SO, I am thinking of getting a second kayak....

[manlystanley]

This is for, either, one of my teen aged girls (ages 13-15), or so that a non-yaked friend can go with me.

I'm a big guy (240 lbs, 6' 3"). But, these two girls are adopted from China. The are: 4'11-ish, maybe 80 lbs.

I want a versatile yak that they would enjoy (e.g. fun to take out, good control, speed, stability). So, I need to pay more for it. I was thinking of maybe getting a Hobie MIRAGE for me, but then I thought that 13.5 ride would be to big for my girls to handle.


I'd appreciate your advice. Like, what brands? If the 13.5 ride is to big for my girls. Would a tandem be better?? ... etc.

Thanks,
Stan

[rugbyfish]

I don't have any experience with the Ride, but my girlfriend is able to paddle the Vibe Sea Ghost (13 feet long, 33" wide) with no issue at all, so the Ride may work just fine.

[J.A. Veil]

I would not recommend getting a tandem. After starting out kayaking in 2001, I bought a tandem kayak the next year so I could take my wife and daughter with me. They went once and never again. The tandem was not balanced well for a single paddler and was heavy. I sold it later that year.

Several manufacturers offer lightweight kayaks that are easy to paddle. If the girls do not intend to fish, a pair of sit insides would work well for occasional recreational paddling. If they do want to fish a lot, look for some sit on tops that are 10 or 11 ft long. Or something like the lightweight Native Ultimate 12. You should be able to find some used kayaks that would meet their needs. Or take them to a kayak rental shop to let them decide if they like the sport or not.

[mchottie]

there's a red revo 11 that was just posted to the classified section.

we just picked up a carribean blue outback on saturday so my girlfriend can keepup with me in the pro angler. if speed is not an issue, regular paddle yaks should be relatively very inexpensive. Dicks Sporting Goods is having a pretty aggressive sale, their Field & Stream 12' Eagle Talon (SOT) & Eagle Run (Sit Inside) are down to 399 from 599 (decent beginner fishing yak) with the promo code:

https://slickdeals.net/f/10177268-ka...src=SiteSearch

[baynovice]

This is for, either, one of my teen aged girls (ages 13-15), or so that a non-yaked friend can go with me.

I'm a big guy (240 lbs, 6' 3"). But, these two girls are adopted from China. The are: 4'11-ish, maybe 80 lbs.

I want a versatile yak that they would enjoy (e.g. fun to take out, good control, speed, stability). So, I need to pay more for it. I was thinking of maybe getting a Hobie MIRAGE for me, but then I thought that 13.5 ride would be to big for my girls to handle.


I'd appreciate your advice. Like, what brands? If the 13.5 ride is to big for my girls. Would a tandem be better?? ... etc.

Thanks,
Stan

Finally, this is a post that I can contribute to. I've been a student of this site for a year and have learned a lot. So here goes...

I initially planned to buy a single person kayak but came across a good deal on a Hobie Oasis tandem with Mirage drive. I had heard horror stories about hand paddle tandems because the paddling has to be done in sync or suffer great frustration (I've heard tandem kayaks referred to as divorce boats). With the Mirage drive foot pedal system, both pedalers can go at their own pace without throwing off the pedaling rhythm so I haven't experienced fights with any of my passengers. My son showed interest and "promised" to go out with me on a regular basis. After several outings, the regular turned into periodic to every now and then - you get the drift. I actually considered selling my tandem and buying a single person Hobie Outback but I've come to appreciate the tandem as I have the flexibility to take other family members and friends. When I go out alone, I also have room for extra gear where the front chair would be. All is not perfect and I do live with a few compromises:

1. My Oasis is 14'6" vs. Outback at 12' so it is more cumbersome during transport, hanging in my garage, etc. I transported my Oasis on the roof of my GMC Yukon for the first year - let's just say that I might have found another hobby if I was still driving my Yukon. I switched to a flat bed truck and purchased a bed extender that goes into the trailer hitch. Much easier to load and unload. You could trailer but many launching spots don't allow parking for trailers.

2. Oasis is heavier than Outback. Kayak only weight difference is 12lbs, but fully rigged it is almost 30lbs heavier due to extra chair, drive, etc. Only time I feel the extra weight is when pulling the rigged kayak over sand/mud. Extra weight is negligible on hard surfaces and on the water.

3. When I'm on the tandem by myself, I use the rear seat which tends to lift the front of the kayak up off the water surface. To compensate, I fill a 5 gallon bucket with water to 1/2 or 2/3 full and it seems to do the trick.

Hope this helps.
Sang.

[Crotalus]

I have no suggestions, but also owning a ride 135, I would say it is way too much for an 80 lb kid (the boat is heavier than they are). Stability is great, but they will struggle to keep up. A light weight sit-in would probably be the easiest for them to control, but would not be ideal for a fishing buddy.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Pat Smith]

I am looking at the same decision.. I currently have a Old Town Minn Kota which I use as much as possible, and a 14ft Feel Free Moken. My son is almost 10 and I don't think he could paddle the moken for long if at all. I don't trust him on the motorized kayak yet when he could get in trouble and run away faster than I could catch him if I was in the Moken...
I also sometimes go out with my brother in law, who is 6'8 and over 360 lbs. HUGE guy. I give him the Old Town because it has a 600lb capacity and I use the moken, leaving me to paddle.. which tires me out.

To solve both problems I am considering a pedal kayak.. perhaps an outback. I would guess that my son could paddle the outback with no effort, and LOVE doing so.. and I could use the Old Town. Or if I am alone and want the exercise, I could use the outback... A Pro Angler would be too big for him, and I would worry about the stability in a Revo. I would also consider one of the other pedal kayaks. I just find a pedal kayak gives a person more range/duration than a paddle.

[mchottie]

I initially planned to buy a single person kayak but came across a good deal on a Hobie Oasis tandem with Mirage drive.
Hope this helps.
Sang.

Did you buy this from Duane in Chevy Chase? We just picked up the blue outback from him this past weekend.

Small World.

[baynovice]

Did you buy this from Duane in Chevy Chase? We just picked up the blue outback from him this past weekend.

Small World.

I bought it used on Craigslist. It has the new vantage seat and had only been used for 1 season. Had to drive to western MD tho. Was worth the drive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk