Tandem kayak? Suggestions?

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Crazy people suggesting getting 2 hard kayaks to be stored on a boat. Pricey, but you need a Hobie i14T inflatable. It's da bomb.

Yeah, at $2800 it better be great.

[deckofficer]

And now a word from the forum's lazy guy. I still like to paddle but want a range that is greater than my lack of conditioning so I went with the Ocean Torque. I can paddle as much as I want, but with the lithium batteries I just picked up, it is nice to know I can lay down 5.5 kt for 10 hours on a single charge.

MOV02923 - YouTube

[El_Guero]

First, I wonder where I have seen your name before?

Second, I would go with the 4-seat pontoon with small motor and canopy.

With our suddenly changing currents and weather you face two problems staying dry.

Chop can suddenly change as you move from one set of currents to another.

And a sudden rain storm can surprise you on the Texas Coast.

And, that pontoon with motor would make it easy to carry a large marine igloo for provisioning runs, or just taking out your pontoon boat for the day or overnight to one of the state parks.

It is easier to enjoy Texas from April - October with ice .... and a little shade.



Wayne

[Snore]

Originally Posted by El_Guero

First, I wonder where I have seen your name before?



Wayne

To whom is the question addresses?

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by El_Guero

First, I wonder where I have seen your name before?

Second, I would go with the 4-seat pontoon with small motor and canopy.

With our suddenly changing currents and weather you face two problems staying dry.

Chop can suddenly change as you move from one set of currents to another.

And a sudden rain storm can surprise you on the Texas Coast.

And, that pontoon with motor would make it easy to carry a large marine igloo for provisioning runs, or just taking out your pontoon boat for the day or overnight to one of the state parks.

It is easier to enjoy Texas from April - October with ice .... and a little shade.



Wayne

We have an inflatable dinghy w/ 9.9 outboard.

As for my name... We are in San Antonio too.

[El_Guero]

It is a small world.

If you have the outboard, go with the two seat kayak.

How slippery are they when wet?

Wayne

[SurferShane]

With all that wind I would be looking at getting a plastic moulded sit on top kayak. I have had the single version Ocean Kayak "Scupper Pro" for over ten years, which handles the open ocean. They sit low in the water resulting in little windage. You also don't need to be an expert if you capsize.

Ocean Kayak make double version sit on to kayaks as do most reputable manufacturers like Hobbie etc. Nowadays there is a huge choice in newer models with everything from foot paddles to sails or motors and great storage areas. Some are really little boats.

Oh, if you get the right model like the Scupper Pro they paddle excellently, so you really don't have to worry about motors etc,

[myocean]

Depends on how much you want to spend.
The "Fast Adventure inflatable kayak" will be prone to drift in windy conditions. And it is very slow in comparison. But its cheap.
Regarding the "synch" mentioned above: This is NOT needed with all double ('tandem') kayaks. In the longer ones the distance between front paddler and back paddler is wide enough so that every body can paddel with his own pace. Go for it - it is really fun!
The disadvantage of a tandem is that they are more havy which means more difficult to lift out of the water.

[casablanca]

Just bought a Cobra Tandem. Main reason was weight. About the lightest on the market at 25kgs. We need to be able to lift it out if the water and on to the deck.

[rancher44]

Well having been an outfitter and white water runner you get what you pay for --Look at the Aire products they have some very pricy inflatables but also some very reasonable ones --10 year warranty

[Clipper4730]

My wife and I own an Old Town Dirigo three person sit in rotomold kayak. It was about $1600 with the rudder kit and we couldn't be more happy. It's pretty fast, has tons of space and room for the dog in the center(jumps seat space). The two main cockpits are far enough apart that in sync paddling while helpful is not necessary for marital bliss. It's a bit heavy but manageable and we plan on carrying it aboard our cat this summer.

Will

[David M]

If you buy a tandem then you don't have the option of occasionally going by yourself, not really, unless you don't mind paddling a bus. Also, your personalities have to be more like sheep than cats for it to work.

[nautical62]

I've done a fair bit of canoeing and kayaking, including a 36-day tandem kayak trip in a folding kayak along the Queensland coast.

For a sailing tender, I'd probably pick an inflatable that is very stable. (getting in and out from the boat without tipping.) Some of the tandems have movable seats, making them much better for converting to solo use.

Another option I'd consider is some of the inflatable canoes - They are often more stable. very easy to get in and out of and avoid the issues kayaks have of one person getting out of sync.

I find both canoes and kayaks so much easier to paddle than rowing a small inflatable dink. A simple look at the displacement hull speed formula that accounts for width (in the K value) makes it easy to see how much more efficient they are.

[rossad]

My experience with kayaks has been all my life. And Commercially running a company for over a quarter of a century. I may have guided kayaking trips more than anyone else. I live in a kayak and feel somewhat water logged on a daily basis.
I built the first double Sea kayak in New Zealand and also got the first plastic sea kayak here.
The best kayak i have seen for travel around the globe is this one but they are exspensive.
K2 Expedition*»*Feathercraft

[cwyckham]

I have no idea why everybody is so freaked out about paddling in sync. It is not hard. The front paddler sets the cadence, the aft paddler matches.

A double kayak is much more powerful and speedy than a single. Twice the horsepower but only about 25% more drag. You also only need to store one of them. I've done an extended trip with my wife in Haida Gwaii (one week) and we went further and did more than we could have in two singles.

At some point when we can afford it, an inflatable tandem kayak with an adjustable seating arrangement to convert to a single will be perfect. A hard kayak is not worth the space I need to carry it for the shorter trips I'll be doing in it. Doubly so for two single hard kayaks. I can't afford the boat that can carry that much kayak! Also, I had a hard kayak in a hot locale (New Jersey) and the heat was unbearable. I hated the feeling of sweat dripping down my legs under the skirt. Sit on top seems more breezy for hot places.

I have my eye on the Eagle ones, but don't know enough yet to recommend a particular inflatable.