Any kayakers?

[folivier]

Thinking of buying a kayak. Might do a little fishing and paddling around on our trips. Florida panhandle has some great rivers that I paddled in college. I'd like to do that again.
If this works out I'll probably buy a 2nd kayak for Cindy to follow along.
Anybody kayaking? Any suggestions?

[jmacstack]

Hi Forest, I carry a Pakboat sea kayak on board. It is stored in one bag. I bought the tandem model as well as an extra single cockpit cover so I have the option of going alone or with my Maren my co-pilot. It is really rugged and well built. www.pakboats.com. I did a lot of research and this is the one I chose because of it's versatility, ease of putting together and high quality. It's a wicked nice boat. My other boat is a carbon fiber and kevlar but it is too long to fit in the coach. Check out the website. They are made up in NH. Good Luck! Jennifer

[folivier]

Thanks Jennifer. I don't think a folding(?) kayak will work for what I want. Though those Pakboats seem really nice. How do they compare with stability and tracking to a hard kayak?
How long does it take to set up?
I want to fish some and just paddle around, drift down rivers, snorkel and dive. Probably buy a sitontop, they seem to be really popular around here. I just need to get to the kayak store and try them out. I also plan to carry them on top of the Liberty.
Need to get one and get used to it this winter so I can have it for the summer. Probably head towards Colorado and who knows where then.
North to Alaska 2012!

[jmacstack]

Forest, The first time I put it together it took a few hours. First time is always the hardest! Now it takes me about 30 to 40 minutes and that will improve even more. I have only put it together 3 times since I bought it. It's very stable and is available with a rudder system for an extra cost. Mine does not have it and I have been thinking about getting one especially when I have the tandem top on. It is a really nice boat. The engineering and design is top notch. I can see why a sit on top would work well for fishing. My recommendation is to go and try out as many kayaks as you can because they are all different. I'm all about heading to Alaska. I've been researching it for a while now and am itching to go. I've been thinking about driving my Lance pick-up camper instead of the coach. I think exploring will be easier in my truck. I don't pull a vehicle with the Newell. Jury is still out on that decision! If you are ever through Montana give me a shout, it's always great to meet other Newell owners! Jennifer

[dwatts]

forest, my girl friend and i tried a two man hobie with the peddle drive system out in the keys last feburary. love at first sight. i purchased one in sabastian fl. off craigslist for $1200. and have enjoyed it very much. we carry it on the focus while traveling and with a weight of 70 lbs. it is not too hard to manage. the peddle drive is almost effortless to operate and the hand operated rudder works great. hope this helps, don

[Bill & Sonja]

Hi Forest, we've had a lot of fun with our kayaks. The best one is a 10 foot Perception, Sonoma, airalite model, 38lbs. A terrific little boat that handles like a dream. Its small and does not have deck fittings to help with fishing equipment. At 6 ft and 180 lbs it fits like a glove. They build a 13.5 footer for bigger guys. If it intrigues you google will yield a ton of info. I love that boat.