Any paddlers out there?

[waldenbound]

I just bought a kayak. I've wanted one for years and years. I figure, I'm almost in my mid-50s, this could be my last chance.
So I got this: https://www.rei.com/product/736945/advanced-elements-advancedframe-kayak

It's an inflatable so it packs down. Sure it will take up space in the van, but it's better than a hard shell that I would need to figure out how to carry.

 

[RVTravel]

Very cool. I don't fulltime vandwell but do own a Innova Safari inflatable.

 

[Florida boondocker]

View attachment 12363View attachment 12363View attachment 12364yes, i am in my shop now getting my kayak ready for a fishing trip in the morning on Shingle Creek in Kissimmee, Fl

i cheated a little adding a trolling motor to get to my fishing spots then paddle into the backwaters

but i do a lot of paddling as Florida is great for it

 

[bullfrog]

As we got older shoulders tired out quicker. We had two identical sit on top Malibu single seaters. We thought about a two seater as they were wider and more stable and could with an outrigger be motorized, the foot paddle type had not become popular at the time. What we ended up with was an 8' roof rack with two cross bars supporting a 5' wide plywood platform. The 30" wide kayaks fit side by side on the rack when transporting on the roof. When we got to the water we set the kayaks parallel to each other about 3' apart on the shore, then took the roof rack off and turned it 90 degrees to the kayaks with the seats between the 8' now front and back rack pieces. Eye bolts were located in the 8' pieces at the ends and the width of the kayaks and with two ratchet straps formed a catamaran with a platform in the center to carry camping gear, cooler or even an elevated fishing chair. A bolt on transom allowed a small motor to be mounted. When we got to a campsite as far back in the canyons as we could get with the catamaran we took off the rack and put 4 tent poles at the corners, threw a tarp over it and made a tent to put cooler and such under in the shade while continuing to explore narrow canyons single file. It worked great even though it was heavy as it was made from 2" x 4" cedar. Used kayaks are cheap and if holed sometimes free. Youtube has shown plastic welding is really cheap and easy by using plastic tarp and pieces form 5 gallon buckets for filler you can repair almost any plastic kayak.

 

[DannyB1954]

I used to. I lived on a boat on the Alameda / Oakland Estuary. I had a kayak that I paddled down to Jack London Square. There was a large bookstore there, and several good restaurants. Now I live in a desert. Sold the Kayak.

The only time I went out in the ocean was when I took Kayak classes.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I love both canoeing and kayaking. One of my favorite ways to spend a day. I like to get out and explore new bodies of water every chance I get. Anytime I travel, a boat comes with me, no matter how inconvenient it is to carry. I took one cross country trip boat less and I never regretted a decision so much in my life, was passing by cool bodies of water every couple of miles it seemed.

 

[Queen]

Same as ERLH, I love to paddle anywhere I can find a body of water. We sold our kayaks when we downsized to move to an apartment, have been renting them as needed for a little while but it's just not the same. When we head back to our place in FL permanently in October, we're getting new ones, most likely the Eddyline Caribbean 12: https://eddyline.com/kayak-model/caribbean Our place has docks and is on the Intracoastal, there are enough nooks and crannies to explore within paddling distance, to keep us busy for a lifetime.

 

[firebob]

My g/f and I canoe a a decent amount. She dose not live in the van with me and she hauls it around most of the time. I have had it on my van, but it blocks my solar panels.

 

[waldenbound]

I"m excited to get my boat. At first I thought, where am I going to kayak when I'm surrounded by sand and rocks? Hello Colorado River! There's places I can find a slow moving river, and I have time to get my kayak legs going and practice. A water sport with just basic equipment will be perfect for a warm climate when I can get out of Rainy McGloomieville. Taking a trip back east, plenty of water and lakes, but Florida, I don't want to get into hand to hand combat with a big ol' gator!

I already have a sweet little lake not far from me picked out.

 

[Queen]

Gators leave you be, but the manatees will come and check you out, and occasionally a big old bull will give you a bump if you get to close to his ladies. But they are so cool to look at, you won't mind.

 

[RVTravel]

The eddyline looks nice too.

 

[Queen]

The eddyline looks nice too.

It is a beautiful craft and tracks like a dream.  We have to contend with currents, tides, and wind, so that was a big selling point for me.  And the material it's made out of weighs less, so a 12' weighs in at 47lbs, which also matters as I age.

 

[Florida boondocker]

sent 5 hours paddling Shingle creek today
beautiful day in Florida

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Same as ERLH,  When we head back to our place in FL permanently in October, we're getting new ones, most likely the Eddyline Caribbean 12: https://eddyline.com/kayak-model/caribbean  

These look really nice.  I'm going to look into them a little closer.

 

[lenny flank]

When I lived in St Pete Fl I made and paddled my own skin-on-frame kayaks.

That is one of the only two things I miss about living in an apartment (the other being that I used to make my own scifi fan films for YouTube).

 

[WalkaboutTed]

My husband and I have two skin on frame kayaks. Each 16.5 ft kayak fits in one YUGE backpack (~6200 cubic inches and 40#) with other gear separate, displacing a lot of space. We don't take them with us unless we're specifically going to use them. We haven't toured in years, but we still have our boombox!
Ted

 

[lenny flank]

My husband and I have two skin on frame kayaks.  Each 16.5 ft kayak fits in one YUGE backpack (~6200 cubic inches and 40#) with other gear separate, displacing a lot of space. We don't take them with us unless we're specifically going to use them. We haven't toured in years, but we still have our boombox!
Ted

I never liked the foldable take-aparts--too expensive and too heavy. 

My homemades had frames made from 1x2 cedar, and sewn-on skin of duck canvass waterproofed with latex paint. Mine were usually 15 ft, weighed about 25 lbs, and cost me around $150 to make.

 

[RVTravel]

Wow Lenny. Very cool to be able to make something like that for such a light weight and low cost.

 

[lenny flank]

Wow Lenny. Very cool to be able to make something like that for such a light weight and low cost.

I paddled all over Tampa Bay in them.  

 

[makenmend]

I paddled all over Tampa Bay in them.  

I made this one to be as lite as possible, came in at 23 lbs, with my 200 lb on board very little free board, with127 lb far better.
My daughter liked it and now has full custody.