Kayak or Canoe, thus is the question

[Mauro]

I would like to buy either a kayak or a canoe to paddle on the rivers in the cambridgeshire area.

I am not sure what to buy, these are my requirements:

-) It needs to carry at least two people, so i can go around with my young son

-) I used to be pretty good on a kayak back on the Italian lakes and rivers (many years ago!), but I have never paddled a canoe in my life

Which would you suggest... and why?

thank you for your ideas!!

Mauro

 

[R-J]

they're, imho, easyier to master and i know you can get some good inflatable ones. which means you dont have to worry so much about storage (dunno if this is a concern). the down side is canadians are more comfy, there's realy only one way you can fit in a kayak! well one's that i've been in...

i've got an inflatable kayak and it does me good for day trips and holidays up to about 10 days. if you were looking to go for long periods (2 people 5days+ or 1 person 10 days+), or carrying a heavy load, then i'd look into a canadian. my puffin kayak is very cool, but i will be upgrading to a canadian in the next few years, just for the extra versatility and payload.

er, hope that made sence and helps...

rob

 

[bloodline]

You want an open canoe sometimes called a canadian canoe. You are asking questions that would be better answered by the BCU thats the British Canoe Union. They can point you in the right direction . You should learn about canoeing before you take to the water with your young child.

 

[happy camper]

hello
i guess it depends on what you want to use it for.
I have a 16ft canoe and absolutely love it, i think open canoes are extremely versatile, comfortable and, for me, their kit carrying capacity definately tips the balance.
I'd recommend trying a bit of canoeing and see how you feel about it, whichever you choose, it's a win - win !!

 

[R-J]

i'd agree thats its a win-win situation, aslong as your on the water its all good!

 

[Elliott]

I would like to buy either a kayak or a canoe to paddle on the rivers in the cambridgeshire area.

I am not sure what to buy, these are my requirements:

-) It needs to carry at least two people, so i can go around with my young son

-) I used to be pretty good on a kayak back on the Italian lakes and rivers (many years ago!), but I have never paddled a canoe in my life

Which would you suggest... and why?

I paddle both and would therefore see benefits from both modes - either type can cope with two people. One point to consider is storage space - do you have enough as open boats and double kayaks are pretty large, and tranporting them needs to be considered i.e. roofrack system.

Both are fairly simple to learn but I would advocate joining a local club (BCU will have contacts) as they can teach you the skills and loan you equipment (cheaper way of determining what you want to do).

To put a serious note on the topic, you may not be aware that access to rivers is not just a case of turning up and paddling. There are numerous disputes with landowners with riparian rights and fishermen/clubs due to peoples poor knowledge of the situation. The majority of rivers have no access to them. Your local club will aware of access situation for the rivers in your area (as well as BCU)

Hope this helps

Elliott

 

[R-Bowskill]

I prefer the open canoe to a Kayak, easier to get in and out of, bit like the feeling of an open topped sports car or 4x4 compared to being in a closed box.

One thing alot of people forget is that you can use a double bladed paddle with an open canoe if that's what you're used to. I think I'll be using one with the single canoe I'm building fir getting out of the city then change to a paddle, more sedate once I'm past the industrial areas.

I've used both canoes and kayaks, single and double paddles and they both have their uses. Also it's worth joining the BCU if you ever want to paddle in another area.

 

[Hoodoo]

The kayak craze is pretty dominant here in the States. Personally I'm a canoe person but a kayak has a lot of offer. Very maneuverable and fast. People love 'em. However, I think a canoe is more convenient for overnight or longer trips because they carry more gear and they are easier to carry on portages. If you are not planning overnights or doing portaging, you may want to stick to a kayak.

 

[anthonyyy]

Hi Mauro

Canadian canoes have a lot of advantages. Easier to get into and out of, can carry a lot more gear for camping and you can travel solo or with other people. As a kayaker myself, I think there is a learning curve involved in paddling a Canadian single-handed.

