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First time on a kayak


vlad

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After reading the forum for more than a year, I finally got to try a real kayak yesterday the 1st of March.

From all I read in the forum and saw at the kayak exhibitions, I decided that the best kayak for me will be the Manta Ray 14.

I wanted to try also the Prowler 13 and the Moken before I by my first kayak.

Thanks god I tried to paddle a kayak before I bought one. I couldn't believe how far from the reality I was.

 

I went to the Herefordshire and Borders Canoes and Kayaks where Paul gave me to try first a Prowler Elite 4.5.

It looked really beautiful!

I stepped on it from the platform and sat on the seat and immediately capsized!

Yes, two seconds after I sat in a kayak I was swimming in the freezing water.

I did not give up. Soaking wet I sat in the kayak again and tried to paddle it. I did not capsize any more.

For my big surprise I found that the kayak was very wobbly, much more than I anticipated. It was very difficult to control it. Whatever I tried to do with the paddle it just kept drifting towards the bank blown by the strong wind, and I could not make it turn away from it. It beached and I had difficulties getting it back in the middle of the lake.

I was horrified when I imagined being on this yak in the sea with the wind and waves and the strong current.

There was no way I could do some fishing and keep balance at the same time. It was horribly wobbly.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0140.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0141.jpg

 

After 10 minuets I managed to gain some control over the yak and land it.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0143.jpg

 

Paul told me that I am too heavy for the Prowler 13 and the

Manta Ray 14.

 

He gave me to try the Prowler Big Game.

It was completely different ballgame. The yak was rock solid and I felt relaxed and secure.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0146.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0147.jpg

 

I still find it difficult to paddle it but at least did not fear capsizing any moment.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0149.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/Har...er/DSCF0150.jpg

 

I did not consider buying this model after the comments in the forums were that it is slow and difficult to paddle. But at the moment I would not dare to go in the sea with any other yak.

 

The conclusion I arrived at is that I first will have to learn to paddle a kayak properly before I commit to buy one. I hope when I achieve that I may be all right with the faster models.

 

I will recommend all novices who read this forum to do the same. Especially the ones that are over 200lb like me.

 

I would be most grateful if someone could recommend a good sea kayaking course for beginners!

Edited by vlad
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...blown by the strong wind...

 

Therein lies your answer.

 

This is an excellent post and would be of great interest to all newcomers; thank you for taking the time to write it up.

 

The Elite wil weather-cock in wind quite easily - all the longer kayaks do - and because they need more space to turn strong wind can be problematic. The way around this is with the use of a rudder (the easy way) or with paddling technique (also easy but not neccesarily ideal). The Big Game is less prone to this as it is shorter and catches less wind on the parts that do the turning as well as turning easier because of its length. Like everything, you need to put in the practice to make it work how you want it to. My first launch on the P15 was into a rough sea to practice launching, paddling and beaching having had almost no experience with kayaks. I got wet, I had difficulty manouevring, I capsized, I struggled and it was a very vast learning curve. I then proceeded to practice paddling on the river and slowly got used to things. I never found it unstable, personally, but others I've taken out who haven't paddled before initially have done although this tends to pass in a matter of minutes.

 

Vlad, I don't know about courses so can't help there but if you happen to be coming to suffolk at any pointi'm happy to take you out for a longer paddle

to get used to things. Failing that there are some meets throughout the summer including one in Exeter in May that will feature the Ocean Kayak demo yaks and a lot of people happy to teach and advise.

Wetter than an otter's pocket.

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These guys do a sit on top course although i haven't used them maybe some on here have and there one of the few i,ve seen advertise isle of wight kayaking, i'm not sure your too heavy for a prowler 13 (they have a weight capacity of 450lbs) as you don't state what you weigh, i weigh in at about 235lb including pfd, drysuit etc and have paddled both the elite and the 13 without any problem(infact the elite was the first yak i had ever paddled as is the one i own and use) best to try a few more yaks and get some paddling instruction before you buy one if you can(as mark says there are quite a few meetings being arranged your best idea is to try and get to one of those)

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You just have to do it Vlad. If you think you've found the right yak, ask around in the forums for members who live near you to give you a shot on the beach. I was luck and codshead let me have a go of his P13, I got over the stability bit after an hour or so, so a quick paddle won't tell you too much. Expect to get wet but in shallow water you can hop back on easy enough. I settled on a Prowler Elite and love it. Did you look at a Trident at all.........

