Inflatable Kayaks

[Zen]

Well, the roof rack would also be another added expense
A good paddle costs almost as much as a kayak!

[Cataboo]

roof racks are things you can sometimes get cheaper on criagslist if you know the parts you need...

paddles, steepandcheap has had some carlisle ones lately that aren't bad... otherwise, bending branches makes some nice inexpensive paddles. Unfortunately I've sold all my spare paddles that I'm allowed to, or julie inherited them. You used to be able to get bending branches infusion dream paddles, which were a plastic paddle with a crank shaft that weighed about 37 ounces - good paddle in that you never had to worry about the blades ( my carbon fiber paddle blades - I cry when they scratch) especially in rocky areas. I still have one of the unfusion dreams, but unfortunately the bf likes that paddle a lot.

Check out the CPA kayaker forums to see if anyone's selling anything cheap (cheasapeake paddlers association)


I've gotten my last couple paddles off ebay "relatively" cheaply.

[Cataboo]

Well, the roof rack would also be another added expense
A good paddle costs almost as much as a kayak!

You know... if you started skiing in addition to the kayaking, then you could join me in the full range of the most expensive hobbies on earth without having the income to match...

Between cycling, kayaking, photography, computers for photos & the internet, skiing, lightweight camping/backpacking gear and the rest of that.... It gets mighty expensive.

Of course, other people somehow just ride their 20 year old bike and never upgrade anything and are fine.

add in kite surfing, kites are freaking expensive too. luckily i can talk the bf into buying those for himself & just use his.

[7rider]

You know... if you started skiing in addition to the kayaking, then you could join me in the full range of the most expensive hobbies on earth without having the income to match...

Between cycling, kayaking, photography, computers for photos & the internet, skiing, lightweight camping/backpacking gear and the rest of that.... It gets mighty expensive.

Ain't that the truth.
But she'd have to ad scuba diving to the list to really induce an economic coronary.

[Cataboo]

ha. I haven't gotten there yet - I have a friend down in florida that offers to certify me if I go down..
but the last thing I need is another expensive hobby that i need to fly to

[emily_in_nc]

I would also be interested in feedback on inflatable kayaks. We just sold our very nice (but loooong) touring kayaks because they were too big to take on our 30' sailboat, and we're just spending way more time on that than we were paddling in the past 2 years. We're considering a tandem inflatable kayak eventually as we do love paddling.

We sold our kayaks and Thule hull-a-ports on craigslist and have our Yakima roof rack listed now.

[Cataboo]

Maybe you should think about something like this:

http://www.oceankayak.com/kayaks/sin...yak_board.html


It'll fit into your van, be fine for the monocacy or around cambridge - you won't be a speed demon on it, but I don't think you'll be one anyways

REi's got it on a bit of a sale, not sure it'll be there in october when you're ready to buy... benefit of rei is that if you try it out & don't like it... you can return it. free shipping if you pick it up in store.
http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/793958

[Zen]

There's no photo of the second one but it sounds like it looks like the first one.
So that's what you mean by 'sit on top'.

It just doesn't seem right to me. But I can't dismiss something i know nothing about.

ETA-
I think I just dismissed it. There's no seat back to lean against.

[emily_in_nc]

Sit on tops are fun (we used them on vacation in the Keys and BVI), but they are definitely for bathing suit paddling and warm water only -- you are basically sitting in water the entire time. Not a lot of water, but they aren't like kayaks that you actually sit inside on a seat and have some reasonable hope of staying dry.

[Cataboo]

There's no photo of the second one but it sounds like it looks like the first one.
So that's what you mean by 'sit on top'.

It just doesn't seem right to me. But I can't dismiss something i know nothing about.

ETA-
I think I just dismissed it. There's no seat back to lean against.

Oh, you buy seats for them. But it makes 'em a thin flat boat that slides into your van.

Julie sticks her yoga mat or something in hers and sits on top of that and stays dry. Probably wouldn't in waves

[Zen]

These knees can stand just so much. I only joined the ski club for the parties