Conventional double sea kayaks are not designed to be paddled solo.
Have you considered a folding kayak?
Many skin-on-frame kayaks offer the advantages of Canadian canoes.
The market leader in such boats is Klepper. The “Aerius 2” starts at about £1700. These can be paddled solo or double without much difficulty and can carry loads of gear. Also they are foldable for easy storage and transport. They are very versatile and seaworthy craft. I wouldn’t care to take one on a whitewater river though.
A rival to Klepper is Pouch from the former East Germany. These have a poorer build quality to the Klepper but are still good. These are easy to get second hand from Germany. I picked one up on Ebay from Germany (try the German version of Ebay www.ebay.de and do a search for “faltboot”) They go for about Euro 250. The RZ85 is the Pouch equivalent of the Aerus 2. My boat is great on the water but hard to assemble so I keep it permanently assembled.

Having said that my next boat will be a Canadian.

Paddling with children can be challenging but rewarding. They get bored and frustrated very easily so shorter trips are better. They have to be dressed for immersion in case of an accident and this makes it even more uncomfortable for them. It just takes one bad experience and they won’t want to go paddling with you again!
The safety issues involved in paddling with children are enormous.

Whatever you do I hope you get some kind of boat - life is a million times better on the water.

 

[wolf man]

Mauro

the best choice for you would be the canoe (Canadian). I paddle and teach in both, but if i want to go away for a few days, then there is only one choice...the canoe.
The quantity of kit you can get in can be amazing. It acts as a shelter, and are great to fish from.
It'll probably be safer for you and your son and also more enjoyable. Sitting still for long periods in a Kayak can be a strain.

Lots of good points put forward by the others. But remember access on rivers is a HUGE problem, not only gettin on but also getting off at a different stage.

Get the canoe, you'll love it

Wolf man

 

[anthonyyy]

[

Lots of good points put forward by the others. But remember access on rivers is a HUGE problem, not only gettin on but also getting off at a different stage.



Wolf man [/QUOTE]

I know that legas access is difficult in England but how big a problem is it to paddle a river without permission?
Thank god the access situation is not so bad here in Ireland.

 

[stevo]

Same here in Scotland...with the passing of the Scottish Outdoor Access legislation recently, you now can access all inland waterways from wherever you want. But be ready to quote from the law, when you encounter somewhat ignorant and sometimes aggressive landowners who claim not to know anything about that, and want to remove you from their land. My advice....get clued up, and dont shift!!!!!!

Stevo

 

[Mauro]

Well, thank you all very much for all your postings, but keep'em coming!

I will read them again and again before buying something. I love kayaks, if I was alone i would not have doubt what to buy. But I would really like to share my passion with the children...

I am almost convinced of the benefits of a canoe...

Mauro

 

[swyn]

I am surprised that there are problems with access to a lot of rivers in England (apart from The Thames). I have been on some French waterways and their Water bailifs are ARMED!! But have always been courteous to the fishermen I have encountered and usually had a pleasant response. Perhaps as a lot of rivers are canalised and still have commercial traffic may help. Some of the locks are really amazing.
As for making a decision, that's the hard one. I can recommend The Outdoor Show at The NEC Birmingham as I was taken by the range of vessels available. Also there seems to be the usual bartering for the serious buyer so probably some good deals to be had.
If I had to make a choice right now I would go for a sea kayak and then probably scare myself! I have this ambition to explore the west coast of Scotland,by sea,and then I wake up Happy canoeing from Swyn

 

[Sickboy]

If you want a canoe/kayak for general river paddling then i would say a canadian canoe would be the better option, plenty of kit space, space to move around and when theres only yourself its still usable, double kayaks are useless in this respect, you just have more options in a canadian, and if you fancy running the white stuff you'll have plenty of fun in a open boat, just different skills required, kayaks you go faster than the water, canadians slower.
My tip is a canadian and a pole, get back up the river to your start point thus less of a worry about finding a exit and portaging.
And besides how many crates of beer can you fit in a kayak?

 

[useless]

I took part in some canoeing this summer and REALLY loved it, gaining my BCU 2 star in the process (which was very easy!). It was all part of my job, so made the summer working very enjoyable. My wife and I have some plans for taking my son out for the day in a canoe next year (maybe), but will take him out on a lake to get him used to some "rescue" drills. Get him to jump in and practise how to get ready to be put back into a boat. That kind of thing. Hopefully making it fun will stop any incident on a trip being too traumatic.

I think the whole canoe thing is suited to a limited amount of bushcraft, with the boundaries being where you can camp for the night. Loads of rivers appear to have access to camp sites, but the access to wild land is just as bad, if not worse, than any where else. A real shame as I found it an amazing way of experiencing nature, and a great way of working with young people.

Best of luck with it!