The topic of buying a kayak

[WeddingtonGator]

we're in the search of the right one, and thought you might have a few comments on what to look for.
found one on this website, wondering what you thought? http://www.feelfreekayak.com/products/moken10-angler/
FEELFREE KAYAK ::: THE BEST FEELING ON WATER
www.feelfreekayak.com

WGator Jr.

[Southfork]

Checked out the site, real nice looking kayak. Never seen the wheel on one before, that would be a nice thing to have at times. I looked at the angler 12 and the weight is about 5 lbs lighter than the 10, 2 extra feet of space for less weight. I think I would consider the 12. I had a redfish 12 with a weight empty of 68 lbs and it was a chore to lug around. My advise keep it as light as possible if you plan on hitting some places you will need to carry it to the water. If you launch at boat ramps then weight would not be much of a issue. I would also try and test out a couple before I made a choice on which one to buy.

[blake]

The wheel is neat idea, however I would be worried that it could lead to a stress crack/break, especially when coming down off a ledge.

As far as what to buy, you really need to be able to demo. The more boats your in the more you will notice differences in design. Also what works well for a say a coastal GA river would not work as well for me in a rockier higher gradient TN mountain stream.

[Flyfisher]

I was recently in your same situation nad checked out the feel free moken. I personally felt like the boat was to "gimmicky" with the wheel, the added storage and the molded in handles. The boat also felt light for it's size which may mean nothing or it may mean that it is not quite as sturdy.

I was looking for something as simple as possible with the abilioty to customize as i saw fit I ended up going with a redfish 12 and i like it alot. While it is a little heavy at 63lbs for a 12footer i feel like the boat will hold up to more abuse on the river.

If you can try them out i would recommend it as that is the only way you can tell how it feels and what you need.

[RandySBreth]

Wow, 10' and still 64 pounds? Makes me glad I'm paddling the Pack. (12' - 33 pounds.)
I guess if you didn't have to portage much.
With that much weight the wheel makes sense now!

[bassin boy13]

ive been wanting to know about kayaks too. iwant to get one.. i hear jackson kayaks work good

[WeddingtonGator]

I need some input from the experienced. Love to hear your comments and idea's.

We have been draggin' 10 foot - 165 pounds of 2 man pontoon boat, a 55 pd trollingmtr, two deep cycles and gear.
64 pounds is about the size of my wife's purse.

WeddingtonGator Sr.

[Southfork]

Wow, then the wife would always go so she could carry the boat, she is use to the weight anyhow. All jokes aside, weight will be your worst enemy if you have to carry it very far to put in. That will get old in a hurry and make you not want to go to some fishing areas. Weight was a issue with my redfish 12 and a bad back did not help either so I moved on to a lighter boat. A kaynoe, has plenty of room for gear, light weight and easy to paddle. Get what you think will work for you, we can type this and that about boats till you turn blue but the bottom line is what do you want in a fishing boat, figure that out then visit some kayak and canoe shops to at least sit in some, think where your rods will go, does it have enough storage for my gear, (Note to self, no pink boats) Ha Ha. Then pick it up and see hoe it feels weight wise. Just remember you have to be happy with it or it is back to asking for another kitchen pass to buy another one. Been there done that, not real fun to tell the wife you don't like your new boat and need to buy another. So enough said by old Southfork, later back to fly tying now. You blue yet??????? Ha Ha

[Boyscout]

Randy ain't just whistling Dixie. I ride a Pack too and it is 33 lbs of pure joy. SouthFork's KayNoe is a very close cousin.

If you really want a SOT, get Drew's old ride the OK Caper at 45lbs and about 10 ft.

That will be 2 cts. Good luck with your decision.

[WeddingtonGator]

Thanks for your comments!

There is a canoe and kayak festival in Charleston next weekend, I think we will go test drive a couple units.
http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?nid=472

WeddingtonGator Sr.

[Flyfisher]

one thing i have found when carrying my boat is to carry it upside down with straight arms above my head.....looks silly but it works and it is easy to flip it off my rack into that position.

[blake]

Flyfisher, I use to do the same thing with my canoe. Works well as long as you can keep it balanced with straight arms. Most of loading and unloading is about balance and technique, IMO. If I have both of those I am pretty comfortable loading boats up to about 80 lbs solo, however if I don't have those, then I struggle even with a 45 lb boat.

Nothing wrong with wanting a light boat, however weight is one of the last parameters that I look at. I much rather have a boat that performs well on the water and is thick enough to last a long time, rather than worrying about the 5 minutes that I spend loading/unloading. Carrying them (especially with another person) with one in each hand, weight makes very little difference (except when it is bmp and he has 45lbs of gear in his boat, hehe). However when solo the weight is more noticeable but thats what carts and stuff are for.

[ol' Feller]

I had the opportunity to test ride before I bought, and I'm really glad I did!
Regarding the FeelFree; I'd guess the diameter of the wheel is too small for anything other than pavement, IMO.

[BasserDrew]

Well, I agree that it does seem a bit heavy for a 10ft boat. I think my Jackson Day Tripper is only around 45 and it is a 10 footer, however it is a sit inside and a similar length SOT should be a little heavier. Anyway, the wheel might concern me a bit for rocky rivers. If there is one thing I have learned over the years about river is that the less moving parts you have on a boat the better. The river will find a way to destroy it. I was given a boat one time that came with a drop down rudder. I knew I would never use it in the river so I never dropped it. Still, rocks found a way in there and locked it down and it is broken because of it. The river found a way to destroy such a simple mechanism and it always will.


Having said that I think you should test out some boats and then see what fits you best. WG, are you guys coming to the SC rodeo? I know a lot of folks are going to be there and you could certainly test out a lot of boats there. Feel free to borrow my boats to go down there to use or just test out some time since you guys are only 10 min away from me.

For guys your size WG I would think a boat between 11 and 12ft may be a wiser choice.

Oh, and BTW, I think the boat I'm designing with Jackson will be out in July so if you want to hang in there a little longer and save up I think its going to be a winner, but then again I am a bit biased. ;)

[WeddingtonGator]

BasserDrew, if you were worried about a drop down rudder, I may have to rethink the Hobie Mirage Sport on lay-away for the wife.
Not sure with the rodeo, still have transportation issues.

WeddingtonGator Sr.

[BasserDrew]

Well, the Hobie would be ok for rivers without major shoals or lakes and ponds. I know some who use them fine in rivers but I think you lose some versatility with them and are just asking for those things to break if you take it down some more rock filled rapid type rivers.