Kayaking

[mysnakesau]

Does anybody here like canoeing and/or kayaking? While I don't like cold water I do like paddling on top of the water. Never done it but have started a savings account to buy a two-seater, sit-on top kayak, so I my daughter and I can explore the wilderness.

I have absolutely no knowledge of kayaking, no water sense (can swim but have no idea if there are rules to follow on water - I know there are for bigger boats but wouldn't have a clue for just recreational paddling in river, creeks, etc). Am researching the net to find out the answers to my questions.

Is anyone here familiar with brands/types of kayaks that are available. Our local boating shop recommended me a twin-seater by NEMO - its just a sit-on top kayak, suitable for the beginner. Its $1100, comes with two seats and two paddles. then all I need is water protection for my camera then we're set to sail.

 

[AUSGECKO]

I just purchased a 2 seat inflatable kayak off ebay and recieved it yesterday, The misses and i gave it a whirl today and it was great fun the only thing i didnt like was its tracking, i found it took quite a bit of skill to keep it straight but it was probably also the fact that the missus had no idea what she was doing!! I had to get an inflatable as i have nowhere to store and no way of transporting a fibreglass kayak, I looked around for a couple of weeks and i could have got one for around $1000 but because i have no idea whether i will stick with it i opted for one that was less than $400 to my door. the ebay seller is wildworld100 if you wanted to have a look.

 

[cagey]

There are advantages/disadvantagesor all types. Such as water conditions where you are considering paddling etc. You may want to consider a sit-in; generally more stable and, with a spray-deck arrangement, warmer for winter or cooler weather paddles. Bsic water rulle "is stick to the right, use battery stick on lights if navigating waterways.
Waterprooof camera bags can be brought from most outdoor shops- some allow you to operate camera while it stays in the bag throug ha "reverse glove arrangement. Where in Aus do you live and/or want to paddle?

 

[MatE]

Yep love to go kayaking, hoping to go out this weekend.The ocean is great atm.My sister wants fish for tea lol.Mine is only a single seater but is the same length as the twin.You might also want to invest in good life jacket.Not the big bulky ones that make you look like michelin man,there are plenty of well designed kayak versions.
Make sure its comfortable when your in it,so sit in it.You will be sitting down for a while and let me tell you after a few hours your behind gets sore.You might even be able to ask them if you can take it for a spin.Its only going to get wet and if your forking out a grand or more its a pretty big investment.Also have a look at what sort of storage it has,the more the better.
Cheers MatE.

 

[caustichumor]

Kayaking is my escape fom other groups of wantabee escapees...

 

[RoryBreaker]

If you want to see a large array of kayaks/canoes , check out any of the kayak fishing forums , and look in the sections labelled " rigged kayaks" . There are heaps of brands available , most websites even have a for sale section where you could pick up a good 2nd hand kayak . Look at ebay aswell .

Cheers,

 

[mysnakesau]

...... a bit of skill to keep it straight but it was probably also the fact that the missus had no idea what she was doing!! .....

:lol: That would have been a day full of laughing and fun. I wish I was there to see it...hahaha.

Thankyou, for all your input. Stick to the right? Glad I asked, I have to remember the other left of the road now. I never thought of a 2nd hand one. I guess because I know nothing, choosing a good second hand one would not be easy for me. I have SUCKER written on my head for the rip offs to find. But I will check out them forums and try learn as much as I can before I buy one.

Cagey I think I was considering a sit-on rather than sit-in because its an adventure I want to share with my 9yr old daughter. If a sit-on one tips over it won't be a challenge getting it back over without it filling up with water. When my daughter gets older and I can see that she is more competent I am going to upgrade from the "tandem" to two single ones. I don't know if this makes any sense. Be interested to hear your thoughts if you disagree with my theory.

I am in Kempsey, NSW. We have the Macleay River here to learn to use it, then we might venture out to other areas but ocean and white rapids are out of the question. Slow or still water only for us..lol. I will not go out on the ocean while sharks are all too common sighting up here. I've tried searching for a local club. I did find two, one here in Macleay somewhere and Coffs Harbour. But they only show all their competition stuff on their website so not sure till I contact them, if they are interested in recreational or teaching beginners.

The kayak I've seen locally has no storage. So will shop around a bit I think. There is one there that has an esky and drink holders. But its all decked out for fishing which is extra $$$ we won't need.

Thank you for your tips. Gives me some thoughts to start on. Cheers guys

 

[nazza]

I love kayaking and have one but don't go as often as I like .. I also love motorcycling lol and that wins lately.
I bought the sit on top one that they have cheap at bcf ($399) for $200 on Ebay. Its pretty good for both the ocean and rivers. A vest is a good idea and depending on which state you in may be compulsory.

 

[Tristan]

i have wanted to sea kayak for a while now i want to go out to the islands of the coast of Perth and anker up and go free diving, so all the ones i have found with the design and storage i want are $1500 + then i need storage at home and roof racks etc etc any one wanna lend me a few K and by lend i mean give ?

i have done a trip from Rockingham to penguin island before that was most joyus, the last one i did was a river trip i was in a single but i got snagged on a branch with a current flipped and lost my diving camera in the current that was a much less enjoyable moment.

 

[Sock Puppet]

The ones decked out for fishing are based on designs of functionality, practicality, stability etc. from years of fine tuning by people who spend many hours in them. You could do worse that look at the fishing ones & then take the best ideas from that to suit yourself & use that as a starting point. Watertight storage is available on most, also I've heard it pays to invest in something to lean back on (like a seat backing) if you'll be spending extended periods on the water. Also consider things like elastic strapping to tie down other items that can get wet (drink bottles, cooler bags) to keep your limited deck space uncluttered.

