Help Needed: Kayak advice

[lisamamot]

As a cool weather lover and summer survivor, I am thrilled to have found a late spring-early fall activity that I am excited about. I recently went kayaking with friends - the first time in an Old Town tandem and the 2nd time in a solo 12' Old Town. We are the watching birds and stopping to sip coffee sort, not the speed exercise type. I will be searching out places to demo as well an intro kayaking class, but I want to start compiling kayak recommendations from women whose opinions I value.

Kayak specs (for paddlers 5'9"-5'11", 140s-150s#)
-Weight under 45#
-Recreational to light Touring
-Primary use on lakes/ponds/rivers in MA and ME, but I may eventually take it to Lake Champlain in VT. If I did go out on Lake Champlain this would be close to shore as I do not believe I am not looking to navigate choppy open waters. That said, having it be able to do that would be a plus. No ocean as I have zero interest in kayaking with creatures that may eat me.
-Storage capacity - I may eventually want to do some small day/overnight trips

Models I found while researching:
Perception Expression 11.5 - 11'6", 44 pounds, solid reviews, nicely priced. Rated as light Touring, but stern bulkhead only/one hatch, retractable skeg.
Edyline Skylark - 12', 41 pounds. $$$ for a Recreational kayak, but has some touring features such as 2 dry hatches/2 bulkheads.
Delta 12.10 - 12'10", 41 pounds, Touring, 2 dry hatches/2 bulkheads + a day hatch. Longer than I need, but would definitely handle all potential uses. Similar price point to the Edyline Skylark.

The Oru Bay ST (folding kayak) is intriguing at 26 pounds and is very portable, but there are enough worrisome reviews to make me skeptical.

I would love to find something used if possible and I am keeping my eye out. Feedback on the above, or suggestions of others to consider is much appreciated. Price is always a consideration, but I prefer to invest in something of quality that has great longevity and a solid resale value.

 

[santacruz skier]

No recommendations but I do love kayaking. I will suggest you take a safety class especially if you're not getting a sit on top kayak. You will need to know how to flip the kayak and get out safely... I know the owner through a friend of this place in Rhode Island.

Outdoor Recreation & Sports Store in Rhode Island

Outdoor sports store in RI for: recreational & fishing kayaks, stand up paddleboards (SUP's), roof racks, clothing, shoes, snowshoes, camping accessories & more.

www.kayakcentre.com

 

[Jilly]

Yes, learning how to do a wet exit and entry is necessary. I was doing the class when a few other people were demo'ing kayaks at a local place. One guy came up to after they got back on shore and stated they still had a lot to learn. Getting back in from deep water was interesting for sure.

 

[lisamamot]

No recommendations but I do love kayaking. I will suggest you take a safety class especially if you're not getting a sit on top kayak. You will need to know how to flip the kayak and get out safely... I know the owner through a friend of this place in Rhode Island.

Outdoor Recreation & Sports Store in Rhode Island

Outdoor sports store in RI for: recreational & fishing kayaks, stand up paddleboards (SUP's), roof racks, clothing, shoes, snowshoes, camping accessories & more.

www.kayakcentre.com

Thank you so much for the link. I am a safety girl and their Essential Kayak Skills class looks wonderful. I may recruit some of my kayak owning friends to come with me; I do not believe they have taken any sort of course.

 

[santacruz skier]

Thank you so much for the link. I am a safety girl and their Essential Kayak Skills class looks wonderful. I may recruit some of my kayak owning friends to come with me; I do not believe they have taken any sort of course.

Tell owner a ski diva from SC recommended!

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

The Kayak Center in RI also does demos I believe, but not sure it appears that have any of the boats you are considering. Just like with skis demoing kayaks is a "thing". But wouldn't hurt to call and ask--or ask if they have suggestions that meet your criteria.
I did a demo day through that kayak center in RI several years ago (like 10) where all the reps from all the companies came and brought their boats and could try as many as you wanted.

According to the website, this boat is isn't made anymore, and it weighs slightly more at 48 pounds than you wanted, but my one of my favorite kayaks that walks a fine line between recreational and touring is the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 135. I like it because it's more nimble and tracks better than many recreational kayaks, but it's still stable enough where you can relax.

Have also tried the Perception Expression but in a longer length (may not be made anymore). I liked it but not as much as the above boat. The handling was nice.

(I have a season pass/membership to a kayak/SUP place so I've tried lots of different boats over the years), but my criteria is different because I don't have to car top it and carry it around.

 

[lisamamot]

Just like with skis demoing kayaks is a "thing". But wouldn't hurt to call and ask--or ask if they have suggestions that meet your criteria.
I did a demo day through that kayak center in RI several years ago (like 10) where all the reps from all the companies came and brought their boats and could try as many as you wanted.

Yes, I heard not to buy before you paddle. A demo day sounds lovely - this may be a next year purchase and I may continue to borrow for now in the hopes that I can hit a demo day. Lots of options! Due to COVID inventory is low on pretty much everything, including kayaks! When I take the safety course, equipment is provided and I can certainly pick their brains about what may suit me best.

 

[BlueSkies]

Also REI offers learn to kayak classes.

