I was about to ask for your workout routine
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Kayak
- Thread starter dbow0603
- Start date
More throttle is always the correct answer.
Iron_llama
Well-Known Member
Something like https://countryhookers.com/jon-boat-dolly-diy-boat-cart/ might work out better than bolting the wheels to the boat. And you can put as big a wheel as you want on it, to handle rough terrain. I'm imagining those hollow plastic dock wheels.
Hardly_Hangin
Well-Known Member
I did my first water access today with my pelican fishing kayak on a lake. The boat ramp was closed unfortunately so i had to drag it through the woods to the water, then paddled 800 yards across the lake to a peninsula. It was super sketchy paddling across deep water, ive kayaked a lot on rivers but never on big water. It was the same feeling as when your up in a really high place like a cliff looking down. No deer but i saw sleek little a red fox, couldnt hear what he says tho.
It was really fun but i cant help but feel i was extraordinarily lucky for not drowning or getting run over by a big boat in the dark.
It was really fun but i cant help but feel i was extraordinarily lucky for not drowning or getting run over by a big boat in the dark.
I got a a perception striker sit-on kayak. 11'6" long, 500lb capacity. haven't taken it out yet but from the thread, I am gonna stick to canals, swamps and marshes and avoid rivers with currents/lakes.
Jon and flat bottom boats are what I grew up with and have been using them for 30 plus years. Kayaks are new territory for me. I do have a 12’ sun dolphin yak and a 1232 flat bottom. I’d use the flat bottom boat a hundred times before I tried to float, me 200lbs, gear and a 100+ lb field dressed deer. I’d be swimming if I attempted that in the kayak I have.
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- Sep 6, 2014
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So I read this and 2 statements you made jump out at me. "super sketchy" and "extraordinarily lucky". What's your plan if the wind kicks up? What's your plan if a duck hunter comes by? What's your plan if you actually kill a deer? What's your plan if you go in the water? Kayaks, Big water, Cold water, long paddles, paddling solo, and paddling in the dark are a recipe for death. Please Invest in a boat. At the very least a canoe and an outrigger.
Hardly_Hangin
Well-Known Member
I have no desire to repeat that in the kayak- i recognize it was dumb and unsafe, and am not going to attempt it again without different equipment
Did you have flotation devices? Why the fear?
I haven't tried this myself, but remember reading this (on here I think)- if you're worried about the kayak being too tippy you can put a life jacket on the deer and float/tow it out. It would be a lot of drag, but it would get it done, assuming the current isn't too much.
But I wouldn't recommend a kayak in the winter to someone not super experienced at kayaking.
But I wouldn't recommend a kayak in the winter to someone not super experienced at kayaking.
what would be the difference(s) between a sit-in vs. sit-on kayak vs. say a pirogue in terms of safety or needed experience?
Experience is more on what kind of water you go on. I've never kayaked in class 5 rapids but i've been rafting on them. I dont know how much past 2-3's id be comfortable on playing around with a kayak.
Safety is a difficult question to answer because they each do better in certain conditions.
If you're going down a swift river, you want to be a in a sit-in because they are much more maneuverable than all three so you can hopefully avoid obstacles in the river. Getting pinned up against anything in a river is a good way to die. Anything else just isnt that maneuvarable. Course you probably shouldnt been on those waters if you arent experienced with that kind of water and NEVER alone.
Sit-on tops, pirogues, canoes probably shouldnt be on anything that resembles whitewater. Unless you really, really know what you're doing and not carrying anything you'd care to lose.
Sit-ons and pirogues you really have to try to get them to flip, unless you get pinned which as I said above is death. Obviously the big benefit of these is they can haul stuff. Cant really haul much on a sit-in.
Safety is a difficult question to answer because they each do better in certain conditions.
If you're going down a swift river, you want to be a in a sit-in because they are much more maneuverable than all three so you can hopefully avoid obstacles in the river. Getting pinned up against anything in a river is a good way to die. Anything else just isnt that maneuvarable. Course you probably shouldnt been on those waters if you arent experienced with that kind of water and NEVER alone.
Sit-on tops, pirogues, canoes probably shouldnt be on anything that resembles whitewater. Unless you really, really know what you're doing and not carrying anything you'd care to lose.
Sit-ons and pirogues you really have to try to get them to flip, unless you get pinned which as I said above is death. Obviously the big benefit of these is they can haul stuff. Cant really haul much on a sit-in.
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Excellent idea. I've had numerous bad experiences in kayaks, canoes and boats over the years. Usually the worst that happens is you get a little wet and then you dry out. However, Once you add cold water, the game changes completely. You have minutes to get out and then somehow you have to dry out. Not that easy to do if your not prepared for it.
Regardless of what type of boat, or which activity you are using it, knowledge of basic paddling skills is not only essential to safety, being able to control your boat will make for a much more enjoyable experience.
Our paddle club calls tandem canoes "divorce boats" because so many married couples struggle, bicker and argue when paddling. My wife and I were that way for quite a few years. Haha, there were many quiet rides back home after a weekend of canoeing. We mistakenly thought we knew how to paddle. After all, how complicated can it be to make a canoe go forward?
