Which sea Kayak?

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Hi there,
i am interested i going sea kayaking, however i know nothing about it and have only being canoeing a dozen or so times before in fresh water. Which models are safe to use and affordable, also how much will a good one cost? If anybody goes sea kayaking then please feel free to pass on all information.

[Liam_Harrison]

Hey, I have the ocean kayak caper which is perfect for sea fishing.
its wide enough to stand up on if you need too, has 2 rod holders, so one for a fishing rod and one for a net. the front hatch is very large so you can fit alot of accessories in, also has a sealed lid. It has an open hatch at the back which i put my anchor and wheels in. think it retails at around £400, the oar will be about £20. Some of my friends have kayaks that cost around £1000 and they dont do much more than mine.. if you were wanting to spend a bit more i'd go for the ocean kayak prowler big game as it is a bit wider. The two above mentioned are the widest in the range and not too long (easy transportation) so seem to be th best options at a good price. Although they dont have seats in the pics, they do come with a standard seat.

Prowler:

http://familyadventurestore.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_24&products_id=309&osCsid=d34544bce4cc484eae60cfe1b3a509d5

Caper:

http://familyadventurestore.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_24&products_id=162&osCsid=d34544bce4cc484eae60cfe1b3a509d5

[knightynose]

depends on what type of kayaking you feel like doing for example touring, playing in the surf etc. i have a sit on top kayak which i use for messing about in the Surf and general fishing when its calm. i tend to spin over sandbanks, rocks and estuaries. i have a feelfree nomad great little sit on top which does it all,simply fall off and you pop yourself staight back on. kayak costs about £300+. paddle £130 ( need a strong assymetrical blade paddle to help in the surf/choppy sea) i did own a cheaper one to start off with but struggled with it, then i bought a lendal paddle its worth every penny. £40+ wetsuit. £30+ for the life vest.

check out http://www.brookbankcanoes.co.uk they have a good website with loads of advice and loads of various kayaks.

there are several guys on the south wales forum with purpose built fishing kayaks they could offer you more info

[Liam_Harrison]

Here is a review of the new ocean kayak to give you an idea:

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/News/prowler_trident_15_kayak.html

imo wouldnt get an all-rounder as fishing from them is a nightmare compared to the purpose built fishing kayaks

[mikesands]

Hi there,
i am interested i going sea kayaking, however i know nothing about it and have only being canoeing a dozen or so times before in fresh water. Which models are safe to use and affordable, also how much will a good one cost? If anybody goes sea kayaking then please feel free to pass on all information.

A year ago I was asking myself the same questions - and I'm nearly in Durham too. In the end I reckoned that the hassle of getting the kayak off the car and across sand dunes or down the Durham cliffs would mean I would soon lose interest. So I bought a boat instead and moored it permanently at Hartlepool.
What you have to bear in mind is that it can be hard work in a kayak even maintaining station if there's a good current flowing. It's not too bad in the sea off Easington etc, but in any of the estuaries you might not be able to row and fish at the same time. If you must have a kayak it may be worth shelling out some more and getting one of these:
http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/index.html

[Liam_Harrison]

Not seen those before, they do look the business. As Mike said because of currents you will need to anchor and those have built in anchors, making life alot easier. Might have to get one of those myself! Cheers Mike

[Kentkayaker]

Have a look at this
http://kayakfishing.co.uk/Reviews.htm

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Thanks for the info, some interesting information there. I should have mentioned earlier the kayak will be used over south west Scotland in Luce Bay and Port Logan areas. I was wanting it for trolling for bass and flatfish really close to the shore line, although fishing for tope from it has crossed my mind as they do come close to shore there.

[mike02380]

check out the anglers afloat website and the forum at anglers net.

[Orange Hustler]

After 6 months research and contemplation I eventually bought a Malibu Mini-X. It is shorter than most of the other options but very stable. It ticks all the boxes for what I need for inshore bassing. I am confident it was the best choice for what I want to use it for.
Mike

[coaster]

remember to buy your self a good life vest. cheers andy

[Liam_Harrison]

And a VHF and inshore flares. I also have a surfboard leash so that if i do fall out im still attached to the kayak. Very unlikely to fall out (i never have) but best safe than sorry

[wibblywobbly]

Thanks for the info, some interesting information there. I should have mentioned earlier the kayak will be used over south west Scotland in Luce Bay and Port Logan areas. I was wanting it for trolling for bass and flatfish really close to the shore line, although fishing for tope from it has crossed my mind as they do come close to shore there.Using a kayak in these areas could be very risky as the strong currents and exposed headlands mean that the sea can get lumpy very quickly,not for the faint hearted

[Liam_Harrison]

Currents shoudn't be too bad i go out in v strong currents, but if the water gets lumpy its v dangerous, anything above a F3 or 5ft swell is a bad idea.