The ongoing search for the right kayak

Hi Guys,

Just a quick writeup about my attempt to find the right kayak.  Last fall I began looking and picked up an old Malotte dive kayak, thinking I had a good cheap yak to use for diving and fishing.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was too big and heavy to realistically load and launch by myself, and even with 2 people it is a chore.  She went back on craigslist and found a home with someone who had one years ago, and was really excited to have one again.

My next thought was to get a smaller yak that is easy to transport and load.  I'm used to diving off of a modified boogey board so by extension I figured it would work. Back to CL and ended up with a YakBoard.  I took it out to the reservoir and it only took a quick paddle to realize I was sitting very low in the water. Add dive gear and I would be sinking that thing.  Back to craigslist it goes too.

Going with the shotgun approach, I grabbed a couple more to try out, a OK Drifter and a Hobie Mirage Classic.  Out on the reservoir, I was sure the Hobie was what I wanted, fast and light and I enjoyed being able to pedal or paddle.  Next test was to try it out diving, so my friend and I drove up to Stillwater N for a day of exploration and spearfishing.  The first thing I realized was the Hobie Classic didn't have nearly as much space as I wanted, and I flipped it as I made a hard turn and got hit by a swell ( more beginner error than anything else).  Worse yet, I had a hard time self-rescuing, especially maneuvering around the mirage drive.  I know this is something that also should be practiced ( which is exactly what the intention of the trip was), but if the going gets rough and we need to get outta there fast, I can't be fooling around.  By contrast, hopping in and out of the Drifter was a breeze and it instantly became our favorite, and the classic found a new owner on craigslist.

From a new kayaker perspective, picking one was much more difficult than I ever imagined.  I went through, and am going through several changes to get the kayak(s) that fit my needs.  I think even the advice of trying the kayaks at a shop wouldn't have helped, because conditions are completely different in the ocean with full dive gear than paddling around in a bay or lake.  My advice for a fellow kayaking newbie ( besides reading everything on this site) is to buy used on Craigslist and try various kayaks out until you find one (or more like me) that fit your intended purpose(s).  I was lucky enough to be able to try out multiple kayaks, and not lose money on any of them.  I imagine if I bought them all new, I'd have been in the hole hundreds to thousands of dollars.

With all of this, I am still new and learning, and eager to try as many other kayaks as I can.  I'm also looking forward to meeting up with some of you guys on the outings, lets go! 

I'm sure you'll eventually find the right yak.  We've all been there, and many of us are still searching.
Have you tried test paddling yaks from NCKA bros?  We're pretty cool about letting others test paddle yaks.
I fish and dive from my yak (Hobie Adventure, P13 and now the T13).
the Hobie is 16 feet so there's plenty of room, but the mirage drive sometimes gets in the way.  I can always paddle without the drive.
I'm looking forward to diving in my T13, b/c it has a rodpod that I can store gear in the front, as well as plenty of room in the back.

Good luck.

I'm not really worried, in fact I like being able to test out the kayaks just to see their strengths and weaknesses.  I haven't asked to borrow from any of the bros because I don't want to be responsible if I accidentally damage the kayak.  It's easier just to wait for one I want to try on craigslist, then buy it and check it out.  If I like it, she stays in the ( ever growing) fleet! I like the drifter for diving, and I've heard good things about the Malibu 2 as well so that is the next one I'm looking for.

As I get more comfortable and experience, I may try going for some of the faster, sleeker boats, but right now slow and steady works for me!

I keep hearing the Fish 'N Dive is good for diving, but  I've never paddled one.

Fish 'N Dive eh?  I'm going to have to add that to my craigslist wish list!