Paddle now, pedal later kayak for big guy?

[HazeRVA]

So I am beginning to look into getting my first kayak. I know no one has them at the moment so I have plenty of time to start looking and narrowing my focus. I think I am going to start just paddling as I will need to buy a roof rack system as well. I was hoping to be able to add pedal drive later, but it doesn't seem like there are many "convertible" kayaks. Especially for a big guy. I am currently 310lbs. Working on getting that way lower as it is the heaviest I have ever been. Paddling a kayak should help with that some too, I would think. I am narrowing it further by wanting a 450+ lb capacity, without moving up to a 13'+ kayak.

 

My cousin has the Old Town Topwater 120 PDL, which is really nice. I was thinking about the regular Topwater 120 and adding the pedal drive later, but it is not designed for that. FeelFree isn't the only one who makes their boats with the option to add pedal drive later are they?

 

Thanks for the insight!

[J Francho]

I think you're mostly going to see pedal or no pedal.  There might be some Wilderness Systems with options to upgrade.  I say pedal now.  Hobie Compass is rated for 400 lbs, and under 13'.  I love it.

 

[Choporoz]

Not sure how old the research is, but it looks somewhat thorough 

https://yaklogic.com/convertible-kayaks-paddle-to-pedal/

[HazeRVA]

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I think you're mostly going to see pedal or no pedal.  There might be some Wilderness Systems with options to upgrade.  I say pedal now.  Hobie Compass is rated for 400 lbs, and under 13'.  I love it.

 

400lbs would be ok for my weight? Figured I would need more overhead, but have no idea really.

 

Edit: The seat rating is only 275....

 

6 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Not sure how old the research is, but it looks somewhat thorough 

https://yaklogic.com/convertible-kayaks-paddle-to-pedal/

 

Ha! Thanks that was actually the next link in my Google search. I posted before reading that one.

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, HazeRVA said:

Edit: The seat rating is only 275....

Didn't realize this.  Good to know.  What's the budget?

[HazeRVA]

Probably $2000 with some wiggle room. Really like that Topwater 120 PDL at $2200, but also need to get the roof rack system which is gonna be $400+ which is why I was hoping to get a paddle now and add pedal later.

[J Francho]

Take a look at the Radar.  I think that also has much of what you're looking for, including price.  Wildy are great boats, I have C140 that I love.

[HazeRVA]

Oh, I will take a look at that. Thanks!

 

Any insight into the Vibe Shearwater? A friend has that and it is also convertible, but he hasn't had it but a couple weeks so no longterm durability review. Saw where it is also accepts the Hobie drive systems. Might be an option to get it without the drive and get the Hobie drive later.

 

That does bring up another question though. Is there a major difference between the pump style pedals and the bicycle style?

[GTN-NY]

Jackson Big Rig HD/FD 

550lb capacity 

add foot power later

very stable

but I don’t know about roof topping it. It’s 125lbs

https://store.jacksonadventures.com/jackson-kayak-big-rig-hd-2021/

[michaelb]

The shearwater looks like a nice boat, but it is made overseas and may be slighter cheaper. Like J. Francho, my first thought was the Radar (which has been on the market for several years and may have been one of the very first with this option). The big rig option is also a very good choice.

 

I think the Kaku Zulu is the coolest boat on the market. It may not be the right choice for you and you may not have been thinking of boats like that. If you were at all curious, you could call them and talk to them about it and its 500 lb capacity. There is an aspect to these boats of being able to self rescue, so if you fall off, can you get back on. I have several kayaks and several paddleboards, and I can do that will all of them. But there is a major difference between them, and getting back on a paddleboard is much much easier. So I think getting back on the Zulu (and boats like that) would be significantly easier then getting back on a bathtub shaped boat like a Hobie PA. The difference being exponential, so a 6" side wall vs a 3" is not twice as difficult, but 5x or 10x harder, something like that.

[HazeRVA]

Thanks guys! Keep em comin!

 

Looked at the Jackson Big Rig, but at $3500 all told that is out of the budget. As for the Zulu, that is cool, but not for me. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[J Francho]

I'm not sure what they're going for now, but I started out in a Prowler Big Game 15 years ago and that boat had a silly capacity at like 650 lbs and was 13' long. That boat is still alive somewhere. Beast. No pedal option though. 

[HazeRVA]

Thanks so much guys! Have a nice little group of kayaks to check out.

