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So, I'm considering a Stratos 14.5S as my first kayak for use for day trips in the ocean on calm days, possibly playing around in the surf and various reservoirs. I've had some previous issues with my shoulder from my surfing days, is there any reason to not go with a Greenland paddle off rip with no meaningful previous kayaking experience?
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Jun 26, 2023 02:56
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Google Butt posted:So, I'm considering a Stratos 14.5S as my first kayak for use for day trips in the ocean on calm days, possibly playing around in the surf and various reservoirs. I've had some previous issues with my shoulder from my surfing days, is there any reason to not go with a Greenland paddle off rip with no meaningful previous kayaking experience? Avoiding shoulder pain is going to mostly depend on developing good low-angle paddling form, but a Greenland paddle is a good match for that style anyway. Just make sure to get the right length for your height, and try some different paddles out if you have a chance. I've got a cranky shoulder from old injuries and the combination of improving my form and switching to a low-volume paddle that fit me (https://aquabound.com/collections/low-angle/products/sting-ray-hybrid-2-piece-posi-lok-kayak-paddle) allowed me to paddle for hours without my shoulder complaining too much. If you can find some instruction it's absolutely worth getting some professional help with paddling movement. My first kayak was an old Necky Kyook, same length as the one you're looking at, and I still take it out on Puget Sound all the time. Another thing I'd suggest is to pick a calm spot near the shore and practice some capsize drills. Being able to get back in unassissted if you flip over is tricky but a useful skill (and there are tools like paddle floats that will definitely make it easier). I started doing capsize drills a couple of summers ago and still have a lot of room for improvement, but feel a lot more confident about being able to get back in quickly. This session was in high winds and current but the skills from practicing in calm waters carried over well: https://imgur.com/LjopSe1 Siamang fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jun 26, 2023 |
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Jun 26, 2023 18:06
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Casual Encountess posted:honestly i was gonna see how much it would suck to affix some led strips to the gunwales. retroreflective is a good call tho. Hell yeah you rock. You'd always be welcome in our Brooklyn dirtbag wharf rat canoe club. Speaking of, my partner and I just got our own vintage 14' Stowe and are ready to trick it out after watching the Macy's fireworks from the most polluted body of water in the country. 
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Jul 6, 2023 15:45
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Part of me wants to get an inflatable standup paddle board and take it down to Lake Michigan and go have fun on the water, or maybe the Milwaukee River for a bit. Please tell me this is a good/bad idea.
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Jul 18, 2023 02:14
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Personally I’ve found paddleboards to be a very inadequate way to get around any water compared to a kayak or canoe. I’ve used one on a bay on Lake Michigan and I did go forward, but with absolutely no urgency or speed. I also worry about taking one on any type of rough water. That said, inflatable is def the way to go.
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Jul 18, 2023 02:28
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Dr. Lunchables posted:Personally I’ve found paddleboards to be a very inadequate way to get around any water compared to a kayak or canoe. I’ve used one on a bay on Lake Michigan and I did go forward, but with absolutely no urgency or speed. I also worry about taking one on any type of rough water. It would definitely be inflatable, and I'm not really interested in going fast. The Milwaukee River and the surrounding areas are pretty calm, thankfully. I mean, if someone wants to sell me on an inflatable kayak, do so! I have the carrying capacity on my bike, easy.
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Jul 18, 2023 02:35
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Canoe gang
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Jul 18, 2023 20:46
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I like paddle boards. If you want to cover distance, get a kayak. If you want to get into the water and enjoy yourself, have a good swim platform that you can paddle in various ways (standing, kneeling, sitting) then a paddleboard is the way to go. It has got me out in the water way more than I thought it would. My suggestion for paddleboard distance is slow and calm touring of relatively calm water. You can paddle miles but it might take you longer than in a kayak.
