Dropperrob:
I am trying to decide if AIs are worth the money because you can fish AND sail or if there are only a few days where the swell and wind conditions will work. I have watched videos of AIs in choppy waves. Looks like tons of water comes over the bow. Are there hacks to block this?
Any suggestions on how to think about this for a Santa Cruz kayak fishing guy who get jealous watching all the sail boats come out in the afternoon.
Thanks
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eelkram:
AIs are very capable craft. There are a number of members that fish AIs exclusively. I would think that most of it depends on your comfort level.
Wind chop makes for uncomfortable rockfishing since you're getting bounced around. The sails make trolling much easier, but you have to really pay attention to your speed.
It's a helluva fun ride if you're sailing. It'll be a wet ride no matter what you do. You're sailing in "rough conditions" and you're literally 6" above the water line. Some folks have installed different splash guards, but honestly, it's a wet ride and your best bet is insulation under your dry suit (wind chill).
The problem with AIs is that if you're lucky enough to borrow/try one out, you're going to want to buy one. :smt003
Dropperrob:
My wife ain't going to be happy to hear that!!
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NowhereMan:
I've been pretty much exclusively an AI-er for a few years. Here is my take...
It is an awesome, stable fishing platform, and under the right conditions, you can cover some distance. You can also use it as a kayak, or with one ama (outrigger canoe mode), so there are many options. Add a motor, and salmon fishing at the Sequel Hole is within easy reach.
But, IMHO, if you don't buy into the sailing part, you'll eventually tire of it. It's a big, heavy beast to haul around, after all.
Speaking of sailing the AI... It's super-easy, as there is only one rope to worry about, and you can reef the sail so that it's not overpowered. But, there are some things to keep in mind. The biggest issue is that it does not "point" into the wind very well, so if you have to go directly into a stiff wind, you might find that by the time you tack back and forth, you've actually lost ground. Also in modest wind conditions, you're still going to have to pedal some. And, those times where the sailing is great, the wind is beyond fishable.
Personally, I love the sailing part. This past Monday was typical. I launched from the harbor and trolled in a light breeze (pedaling, but easy pedaling) to Natural Bridges. By the time I got back to the SC7 buoy, the wind was picking up to where white caps were just forming. So, I put away my fishing gear and sailed back to the harbor. It wasn't screaming fast sailing, but it was fun, as swell and wind was causing the nose to dive on occasion, so I had to pay attention.
Let me know if you have any other questions...
SteveS doesn't kayak anymore:
I fished in paddle, pedal and finally AIs. I had two, the old style and the new hull design. Agree they are heavy, but for range and access they can't be beat. They're no wetter than a regular yak at the same speed, and way more stable. I fished mine mostly in the sf bay, hmb, and up here on the marin coast, but did do a few trips down to moss for salmon. Launching and landing in the surf is a totally different set of skills than a regular yak, but it is all doable. In SF bay it opened up way more spots, as sailing at 9 or 10 knots eats up a lot of ground quick. Best part, if the conditions are too nasty to fish, you can sail. Flying with your ass at waterline going 15 or more is f'ing fun as hell.
The one thing is if you like fishing the pocket beaches, and long walk ins, it isn't the right craft