Tandem kayak or two singles

[buckbrush]

Looking at getting more into kayaking with the family. Just Trout ponds and lake shores for now. Both of the kids have been in a 10’ and did alright. My boy is 5 years old. Trying to decide if I would be better off to get him his own and tow him if needed on long stretches or go with a tandem and sell it in a few years when the boy is older. Thoughts?

[Stinky Coyote]

paddle boards is the direction i went after thinking an awful lot about kayaks, same reasons as you...end of day i didn't want to be restricted to a seated position, the mobility and freedom on a paddle board is awesome, you can still rig them with coolers you use as seats etc. to me much more versatile than a kayak

started with a bigger one could fit both my kids on and weeny dog, super stable, such a hit they each got smaller ones for xmas, and we go all over on them, fish off them, rig a milk crate to the front with little anchor and rod holder and away you go...you'd be surprised how much water you can cover on the things...way lighter and easier to handle than kayaks and if you get inflatables then storage and transport can be a snap...nrs and red paddle co are the two board manufacturers i liked best

hobie makes an i11s that looks interesting but seriously when you start walking on water so to speak and then the cost of anything hobie then the paddle boards don't look so bad

i have intentions to make a simple h frame with motor mount to pontoon two paddle boards for places we want to do some trolling, won't take much, there are kits for kayaks to do the same

good luck in your search

[Ken07AOVette]

I would go double with a little guy. 5-9 is still pretty teeny on big water.

[buckbrush]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I would go double with a little guy. 5-9 is still pretty teeny on big water.

Kind of what I that leaning towards. I'd like to keep an eye on him instead of always looking back.

[Stinky Coyote]

http://neverboredinc.com/10-reasons-...than-kayaking/

You may think them unstable or you're likely to get wet but that would only be on an undersized board.

Seriously, if you can give one a try, find a demo day, local shops have those in chestermere or go rent some.

I bought an oversized board and i can assure you, you have to work real hard at falling off it and only time i have been knocked off mine was while goofing around in kelowna at gyro beach and huge winds came right at shore with nearly two foot white caps...i was curious what it would be like so i charged straight into and paddled to the outer rope and stability was no big thing at all, shocking really, thought forsure i couldn't paddle against that but also that it would be too rough, neither was the case.

When i turned around to come back i got knocked off by a large boat wake that hit me from behind. First it accelerates the board and then sort of pulls the rug out from under you so. That as i've found is the only thing that will surprise you is the big swells hitting you from behind...otherwise you'll never see a sheet of plywood flip on top of water, they are so much more stabile than you can imagine. And cover water? To zip across a lake looks like a lot of work for anything man powered but now that i've been on quite a few bodies of water...it's nothing, they glide like crazy, you can power up and really motor these things. Easy all day stroking pace will surprise you how much ground you'll cover.

I go on the water with my clothes and think nothing of it. Maybe put phone and keys in a ziplock in the milk crate at the front of it but for the sort of family duty of summer vacation and hitting the water the paddle board cannot be beat by a kayak, it's the fastest growing water sport for good reason.

My kids are 9 and 11 and at 8 and 10 they were zipping around like crazy on their boards. They will likely paddle board for life. Deflate the thing and put it in it's backpack and no special transport needs are required.

Anyway, look into this option if you just do recreational vacation stuff/camping, family fishing little bodies of water etc.

My board is a nrs baron 6. Inflatable, 6" thick, 11' long and 36" wide. I'm 6' 180 lbs. Two adults no problem on it. The kids boards i can ride too but at 10'3 and 4" thick with only 30" wide it's a bit racy and it's definitely unstable as i push it's max recommended weight limit. The 6" board rides higher and you stay much dryer. There are so many of these geared towards fishing and family stuff now. The inflatables where it's at too not just for transport but the thicker 5-6" ones ride higher, load capacity is phenomenal, and you don't want to bounce hard boards down rivers and creeks. The nrs boards come with many fin heights so you can do lake work or shallow creek stuff.

River floats, heck we did the penticton canal float several times on vacation, i rig ours with little leashes so we can attach them together for floats or when only one of us wants to anchor the others come tie on and we fish. Pick up anchor and move a bit and fish fresh water.

The versatility for this sort of rec play is unmatched and now that i've walked on water and how shallow i can play to how rough the water etc. there's no way i could imagine owning a kayak.

Revolution...you gotta try it, don't miss out on this option.

I have kayaked a number of times, ready to get off the water in an hour...much different with these things.

[JohnB]

Got this one from Amazon. 2 seat inflatable. Has fishing rod holders.

[sealevel]

my grandson has been in his own kayak since he was about 6 . we have done the shuswap many times thompson once . you can put a lot of gear in a kayak .

we are going to texas in sept. going kayak fishing on the gulf....try that with a paddle board

[geocacher]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Got this one from Amazon. 2 seat inflatable. Has fishing rod holders.

What brand is that? That looks more like an inflatable canoe. I've been considering those or a 2 person kayak, and just not sure which way to go. How do you like it? Have you had it for some time?

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by geocacher

What brand is that? That looks more like an inflatable canoe. I've been considering those or a 2 person kayak, and just not sure which way to go. How do you like it? Have you had it for some time?

Sevylor Coleman Colorado 2 person fishing kayak. Just got it in April and my son only took it out in the ditch during high water. Heading fishing to Slave Lake to try it out. I have another 2 person inflatable and it's great. The Coleman seems better, has the rod holders and will hold 500 lbs. Also has more leg room. YouTube has some videos on it.

[geocacher]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Sevylor Coleman Colorado 2 person fishing kayak. Just got it in April and my son only took it out in the ditch during high water. Heading fishing to Slave Lake to try it out. I have another 2 person inflatable and it's great. The Coleman seems better, has the rod holders and will hold 500 lbs. Also has more leg room. YouTube has some videos on it.

Does it have a metal keel pipe, or just an inflatable one? Is the metal frame an option? (Couldn't see on Amazon that it is). It will be interesting as to how it tracks on a larger water body.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by geocacher

Does it have a metal keel pipe, or just an inflatable one? Is the metal frame an option? (Couldn't see on Amazon that it is). It will be interesting as to how it tracks on a larger water body.

Inflatable keel.

You might need Amazon prime.

https://youtu.be/Rlim1BWkn7I

[buckbrush]

Well we decided on a 10' for my daughter and wife then went with a tandem for the boy and I.
Went with a 'Kiwi 3' Tandem with an open cockpit and enought room for a small jumper seat or in this case a lab that needs a break from swimming.

Works great and no regrets with going this route.
It does make it interesting getting the dog back into the boat but with a handle on his jacket it makes in manageable.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by buckbrush

Well we decided on a 10' for my daughter and wife then went with a tandem for the boy and I.
Went with a 'Kiwi 3' Tandem with an open cockpit and enought room for a small jumper seat or in this case a lab that needs a break from swimming.

Works great and no regrets with going this route.
It does make it interesting getting the dog back into the boat but with a handle on his jacket it makes in manageable.

That’s awesome!