First Kayak ; IDEAS ?

Thinking about getting a yak for fishing , got a travel trailer ( Wifes idea , not mine ) so my 16' aluminum sees little use . I'm 5'11" , 190 lbs and would use this Kayak for lakes , rivers and quite a bit of ocean rockfishing - never venturing out more than a mile or so mostly closer than that .

See a lot of Ocean Kayaks ( brand ) in local sporting goods stores and know I want to stay under 12' , well under if possible , would rather just put a kayak or two in the bed of my truck that to mess with a rack system .  Figure I've got two ways to go with 11-12" such as the Caper , Scrambler or the Sidekick or sub 10 footers like the Frenzy or a Big Yak .  Also the Mini-X by Malibu looks very interesting and seems well recommended .

  Any ideas on models I have mentioned and your thoughts on my weight and the smaller yaks . Any other recommendations would be appreciated , wanting to keep an unrigged yak in the under $700 range .

Thanks , Dan

Demo 'em.

I don't know your location, but Aquan Sports will have a paddle demo day on June 14 and 15 at the Foster City lagoon - all the ocean kayak models will be available for you to test paddle....

http://www.aquansports.com/Aquan_Sports/Home.html

Planned on that Mooch , I live near Sacramento , maybe there is somewhere on the American to buy/ demo yaks , know there are a few rental places for rafts . Headed to the lower Oregon Coast for 2 weeks in June , will look around there also .

Anyone here using the Mini-X in the salt , see great reviews for fresh water usage !

For the salt, I highly suggest getting a kayak on the 13 to 16 foot range - just my 2 cents.

Anyway, good luck and welcome to the madness

Dan - Adventure Sports in Sac has many models. They recently moved and are now right around the corner of Fulton and Marconi I think.  They used to run a kayak rental fleet from  Negro Bar on Natoma. Not sure what they have in the rental fleet this year but back in 2005 when I was test paddling they had various Tarpons, tandems, and at least one P13 and P15 available.  If you get there early you can swap between boats to try various models before they all rent out. I don't know what's in the fleet this year but you can call the shop and ask.  I called them this year to see if they had a Trident in the rental fleet but no luck. 

Just another possible option if ya just have to "scratch the itch" before the Aquan event!!!

Good luck - Bird

Hi Dan:


    Eric at Fisherman's Warehouse is giving away a P15 Yak to promote
Kayaking. He might be a new source of Intel for Sac Yakers.
    I would look for a Kayak that is  light and fast.
                                                                           Sea-ya
                                                                           Ernie
                                                                         




http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,12680.0.html

Hey Dan, there is a guy in the classifieds of this site selling a hurricane 140 for $700. it is one sweet boat. i paddled one a couple of weeks ago and loved it. they are fast, light, rigid and very well built. IMO those boats have the perfect balance of speed and stability.   

My ideas, for whatever they're worth, generally speaking.
The shorter it is, the slower it is, and vice versa. I'd hate to paddle a Mini-X in the salt. They don't call it the big pond for nothing.
Transporting it around can be an issue. I like to put mine flat in the truck bed and can only get away with that if it is under 14 feet long. I'm also putting mine on top of my 2-door Tercel more often, (gas prices!).
Sit-on-top, sit-on-top, sit-on-top.
I do 50% lakes, 30% rivers, and 20% ocean.
I'm a Hobie man, the Quest, 13 feet.
I suggest not worrying too much about your first choice, just buy one and go from there. You won't know for sure until you fish the heck out of it if you like it or not.
No one kayak will be perfect. Purchase many.
Good luck.

I have to agree with mooch on this one.
If you are even thinking of salt or lakes you should consider at least 13 feet.
The longer yaks are much more efficient when fighting current or wind.
The extra 2 or 3 feet will only mater when you try to lay it out the back of a P.U.
I have gone to La Jolla with a prowler 15 strapped on top of my wife's Hyundai Elantra GT
with a foam port-a-rack and a set of straps (kit=$29.99) with NO problems.
Buy the yak that will help you ENJOY the experience.
They all fit most vehicles but the wrong yak could make for a difficult trip or worse.
Just my two cents.
Eric