Kayak vs Canoe

[Jonas Staggs]

Would you recommend a kayak vs a canoe, Im trying to keep safety in mind as my wife will be riding along with me. I do plan to eventually get a trolling motor attached to whatever I have kayak/canoe as well. I was originally looking at kayaks but stumbled on a great deal for a canoe and it got me wondering in regards to 2 fishing from a boat and safety as a priority, would you go tandem kayak or canoe? Thanks for your input. 

[Darren.]

Having done both, I prefer the kayak route; HOWEVER, that's single,

not tandem. I have done canoe with 3 people fishing. I think money

speaking, a canoe will be much cheaper allowing for multiple people

and trolling motor.

 

Either way, I'd make sure everyone wears a PFD for life  .

 

Good luck with your choice.

[Jonas Staggs]

9 minutes ago, Darren. said:

Having done both, I prefer the kayak route; HOWEVER, that's single,

not tandem. I have done canoe with 3 people fishing. I think money

speaking, a canoe will be much cheaper allowing for multiple people

and trolling motor.

 

Either way, I'd make sure everyone wears a PFD for life  .

 

Good luck with your choice.

thanks for your input. 

[CountryboyinDC]

I haven't paddled a tandem kayak much.  What little I have is a Big Tuna, and with 2 people it can get a little squirrelly if one of the people is not used to keeping a boat upright.  A canoe is the more versatile of the 2, if it's a symmetric hull just turn around backward in the bow seat and you can manage it most of the time solo.  I would say if you're switching back and forth between tandem and solo, probably the canoe is easier (although the hybrid Native Ultimates are pretty easily switched and you can make good progress with 1 or 2 paddlers).  If you're by yourself, a kayak can be set up so much more easily for efficient fishing, and so I wouldn't bother with a canoe.  Safety-wise, I guess it would depend on the application.  Obviously canoes can get swamped more easily, but if you can let us know what your concern is, maybe we could address that better.

[Jonas Staggs]

39 minutes ago, CountryboyinDC said:

I haven't paddled a tandem kayak much.  What little I have is a Big Tuna, and with 2 people it can get a little squirrelly if one of the people is not used to keeping a boat upright.  A canoe is the more versatile of the 2, if it's a symmetric hull just turn around backward in the bow seat and you can manage it most of the time solo.  I would say if you're switching back and forth between tandem and solo, probably the canoe is easier (although the hybrid Native Ultimates are pretty easily switched and you can make good progress with 1 or 2 paddlers).  If you're by yourself, a kayak can be set up so much more easily for efficient fishing, and so I wouldn't bother with a canoe.  Safety-wise, I guess it would depend on the application.  Obviously canoes can get swamped more easily, but if you can let us know what your concern is, maybe we could address that better.

I would like to be able to go out to lakes such as lake hemet for example. Not do any crazy crosses, probably just hug the shoreline for the most part. Basically just thinking of safety as the priority over efficiency. Not sure how much easier it is to flip a kayak vs a canoe, and I think a canoe flipped over would put you in a similar situation as a Sit Inside kayak, which had me thinking the sit on top kayak would be safest option, reasoning would be worst case scenario, we flip, and climb back in, rather than flip and be stranded, my wife can swim, but she is not the greatest swimmer, of course we will have the life vests but still just trying to play it safe. I might be a bit more adventurous when I take the boat out myself. Getting 2 separate boats is not out of the question either.

[Bird]

Most SOT kayaks are self draining and with a little practice, can be remounted in deep water.

The wife and I canoed for many years in a 14ft Madriver and finally sold it this year. 

We simply are to old to load and unload the beast, mainly flipping it on the roof.

And yes we did flip it 3 times on a river float and let me tell you, it scoops a ton of water. 

I'd opt for his and her SOT kayaks which would allow you to outfit your boat for fishing and easier to handle when solo.

 

During the summer months, I simply drag the wife behind me on a float tube while I'm fishing......hand her a book and she's good.

I have a Jonny Bass 100 with trolling motor. 

[CountryboyinDC]

What @Bird said is right, a SOT deep water re-entry is the simplest of the when compared to a canoe or a SINK.  So long as water doesn't breach the 2 layers of the hull, you don't have to bail it if it ends up turtleing.  That said, the SOTs usually do get some water in that space, particularly ones with big hatches.  I had to be part of a party that brought a guy a boat to get him back because he turtlled a SOT so many times and had so much water in it that it became unpadleable.  So with a SOT, you still need a system to bail the boat if you're going to take it out into bodies of water where a deep water re-entry is feasible.  They're usually some sort of pump-primed siphon.