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Jul 19, 2023 01:17
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Verman posted:I like paddle boards. If you want to cover distance, get a kayak. If you want to get into the water and enjoy yourself, have a good swim platform that you can paddle in various ways (standing, kneeling, sitting) then a paddleboard is the way to go. And that's sort of the thing, putter around the rivers downtown, maybe once I get more confidence, out onto the lake a bit, etc. Next thing you know I have a bike camping rig that can carry an inflatable watercraft and I'm out and about on that touring a bit 
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Jul 19, 2023 02:30
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Depending on your budget you can get paddle boards with attachable seats for kayak-style paddling and even pedal drives.
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Jul 19, 2023 02:52
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I bought a tandem fishing kayak during peak covid and have gotten a lot of use out of it, even if it is a pain in the rear end to try load/unload by myself when I want to use it solo. It is very nice for just grabbing a friend and heading out on the water tho. I just wish I had spent a couple extra bucks and gotten the upgraded version with rails for stuff, but I might try to install some myself soon. Tons of small lakes and rivers here in Michigan tho so always someplace new to go, I just need to take it out to lake Michigan sometime soon.
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Jul 19, 2023 06:18
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Well, I'm going to do the 'right thing' and rent one and try it out at a local outdoors shop before jumping in head first. Only problem is it's a good 40-45 minutes by car.
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Jul 19, 2023 12:11
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iospace posted:Well, I'm going to do the 'right thing' and rent one and try it out at a local outdoors shop before jumping in head first. it'll be worth it
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Jul 19, 2023 15:39
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Squee posted:I bought a tandem fishing kayak during peak covid and have gotten a lot of use out of it, even if it is a pain in the rear end to try load/unload by myself when I want to use it solo. It is very nice for just grabbing a friend and heading out on the water tho. Does yours have a skeg? I don’t know how “attachable” drop down skegs are, but I’d definitely put it on my list of “want to haves” for any yak
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Jul 19, 2023 16:13
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iospace posted:Well, I'm going to do the 'right thing' and rent one and try it out at a local outdoors shop before jumping in head first. You’ve mentioned paddling on the Milwaukee river, just FYI there are plenty of rental places on the river, I’m sure at least one of them has got to have SUP rentals.
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Jul 19, 2023 20:34
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T-Square posted:You’ve mentioned paddling on the Milwaukee river, just FYI there are plenty of rental places on the river, I’m sure at least one of them has got to have SUP rentals. True, gotta put the effort in then.
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Jul 20, 2023 01:11
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iospace posted:It would definitely be inflatable, and I'm not really interested in going fast. The Milwaukee River and the surrounding areas are pretty calm, thankfully. I'm in love with my Advanced Elements inflatable kayak. I got the drop-stitch bottom addition for it which has made a world of a difference. Easy to carry around and takes about 5 minutes to inflate/deflate.
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Jul 20, 2023 16:16
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Last summer I bought a used Dagger Axis 10.5 After four cancelled canoe trips, I finally got a chance to take it on its maiden voyage this weekend! It was a pretty nice time, but at 6'2", it's definitely a wee bit cramped, and getting in/out of the cockpit was a bit of a chore. Seems like either nobody buys or nobody re-sells Axis 12s, so I'm looking at a Pungo. There is a brand loving new Pungo 125 listed on Facebook for $700, which is insane, but it's also a five hour drive away, and while I have tons of friends in that area and could make a nice weekend out of it, I definitely don't have time for that trip between now and my next camping trip, and that's got me pretty bummed out. Near me, everyone is listing first generation Pungos from like 2010 for $800, loving insane. The fact that they make a 120 and a 125 seems so silly to me. Like, I recognize that 6" can make a difference (sure wish my Axis was 11') but producing both SKUs at the same time just seems whacky Sockser fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Jul 24, 2023 |
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Jul 24, 2023 17:59
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I was looking at getting a sea kayak, for kayaking off the coast of Scotland mostly. I was wondering if anyone here had recommendations for ones to be looking at for UK/EU paddlers. Something that's technically ocean going with storage space for a few days ultralight camping.
