Where have all the kayaks gone?

[Koz]

Holy cow it's impossible to get hold of a fishing kayak without a 6-8 week lead time. Has there been a run on kayaks due to Covid or does this happen every spring?

 

My preference is to purchase a reasonably priced pedal drive and I was looking at Brooklyn Kayaks PK12 and I can't find any in stock. So then I thought I'd buy a paddle kayak that I can upgrade to a pedal drive and looked at the Vibe Shearwater and the Lure 11.5 and I can't find those in stock. Well, some places have them in stock but they won't ship them.

 

Who would have thought it would be so hard to spend money?

 

[12poundbass]

I think everything is in short supply. The local power sports store usually has hundreds of quads, golf carts, side by sides out by the road. This year there’s nothing. They can’t get their hands on enough.

 

The only thing they have plenty enough of right now is pontoons and those will quickly be depleted once the weather starts to warm. 

[Crankin4Bass]

There has been increased demand for kayaks in the last 12 months. Now there is a plastics shortage that was caused by the power outages in Texas, which led to chemical plant shutdowns.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/february-texas-freeze-triggered-global-plastics-shortage-11615995141

[Deleted account]

Hate to go to a cliche, but Covid and the related effects were a perfect storm for the entire chain of most products, and it's going to take time to go through the backlog. We do bikes (Treks not Harleys)

and it's been nearly impossible to get product, both bikes, and parts or accessories with any consistency. The one bright side (sorry consumers) is that everything going out the door is above MSRP. Make hay while the sun shines. 

[Dens228]

Probably of combination of slow supply of kayaks and/or their components from China and a high demand due to people having a lot more free time over the past year. 

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

Probably of combination of slow supply of kayaks and/or their components from China and a high demand due to people having a lot more free time over the past year. 

It's the polyethylene shortage actually.

"Weekly Resin Report: More Than 5 Billion Pounds of Resin Production Lost Because of Storm

Mar 24, 2021

Despite some demand destruction, very heavy imports, and the lack of incremental exports, the PlasticsExchange predicts that it will take considerable time for producers to back-fill orders, restock inventories, lift allocations, and unwind force majeure declarations."

https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing

[Born 2 fish]

If this pandemic doesn’t make people see we need to manufacture here in the states they are blind.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Born 2 fish said:

If this pandemic doesn’t make people see we need to manufacture here in the states they are blind.

Most of the big names ARE made in the USA - it's the domestic supply of PE that's the issue

https://tgcanoe.com/where-are-kayaks-made/

[Koz]

1 hour ago, BassWhole! said:

Hate to go to a cliche, but Covid and the related effects were a perfect storm for the entire chain of most products, and it's going to take time to go through the backlog. We do bikes (Treks not Harleys)

and it's been nearly impossible to get product, both bikes, and parts or accessories with any consistency. The one bright side (sorry consumers) is that everything going out the door is above MSRP. Make hay while the sun shines. 

At my hotel we are facing a terry shortage - we can't find towels, washcloths, and hand towels. This is industry wide and even the big chains are scrambling.

[Deleted account]

23 minutes ago, Born 2 fish said:

If this pandemic doesn’t make people see we need to manufacture here in the states they are blind.

Yeah, but that is just part of it, you can't roto mold via Zoom.

[Born 2 fish]

44 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Yeah, but that is just part of it, you can't roto mold via Zoom.

True but I’m not just talking kayak’s I’m talking about the big picture.

[Deleted account]

45 minutes ago, Born 2 fish said:

True but I’m not just talking kayak’s I’m talking about the big picture.

I don't disagree, but it's a complicated issue. The time to mold the business model was last century.

[TnRiver46]

Road trip! We have tons of them inside stores around here and I would imagine there are places in Atlanta ready to put you in one today 

[Dye99]

covid, everyone got free money, and the freeze in Texas hit the plastics manufacturing hard.

[Darth-Baiter]

23 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

Yeah, but that is just part of it, you can't roto mold via Zoom.

Now that would be an awful awful ZOOM meeting. 

I bought mine last July.  Right before the shortage.  Mine was actually old-stock from the previous year.  Unheard of these days. 
 

I stick see kayaks at stores.  But the choosing your favorite color or model is a challenge. 

[slonezp]

On 4/3/2021 at 10:42 AM, Born 2 fish said:

If this pandemic doesn’t make people see we need to manufacture here in the states they are blind.

A lot of manufacturing in the US was put on hold as well.

 

Part of the problem across the board is inventories were depleted. Companies can't replenish their inventories because demand for the backorders are still high. I run an hvac parts supply house. We're waiting months for things that were readily available pre-pandemic. Customs is another ***** in the chain. I deal with manufacturers that have stock available in Mexico and the lead times are 3-5 weeks.

[Bird]

Anything related to recreation has seen MUCH more demand than supply. 

 

We have a large local Outfitter that claims Covid whipped out his inventory of mtnbikes, E-bikes, Kayaks, hiking shoes, backpacks, etc.

He is currently flooded with back orders. 

I'm also seeing many brand new RV's sitting in yards locally. 

 

At least those receiving the free money are certainly stimulating the economy. 

[Bankc]

They're popping up pretty frequently, but disappearing almost immediately near me.  In my town, your best bet would be to hit up some sporting goods stores frequently and be ready to pounce when they get one in stock.  With the shortage, the big box stores are often first in line to receive new stock, and they often don't know what's coming until they open up the truck.  

 

Of course, if you're looking for something specific, might as well get on that list.  Kayak fishing was exploding before the pandemic.  With the pandemic, plastic shortages, and start of Spring, it's kind of the perfect storm right now.  

[lo n slo]

they’re all on my little 400 acre lake ?

[Koz]

19 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Road trip! We have tons of them inside stores around here and I would imagine there are places in Atlanta ready to put you in one today 

 

That's actually a bit of a problem for me. I have no way to transport a kayak, especially a larger, heavier pedal kayak. I need it delivered to my hotel and then I'll just store it and launch from here.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Koz said:

I have no way to transport a kayak, especially a larger, heavier pedal kayak.

U-Haul...

[TnRiver46]

25 minutes ago, Koz said:

 

That's actually a bit of a problem for me. I have no way to transport a kayak, especially a larger, heavier pedal kayak. I need it delivered to my hotel and then I'll just store it and launch from here.

 

20 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

U-Haul...

 

20 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

U-Haul...

Where there’s a will, there’s a way ! 

[WRB]

The girls have picked them every one.

Tom

PS Happy Easter

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, WRB said:

The girls have picked them every one.

Long as it doesn't end with the 'graveyards'...

[ironbjorn]

On 4/3/2021 at 11:42 AM, Born 2 fish said:

If this pandemic doesn’t make people see we need to manufacture here in the states they are blind.

Only the top 5% could afford to buy all American made everything, which is why we make so much overseas. It's a mixture of American Greed and so much regulation, licensing, and taxation.