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Hi all - an arthritic knee that is making it more difficult for me to kneel in my canoes has got me thinking that it is time to get a sea kayak. (That and the great trips that you guys always do.) I’m 5’10, 230 lbs. I’m told that I'm too big for the boats currently listed in the Paddler. For my first boat I think I would prefer plastic and would rather buy used if I can. I'm told that the P&H Delphin 155, P&H Virgo or Valley Gemini would be good would be good if I could find one. I’d also consider a sit on top . Would probably spend around $2K for the right boat, but less is better. ;-)
Any thoughts on a boat for a canoeist looking to move into sea kayaking.
Thanks.
Erik Eckilson
eckilson@cox.net
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Eric,
What would you like to do in sea kayaking?
If you’re into playing ( surf and rock gardening ) you are on the right track with a Delphin or Virgo however if you’re interested in touring
and doing distances you might consider a longer boat.
Jon
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The Virgo might be a good compromise kayak, although finding a used one may be difficult. It requires less work to keep in a straight line....
A Scorpio or an old Capella RM would be good choices as well. They are pretty well balanced, although they do skew more towards going straight.
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08-08-2022, 07:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-08-2022, 07:23 PM by eckilson.)
(08-07-2022, 11:08 PM)jsharlin Wrote: Eric,
What would you like to do in sea kayaking?
If you’re into playing ( surf and rock gardening ) you are on the right track with a Delphin or Virgo however if you’re interested in touring
and doing distances you might consider a longer boat.
Jon
That's a good question. If my canoeing preferences are any indication, it will be play more than touring, but who knows.
I don't think I'll be picky now - just need to start somewhere.
(08-08-2022, 10:49 AM)ericj Wrote: The Virgo might be a good compromise kayak, although finding a used one may be difficult. It requires less work to keep in a straight line....
A Scorpio or an old Capella RM would be good choices as well. They are pretty well balanced, although they do skew more towards going straight.
I found a Capella on Craigslist - fiberglass. might be a little longer than I would like, but would it be a good boat to start.
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Before you buy anything, I would suggest borrowing a boat or two from RICKA folks who may have some spare boats and will be happy to let you try them, and perhaps join us on a level 2 or 3 trip, just to make sure the boat you are thinking of will suit you well, both size/fit and paddling preferences. Just my two cents.
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(08-08-2022, 11:12 PM)Cam Wrote: Before you buy anything, I would suggest borrowing a boat or two from RICKA folks who may have some spare boats and will be happy to let you try them, and perhaps join us on a level 2 or 3 trip, just to make sure the boat you are thinking of will suit you well, both size/fit and paddling preferences. Just my two cents.
I signed up for a
class at the Kayak Centre on Sunday - its focused more on rec boaters, but with my experience in a kayak I figured I could start with the basics. I'll see what they have for boats. If anyone has a boat appropriate for a bigger guy that I could try I'd appreciate it. My two experiences in a sea kayak are both with Tony -
once in his tandem, and
once in his Heritage SOT.
Thanks all.
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I'm getting there - bought a plastic Capella 166 used from Charles River Canoe & Kayak.
I couldn’t get a neoprene skirt there that fit both me and the boat, so I bought a cheap nylon skirt . Where do you guys order neoprene skirts.
I can buy a paddle there, but not sure it is what I want. I looked at to 205 from Werner with adjustable feathering, but it looked like a low angle blade. What do you guys use for paddles.
Thanks again for your help.
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Pick up the boat and paddle today - opted for the adjustable Shuna to start.
Took the intro sea kayak class at the Kayak Centre yesterday - Ken F. did a nice job. Getting there.
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Here is the boat - hope to get out and paddle it later today
![[Image: 52288945529_0599606d25_c.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52288945529_0599606d25_c.jpg)
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Hi Erik,
Your boat looks good! A Shuna paddle is good, I have one as my backup paddle (my primary paddle is a Cyprus, which so think is the same shape).
For neoprene skirts, I use a Seals skirt (Athena, a womens version) but I think most of the guys have Snapdragon skirts. Tim recently got a Whetman, which is a tighter fit on the boat. Tim and I order from either the dealers directly, or from outdoor play (we get a Ricka discount there). Skirts are sized by tunnel and cockpit size (dealer sites usually have lookup tables to find the cockpit size of your boat).
Looking forward to paddling with you!
Brenda
