So excited and so annoyed (How I'm almost a kayak owner)

[NoNo]

I've decided this was the year I would join the kayak-owning ranks. I bought a rack for my car, then the Hullavator (I'm by myself, there's no way I'm getting a kayak on top of my car without assistance). Today I went to a shop recommended by a friend to check out my options.

Things got off to a shaky start when it took me a solid hour to mount the rack to my car. When I came inside, I saw that the shop in town had called to tell me the Hullavator was in, so that cheered me up. Swung by, threw it in the trunk, and headed out to Rhode Island. Should have taken me 90 minutes. Yeah, no one told my GPS the main road to the shop was closed from flood damage I made U-turns, I drove on dirt roads that seemingly went to nowhere. Finally my GPS was able to devise a new route, and I pulled in well over 2 hours later.

I went in, told them my anticipated uses, and they directed me to the 12'-14' boats. I sat in a Necky Looksha and a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 135. The Looksha was ok, but it felt a little big. The Tsunami felt great. As well it should have, as it's made for tiny people such as myself The cockpit felt just the right size, my leg placement felt good, and the seat was fairly comfy. I saw the price and panicked - it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. But it was meant to be! It was deeply discounted, as they'd mistakenly been sent a double shipment and had to move them out. Even though I just went to "look" I decided it was too good of a deal to pass up and bought it.

So what's the problem? We went out to the car to mount the Hullavator when my stomach sank. In my rush to leave after fighting with the rack, I left the key to the locks home! They were going to mount the Hullavator for me and I could have driven home with my new baby, but NOOOOOOOOO! I get to drive back to Rhode Island and try again next week. I could not believe I'd gone through all that trouble just to be foiled at the very end. I'm sure the first time I slip into the water, this will all be forgotten and I'll have many hours of paddling joy.

[Zen]

I kinda like the looks of this.
I'd like to figure out how to secure the yak on top of my jeep. I know it can be done, i've seen it

[Cataboo]

Zen, are you going to be able to get a kayak to the roof of your jeep by yourself? Because I don't think I'd be able to stick a kayak on the roof of a jeep by myself. I can do it on my subaru - but any taller than that, I'd need help.

If you go to outdoorplay.com, they should have things on how to load a kayak on your own.

the hulluvator probably works - I just always considered it too expensive for what it does when there's other ways to get a kayak up.

What I have is the yakima kayak loader:
http://www.yakima.com/racks/kayak-ra...oatloader.aspx

Basically, I set one end of the kayak on the kayak loader and the other end can rest on the ground, but I basically shove the end that's down on the ground up towards the roof - it sits in the front cradles, then I just lift the back of the kayak off the loader and on to the back cradles/rollers.

It works and it's actually faster for me to load a boat by myself than have someone whose not used to it help me.



If you don't want to do the kayak loader, you can also put kayak rollers on the rear bars, set a towel or something on the back of your car, rest the kayak on the towel, then pick the back of the kayak and shove it forward into the rollers, which will let you roll the kayak onto the car.


enjoy the kayak!

[Cataboo]

this guy kind of does opposite of what I do, but it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsBJd...eature=related

[lph]

Oh, the Tsunami is a great kayak, No-No, you'll be thrilled! They come in different sizes, and I can't remember the one I used, but at our local paddling club it was my favourite starter kayak and there's an even smaller childrens version that fit my son perfectly. Everything perfectly downsized to fit a small 12-yr-old, really nice.

I took my kayak out yesterday Had a borrowed, too big drysuit and wanted to practice cos I was worried I couldn't slip out of and climb into my kayak easily wearing it. I felt so unstable getting out into the water - but the minute I sat down properly I just felt this "aaah, I'm home!" feeling

Tell us all about it when you get there! What a bummer having to wait, but it will be so worth it.

[NoNo]

Thanks everyone! Believe me, I debated extensively over whether the Hullavator was necessary, or if I could get away with a used rack off Craigslist. My boss, who always chastises me when I buy stuff, actually supported the idea! He said as long as I'm putting the money out for something nice like a kayak, I should get the absolute best of everything I can afford. My friend was in favor of it, only so that he wouldn't have to hear me complaining about how I scratched up my car and couldn't get the kayak on top. I happened to notice the outdoor shop up the street had it deeply discounted (about 40% off), and that sealed the deal!

LPH, I definitely noticed the scaling difference. In the Necky, I felt like my legs had to be unnaturally high to reach the thigh supports and that the sides of the cockpit came up a bit high, like it was swallowing me. In the Tsunami, it just felt "right". My legs were bent, but not too much, the seat hit just right, and the sides were at a height that wouldn't impede rowing. Being 5'-1", I've grown accustomed to things not quite fitting, but that wasn't the case here.

