kayaks

[willie]

hey i was just wondering if anybody knew stuff about kayaks i am looking in to buying on and was wandering about like

can u use none sea kayaks in the sea? (probs a stupid question)



any info would be welcome ty ):

 

[tomtom]

hey i was just wondering if anybody knew stuff about kayaks i am looking in to buying on and was wandering about like

can u use none sea kayaks in the sea? (probs a stupid question)



any info would be welcome ty ):

haha yeh willie you can use a non sea kayak in the sea!

what are you looking to do in your Kayak... i presume you dont have experience!

 

[willie]

lol ive been acouple of times actually lol , well basically just roam about maybe catch some waves at the beach ,down at the river ,basically just to get in the water as i love the stuff lol

 

[alick]

No problem doing that.

Sea kayaks are long and narrow to help them stay in a straight line against the deflections of the waves and to be efficient for touring distances. More general purpose boats are shallower and have more of a "rocker" (a banana shape) to the keel. This lifts the ends out of the water, making it easier to turn. At the extreme, slalom boats for competitions down river rapids have an extreme curve to the keel so they turn really fast but are hard to keep going in a straight line on flat water.

If in doubt get something in the middle. Modern moulded polypropylene canoes are tougher and much harder to damage than wood or fibreglass. Why not join a club for some basic lessons then at least you can learn how to fall out safely and how one or two boats can rescue another when someone falls in.

If you intend to go in the sea (anywhere for that matter), don't go on your own until you know enough to make an informed decision about the risks :biggthump

Sea vs Kayak is a VERY unfair fight. If you're headed for the sea, make sure your footrest isn't a fixed crossbar. If you start surfing, the sea could potentially plant you nose in the sand, kayak vertical. If your feet can get knocked past the footrest, it's important that it hinges back out so you don't get trapped in the boat by your heels. A bit of a scare story I know but just to hint that it's worth getting a bit of instruction, that the sea's different from lakes and rivers, and not to go alone.

Ace fun though ! I think we have some qualified canoe instructors on the forum.

 

[bambodoggy]

Hey Willie, I'm a BCU (British Canoe Union) Kayak Instructor and Open Canoe Senior Instructor (Level 2 and Level 4 Coach respectively now).

I'm happy to answer any questions you have specifically (if I can) but to be fair everything "alick" has said below is very sound advice.

If you're just going to go in the sea then get a sea kayak but if you want to play on rivers or lakes then you would be better to go for a plastic kayak. Sea kayak's tend to be fibreglass.

Be very careful in the surf in whatever boat you get, the waves have a much stronger effect on a canoe than on a surfboard and you catch waves much easier (due to yoru increased speed from a paddle). Even at the level I am now at, I am still not able to teach people sea kayaking, it is a seperate disaplain and this is because of the risks.
Personally I'd advise you to try freshwater paddling first....build up your skill and confidence and then try the sea. You'll most likely get wet a lot to begin with and fresh water is nicer than salt to be upside down in! lol

I can't echo "alick" enough when he says not to paddle alone until you know what you're doing and I also very strongly advise you join a local club.

You can pick up cheap plastic kayaks all over the place, things to check are that it has foot pegs/plates, what the wear on the underside is like (there'll be some but you don't want it too thinly worn), check that the cock-pit hasn't split anywhere around it, make sure the seat is very securely attached and that the nose and tail haven't been rammed into a wall to hard!
As time goes on (and please get somebody to be with you when you do this) you will want to use a spray-deck. You can get fancy neoprene ones or just normal nylon ones (they are like a skirt that you wear that seals around the cockpit) this helps to stop the water splashing in and getting you wet/wetter!

For a paddle you will be best with a cheap aluminium paddle with asemetric blades (each spoon end at 90 degrees to the other) and if you get the blades spoon shaped (rather than flat0 then make sure you get either a left or right handed one depending on which you are.... the person in the shop will show you.

Right...enough waffling from me.... Willie, feel free to ask me anything else you want to know....don't worry about it sounding daft mate ):

If I've been too simple then tell me and I can switch the info up a gear....hate to patronise but also don't want to jargon over your head either!!!