shortest kayak for monterey bay with confidence

I am a newbie to kayaking. been paddling a small kayak for a couple of months on small lakes. ready to graduate to the ocean. Have years of eperience power boating on the ocean. Need advice as to what the shortest ocean kayak i can feel comfortable in for the monterey bay. Thanks for the replies. Alex (Bulldog)

I like 15 - 16 foot kayaks on the bay. Many people use Prowler 13's, which are 13 feet. It is a little slower, but still quite stable. I would definitely try out a few boats on the bay before you buy one.

Hey Alex 

If your local, try Monterey Bay Kayaks (MBK), and pay the $20.00 to test paddle their kayaks. MBK has several available including the Ocean Kayak Drifter, Prowler 13 & 15, Wilderness 120,140 & 160 and they may even have a few Cobras. These are all sit-on-top Kayaks. The Kayak you choose will really depend on what your most comfortable with and what your going to use it for. If you are planning to fish from your Kayak, I would recommend a sit-on-top. If your looking to just paddle, that opens the door for more options. If you go to MBK, talk to Billy, Aaron or Wade. They are very good and can help you with what your looking for. As for length, I paddle a Prowler 15'. I prefer a longer kayak in the ocean. Your size may also be a deciding factor in the Length that will be most stable and comfortable for you. 

Good luck,
Ben

Thanks for the response. Testing them at mbk sounds great. sounds like the shorter ones are a little slower?Hope to see you all soon on the ocean.

You can also test paddle kayaks at Kayak Connection in Santa Cruz and Moss Landing. Make sure you learn how to get back on the kayak after tipping it over and how to do surf launches and landings. The kayak shops give lessons. Dave Johnson at the kayak rental place on the Santa Cruz wharf will also do private lessons. He's a great teacher. Also, a PFD (life jacket), GPS, and VHF radio are all essential safety equipment. You can get all the info you need from the helpful guys on this forum.

if a shark is going to pop a kayak, it'll pop a short one before a long one.

these sharks are in the range of 10 to 20 feet.  I have yet to see a lone animal
nail something bigger than itself on a regular basis, so I figure every foot of water
line is a foot of deterrent, plus the bigger the shark, the wiser and less likely to
try to eat a plastic boat.

true, not so likely an event. but every bit of confidence in the big blue is helpful,  .

this is one of the reasons I like to fish with a guy with a short kayak. so he'll get hit first,  .

J

this is one of the reasons I like to fish with a guy with a short kayak. so he'll get hit first,  .

J, it's not about the size of the yak....it's about how fast you can tip your buddy over with your paddle. I sometimes practice this "safety manuever" with Papa Bill 

this is one of the reasons I like to fish with a guy with a short kayak. so he'll get hit first,  .

J

Caper, Baby!!!

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

this is one of the reasons I like to fish with a guy with a short kayak. so he'll get hit first,  .

J, it's not about the size of the yak....it's about how fast you can tip your buddy over with your paddle. I sometimes practice this "safety manuever" with Papa Bill 

Putting fish guts in your buddy's tankwell should also increase your survival chances!

this is one of the reasons I like to fish with a guy with a short kayak. so he'll get hit first,  .

J, it's not about the size of the yak....it's about how fast you can tip your buddy over with your paddle. I sometimes practice this "safety manuever" with Papa Bill 

Putting fish guts in your buddy's tankwell should also increase your survival chances!

I like how you think 

Need advice as to what the shortest ocean kayak i can feel comfortable in for the monterey bay. Thanks for the replies. Alex (Bulldog)

.

We get this question a lot - but, to get a better picture, how tall and how heavy are you? Gotta find out what fits you first before you paddle out.

Some start out buying kayaks that are stable (but slow) 12 to 13 footers and then eventually graduate to longer, narrow and faster kayaks (15 to 16 foot range).

If you have a good comfort level out in the big blue, I would suggest the longer / sleeker yaks.


Just my 2 cents.....