Paddle, Peddle, power -- Whats a kayak

[Slackdaddy]

CB,
Nice boat, is it a sundance??

Slack

I'm young only 22 and I own an 18ft center console, a hobie outback (used to be a OK PRowler), and a hobie cat 16 sail boat.

.

[mmanolis2001]

I think the definition of a kayak had changed greatly over the years. When i was younger and heard Kayak i thought of white water and shooting rapids. I didn't even realize there were touring kayaks until later in my life. With the addition of SOT kayaks the term has changed again in my eye.

Deep down i still believe the true kayak is a SIT. Whether its made out of some animal skin, the bark of a tree or composites. SOT's, Peddle, Electric, etc... are more of a hybrid of the original idea that has evolved over time. The SOT kayaks have certainly opened the idea of kayaking up to a whole new group of people including myself. I have seen more SOT's on top of cars in the last 2 years than i saw SIT's in the previous 30 combined. Are SOT's, Hobie's and electric powered still Kayaks? I guess they are. I have never had any one ask me on the water or in a parking lot what type of boat i had. They all know its a kayak of some sort. So that's what they are Kayaks of some sort.

That being said I have 2 paddle yaks in the flotilla. A tarpon 120 and trident 15. Both kayaks have good points and bad. The tarpon is very stable and turns pretty well. The trident is a warship and turns like one but its fast and handles rough water like a champ.

I never set foot in a Hobie and i get envious every time i try to hang with them at the bridge fishing but i'm still on the fence about purchasing one. There is something about paddling a kayak that i cant give up quite yet. I love the feeling of being connected with the water when paddling. Not saying the feeling is not the same with a Hobie as i have never tried one. The Hobie's are much better suited for this area and the type of fishing around us but i'm still holding out. I'm stubborn like that.

[Grilled]

i have buddies and co-workers that are always asking me to go fishing on their boat. i've been boat fishing a couple times this year but to be honest, i actually hate it, unless its deep sea fishing. i prefer to be on a kayak. its so much easier to manuever and I dont have to worry about anchoring over and over again. i fished the pilons by boat earlier in the season and what a pain in the a@#! Its funny how some of my co-workers would throw out jokes about fishing from a kayak but now they dont say shit cause I end up catching more fish than they do from the kayak..lol

my first kayak was a tarpon 120 but after I got the hobie i'll never go back to a paddle yak. to fish strong current and hold position, nothing beats a hobie.

[moc]

I started off with a 16 foot Coleman canoe. I still have it and use it with a trailer. I crab and fish from it, and it is outfitted with a trolling motor and batteries like the Torque. On the other hand the canoe was heavy and you needed two people to take it out with all the gear without breaking your back. So I started to look at kayaks for a single person operation. There were not many fishing kayaks around, but I settled on a Tarpon 120. I loved it. It was only recently over the past few months that I switched over to a Revo. I love the Revo even more. More storage, longer range, easy trolling options, faster speed than my Tarpon. I thought about an electric kayak or another paddle kayak, but I settled on the Revo as a compromise. It is not a bad paddle yak and I do not have to worry about charging my batteries like my canoe, when I go out on an extended outting. Of course, that is just in my particular situation. Just get the boat that fits your needs.

[CB kayak 02]

CB,
Nice boat, is it a sundance??

Slack

PALM BEACH 181 CC, Florida built boat, it's great... handles well out in the bay. have had to drive it back from fishing in 3-4 footers

[J.A. Veil]

Like several of the other posters, I have both a powerboat and kayaks. I fish from a Scout 16' center console/flats style boat that allows me a long range and more speed and stability. But a trip in that boat requires more time, more expense, and more preparation. I use my kayaks (traditional paddle type) when I don't feel like taking the powerboat out, when the bay is too rough for my boat (I can tuck into sheltered coves with the kayak), or during the winter when the powerboat is put away. I live 10 minutes from the Weems Creek ramp. I can load my van, drive to the ramp, fish for 2 hours, then return home, and not use more than 3 or 4 hours. Plus I benefit from the exercise.