 

Now/later options:

Wilderness Systems Radar

Wilderness Systems Recon

Vibe Shearwater

 

Bite the bullet:

Old Town Topwater 120 PDL

[Allen Der]

1 hour ago, HazeRVA said:

Thanks so much guys! Have a nice little group of kayaks to check out.

 

Now/later options:

Wilderness Systems Radar

Wilderness Systems Recon

Vibe Shearwater

 

Bite the bullet:

Old Town Topwater 120 PDL

 

I've been a Wilderness systems owner for nearly 10 years.  Ride, Tarpons and Commanders.  By all accounts their pedal drive is trash.  Check out the owners groups on FB.  I just purchased a Nucanoe Flint which allows you to easily add a pedal drive or motor down the road.  All Nucanoes have that option/  The pivot drive is newer and it too has mixed reviews but not as bad as wildy's.

 

Old town and native are the best prop drives and hobie for fins.  The vibe uses a knock off of the original hobie mirage drive (no longer under patent) and it too has bad reviews but I believe you can get a genuine mirage drive for it.  Pelican also has a model that can use a mirage drive.

[CountryboyinDC]

Wilderness sells the Radar, and I guess the Recon without the pedal drive for a price that leaves you some room for a roof rack (hope you have a somewhat low car, these kayaks are not light).  I would check with the company and see if the kayaks are 'rudder ready' or have rudders installed if you're not getting it as a pedal kayak.  Although installing a rudder is entirely possible, it is much easier if the tubing is already there.

I'm not as familiar with them but Nucanoe has some models that allow pedals to be added later.  They also have some high capacity models.  I have no firsthand experience with the pedal drives, but they looked clunky to me.

[DogBone_384]

Look @ FeelFree. I bought my first Lure 11.5 in 2015 and added another in 2018. The ‘18 version accepts FeelFree’s pedal system called Overdrive, which I have. I average 3 1/2 to 4 mph pedaling.

 

FeelFree’s al-la-cart sytem allows you to paddle before you pedal.  The Overdrive system also has an optional electric motor.

 

FeelFree has an all day comfortable seat, is super stable, and has a wheel in the keel to ease transport.

 

Their customer service is superb too.

 

Best of luck choosing your kayak.

[schplurg]

My only advice is don't sacrifice price of the kayak for the roof rack. You're going to sit in the kayak for hours on end so get what you want. Getting it to the water will work itself out. 

 

Maybe that type of thinking doesn't work for everyone, but for me it's all about the kayak. Maybe find a used rack, or a sale. 2x4s? If you don't like the yak it won't matter.  

[bulldog1935]

My buddy Josh, who worked through college rigging kayaks at Jerry B's in Corpus, and is the most organized kayak fisherman I know, put together this spreadsheet of all kayaks in the market - it's pretty complete, and includes use recommendations and search filters.  

[HazeRVA]

Holy crap. That is awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

My buddy Josh, who worked through college at Jerry B's in Corpus, and is the most organized kayak fisherman I know, put together this spreadsheet of all kayaks in the market - it's pretty complete, and includes use recommendations and search filters.  

Tell Josh, THANKS!

[bulldog1935]

will do - I'm showing him this Sunday, with a fly rod trip to the Sabinal sendero and Frio confluence - all sight-fishing 5-lb bass.  

  um, and I guess big thumbs

Also a 100-mi drive to get there, and so close to Mexico, the only other vehicles we'll see will be INS.  

[Darth-Baiter]

That’s a 5 lb bass?  

I think pedal drive now.  I have the Hobie Compass. And occasionally I go full paddle when the weeds are too thick, or I’m negotiating trees.  It’s a pain.  Paddle in my lap, rod casting, etc.  it’s a lot happening. 
 

and don’t think pedals are effortless. It can be a workout. 

[bulldog1935]

purt near, of course Mad's snappy answer to that one begins with C.  The photo has exactly reversed parallax error from the cheese shots everyone takes grinning Way behind their fish with arms extended and Short-focal-length lens.  The way you recognize a big bass is look at its jaw structure and fins.  

 

This is a sight-fished 10-lb bass that measured 27+"

They don't get distended bellies eating nickel-size crayfish and dime-size minnows in wild rivers, but eating shad in a reservoir this would be an 18-lb fish

not really showing off, just going after my cats whisker

 

Different fish, different day, different river, this was the state record endemic bass, except that I released her rather than killing her for the liver biopsy then required to verify her pure species.  Our endemic bass retreat into the aquifer to survive our droughts - this girl came from a bat cave vent, and got this size eating the baby bats that fell in.  A 15" endemic Guadalupe bass is a lunker.