There's many models & many options, from foot paddle/steer (like the Hobies), to outriggers, to nearly anything you & your budget can come up with.

Good luck & have fun!

 

[MatE]

Im up at coffs I have a local couple at mullaway who sell all types of kayaks,they are very knowledgable and very good to deal with.

 

[MatE]

Also I dont want to put you off but there are just as many sharks in the macleay river as you would find in the ocean.

Cheers mat.

 

[mysnakesau]

I think I found a website for a kayak shop near Coffs. Mullaway sounds familiar and also Boambee was mentioned on the website, so can't remember exactly where it was. Am on my laptop now and can't find the web addy. A shop in Sydney gave me a link to the shop near Coffs Harbour and recommended them for knowledge. Might have to take a trip up and check them out. Sounds like an adventure I wish I'd started long ago.

I have heard there are sharks in the river but never heard of reports of anyone getting attacked. I know theres a first time for everything but the bigger ones that like to taste surfboards are at Hat Head lol. I've always had a fear of water - more so what I can't see what's under me more so than the water itself. I can swim and my daughter too. But least our feet will not be dangling in the water. I watched all the JAWS movies when I was a kid and some croc movies too so grew up not in favour of water. But my daughter has always been a water kid so maybe its time I got over it...lol

Wow, there's so much to learn. Didn't know that had underdeck storage. And what is a hatch? Saw them on the site but no explanation to what its for.

 

[MatE]

A hatch is just like on a boat its basically a storage area ,some have screw on lids others have latches.And yes I can put all my camping gear in mine up to 250 kilos of weight and still has free board.

 

[PhilK]

Mysnakes - kayaking is great! Me and my mates go fishing off the kayaks all the time. Nothing is quite as nice as even just drifting around on top of the kayak and when the fish aren't on the bite we store the rods, lie on our backs with our feet in the water and hats over our faces and just drift.. bliss.. Because they're so silent they're great for fishing and looking at wildlife, and they're just so much fun.

My brother and I have a single seater Viking Nemo kayak each and they're perfect for what you need. A seat, paddle, drink bottle and camera will see you having a great time on the water.. we even take ours surf bashing for a wicked time. Very important to get a good life jacket especially as you say you're not comfortable with the water.

Get one and you won't regret it!

 

[mysnakesau]

PhilK thankyou very much for your comments. Sounds great. Lay back and float? That sounds very cool. I do that now just on my back in the water. I can float well enough to go to sleep. I can't wait. I've only just started saving up but I can get the smaller things in the meantime.

MatE I been trying to work out how far away you are from me. I think Coffs is about 1.5hours. Be great to meet up one time to go for a paddle (one day. I don't even own a paddle yet, or the boat). I know nobody to go with. My husband is a paraglider so he probably wouldn't come very often but would be more fun in a group.

 

[nazza]

hmm makes me want to take mine out again..

 

[beatlloydy]

I have 3 (live opposite the water and the family likes to do a bit of paddling)....I purchased a sit on top which has a hatch as well as 3 rod holders for fishing. The Kayak can technically take 2 for a cruise or solo if you want to fish.
For the keys, and anything you dont want to get wet it is also worth purchasing a "dry bag"..they come in all sorts of sizes from big enough to hold keys, wallet and camera etc to clothes for longer trips or overnighting...just watch out Kayaking can be more addictive than herps..especially with such a great river like the Maclean. Have taken my boat up there fishing...my second favourite river to the mighty Clarence river (largest in NSW).

It is a little heavy and doesnt come with paddles...I got it for $500 tho it retails for $699...BCF has a members link where you can ask to be notified when a certain product comes on special..so I was lucky...dont forget if you travel more than 100m from shore from 1/11/10 you are all required by law to wear PFD's...I never bothered to in the past as I am a good swimmer but recently purchased an inflatable PFD1 and they are so comfortable...worth the extra cost IMHO.

Here's a pic of mine with my last catch a few days ago...cleaned up on the Flatheads...actually caught around 12 with largest being 90cm...but let most go...only wanted enough to feed the family. N.B...I added the seat and the box..and it also has a fishing bag that sits on the front.

 

[beatlloydy]

I have heard there are sharks in the river but never heard of reports of anyone getting attacked. I know theres a first time for everything but the bigger ones that like to taste surfboards are at Hat Head lol. I've always had a fear of water - more so what I can't see what's under me more so than the water itself. I can swim and my daughter too.

Wow, there's so much to learn. Didn't know that had underdeck storage. And what is a hatch? Saw them on the site but no explanation to what its for.

LOL...I have a mate who works for fisheries and the project they are working on is tagging bull sharks in Estuaries...they have recently targetted the Maclean and found them way up....but to be honest there is more chance of being run over by a car...saying someone wont go in the river due to sharks is like saying I wont go bushwalking due to snakes...both circumstances have risks but very minimal.

BTW..a hatch is a circular screw in lid which allows you to put things inside the "airspace" between the kayak top and bottom...however, if doing this and you dont want the item wet I would also suggest at least a plastic bag or a dry bag (100% waterproof).

 

[MatE]

PhilK thankyou very much for your comments. Sounds great. Lay back and float? That sounds very cool. I do that now just on my back in the water. I can float well enough to go to sleep. I can't wait. I've only just started saving up but I can get the smaller things in the meantime.

MatE I been trying to work out how far away you are from me. I think Coffs is about 1.5hours. Be great to meet up one time to go for a paddle (one day. I don't even own a paddle yet, or the boat). I know nobody to go with. My husband is a paraglider so he probably wouldn't come very often but would be more fun in a group.

Im about 20 minutes north at woolgoolga,there are a few people around here that kayak(fishers mainly)but are all pretty keen to go for a paddle.