Best paddling boat for speed...for the money

   What's the hurry ?   

Hope I don't appear to be argumentative here, but I was thinking something similar. How essential is speed in a SOT rigged for fishing? I would think ease of paddling and glide would be important and tracking, but to what degree is speed in some measure, like what 3 mph Vs 3.1 mph? or some other factor a primary issue, as it seems to be here?

I have an Eddyline Caribbean 12, and I think it is fast enough, but is it any faster than the OK T13 I used to have? I can't tell. Both are a pleasure to paddle. For that matter, I paddled a Raptor for about 45 mins once and found that to be a pleasure to paddle as well, I assume the Raptor is slower, but I didn't calculate the speed difference, and I doubt that relative speed differences would affect how many fish I catch.

My main issue is to enjoy my day paddling and hopefully catch some fish and not struggle paddling back to the launch site. Speed? I would get a sea touring SIK and just haul ass for the sheer pleasure of it.

Just MHO, hope I don't offend.

I like short boats too and I don't find any offense with your perspective.
Let me offer this
 When I'm having one of those moments when I just gave my all to barely bust through the top of that wave, and the next one is already starting to stand up, I want to go faster.
Beyond the pleasurable paddling experience, I appreciate strong advantages to having a faster qajaq.
A fast mover can help get you out of a nasty hydraulic before you are swimming or in the rocks.
Speed saves when your friends are in trouble.
When conditions start to deteriorate, its great to be able to rip through wind and chop to make it back.
A faster boat also increases your range/access to adventure, and if you're paddling with others that are all on longer boats? You could have a challenging day trying to keep up.
Its also fun.
Anyway,thats why I appreciate quicker craft even with the challenges that come with bigger boats.

  :spiderman:enjoying a thread about boats

Yep!

For a boat that is easy to carry and easy to paddle with excellent tracking and that is easy to rig in terms of adding rod holders and a fish finder I think the best boat is the Ocean Kayak Trident 13 at 67 lbs. and that is about the maximum weight for lifting a boat up onto a roof rack or hauling the boat down a trail to the ocean in places where a trolley is not practical.

The center Mod Pod is a great creation that makes it easy to mount a finder and a couple of rod holders without drilling a single hole in the boat. Also lots of easily accessed space under the lid. The Sonar Shield spot is great for setting up a fish finder.

Boat tracks well without a rudder and one can be readily attached for windy areas offshore.

Basic boat sans rudder and paddle sells for $1100