Motherfucking Kayaks.

[Delias]

I spent the weekend kayaking, and I fell in love... to the point where I continued to paddle long after the point I should have stopped, long past muscle cramps and into bloody-hands territory. I absolutely adore it.

I've done a bit of research and so far as I can tell, there really isn't any sort of regulation on kayaking in my area. Because I am a giant fat man, I am looking at the Perception Swifty 9.5, with intent to move up to a more expensive kayak with a higher rating for whitewater, maybe something like a liquidlogic remix xp10, provided I don't kill myself in this first trial kayak.

If anyone has any real experience in the sport, I'd love to get your input. Otherwise I'd like to officially invite you all to my funeral when I manage to bite off more than I can chew, and die in some beloved body of water.

[4a6c1]

I LOVE Kayaking. Like if I could and it was legal in Masswhatwhosits I would marry my kayak.

There is nothing better than a slow drift through smelly brine in Galveston in the winter. Sometimes the jellies are out munching on polluted microbials, leaving trails of feathers behind them. And the tall birds are giving me serious and intimidating stares and there is aboslutely no sound in the world. No sound. Just water noise. I cant wait for November. The sun here is oppressive and this november I am kayaking through the piney woods swamps. Yay November!

[4a6c1]

Oh advice. I have a girly kayak. With blue turtles and orange flowers that match my car (soooprise!). It's custom. If you are seriously addicted I suggest custom.

There is nothing useful I can tell you except DO NOT BUY AN EXPENSIVE KAYAK UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT SORT OF KAYAKER YOU ARE. By this I mean what you carry with you defines you. Will you have a bike? Thats one type. Will you camp? Thats another. Will you want to take someone, or chain sail? Entirely new sport.

Dont let any of the store people talk you into something fancy. Get a cheap one to start and once you've been on about 20 patrols go back and make up your own mind, informed.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Are you kayaking on slow/still bodies or rough bodies of water?

If you're going to take a kayak out to the sea or places with rougher surf I highly recommend taking a few classes so you learn how to self rescue and turn your kayak and get back in while in choppy water or away from places easy to access via a swim to shore.

I have a Pungo 120 at my house in the Berkshires that I got for a steep discount (I got it for 300) that I've used for ocean and lake kayaking, but honestly I would not recommend investing in an expensive kayak until you learn what environment you like the best and exploring it, and getting the skills for it (i.e. for self-rescue training you're gonna be flipping yourself over on purpose multiple times to get the hang of it).. some kayaks are lower in the water/slimmer which makes them harder to balance (faster maneuvering though!) so rushing the learning process is hazardous.

Along with a new kayak + paddle, you'll want a good lifejacket, and at least 1 dry bag to store your shit in. If you're a n00b definitely get a dry bag with a clip, just in case you do flip your kayak. Any and everything that you don't want wet should go in a dry bag, always.

[4a6c1]

Wait. What classes!?!

:spaz:

[Wyrmx]

One of my all time favorite trips was kyaking in British Columbia. Three of us took a sea plane from Seattle to Port McNeill, BC. We kyaked from there to a small island in the Johnstone Straight. Camped for a week on the island and kyaked with the Orcas as they made their way through the straight. Black bear would come out at dusk to flip rocks looking for crabs along the beach every night. Bald Eagles are like sparrows out there. Caught our own salmon for dinner along with whatever we could stuff in our kyaks. Was really a great trip, no one out there but a few cruise ships and fishing boats. But yeah you definitely feel the burn after something like that.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Wait. What classes!?!

:spaz:

Just look up in your area. If you're by saltwater chances are you'll find some place that teaches self-rescue techniques and large swell techniques, if you're in a river you'll learn navigation, advanced steering and how to "unstick yourself" from bad positions, particularly those involving underwater obstructions (i.e. rock formations).

If you're only by calm lakes well.. yeah a little more screwed, haha.

[Delias]

Well sea kayaking is not really in my wheelhouse, living in chicago. Lake michigan would be about the largest body of water, but we've got a ton of rivers here too that merit exploring. I'm pretty comfortable in the water, and I'm a damn fine swimmer, but I'm sure some instruction in technique and self-righting would probably be useful. I can pick up the same kayak I was using last weekend for about 300 bucks or so, and I think that's where I'll start. Thanks Gang.

[Cthulu]

I spent the weekend kayaking, and I fell in love... to the point where I continued to paddle long after the point I should have stopped, long past muscle cramps and into bloody-hands territory. I absolutely adore it.

I've done a bit of research and so far as I can tell, there really isn't any sort of regulation on kayaking in my area. Because I am a giant fat man, I am looking at the Perception Swifty 9.5, with intent to move up to a more expensive kayak with a higher rating for whitewater, maybe something like a liquidlogic remix xp10, provided I don't kill myself in this first trial kayak.

If anyone has any real experience in the sport, I'd love to get your input. Otherwise I'd like to officially invite you all to my funeral when I manage to bite off more than I can chew, and die in some beloved body of water.
Absolutely know the addiction. Kayaking is fucking amazing. Not sure where you live but if you are an east coaster - there's some amazing tour's you can do in bar harbor that take you out to old civil war fortifications. You need to be in shape though, it's usually a fairly rough journey and you cover some ground.