Oh, I should ask if there's anything else I need right now? I bought the kayak, paddle, PFD, cover (not a spray skirt), and safety kit with pump, paddle float, paddle strap, and whistle. Everything I buy with the kayak is 10% off and there's no taxes. They're keeping my order open until I pick it up, so if there's anything else I should add, I may as well do it now.

I've rented kayaks before and loved it, now I can't wait to get out there in my own!

[Cataboo]

+1 for kayaks scaled for small people making a huge difference. I haven't tried the tsunami, but have had the wilderness systems tempest 165 and it's a nice boat.

Rope is always a handy thing to have in a kayak. I keep some cheap polypropylene rope usually coiled behind my seat (poly rope floats and doesn't absorb water)

If you're going to do any navigation - compasses are good. I keep a compass, nose plugs, a whistle, and a knife attached to my PFD. If you use a paddle leash, make sure to have a knife - because there is a slight danger that if you get thrown from the boat a paddle leash could end up around your neck and you need to cut your way out. I use the spyderco salt series knives (pacific or atlantic salt) because they're a special kind of steel that doesn't/can't rust even in salt water - so I can be somewhat cavalier about using it.

You need a couple dry bags - if you're going to take your cell phone with you (and I'd recommend so just in case you need to call for help), drypak and a few others make cell phone specific bags you can put the cell phone in and still use it. It's going to be tempting to just put things in ziplock bags, and I'd say don't - buy drybags, I've lost a few pieces of electronics to ziplok bags failing. It's always tempting to buy big dry bags - but really, smaller drybags are easier to pack and fit in the hatches, so buying a couple 10-20 liter ones is a lot handier than buying a 40 liter.

I would go ahead and buy a spray skirt - if you're going to go out in waves at all, they're handy... and actually what convinced me to go ahead and use one constantly was when a horse fly flew into my boat and bit the hell out of my legs and I jumped out of the boat in the middle of the chesapeake bay to get away from it. If you have a spray skirt, insects can't fly in to torture you. Get a sprayskirt that is breathable, because those nylon ones trap heat and are absolutely miserable when it's sunny & warm. Sierratradingpost.com for a while was having a really good sale on some harmony ones - for like $30


I always carry a spare paddle, of a different design than the one I typically use - you never know what's going to happen and you're kind of screwed if you're in the middle of something without a paddle. If you stick close to shore, that's probably not as big of a deal. It doesn't have to be an expensive spare paddle, but just something you could get yourself to shore if you lose or break your paddle. I usually use a high angle wing paddle, so I keep my spare paddle as a low angle small straight bladed paddle, so if I'm tired, i can switch to a paddle with a completely different paddle stroke.

You have a paddle float -- So very important - KNOW HOW TO USE IT. Take classes if that's how you like to learn, or just watch videos/diagrams on the internet on how to self rescue using one, and just go out into a lake or something and practice doing it. Make sure your hatches are closed well before doing so... I just did the latter, and continue a couple of times a year to just jump out of the kayak and practice getting back into it on my own, either by swimming back in and rolling up or using the paddle float to stabilize the boat. Again - if you're only planning on being on rivers, not as big of a deal - but if you're going to be in any sort of big water, know how to do all this stuff.

Does the tsunami have 2 bulkheads in that size? If it doesn't, get float bags for the other side.

Do you want to take pictures? Then either get a waterproof digital camera or get a plastic case/housing to put your camera into, especially if you intend on going into salt water.

I tend to always leave a bottle of sunscreen and bug spray in the kayak - you never know when it's going to come in handy. I also tend to have a "emergency" drybag that just stays packed and goes into the kayak when I go out for just in case - it has some first aid stuff, some toilet paper, some wet wipes, some matches, an emergency blankets, amulitool, and things like that - just in case I get into trouble. Weight in a kayak doesn't make a huge difference.

I find the easiest way to carry water is putting a 2-3 liter hydration bag behind my seat, I can feed the hose up through my spray skirt so I can drink while paddling without having to get into there.

You don't really need special clothing (quick drying stuff is good), except if you intend to go out in cold water - then get the neoprene booties and various other neoprene or drysuit stuff. I really like having a drytop in case the temps drop or the wind starts kicking up, so I tend to have one in the boat depending on where I'm going. But otherwise a nylon shell to cut the wind helps. A hat is really nice to cut the sun. Something that you can tie around your neck, because those tend to get blown away. If you're wearing sunglasses or glasses, some sort of croakie or tether to keep those on you.


You may eventually want to get some minicell foam padding or neoprene pads to personalize the kayak fit to yourself - I tend to put neoprene right under the foot pegs, so if I'm barefoot my heels can rest on it (I tend to keep my legs wedged and my heels get pressed into the bottom of the kayak, which after a few hours makes my heels sore) and then have some knee pads to rest my knees on. Again,really nice when you're paddling long distances.

