Kayaking(on a lake)

Septus

So, I've done some easy river and lake kayaking before, and found it to be very enjoyable, and since I like about half a mile from a lake, I'm thinking about making this a regular activity.

1)How much do I need to worry about the kayak itself if I'm only using it for gliding along a lake or a slow river? Here's an example of a cheap kayak that REI sells.

2)Related to #1, do I need an open or closed top kayak, and what is the difference?

3)The lake that I think I'd be primarily using does get a fair amount of motorboat traffic. I would guess that I could just stick to the sides and probably be ok, but I wonder if more experienced users would recommend against mixing with boaters.

Durandal Infinity

I am a big fan of kayaking. I fresh water kayaks dont need to be made of anything too pretty, as long as you hose them down they will be fine. An open top kayak is one where the entire top portion is exposed, a closed top is when there is a hole for you to sit in and then your dry cover goes over that to prevent water from coming in.

You are far less of a concern to boaters then you think, boaters can see and maneuver around you easily. Just follow a pattern such as circle laps maybe 2-3 hundred feet in further or less depending on lake size.

Dog

Closed top is more important if you are kayaking in the ocean where you are bound to get wet, and may be carrying stuff that you wouldn't be too thrilled about having completely soaked. Since you're doing it for recreation on a lake, getting an open kayak would be fine. Also, since you are not dealing with salt water (I assume) you aren't going to have to worry about the kayak itself as much, but you should still hose it down after every use.

Unless the boaters around you are dicks, you should be fine, especially with a bright colored kayak and life jacket.


I've done a lot of kayaking in the ocean up in maine around the various bays and some of the smaller islands, and its a blast :P

Septus

Well, I mentioned the open versus closed because it seems that closed is cheaper across the board. If it's not that important, I'd just go with closed then.

Durandal Infinity

I prefer closed top anyway you tend to stay cooler with your legs inside the kayak

saltiness

In my experience the biggest factor to consider when buying a kayak is length. You want something as long as you can afford and as long as will fit on your car. 10ft is pretty short for a kayak and that translates to steeper angles around the bow which will slow you down. I would look at something more in the 14ft range - you'll cut through the water with noticeably more ease.

Septus

What about kayaks with rigid frames and an inflatable body? That seems a bit iffy to me, but I think it'd widen my options, and I'm not seeing cheap kayaks over 10 feet.