim/snorkel out from shore. The yak will expand their horizons dramatically. 

 

Visited 5 yak shops this past weekend. Naturally they push the brand they sell and I don’t know enough about them to tell one from the other.

 

Want to get him a good one but don’t plan on going overboard either.

 

All the models we have looked at are SOT.

 

Would really appreciate comments, good or bad, regarding manufacturers and or models as I’m at a loss here.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Dave

[flyfisher]

What boats were they recommending?  Usually shops are going to push boats that are best for their specific waters too so don't be too cynical about their recommendations.  

 

I wouldn't get anything but a SOT for the uses you are mentioning.  

 

[Darren.]

Agree with Fly, most shops tend to offer a smattering

of brands and try (at least in my experience) to help

you find the right yak for your needs.

 

Not to say there aren't dealers as you describe.

 

I'd also go SOT only, and probably something he could

stand up and spear fish in. You'll be looking at yaks 

from Native Watercraft, Wilderness Systems, Feelfree,

Jackson, Perception, among many others. Stand up

yaks are so popular now everyone's getting into them.

Even Bass Pro has models that are under $1000 and

stand up capable.

[soflabasser]

I have to agree with your son that spearfishing is far more fun that hook and line fishing. I do freedive spearfishing as well, mostly on boats and shoredives. Have gone on ocean kayaks that my friends have lended me and these kayaks are very good at taking 3-5 foot waves.I suggest you look for ocean kayaks and stay away from the typical bass/inshore kayaks since they might not handle the waves as good as a kayak made for ocean fishing/diving.

[davecon]

Thanks for the response guys, really appreciate it. 

 

So so far have looked at Ocean Kayak, Pelican, Jackson, Lifetime, and a couple others that I have written down but escape me right now.

 

Just trying to make it special for the boy. I still have the 12 foot johnboat my grandfather gave me for graduation 49 years ago. It leaks like a sieve and is out behind the garage but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

 

Thanks again,

 

Dave

[ClackerBuzz]

great gift idea which will provide lots of great memories.

 

i'd suggest buying 2 cheap kayaks over 1 expensive tandem.

 

canoes are called 'divorce makers' for a reason.  fishing and nature are so much more enjoyable when you can control your own destiny i.e. vessel

[IgotWood]

To be honest, I would stay away from the brands like Pelican, and the store brand kayaks from Basspro and Field and Stream. And there arent very many tandem kayaks out there, especially performance tandem kayak. The Ocean Kayak Malibu is probably the best bet. It sounds to me like he and his friend are only going to use it to get from A to B to open up new opportunities. The Ocean Kayak would do that perfectly. Their hulls are very efficient for dealing with tide, currents, waves, etc, which is perfect for what he will be dealing with. However, no matter what kayak he is in, he will still need to pick his days and pay attention to the weather. I've paddled one several times. They paddle well solo, and tandem.