Coordinating a deep water re-entry between 2 people in the same boat might be interesting, especially if one is not a confident swimmer.  I think in that scenario it might be easier to reassure your wife that you would help her if you yourself weren't bobbing next to her.  (If it's you swimming, it would give her a good laugh, and you could just climb back into your kayak.)  Again, I've never paddled a tandem SOT that I felt was all that stable, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.  Maybe someone on this forum has some experience with one.  I'm sure the Hobie tandem Pro Angler is, but it's like 250+ pounds and $6,500 or so.  Otherwise, it may make sense to think of this in terms of 2 solo SOT kayaks.

 

[Jonas Staggs]

5 hours ago, Bird said:

Most SOT kayaks are self draining and with a little practice, can be remounted in deep water.

The wife and I canoed for many years in a 14ft Madriver and finally sold it this year. 

We simply are to old to load and unload the beast, mainly flipping it on the roof.

And yes we did flip it 3 times on a river float and let me tell you, it scoops a ton of water. 

I'd opt for his and her SOT kayaks which would allow you to outfit your boat for fishing and easier to handle when solo.

 

During the summer months, I simply drag the wife behind me on a float tube while I'm fishing......hand her a book and she's good.

I have a Jonny Bass 100 with trolling motor. 

 

3 hours ago, CountryboyinDC said:

What @Bird said is right, a SOT deep water re-entry is the simplest of the when compared to a canoe or a SINK.  So long as water doesn't breach the 2 layers of the hull, you don't have to bail it if it ends up turtleing.  That said, the SOTs usually do get some water in that space, particularly ones with big hatches.  I had to be part of a party that brought a guy a boat to get him back because he turtlled a SOT so many times and had so much water in it that it became unpadleable.  So with a SOT, you still need a system to bail the boat if you're going to take it out into bodies of water where a deep water re-entry is feasible.  They're usually some sort of pump-primed siphon.

Coordinating a deep water re-entry between 2 people in the same boat might be interesting, especially if one is not a confident swimmer.  I think in that scenario it might be easier to reassure your wife that you would help her if you yourself weren't bobbing next to her.  (If it's you swimming, it would give her a good laugh, and you could just climb back into your kayak.)  Again, I've never paddled a tandem SOT that I felt was all that stable, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.  Maybe someone on this forum has some experience with one.  I'm sure the Hobie tandem Pro Angler is, but it's like 250+ pounds and $6,500 or so.  Otherwise, it may make sense to think of this in terms of 2 solo SOT kayaks.

 

thanks for your input guys, I think the solo SOT kayaks is probably the way to go after all the suggestions as well as sitting down and really thinking about it. Funny as you mention dragging her behind as my wife is the one who suggested just getting and pulling her around. Another thing I didnt even take into consideration, is one of the places we go, requires a 4x4 up and down a steep incline, I dont think it would be possible with a huge canoe strapped to the top of the truck due to weight and off balancing. 2 smaller SOT in the back of the truck we could probably get away with.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Sounds like a jon boat would better fit your needs.

[VolFan]

I think the Native Ultimate or Nucanoe Frontier 12 are the only real options for what you want to do if you go the kayak route. Both are great boats, and i go tandem in my Frontier virtually 90% of the time with no issues. Its actually easier to paddle with another person holding the bow down.

[IgotWood]

NuCanoe Frontier! They’re super stable! They’re a little clunky to paddle, but if rigged tandem, your wife can help paddle too. It also has a motor-friendly transom. It is a little more portable than a canoe, and also a little nicer on solo outings than a canoe. I am in the market for one this year so I can take my kids out with me. 

[Brad Reid]

Sorry to be jumping in late. Just moved to Galveston, TX and lots of boxes to unpack. 

 

If you do plan to go out tandem and if you do plan to use a trolling motor, there is simply no better choice than a Meyers Sportspal canoe  . . . I'd say S-13 or S-15 (square sterns if you ever want to mount a small outboard or a trolling motor off the rear) or an S-14 or S-16 model where they come standard, as I recall, with a trolling motor side mount attachment. 

