A Matter of Weight – A Few Thoughts

[Mark]

So many of the discussions on this forum concern transporting our kayaks – to trailer or not, to roof top or not, appropriate hand carts, etc. Many times, these discussions (I think) are initiated by “older” members of Snaggedline. The reason of course is that the same boat we could (have) easily manipulate(d) when we were 40 becomes harder to maneuver when we are 60. For those of you not there yet, just wait. You’ll see.

The other phenomenon is that kayak makers have tended to increase the weights on their popular models from year to year. When they add rod holders, new seat configurations, basically the things their market tells them their buyers want, they add plastic to the hull and it gets heavier. I don’t want to name names but the weights of several popular models have increased in recent years.

I believe many of these kayaks are at the upper weight limit of practicality. I think in the future there has to be a balance between the features anglers want and weight. The manufacturers now appear to be yielding to features over weight. At some point they’ll need to put weight at the forefront, especially if they want to keep their aging customers in the hobby. I hope they figure this out.

[curtisballardsr]

Point well made

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[EMSer]

I agree Mark. I currently hump my 80+ lbs Thresher on my Suburu, but at 53, I can see there will be a time, in the not too distant future that my body is going to scream louder than my passion for getting out.

Fortunately, there are some manufacturers that are addressing the weight issue - at a price. The new Eddyline C-135 Stratofisher is a thermoform plastic addition to the fishing community this year. As theme suggests, it is 13.5' and weighs 69 pounds. Still far from a feather, but moving in the right direction. It is designed around a fisherman's needs

http://eddyline.com/kayak-model/c-135-yakattack-edition

Another existing light weight style also comes from Eddyline. The Caribbean 12 Angler comes in at only 45 pounds and offers the ability to cartoon your kayak without breaking your back.

http://eddyline.com/kayak-model/caribbean-12-angler

[J.A. Veil]

I am among the older members of this site. Over the past year and a half, I sold my two longer and heavier kayaks leaving me with two smaller kayaks (both less than 60 lbs) either one of which I can slide into the back of my minivan. The heavier kayaks provided more room and could handle larger seas, but I no longer wanted to deal with moving them from the water to my van and loading them into or onto my van. Using a trailer is not a realistic option for me since 90% of my launches are at locations that do not allow trailer parking.

This is a compromise I chose to make to allow me to continue frequent participation in the sport. Bruce noted the Eddyline brand of kayaks. Hurricane kayaks offer several sit-on-top models between 40 and 60 lbs. I have never looked at one closely or used one. They use a different manufacturing process (thermo-form) that allows lighter materials.

[RIng]

Hi all MY fight agenst cancer and hart problems for the last 4 year left me unabeal to get in and out of the SIN I own . I was having a very hard time loading them on top of my car . I went looking for a lighter option . I am 66 and 275 lb. Many of the lighter kayaks could not handle my weight with fishing seat up . I got a Caribbean 14 and love it . It is a cross between a recreation and fishing kayak . I winted a more fishing yak and got a KC kayaks K12 . This is the kayak I fish from most often . Each kayak is best at different things and I use them both . I fish ponds and lakes of NY and Vermont , but do most of my kayak fishing in the Chesapeake marshes . I spend 2 -4 weeks most months in my trailer at Madison Bay and kayak fish a lot . I now have a Dodge pickup . My lighter kayak have allowed me to be active in one of my favert pas times . I spin and fly fish . See you on the march .

[lovett88]

Another thing other then gear adding to the weight is the width of some of of the newer fishing kayaks. Yes they have there place and make excellent sight casting platforms for anglers. Also I feel the wider kayaks help set new kayakers minds at ease about the worries of flipping. With heavy kayaks like the big rig, ride 135, and lure 13.5, its nice to see the market come out with new light weight boats like the thermo-form kayaks and lighter options from viking and ocean kayak. They all have there respective places, but I will tell you even at 28 loading a ride 135 on the roof of a car was not much fun. Also just the thought of it sometimes kept me off the water. This season I plan to pick up a lighter kayak for more localized "quick trips" so that way I no longer dread the heavy loading and unloading.

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[Mark]

Thanks to all for your thoughtful responses.

[Bulldog]

I agree Mark, I have a Ocean Kayak trident 4.3 14', 68lbs and a Slayer Propel 13 at hull weight of 85lbs. and total weight of 105lbs., I have a heart issue (sleep apenia killed 20% of heart) and am now 59, but can lift the OK up on a lifted suburban, while I have to use a boat loader and struggle a bit more with the Slayer. I think the builders are responding to requests for lawn chair seats, wider yaks, and they get heavy, ,I took about five lbs. off my Slayer be removing all the tracks that I don't need and I now travel minimal, to keep life simple. Trailers are out for me also as a lot of places I can't park or even get it in and out. I'll have to see how Jon does with his 10 Propel in the Chesapeake Bay, at Kent Narrows let's say. I like my peddle drive boat but still love my OK yak!........Jack

[bignose]

I've gone full circle, from Aluminum canoes that were car topped, to a square stern polypropylene Old Town Discovery Boat that weighed 120+ pounds (car topped, but a major hassle) to my 30 year old Old Town Camper that weighs in at 55 lbs. It is made from ABS and is no longer in production.