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Jul 29, 2023 09:41
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iospace posted:Part of me wants to get an inflatable standup paddle board and take it down to Lake Michigan and go have fun on the water, or maybe the Milwaukee River for a bit. This is a good idea. As a serial owner of kayaks, canoes, and a board, they are all good and blessed. A board is a quick easy way to get out and dink around on the water. Get a good pfd, throw bag, and a 20ish liter dry bag for carrying your stuff.
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Jul 29, 2023 15:41
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Anyone have any experience with the folding kayaks?
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Jul 30, 2023 01:59
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:A board is a quick easy way to get out and dink around on the water. I got mine 2 weeks ago and really enjoy how simple they are. As an inflatable, it's easy to transport. I got a cheap kayak paddle to use along with the stand-up paddle. Mainly because my balance sucks so I'm still mostly using it while kneeling or sitting. I did that for a full 8 miles during the Blazing Paddles Paddlefest on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland last week with 718 other participants. A good investment.
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Jul 30, 2023 04:43
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Hot Diggity! posted:Anyone have any experience with the folding kayaks? Only watched reviews, but the pakayak and trak seem solid. Oru, Tucktec and similar boats don’t seem as durable
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Jul 31, 2023 19:09
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Any advice for how long of a boat I can put on my Mazda3 hatchback? It's 14.6' with tiedown spots front/rear. My crossbars have 30" spacing between them and I haven't bought a kayak rack yet for the crossbars. I found a pile of very frustrating AI written pages trying to search this, and those were trying to claim 10.5' was the max boat length, but my gut says I can get at least a 14.5' on there without any real issues.
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Nov 1, 2023 19:44
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Salt Fish posted:Any advice for how long of a boat I can put on my Mazda3 hatchback? It's 14.6' with tiedown spots front/rear. My crossbars have 30" spacing between them and I haven't bought a kayak rack yet for the crossbars. I found a pile of very frustrating AI written pages trying to search this, and those were trying to claim 10.5' was the max boat length, but my gut says I can get at least a 14.5' on there without any real issues. quick google says 11.5" for your car https://activeatthebeach.com/how-long-a-kayak-can-your-vehicle-carry/ but I've seen people do longer sea kayaks up to 15'. when I owned a jeep I'd regularly strap my 17ft wooden sea kayak on and attach a red rag to the back because it hung over. my current car is a 4 door sedan and I easily strap my 12ft native on top. I just use pads and straps and have no issues, though I go so frequently that my roof is covered in scratches. i don't really care about those but I realize most people probably do.
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Nov 1, 2023 20:29
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I've seen people carrying rowing hulls on hatchbacks. As long as your rack can support the weight and you can safely secure it so it doesn't shift, carry however long a boat you want to. My wife carried a 16ish foot sea kayak for years on her Matrix, even moved across country a couple times with a bike next to it. Just get your bow and stern tied down and flag the stern at least.
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Nov 1, 2023 20:33
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I've put a 16.5' canoe on top of my Corolla multiple times. Just make sure you secure it properly to both the rack and the front and rear tie downs.
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Nov 1, 2023 22:10
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But where do you store a 16.5’ canoe
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Nov 2, 2023 00:21
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Hang it from the ceiling in the garage
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Nov 2, 2023 00:24
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On sawhorses in the yard
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Nov 2, 2023 00:52
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Nth-ing the probably fine. Got my 14' canoe on my 14' sedan (with roof rack, can't tell from that article if the mfgs included that in their calculations) safely down from its old home a few hundred miles away. Just make sure your tie downs are good (pull over to check every couple miles when you first go out) and you have flags if it extends past your bumper.
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Nov 2, 2023 00:54
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amenenema posted:On sawhorses in the yard I live in Brooklyn, so I definitely don't have a garage. My guy now hangs perfectly on the old satellite dish mount.
