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K

Kisatchieman

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<P>Mention was made about&nbsp; kayaks on another thread and got me to wondering who has one, what type, what do you use it for and how do you transport it? I have a 9.5 ' Heritage Featherlite that I use for exploring and fishing. Carry it on the Yakima rack on my camper shell or if I'm using my truck camper I wrap it in a large comforter and put it inside the camper. Mine is desert tan with a black seat.</P><P><A href="http://www.backcountry.com/heritage...1&amp;006=11683931591&amp;007=Search&amp;008=" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.backcountry.com/heritage...1&amp;006=11683931591&amp;007=Search&amp;008=</A>= </P>
 
Starman, I have an Innova Safari Inflatable and love it, It fits in a bag, weighs 30 pounds with paddle and life jacket and is rated for class 5 rapids. &nbsp;I am not skilled enough for class 5 but maybe someday? &nbsp;I use it to explore rivers and lakes, it's been to Europe, Africa and S. America. &nbsp;Pic below is from Equatorial Guinea Africa in 2010. &nbsp;More pics and video in my Blog at;<div>www.apocketfullofwanderlust.blogspot.com</div><div>-AK</div>
 
Cost was about $850.00, included backpack, lifejacket, paddle and pump.<div>-AK</div>
 
<p style="margin: 0px;">Im a serious hard core fisherman and fish from a heavily modified Ocean Kayak Prowler 13.&nbsp; Originally started fishing from one in the ocean 3-5 miles off the coast of La Jolla California racking a number of great catches.&nbsp; Made some even more amazing catches off Cabo San Lucas Mexico landing several Tuna well over 150 lbs!&nbsp; Currently not have quiet as much excitement as I am land locked on a large lake but still get stringer fulls of fish on a regular basis.&nbsp; Its been a great hobby and a great way to get in some exercise without really feeling like your working out.&nbsp; Its also kept the dinner table a table of plenty to boot too!&nbsp; Gotta love it when a plan comes together.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">One of the best features of fishing from a kayak is the fact that if you can walk to the area you can launch a Yak unlike a traier boat that will need a ramp to access the water.&nbsp; They are the cats meow for stalking the shallow coastal salt water marsh flats for tailing Reds and Trout.&nbsp; This has allowed me exclusive access to some increadible fishing areas most never get a chance to experience.&nbsp; They&nbsp; are a lot more portable, lower maintenance, easier to handle and better yet they dont require regisration and taxed annually.&nbsp; They are easy to transport too, just throw it on top or in back and head for the water!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">If you havent tried a Kayak out you owe it to yourself to try it at least once!!!</p>
 
@ Blkjac and others considering Kayaks CRAIGSLIST<br>Just before my girlfriend and the little boys went to Alligator Point, she found Sevylor Kayaks for both of us. Complete with oars and everything. 250.00 for both, used twice.<br>She tried one out at Tucker Lake with the boys in it and her, it was wonderful she said. Before going on the rivers she said we need ? can't remember but I don't think it was a rudder, something else so they will track better.<br>It is hard (takes a while) to get the air out of them.<br>The alligators do make one a bit nervous she said but hey, theres danger everwhere. At least the gators in the lake don't fixate on kids like they do in Okochobee.<br><FONT color=#00ff00><b>Dragonfly</b></FONT><br>
 
LunaticFringeInc makes some great points, I agree completely! &nbsp;To add a few things, &nbsp;there are models for fishing that are really stable (The Jackson Cuda is one!). &nbsp;Kayaks in general are really great for sneaking up on fish, birds and all sorts of wildlife on the shore as many animals don't expect humans to float up to shore quietly! &nbsp;I like my Inflatable Kayak a lot because I can literally take it anywhere!
 
We looked into kayaks. Unfortunately, DW has allergies and can't let her skin stay in contact with moisture. Canoes and sailing are OK, but when we investigated kayaks it seems one is constantly wet, unless in dry suits of some type - which would set her allergies off. Allergic to almost all fabrics except cotton lol.

Would LOVE for us to kayak together though.
 
<font face="Arial">I owned 2 two seater Sevylor Colorados. When my boys moved away I sold them. Yes they do not have a very good skeg. When&nbsp;puddling&nbsp;alone I just used the paddle to keep straight. To deflate properly used the high volume hand pump that has the foot supports. Just stick the tube in the other pump hole and it sucks all the air out in no time. This a very high quality and safe inflatable. Really comfortable and adjustable seats too.</font><div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div><div><img src="http://www.inflatablekayakworld.com...02/Sevylor-Colorado-Inflatable-Canoe-blue.jpg"> </div>
 
I had a custom built wooden kayak it was gorgeous but I always felt like it would tip over easy, and it was hard to get into. Cost me 2 thousand. Gave it to my son and got me a native Marvel 12' with lounge chair. It has a huge cockpit that I will be able to fish and at 60 I can sit in it all day comfy. The seat comes out really easy so I have a chair on the beach. It cost around 850. We have two kayaks that we put on the top of the van makes us look really sporty.
 