But after some instruction we became proficient at boat control and we were not only having more fun, we were a lot more safe.
We accomplish moves that were unthinkable early in our paddling years.
We see it all the time...people miserably and unsafely paddling canoes and kayaks that haven't even the slightest idea what they are doing.
Get learned up and you'll be surprised what you can do is a little boat.
Google "canoeing the Grand Canyon" and watch some of those guys. It's mind blowing.
Our paddle club calls tandem canoes "divorce boats" because so many married couples struggle, bicker and argue when paddling. My wife and I were that way for quite a few years. Haha, there were many quiet rides back home after a weekend of canoeing. We mistakenly thought we knew how to paddle. After all, how complicated can it be to make a canoe go forward?
But after some instruction we became proficient at boat control and we were not only having more fun, we were a lot more safe.
We accomplish moves that were unthinkable early in our paddling years.
We see it all the time...people miserably and unsafely paddling canoes and kayaks that haven't even the slightest idea what they are doing.
Get learned up and you'll be surprised what you can do is a little boat.
Google "canoeing the Grand Canyon" and watch some of those guys. It's mind blowing.
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A PFD isn't nearly enough for his situation. For starters, whenever we go outdoors we generally have a plan or at least and idea of how we hope it's going to go. The funny thing is, most of the time it doesn't ever go as planned. Sometimes it goes better and sometimes it goes not that great. Sometimes it goes REALLY bad. Unexpected ****t happens. We have to be prepared for that or at least aware of the dangers. If you do it often enough, It's not a matter of if something will happen. It's a matter of WHEN something is going to happen. Here's my fear in his situation. Paddling solo. Not ideal. Self explanatory. Paddling in the dark. You can't read the water. Nor can anyone else see you. I've had a friggn' water ski boat dang near swamp me in broad daylight. I was waving my paddle at him but he was looking back at his skier. Scary. A fisherman or duck hunter hustling to set up his decoys before dawn isn't going to see him because I'm willing to bet he doesn't have a light on his kayak. In the dark, there's very little chance a boat will see him. In deep water, you obviously can't touch the bottom. You have to "self rescue" if you tip. It's actually quite challenging if you've never done it before. I've had to try it twice and BOTH times couldn't get it done.. Both times it was life threatening. Self Rescue is very easy w/ a step. I didn't have one in either situation. I'll bet he doesn't have one or even ever practiced self rescue. Putting a deer on a kayak COMPLETELY changes the center of gravity, which changes how you expect it to react while paddling. You will most likely over correct or over react . Very easy to tip a kayak in that situation. Same thing for floating it behind you. Not as bad as actually in it but still not good. A canoe is much better for this. An 800 yard paddle doesn't sound like much however what if the wind kicks up or changes directions while hunting? I've seen it go from flat calm to 2'rs and white caps in 20 minutes. Try padding into that or even worse w/it at your side. Now imagine a kayak loaded with gear and a deer and you have to get back to the launch. NOT good and definitely not fun. Lastly, we add COLD water. Unless you been in it for an extended period of time, you have no idea what it will do to you. Your muscles will cramp up and you get fatigued easier. I've been there and done that w/ no intention of ever doing it again. You have minutes to get out of it. Not a big deal if your near the bank but if you are 400 yards away now you have a serious problem. Now add, Your alone, in the dark, waves coming at you, head wind, boots full of water, he's already tired from padding while loaded down with gear and a deer, possibly his glasses fell off in the tip over, etc. and he can't get back in his kayak. It's a recipe for death. All for a deer! IMO the risks are not worth it. Invest in a boat. Or at the very least a canoe and a trolling motor.
Yep, there's a lot more to paddling that just sticking the paddle in the water.
I really learned a lot going whitewater rafting. The guides do a good job teaching how to paddle and the lessons really get reinforced when you make it through the rapids without getting dunked or slammed into a giant bolder. And the guides don't mind yelling at the slackers in the raft either
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This is SO true. My wife and I usually struggle because she is very inexperienced. We've been in the water once and it was a COLD water. Bad experience. She was blue in less than 10 minutes. Two experienced paddler's make a huge difference.
Dmathews87
Well-Known Member
I spend ALOT of time in kayaks as i fish all over S La in em and have been for many years...heres my input:
sit in kayaks, especially anything shorter than 12' is going to be your least stable option and are mostly for just recreation paddling IMO. What you want to do and the water you end up in will dictate the kayak you need. As a general rule, the best option for all around will be a 14' sit on top. The 14' kayaks will trek better than the 12' and below and be alot more stable. Pirogues are stable\safe enough and have been used here forever but i personally would stick with a sit on kayak. The absolute best IMO is the Nucanoe frontier which is a hybrid kayak and has a 600lb weight capacity. I have the 12' model. I can seriously do jumping jacks in this thing but they are pricey.
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safety considerations for the poster of the thread:
PFD 100%. lights for the dark 100%, boaters can be very inconsiderate\careless. leashes on anything you dont want to sink and always be aware of your movements\limitations so you dont flip
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One more point...
Basic paddling skills will help reduce gear abuse. The bottom of your boat will thank you.