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Nov 2, 2023 00:58
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In college I once took a bunch of friends whitewater rafting. I rented a boat big enough for 14 people then stuffed 16 people onto it. We made the first run and had plenty of time to do a second one so we hoisted the fully inflated boat onto the roof of my girlfriend's outback (the original small Impreza one, not the current station wagon.) We strapped it down and the result looked loving ridiculous. The tubes of the thing were completely overhanging the roof on all sides so the whole boat drooped over the car like a giant turtle shell or something. From above you couldn't see any car at all. We piled in through the windows and made the shuttle at a no-doubt sensible speed no problem. Now I'm wondering what the actual limit for a boat on a car, strapped sideyways and front/back is. 18 feet? 20? This will also be useful information for christmas tree shopping.
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Nov 2, 2023 02:43
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It’s gonna be a state by state ruling. Federal laws for stuff like that don’t exist in the US.
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Nov 2, 2023 03:36
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You can put literally any canoe or kayak on a Mazda 3. I probably drove around 15000km with my 16.5 ft ultralight canoe on top of my old Focus and would have been just as comfortable with an 18 footer. Even now on my van where I have nearly double the bar spacing it's pretty much irrelevant. There's so much boat extending beyond the crossbars either way. Obviously the further the boat extends past the fulcrum the more leverage wind will have to gently caress your poo poo up, which is why the critical piece is having proper tiedowns, especially in the front. I don't recommend using points under the car either. There's way too much cord involved making it harder to get adequate tension and you don't have control of the placement. By tying some cord to engine mounts on either side closest to your anchor point on the boat, you'll get a much better result. Also, learn how to tie a trucker hitch. It's really easy and way better than expensive ratchet straps* imo. *For the tie downs of course, I actually got way oversized strap for securing to the bars since I want to maximize surface area of something touching the boat. Math You fucked around with this message at 13:10 on Nov 2, 2023 |
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Nov 2, 2023 12:58
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Thanks! That helps a lot. I'm probably going to take a few months watching craigslist since we're heading into winter here. It helps a lot to have a basic size range to shoot for. I've got a front license plate that mounts to a tie-down bar screwed into the frame and passing through the front bumper so I'm planning to use that for an attachment point.
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Nov 2, 2023 14:59
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Math You posted:the critical piece is having proper tiedowns, especially in the front. Seconding this. Strap and line management is an absolutely critical part of boating that way too many people overlook. Whether on the boat or on the car, learn how to do it right and securely. I use 1" NRS cam straps to go across boats, like to crossbars or to rings in the bed of the truck or my hitch extender. Always two across the hull of the boat no matter what you've got it rigged on, no matter the weight of the boat. It's easy to get your cross straps tight enough with just cam straps. Don't use ratchet straps, they can suddenly get way too tight and dent or wrinkle your hull, especially if the ratchet is in contact with the hull. Then I'll use either ratchet straps or a trucker's hitch on the stern and bow points. Lighter, flexible boats and paddleboards usually get a trucker's hitch, my canoe gets a ratchet strap in the back, trucker's hitch in the front (think about your windshield and hood). For god's sake don't skip the stern and bow straps with a boat on the roof. A buddy of mine lost the entire canoe on the interstate, and it took the whole roof rack off the car with it. That's just a general PSA, not to any poster here in particular.
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Nov 2, 2023 16:53
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Seconding this. Hauling a kayak 600km on the highway and being confident it won't fly off my car is one of those things that made me feel like an adult who knows his poo poo.
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Nov 3, 2023 13:34
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Colonel J posted:Hauling a kayak 600km on the highway and being confident it won't fly off my car is one of those things that made me feel like an adult who knows his poo poo. If you know what you're doing you can get away with some somewhat sketchy poo poo too, though i don't necessarily recommend it. I used undersized soft racks and pool noodles twice to drive my Nucanoe from Chicago to Florida and back. Not ideal, but it was rock solid at highway speeds.  Upgraded to actual cross bars this year and it was just as solid with the added benefit of easier loading and unloading as well as being able to transport it right side up rigged with the seat attached.  
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Nov 4, 2023 16:56
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ihop posted:
In Hawaii I routinely see people with 20-22+ ft long canoes tied down with nothing but a couple of cam straps. If it's extra windy (30+ kts) I'll tie down the bow too but I've never actually seen anyone else do that.
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Nov 8, 2023 20:35
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