[OakLeaf]

That's funny - I'm 5'3" and my Tsunami 145 is huge on me. To the point where I wish I'd gotten a different boat, even though I really like the ride. There are a lot of holes for the thigh braces, but they can only actually be set a little over halfway back, which is where I have them. I have a choice between holding my elbows really high, or constantly bashing my knuckles on the gunwales when I paddle. I tried sitting on an old life vest to boost me up, which made my upper body a WHOLE lot more comfortable, but it was really weird on my legs.

Anyway - bummer about having to wait, but hope you love the boat!

[Cataboo]

Oakleaf - It's possibly a difference in torso length, but the tsuami 145 is made for larger paddlers, while the tsunami 135 that NoNo bought isn't. Maybe try a narrower boat- it does sound like yours is big on you. I don't go beyond a 21.5 inch wide boat partly for that reason. The tsunami 135 is 23" inches wide, while the tsunami 145 is 24.5" wide.

But you can get some minicell padding and pad out your boat to make it a bit more comfortable - some padding under your knees to hold your legs into position will help with the thigh braces being in the wrong place. You basically just rubber cement the stuff into the kayak. You can either get padding and cut it/shape it to fit, or they sell knee padding.

How long is your paddle? In that wide of a boat & your size, you pretty much need to do a relaxed low angle technique and need a longer paddle to do it. Playing with your paddle & technique might stop you from banging your fingers. Do you keep anything on your deck? I basically keep a minimum of stuff on my front deck for that reason, I have a high angle technique that brings my hands really close to the front of the deck and I hit anything that I keep up there. If I really want to take pictures, I put my pelican case with my dslr up there but realize that I'm gonna be swearing at it every few minutes when I hit it.

As for bringing your elbows up high - Do not bring your elbows or your wrists above the height of your shoulders. That's a good recipe for dislocating your shoulder. So do keep your wrists & elbows underneath shoulder height (you probably already know that, but a lot of people dislocate their shoulders paddling if the boat pitches against them or whatever when they're in a bad position)

Does the tsunami have the same barcalounger type seat as the tempest does? Where there are straps that you can pull on in the front to bring the front of the seat upwards? You can do that to help support your thighs - the other nice thing to do there is to go ahead and stash a hydration bladder under the front part of the seat, it pitches your legs upwards and supports them. I do that when I'm going on multiday paddling trips and need to put several bladders of water in my boat. But padding underneath to pitch the front of the seat upwards would help.

A PFD might be too thick, but if you get 1-1.5 inch minicell padding or something like that, you could put a thin layer on the seat to boost you upwards - just remember if you lift your seat, you are lifting your center of gravity somewhat higher and it does affect how the boat feels.

Minicell doesn't absorb water and I'm sure there's some other reason everyone uses it for padding out kayaks.

[NoNo]

Catriona - Thanks for all the great ideas! I'll have to think about a spray skirt over the next week and decide if I want to add it to the list. How useful would one of those wheel things be to get the kayak from the car to the water? There are two bulkheads, so that's not an issue. I already have a mid-sized sil-sac, so that will do for now. I have a small multitool, but it's not ocean-specific (didn't know that existed - very cool!).

Oak - Like I said, I sat in the Necky Looksha and immediately felt the difference in the same areas you're describing. The 145 is probably even worse, as it's meant for larger people. Sounds like I'll be able to avoid the issues you're having, and I'm thankful he pointed this boat out to me. They both have the Phase 3 seats, which does have the seat height adjustment string.

Good news! Dad got the Hullavator installed

[Cataboo]

kayak cart - mine's more of a pain in the neck than it's worth to use - I used it when I had a 70 lb tandem that I couldn't carry on my shoulder. If you can't carry your boat on your shoulder, then get a kayak cart

I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/InStep-17-CC40.../dp/B001HCITHG

If the wheels get stuck on something, the kayak tends to topple off of it - then I have to go back and put it back on it, etc. etc.

I do tend to park as close to the water as I can - but I can carry up to a 60 lb kayak or so on my shoulder for a reasonable distance.

[Zen]

So what are you supposed to do with the cart when you get to the water? Hope no one steals it?

[kmehrzad]

Hide it in the bushes.

[Cataboo]

I usually walk it back & put it into the car.

They do fold up & the wheels come off them - so you can put them in your kayak or strap them to your kayak if you want to take the cart with you to do portages or something.

[lph]

I have a small cart like Catrionas that usually comes along in the car. If I have to carry my kayak much more than 50 metres or so my back starts to protest, not so much from the weight but from trying to stabilize 5 feet of swinging weight. Mine tends to fall off too if the ground is too rocky, but for flattish stretches it's great, I've pulled my kayak over 1 km on it. I usually hide it or just leave it visible since it's not valuable, but you could just bring a small bicycle lock too and lock it to a tree or something. I figure it's most likely to be taken by a kid on a whim, or by someone who doesn't realize it's left behind on purpose.