 

[MissySki]

Kayak 101 — Narrow River Kayaks

www.narrowriverkayaks.com

Instruction - Osprey Sea & Surf Adventures

Osprey is a professional paddlesports school. We specialize in paddlesports instruction for all skill level & ages. Just starting? Try one of our Fundamental classes. Looking for more? Give our more advanced classes or clinics a try. Call us today … Read More

ospreyoutdooradventures.com

Here is one in RI and one in MA that does lessons, sales, rentals, demos. They also sell off their rental fleets at the end of the season and have good prices, I bought my first SUP this way through Osprey. The Narrow River in Narragansett is a really fun place to explore paddling, I’ve been there quite a few times. EMS does lessons at Lincoln Woods in RI, also at other areas around, that’s where I did my first SUP class which was great. These are all a bit far from where we live as I did this stuff more when I lived on the South Coast of MA. There are lots of options in the central MA area too, I just don’t have direct experience with them to recommend.

I can also get us free rental passes from Paddle Boston through work if interested. They rent kayaks and SUPS and do lessons and sales as well.

Paddle Boston - Charles River Canoe & Kayak :: Sales, Rentals, Trips, Instruction, and Gear in Boston < Home

Paddle Boston provides the Boston, Massachusetts area with outdoor paddlesport recreation, canoe and kayak rentals and sales, canoe and kayak classes and instruction, guided tours and trips, a full-service paddling store, kid's paddling camps and more.

paddleboston.com

 

[Tvan]

LLBean does a recreational kayak course with good instructions and safety info if you have a store nearby. We took the class with them, but purchased our kayaks at Eastern Mountain Sports. Every home on our lake has multiple kayaks. Since there is no place for kids to bike here, most have kayaks instead.

 

[Winethief]

Hi, I'm in your height/weight category and have had experiences with Eddyline kayaks. (We did demo other brands). My first was a Merlin, no longer made, but was 13.5 ft. with a 23 in. beam. It wasn't long before it felt short and slow, albeit stable. As "luck" would have it, a microburst yanked it off our vehicle and it didn't survive a run-in with blacktop and a run-over by a Winnebago!!! So, I then purchased my Nighthawk, again no longer made but supposedly replaced by the Fathom. My Nighthawk is 16 ft. with a 22 in. beam. It was promoted as a "sports car made for water," fast, nimble, and aggressive at carving. I still have it 15 years later and still love it! Our Eddylines are made of Carbonlite, which has held up extremely well. By all means, demo. I would buy another Eddyline in a heartbeat. Have fun...great sport.

 

[Abbi]

No recommendations but I do love kayaking. I will suggest you take a safety class especially if you're not getting a sit on top kayak. You will need to know how to flip the kayak and get out safely... I know the owner through a friend of this place in Rhode Island.

Outdoor Recreation & Sports Store in Rhode Island

Outdoor sports store in RI for: recreational & fishing kayaks, stand up paddleboards (SUP's), roof racks, clothing, shoes, snowshoes, camping accessories & more.

www.kayakcentre.com

Nice folks!

 

[SallyCat]

Wilderness Systems makes great kayaks; I owned a Pungo when I lived in Louisiana. I could lift it onto my car by myself, and it got me around marshes, bayous, and bays really well.

 

[santacruz skier]

Nice folks!

Owner super nice guy and excellent skier as well.

 

[Jilly]

Speaking of car racks, I found the rollers and saddle was a good combination. The rollers at the rear of the car/SUV aided in getting the boat up and on top of the car/SUV.

 

[elemmac]

We are the watching birds and stopping to sip coffee sort, not the speed exercise type.

This is the type of kayaking I generally do, and I've been really happy with a full blown recreational type kayak. The husband and I picked up a couple Future Beach Quantum's probably 7 or 8 years ago, and they've held up great...no complaints. Some years we take them out a couple times a month, other years only once or twice in the entire summer. If I was looking to do more mileage or exercise paddling, I'd probably upgrade to something a bit longer and quicker. But they're stable, easy to maneuver, comfortable for paddling, and have a large opening if you're just relaxing and putting your feet up. We've taken them on rivers, lakes, and in ocean coves/bays. Though they're not necessarily made for it, we've done overnights with them just fine as well.

 

[elemmac]

Too late for an ETA, but this thread made me realize I don't know much about my kayak at all, other than how it feels to me and it suits my needs. So feeding my curiosity with some Google searching, it seems to be most often classified as an "angler kayak" rather than "recreational" as I always thought. Buuuut some reviews call it recreational, and others call it "touring without the bells and whistles" so .

Also was thinking... @lisamamot ...do you have any interest in ever bringing one of the pups with you? Not sure how much they'd like it, but I see a decent amount of people with sit on top kayaks (or kayaks with a large opening) paddling with their dogs. Might be something to consider when researching.

 

[santacruz skier]

Sit on tops are super fun in Tahoe if equipped with a rudder. Otherwise not as fun steering wise ! Sit ins are obviously sleeker and faster and you don’t get as wet.. I worry less when I’m on a sit on top. Have also kayaked in the ocean. Can be rough in the ocean for sure .

 

[santacruz skier]

This is awesome for kayaks but rough going on the return with the wind !

elkhorn slough reserve - Google Search

 

[lisamamot]

Thanks all! I have booked a kayak essentials/safety class at The Kayak Centre in RI. I am still sleuthing and waffling between kayaks and ISUP. I am sure I will be thrilled with whatever direction I start off in, but there are definite future quiver possibilities here!