You didn't mention though if you were lake or sea kayaking. Judging by the TYPE of kayak you are looking at buying I'm assuming lake kayak. If I could offer some advice - buy a sea kayak (you will definately need to do some research and visiting of EMS stores to find a fit if you are indeed a larger dude. They are designed to fit snugly.

basically, lake kayaking is fun, but sea kayaking is a whole new plateau of amazing. Your kayak is watertight, and usually has a watertight hold for gear as well. On acceptable kayaking waters, waves can get over your head - however capsizing is a non-issue. You can always pull the watertight covering off the lip of the kayak to free yourself - but the preferred method is to simply flap your paddle out while underwater and slap it against the surface of the water above you while twisting your torso. This will right you, and you continue along a bit cooler and refreshed.

It may not sound like its that amazing, but trust me - take a sea kayak tour (assuming you live near a coast). You will fall in love all over again.

[Sean of the Thread]

The L.L. Bean up here has free test runs on their kayaks which is useful for well testing what you like.

Maybe it's like $5 now I don't remember.

[Marl]

if you are going to use it for anything other than just floating/playing in rapids. Meaning if you are going to fish/camp/scuba/ocean w/e I would get a sit on top kayak imo. They are like floating on a lazy boy all day and if you flip you just hop right back on with no worries of get stuck underwater.

I have one sit on top (wilderness tarpon) right now and will soon get the wife a smaller sit on top, the son an 8ft sit on top and probably a couple whitewater ones over the next year or so. Took mine out in the ocean this year and it was indeed an awesome experience, I am sold that unless you are running class 4+ rapids sit on top is the way to go

[droit]

You can always pull the watertight covering off the lip of the kayak to free yourself - but the preferred method is to simply flap your paddle out while underwater and slap it against the surface of the water above you while twisting your torso. This will right you, and you continue along a bit cooler and refreshed.

When done correctly, the maneuver looks something like this:

http://www.onepicturesworth.com/files/images/barrelroll.jpg

[AnticorRifling]

Yeah but you've got to have an R or L button installed on your kayak in order to tap it twice.

[droit]

That's what the double-sided paddle is for. Duh.

http://crowwingkayaks.com/media/content/Accessories/Paddle/Angled325gif.gif

(If I had photoshop, I'd slap an R and an L on those badboys)

[peam]

FUCKING KAYAKS HOW DO THEY WORK?

http://i38.tinypic.com/2mw8f40.jpg

[4a6c1]

Just look up in your area. If you're by saltwater chances are you'll find some place that teaches self-rescue techniques and large swell techniques, if you're in a river you'll learn navigation, advanced steering and how to "unstick yourself" from bad positions, particularly those involving underwater obstructions (i.e. rock formations).

If you're only by calm lakes well.. yeah a little more screwed, haha.

Hahahaha. I kayaked Whittier (read: penguin water) my first time. And I've been doing it for 4 years since in 3 countries, 10 states, 3 territories yada yada yada. I GUESS ITS GREAT IM NOT DEAD. Or frozen. Or south of the equator, thats the worst.

[Ryvicke]

You're in IL right? What are the laws on Lake Michigan? My mom's not sane and has made us kayak on Lake Superior since we were kids, there are terrifying nerve-damage type sea caves that she makes us paddle into and affirm to her that they are cool and that she is cool for finding them. You should take a drive through the amazing state of Wisconsin and check it out.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Hahahaha. I kayaked Whittier (read: penguin water) my first time. And I've been doing it for 4 years since in 3 countries, 10 states, 3 territories yada yada yada. I GUESS ITS GREAT IM NOT DEAD. Or frozen. Or south of the equator, thats the worst.

I DUNNO, I like taking classes for crap like this. My first time kayaking was in the Atlantic ocean, near where the CT river dumps out. I only flipped once early on and was very proud that I managed to upright myself with only minimal water inhalation. Now I can barrel roll like a champ.

[Stanley Burrell]

I do serious kayaking on the weekends.

I take a kayak up three flights up stairs, which has like 30 pounds of extra bog water weight in it, then I manually inflate it, then I have to fold all the seats in my candy van to somehow fit it in. And finally I get a call about how I have to drive back to the lake because my grandmother, very much born in Poland, broke her ankle on some nearby air molecules for the nineteenth time.

[peam]

No one has answered my question.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

No one has answered my question.

Miracles.

Now stand back while I try science.

[Abilene]

No where to do it local, but I've kayaked a few times in my life. Every time ended in a broken bone, but it was on my foot. If you fall out, go down FEET first! That's my advice. You will probably break a toe or two, but it won't be your brainz.
I'm talkin' about in rough waters.

[4a6c1]

FUCKING KAYAKS HOW DO THEY WORK?

http://i38.tinypic.com/2mw8f40.jpg

I know how they dont work. FUCKING GUNPOWDER.

*snort laugh*

[Cthulu]

I know how they dont work. FUCKING GUNPOWDER.

*snort laugh*

Sexual intercourse with gunpowder sounds fairly unproductive in general... :(

[AnticorRifling]

Sexual intercourse with gunpowder sounds fairly unproductive in general... :(

Obviously you've never kept time with the 1812 overture.