Edited by essexbuoy
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Mark thanks for the advice and the invitation. I leave in Kidderminster – a bit far from you, but in the summer may come for a weekend kayaking.

Do you know where I can find information about the meet in Exeter in May that you mentioned?

 

Thanks for the advice snakey1! The isle of White is a bit far from me.

I am 245lb and Paul (the shop owner) said any kayak of 13feet will sink under me.

I’ll look out for info about those meets.

 

Hi essexboy. Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately I leave far from the sea – in Kidderminster and there are no local kayak fishing lads. I’ll be the first.

The closest to me was lazyhooker from Cardiff, but he sold his yak.

I sat in a Trident at the Canoexpo2008. It felt too narrow for me.

The Manta Ray 12 and the Moken were much roomier.

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These guys do a sit on top course although i haven't used them maybe some on here have and there one of the few i,ve seen advertise isle of wight kayaking

 

I met one of their guides last winter when me and Tratty fished Yaverland for the anglersafloat winter comp

Team Ocean Kayaks U.K.

 

Kayaks: Necky vector,Flame SPTW

previous Kayaks:Yellow Ocean Kayaks Caper,Flame Prowler 13,Sunrise Ocean Kayaks Prowler 15 Trident, Perception Dancer XT

 

assisted rescues---5

longest paddle:65 miles

top speed under sail 11.1mph

 

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Hi vlad, the prowler 13 (the big game is actually shorter than the 13 by the way but does have a higher loading rating) should handle your weight without any real problem as long as your not loading it up to the gunnels with gear, if you add 10lb to your weight for the pfd & clothing etc (which i think is generous) you've still got almost 200lbs to play with until you hit the maximum load rating ( the elites is rated at a max loading of 510lbs and i've had it nowhere near that). If you think you'll be taking a lot of gear out try the trident its had some good reviews(see mark crames review on here) and apparently paddles better when loaded than empty, its also got a max capacity of between 500 - 550lbs which should be plenty for you. you'll still have the problems with weather cocking and the yak being harder to turn than a shorter one (the trident is 15.5 feet long) but a rudder or some paddling tuition should help sort those problems. If you still think its too narrow see if you can check out the malibu kayaks x-factor also as this has had some good right ups(but is almost as wide as the big game so not the quickest yak out there). Check out the forum on the site mark has linked to as well as a lot of the kayak meets are arranged on there and unfortunately don't always get posted on this site. I hope this helps you out.

here are 2 other places doing sit on top training although once again these may be too far for you to travel familyadventurestore

and surflines

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Vlad - You seem to be following the same learning curve that I am. I tried out a Trident at the family adventure store (Trowbridge near Bath) this weekend. I have to say that the owner could not have been more helpful. I found that, like you, the reality was somewhat different to what I expected. What you have to remember is that most of the people on this forum are experienced kayakers - and as such their advice and help (fantastic though it is) - has to be tempered to relate to us "newbies". The problem that I found is that everything you read online tells you that "sit on tops are very stable" - I suspect that this is comparative ie. stable compared to say a sea kayak. I had seen pictures of people standing in sit on tops and assumed (as you did) that balance would not be a problem. I had never been on a kayak before and had my first experience on a canal (no waves at all). Just like you, I found it very difficult to balance and to keep the thing going in a straight line - it was quite windy. I thought exactly the same - how on earth would you cope with one of these things in the sea with waves, tide and wind ??

 

It is obviously possible - I keep reading the reports and seeing the fantastic photos of richi, overrun, mark and the others and wondering how many hours I would have to put in before I could reach that level. My problem is one of time - what I would like to know from the yakkers is this - Do you have to keep practising ie. going out regularly; or it it one of those sports where after a certain amount of practise, something clicks and then balance is not a problem and even if you only go twice a year - you do not forget (ie. like riding a bike).

Follow Dizzy at http://dizzybigfish.co.uk/

 

Watch the vids http://www.youtube.com/user/dizzyfishuk

 

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vlad

i live in wolverhampton so not too far from you.

i have a prowler 13 which has always amazed me how stable it is on the water although i'm lighter at 160lbs.

i have 2 years experience of kayak fishing so while i'm far from expert i would be happy to pass on any advice.

i shall be having a week on the yak(weather permitting) 1st week in june based in my caravan in aberdyfi but fishing out on the reef just north of tywyn for tope/bass/bream & you are welcome to join me.

geoff

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