Good ol canoe and kayak

[Onande]

I realize this is an old thread, but I keep running across these old discussions and finding I have suggestions or better info to offer

I have owned a couple canoes and a couple kayaks and a canoe has nowhere near the versatility of a good fishing kayak.

Canoes you have to always be worried about wind and waves, in a fishing kayak you can stay out when most boats wouldn't venture out if you have the will to do so. It doesn't even matter if you are being swamped by 3 foot whitecaps, you just keep on paddling and you will make it.

Many fishing kayaks you can stand up in and move around enough to be comfortable and can sight fish etc. All the canoes I have ever been in have been much less stable then my kayaks.

They are also much more suited to fishing as they have rod holders, transducer mounts, fish finder mounts and a lot of storage both inside and outside.

To me the only advantage my canoe had was the ability to lay completely flat and have a nap... Not a high value on my priority list though.

As for the OP it all comes down to where you will be fishing the most and what you use for gear, personal comfort level etc. I absolutely love my hobie with its hands free pedal system but they are expensive especially now with this stupid dollar... Having a good raised seat like in the predator makes a big difference on comfort and staying dry. Overall the predator is a pretty nice boat, a little heavier and not the easiest paddling boat but very good all around if you are willing to live with that.

[mluiesp]

Hey all

Just wondering if anyone here has much experience with canoes and kayaks. Im looking to expand my outdoor interests, so was wondering what people would recommend as decent first time canoes and kayaks, that i could use on lochs but also on rivers for lazy days out and longer touring down river over a number of days. A canoe i could paddle with 2 people but also manageble enough for solo use when on my own?

Any suggestions really appreciated

Ross

I'm glad you asked I'm a kayaker, first and foremost.

I'd recommend you to get trained. (Do that and you can safely ignore the rest of this post)

Really, get trained first, only then worry about getting a kayak. Getting trained will not only make you safer, happier and less tired on the water. It will also protect you from injury and seeing the fishes more often than you would like to. Lastly you will have direct contact with people who know about their kayaks/canoes and would direct you towards what you need.

Personally, I paddle on a Carbonology Boost or Cruze Surfski for sports at my club. (But that's on normally sunny Gran Canaria).

For expeditions, I'd rather take a more traditional craft. You are lucky enough to make very nice ones in the UK in this regard.

(I do not agree with this guy on the day hatch. It's not perfect but not that bad)

Though note I own no kayak. I take whatever is available at the club or rent one.

[Caberfeidh]

Kayak/Shmayak! A canoe is the way to go; best vessel for camping, fishing, beach~combing and general stravaiging around the highlands and islands!

mirror-calm waters in an open canoe

Loch Morlich

Open canoes carry all you might need

[Mal Grey]

A canoe is the way to go; best vessel for camping, fishing, beach~combing and general stravaiging around the highlands and islands!

Absolutely!

You can get every thing in a canoe, including fireboxes, bags of wood, picnic hampers, and plenty of liquid ballast.
The paddle doesn't drip on you with every stroke.
The paddle is completely silent if you want it to be.
You're not locked into one tight position, you have some freedom of movement.
The feeling of moving an open canoe on still water is one of pure pleasure.
You can carry one on your head.
They're far prettier than kayaks

Of course, if you go out in anything remotely wavey, you can get into difficulty!

























I may, of course, be slightly biased...

[mynthdd2]

hmmm not seeing anything here that will make me invest in floaty things.....I like a bit of control of my outdoor doings and waves are not on that list

[mluiesp]

First of all, there is something I want to stress. For lovers and nature and adventure, the main thing cannot be to have the most practical, "best", "ultralight" or classic gear. This is about playing. Playing, exactly, finally live the dreams of adventure you once had. If a canoe is in your dreams, go for it.

That said I own a canvas rucksack that could have been made in the fifties, an East German (like in Communist) Sturmgepäck (mostly as a haversack) with its Zeltbhan tarp and all. Oh, and just bought a Swedish Mess Kit, so I can use my father's 50+ years old alcohol stove, still working perfectly. Yeah, I'm not going to use every bit of that gear at every occasion and indeed, most things I have are fairly modern.

My thing is to find a balance between the, ---for the use of a Russian word--, Romantika, and the practicality.

----

Now on why kayaks are great:

1.- They can be quite comfy and warm, especially for your lower body.
2.- You become one with the kayak
3.- You can load a fairly large amount of stuff, much more than you could carry walking.
4.- You are somehow better protected from the elements than in a canoe.
and.- If you are a kayaker at heart, you'll never so happy in your life

[Caberfeidh]

Yeah, yeah, yeah,... but I can fix a stag's skull to the front of my canoe...

Skullery#1

Skullery#2

[al78]

Some beautiful pictures on this thread. If climbing Sulivan, I think it is possible to substitute some of the long walk in for a long paddle in (starting near Elphin), which would be a nice way to climb it, using upper body to get too and from the hill, and lower body to get up and down the hill. Effort is spread over most muscles in the body.