 

I believe an S-13 or S-14 weighs 57 lbs. so much, much lighter than any tandem kayak I can think of. These are all made out of aircraft quality aluminum. Buy the American version as it is a heavier gauge aluminum than a similar make. 

 

And, while some of the other vessels mentioned are stable, two grown men of size can stand and fish from a Meyers at the same time. These Meyers have extremely flat bottoms. Water fowl hunters like them as they can literally grab the collar of an 80 lbs. lab retriever and pull it back on board.

 

I paddled mine with a very long double-bladed paddle. It worked well seated or standing. And, these Meyers are so wide, depending on where and how I was fishing, I often just took out a very light blade footed lawn chair (5 lbs. ???) and sat in it to paddle and fish if I wasn't standing. Comfy, much more so than most kayak seats.

 

Cheers!  Brad

 

 

 

 

[Jonas Staggs]

thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions, much appreciated. 

[TnRiver46]

I have both but the canoe is best for 2 people. If you flip it, dont waste energy trying to get back in. Get you butt to dry land! 

[Brad Reid]

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I have both but the canoe is best for 2 people. If you flip it, dont waste energy trying to get back in. Get you butt to dry land! 

I have owned both, too. I find each a poor substitute for the other in particular circumstances.

 

I should have added earlier that I personally detest fishing tandem even in a large canoe. It just feels so limiting to me. I much prefer fishing alongside a friend, each in our own rides.

 

Brad

 

 

[J Francho]

We call tandem kayaks "divorce boats" for a reason.

[Dens228]

I tried fishing with my son in a canoe on a small pond last summer.  It was fairly windy, if I was in my kayak I would have barely noticed it.  In the canoe it blew us around like a kite. 

[the reel ess]

I've owned both. My first small watercraft was a canoe that I tried to fish from. A stiff breeze would take it away from me. If you have two people in it that know how to paddle and work together, you can certainly enjoy it. And when it comes to taking a long trip or camping, a canoe is great for two or three people. 

 

If you intend to fish a SOT kayak is the king. I never look back and think I'd like to have that canoe back. If you're thinking in terms of flipping one or the other, the canoe can easily be flipped or swamped, especially if you have an inexperienced partner. I've never turned a fishing kayak over in probably 8 years. You just need to get you and your partner on a kayak in still water a few trips so they gain confidence with handling it.

On 10/16/2019 at 9:30 AM, J Francho said:

We call tandem kayaks "divorce boats" for a reason.

Yeah, just make sure one of the seats can be removed. LOL. A lot of couples get one thinking they'll be using it together a lot only to find one of them wants to use it a lot more than the other. Buying two singles is a better idea so you can at least sell hers (or his) or leave it at home when the spouse doesn't want to go, which happens to most of us. 

[J Francho]

9 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Yeah, just make sure one of the seats can be removed. LOL.

Most I've seen don't sit well in the water with just one person.

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Most I've seen don't sit well in the water with just one person.

I've always thought they should make them with the seats on an adjustable track so you can ditch the 2nd seat after the significant other gets tired of it. It also looks like the front person would constantly be in the way of the cast you want to make if you actually try to fish from one. But the NuCanoe Frontier with swivel seats looks doable. On second thought, it loos too small for two, but it might be fishable with one seat out.

[J Francho]

I think for two people, get jon boat or a semi-v.  We fished three out of 14' semi-v rentals all the time before we all got boats.

[Fishing Rhino]

11 hours ago, J Francho said:

Most I've seen don't sit well in the water with just one person.

There's a trick to that.  Most canoes have the rear seat close to the stern, causing the bow to run very high.  When fishing solo in the canoe swap ends and make the stern your bow.  The canoe will balance much better.  The "bow seat" is much closer to the center of the boat, so using it as the stern seat will keep the canoe on a more even keel.

[VolFan]

I can attest that a Nucanoe Frontier fishes great with two people on swivel seats in it. Ive even fished 3 people with the middle one paddling and sitting on a cooler (me, with wife and son in the seats) but its really not great for that. You can move and remove seats in about 30 seconds. Move a seat towards the middle when going solo, depending on your weight and paddling style. 

[Further North]

The real answer, for two people, is a drift boat...

[J Francho]

On 10/18/2019 at 11:58 PM, Further North said:

The real answer, for two people, is a drift boat...

Tell me the benefits of a drift boat on a lake.  I've only been in one once, on the Salmon River.  Doesn't seem like an ideal vessel for tooling around a lake.