As I get older, the thought of lifting a heavier craft onto my roof rack has become a very serious consideration.
One of the reasons I got rid of a Honda Pilot and went back to a Subaru Outback was the significant difference in roof height, more than a foot.

While recognizing the limitations of a canoe compared to a kayak in terms of ability to access more open water, my fishing is more limited these days to small local ponds and tidal creeks, with an occasional foray into areas like the Upper Potomac, or the Severn.

And since I often use a small electric motor, the ability to separate the components, and move them individually, makes the lifting issue less of a problem.
Just my solution.

[Mark]

Thanks again for the input.

It appears that there is a demand from some of us in the angling community for lighter kayaks.

The makers will respond.

[DonV]

Lot's of good advice on here and anyone considering a new kayak or upgrade should give it thoughtful consideration. I've considered upgrading numerous times as having some more width with added stability & better storage would be a real bonus. Yet I always come back to the weight thing. I'm 53 and have had back issues most of my life. I see many kayaks that I get all excited about but when checking the specs and seeing 70-80 lbs I start thinking hard. Another 10 - 15 lbs right now may not be to much of a hurdle but as the years go by it is going to come into play.

Even without considering creaky bones it' nice to have something you can grab throw on your shoulder and carry down to some river or pond at the side of the road.

[bunnielab]

I would also throw in that width of a yak seems to factor in how difficult it is to car-top. Both of my yaks weight almost the same, but the wider one (Slayer 10) seems harder to actually get on the roof then my longer, narrower one. I suspect that it is because my arms are much further from my core with the wider boat. It's isn't a huge difference, but it did surprise me, I had assumed that the shorter length would make loading easier.

[Mark]

I would also throw in that width of a yak seems to factor in how difficult it is to car-top.

I can relate to that. My Revo 13 and my 12 foot Coosa both weigh about the same. But the Coosa is wider and therefore a little more awkward for me to grasp. The Revo is easier for me to car-top by far even though their stated specification weights are almost equal.

Again, I think the makers will take note. There will always be a market for bigger boats. But there is also going to be growing market for a lighter boats easier to transport and paddle as kayak anglers who were introduced to the sport in recent years age.

[Salty Dog]

Some of it has to do with the balance. My Outback is alot more balanced at the handles then my Cuda 14. I find that the handles on the inside of the yak help balance rather than handles on the outside. Any way you look at it, at almost 80lbs each, its still a lot of plastic to lift. The Hullavator makes car topping alot easier for an older guy IMHO.

[M1A4ME]

My FS128T weighs a ton, well, about 90 lbs. with nothing in it that will be in it when I'm fishing.

I transport the kayaks in the back of the truck(s). Sometimes we've got two, sometimes 3. Then the gear piled into them where it can be tied/strapped down.

I bought a trailer and set it up for the kayaks (two) a couple years ago but I've never used it. We were expecting another kayaker/fisherman for our outings but he had an accident just before fishing season last year and didn't make it, so there's usually only 2 or 3 of us going.

I did buy one of those cheap kayak trolley rigs for helping me move mine when I'm by myself. I have to pick up one end of it, set the kayak on it about 3 or 4 feet from the end and then run the little 1" strap around it to hold it in place. Once one end of the kayak is on the trolley, moving it around the yard, or from the kayak shack to the garage (mods/additions) or the truck (going fishing) is really easy. I put the front up on the tailgate, make sure it's steady, walk around to the back, pick it up and push it into the truck. Then I remove the kayak trolley.

I store mine with all the gear in it (makes it easy to keep MY stuff organized and in my kayak so I don't forget some of it when I load up) and that makes it heavier to move around, load, unload. Probably no way I could get it up on top of a vehicle, or transport it with all the gear in it without losing stuff going down the road.

I have a smaller, lighter kayak that just doesn't leave me feeling good about it out on the water. That FS128T is stable as can be and I really like that. The smaller lighter one always felt "tippy", even though I never flipped it over, it always left me feeling uncomfortable on the water. The FS128T also leaves me more room for stuff than I currently carry. I like not being cramped up, not having stuff pile on top of other stuff.

I'm willing to accept "heavy as hell" for the stability and room. I do take some of the stuff out of it to load/unload it from the truck at the lake when I'm by myself.