[Davey G]

Just an observation I thought may be of interest to others searching for their first yak.

When considering your choices in selecting a kayak have a think about what your priorities are...then try and match your priorities with a kayak that suits. I have heard plenty of stories about guys that want to get into a kayak and jump at the first one that comes along, when it's probably completely unsuitable for them. (Understandable that they want to get on the water quickly, but may actually turn them off the sport if their first experience is a bad one)

Anyway, heres' my random thoughts for anyone looking to buy a yak.

1. What sort of water will you be mainly fishing/paddling? (Quiet estuaries or rivers, or will it be more exposed waters such as offshore or large dams?)
This will determine what sort of stability you will need, and also what sort of speed you will need your kayak to travel at.

2. How will you be carrying your kayak from home to the water? (Can you lift it easily by yourself, can you get it onto the roofracks, what size car do you have, can you comfortably carry it to the water?). This will determine the weight and length of your kayak.

3. Where will you store your kayak? (Is there limited space where you live? Will you be able to fit it into your garage/shed/under the house etc)
This will also determine the length of kayak you can get.

4. What do you want to carry on board? (This will determine what features the kayak should have - eg large tankwell to hold crate/esky/kayak cart etc, day hatches for storing gear, large front hatch for holding gear/rods etc.) THis is important in feeling comfortable once on board, and allowing you to carry enough stuff to enjoy YOUR style of fishing. [Note - Some fishos get away with a bum bag full of lures while others need 5 rods, and 99 accessories] - so ask yourself, what do YOU need?

5. What other attachments do you want to fit? (Hard to know when you are a newby but look at future possibilities for fitting extra rod holders (flush mount or scotty), fishfinders, GPA, anchor systems etc). This will determine whet sort of kayak will suit you in the long term.

6. Price. (dont forget other compulsory's such as paddle, pfd, roof racks, fishing gear, accessories) - What can you afford?...

7. Feel on the water... Most important!. (Definitely have a test paddle of any boat that you are considering buying. This is the ONLY way that you will get to feel how fast, stable, tippy, manouverable etc the kayak is. After all, you'll probably be alone out on the water most of the time, so you want a boat that's not going to try and buck you off after every stroke or when fighting a fish - {I won't mention any names} )

Anyway, I hope that helps some of the 'lookers' out there that are finding their search for a suitable kayak all a bit confusing.

If any other members have any other 'tips' to add, please feel free to do so.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[YakAtak]

Great advice guys, think this could be worth a sticky 8)

 

[Mallard Duck]

9. For the ladies (lets be honest its important for the blokes too it is just most of us won't admit to it) the COLOUR!!!

Decide if you want a kayak that will be visable on the water or if you want something that will allow more of a stealth approach. Yellow/Orange is the most visable in salt with blue/green poor for visability. You can always make a dull yak more visable with a bright PFD/pole and flag/his vis tape(low light conditions)

You will have to look at it and you won't be able to change it either. I would also think about what colours will wear well.

10. Resale

What does the yak sell for second hand and so what would you be likely to loose if you sold it down the track. A little hard to know with new models etc but be aware what they are worth second hand and be realistic with any price. The well known and popular brands will be easier to sell then something that is cheaper or a fringe product.

 

[Salty Dog]

G'day guys, all good things to look for.

All I can really think of to add is what the kayaks real stability is. Some kayaks feel really good in calm water but have real problems when it comes to rough stuff.

One good test for new guys or girls if they don't mind looking a bit silly when they are test paddling is to slowly lean the kayak over as far as possible until it tips - gives you an idea how much it will really take to capsize the kayak.

Can also help with the selection of a kayak. Some people are tempted early on to go for something wider than they need to because they feel more comfortable but don't realise that some other boats that feel tippier are actually harder to capsize, will give them better speed & are actually safer because of the extra speed.

For people that are interested in offshore kayaking I reckon these are good articles - gives you a better idea of what to look for when testing:

http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/yakdesign101.html
http://ftlauderdaleyakfishingclub.org/myths.html