[eaterofdog]

My friends have all bought kayaks and I want to get in on the action. Going to look this afternoon and wanted some feedback. I like this one, especially the fiberglass construction. I'm not real crazy about those poly kayaks. Florida is not real rocky, so glass should be ok. Any glass drawbacks?

I want something with all-around capabilities. Rivers, bays, hell I'll probably try to surf the goddam thing. Is this 12 ft long, wide beam kayak gonna do it?

So price should be around 300 with paddle, vest and roof blocks. You guys are some outdoorsy mofos, what you say?

 

[mandown]

Man in the boat.

 

[buildyourown]

Have you tried one similar to what you are looking at?
Personally, I loath kayaks. I know it's a comfort thing related to me spending thousands of hours in a canoe, but I just can't handle kayaks. Canoes are more comfortable and more effecient. You can actually carry stuff. The only thing good about a kayak is low center of gravity and ability to roll. That said, I feel more comfortable in rough water in a canoe just cause I know how to make them do what I want them to do.
I'm talk about sea kayaks of course.

 

[eaterofdog]

I feel like I asked my grandpa where he hid the mail, so he told me a story about French prostitutes during the war.

What the hell, it's something, right?

 

[ioscope]

That paddle is dumpster material. I got a 18' LOA Seda Impulse with a 21" beam for only $400 on cl. I would not pay more than $200 for what I am looking at in your post. You will quickly want something narrower and longer.
Narrower and longer is faster and less work. Beamy and short is slow and more work. Kayaks that are too short or too beamy have a tendency to wander around a lot, they don't go straight.

Some may tell you that wider kayaks are more stable. Well they are, but if you can ride a bike, you can paddle the narrowest possible kayak.

Polyethylene kayaks suck. The only reason they exist is that they are easy to mass produce. Someone may tell you they are better for rocks. Well guess what, they are. I have a special strategy to avoid rocks, guess what it is? I avoid rocks. It's pretty ****ing easy. Unless you are playboating, which you won't be doing in Florida.

Fiberglass kayaks are a little better. They are lighter, this is good.

The best kayaks are kevlar, carbon, or skin on frame. It's funny, the best technology for kayaks is the same technology that was originally used to make them, not the post-industrial-revolution mass-production technique, who'da thunkit?

If you are handy, you can make a paddle out of a 2 by four. I am not joking. Look up greenland paddle. A greenland stick will serve you 100 times better than the abomination that I see above.

PS plan on getting wet a lot. It's part of it, but it's not that bad.

 

[ioscope]

You will be lost in your friend's wake on that thing, too. Go for something 16' minimum LOA if you have strong arms, or want to go anywhere. If you are super slow and just want to go a few hundred feet at the lake while drinking beers, that kayak will be fine.

 

[eaterofdog]

Friends are on 10 ft blowmold POSs, so this is still good enough to lord over them. Gonna offer 2 hunny. Thanks.

 

[SloMoJo]

Good luck.
You will have fun with that. $200 seems ok.
Test it out first. (fit & leaks)
Kayak are a blast ..and come in as diff flavors as bikes.

Like everything depends on the purpose.
I got into them for fishing ...I prefer sit on top kind and plastic for durability\price.
I drag mine over rocks and all over the pace.
For the lakes I have an Ocean Scupper Pro ..and for the Ocean I have a Hobie Revolution.
The Hobies you actually move using your legs ...fins.
They're great in the wind & current.
Pretty cool, but are some coin.
http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaks/mirage/revolution-13/


Anyway ... good luck.
They're a great way to get out on the water on the cheap.