I know I have posted this pic elsewhere on the forum, so forgive my redundancy. The camper was my wifes wedding present to us, the kayaks were mine to us. 2 -9.5' Precision Swiftys, 2 folding paddles and 2 vests, about $500. We mostly poke along flatwater lakes and streams, but have had them in the Atlantic off the coast of Maine. I have also had mine in the Hudson river (about 1/2 mile wide at the Coxasacki boat launch, 1 mile wide by the time it gets to manhattan) several times. We have also had both boats inside the. Bus to transport them.
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<P>Here's my Heritage 9.5 Featherlite on top of my&nbsp;truck cap. Travels really well up there and it's a constant reminder that "hey, I don't have to work if I don't want to, I can travel and do what I want to". Just the sight of it gives me a feeling of freedom.&nbsp;</P>
 
I have always wanted to get a kayak and put a rack on top of my little teardrop that I pull with my bike, but I'm kinda scared of them. I have heard horror stories of people in kayaks by themselves. Living and traveling in alligator country and all! Are they really hard to learn to ride in and navigate? Are they as dangerous as I've heard?
 
<P>The rigid kayaks would be too&nbsp;large to mount on such a small trailer, maybe you&nbsp;could get one of the inflatable models mentioned above. I live in an area where gators are very common and don't feel threatened by them. Of course&nbsp;I stay in the kayak and don't trail my hands or feet in the water. <IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif">&nbsp;Don't know about the other rigid kayaks, but my Heritage is extremely stable once you get in it and sit down. I'm from Louisiana and grew up using the cajun canoe known as the&nbsp;"pirogue", pronounced "pee-row". It's a very narrow craft made of wood and extremely easy to&nbsp;tip over.&nbsp;After using one to hunt, fish and explore in for many years, I can truly say that my kayak is much more stable. Wish I'd had it years ago, it would probably have saved me&nbsp;from coming home sopping wet on&nbsp;many occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
 
Thank you Starman for that info, maybe someday I will find one of those and try and learn, I think it would be very relaxing going down a river somewhere in one.
 
<P>
Thank you Starman for that info, maybe someday I will find one of those and try and learn, I think it would be very relaxing going down a river somewhere in one.
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<BR>You're welcome. I don't do whitewater, just paddle on slow moving rivers and&nbsp;creeks (bayous) and small lakes. It's hard to beat the feeling of solitude and utter relaxation you experience in a kayak. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.&nbsp;<BR></P>
 
While I can't speak to gators,( lived most of my life north of the mason-Dixon line) I can tell you that I started out on a 14' sailboat when I was 15, went through several cheap inflateables, had another 15' sailboat, then a 17' old town canoe ( excellent product, btw). The canoe was very stable, and could carry 700 lb of cargo if necessary, but it weighed 80+ lbs, plus paddles and vests. Kind of a pain to transport, carry and launch by yourself, and often went in circles with inexperianced paddelers. When I came upon the idea of getting a kayak, I looked at getting a tandem, but was told by several reputable dealers to get two singles instead, that I would be happier. I'm glad i listened. Each of our boats weighs about 40 lbs, my wife can launch hers by herself if need be. Plus, if one of us wants to go faster than the other we can, or, if I want to go across the lake instead of allong the shoreline, I can. The trickiest part of the whole thing is getting in and sitting down when launching from shallow water. Once seated, they are very stable, and glide along with minimal effort, unless we "race" I can paddle in creeks as small as 3' wide and 6" deep, allowing me to get to many out of the way places in which to feed the gators&lt;img src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"&gt;, errr, relax.&lt;img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"&gt;
 
I've got a rigid sit-on-top one seater. Can't recall the&nbsp;manufacturer&nbsp;at the moment, I'll check on that tomorrow afternoon. It needs a bit of work on the storage compartments, but it handles well enough for me.
 
<P>Saw this cool setup a couple of days ago eastbound from El Paso, TX on I-10. I'm thinking they'd been yaking on the Rio Grande. Like that Bigfoot truck camper.&nbsp;</P>
 
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