it wasn't long ago that pretty much every kayaker paddled the same boat (dancer) for everything and loved it.
I agree with letting HER pick it out. YOU can deal with being not the perfect size for it. Trust me, it won't suck at all.
Kayak question for C Boaters
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Larry Horne
- C Maven
- Posts: 1447
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:39 am
- Location: Northern California
Re: Kayak question for C Boaters
Last spring my wife wanted to get a Kayak and I was happy to support her in getting her own boat so we started shopping. I took her out and let her try different boats until she found one that she liked and we went from there. I did insist on her getting a better paddle than she would otherwise have bought just because there is nothing more miserable than a heavy clunky paddle and I wanted her to enjoy paddling. I also bought her a good splash top (she now has a drysuit) and a comfortable PFD. She wound up in a Jackson Allwater 9 hybrid WW/Rec boat with a drop skeg (now discontinued) and it has been a good boat for her starting out.
I went out of my way to get her some training and take to on runs that she liked and it really paid off. She LOVES to be on the water.
Fast forward to present, she wants a new Kayak. She has spent some time renting boats and REALLY likes the Mamba 7.5 with creek boat outfitting. She has progressed in the Allwater and likes it for flat water but it really is hard to maneuver on more technical water. Also, the Mamba is much easier for her to roll.
As an added benefit she can now jump into a canoe and make handle it reasonably well with a single blade much better than before her experiences in a kayak. Some of my female open boat friends are working on bringing her back from the dark (kayak) side
Sooo, my advice would be to let her shop for a boat, try to direct her in the direction that she is likely to do best, make sure that she has decent gear, be prepared to buy her another boat if she wants it, get her some training in the (huhum) art (did I really say that) of kayaking and have a great time having a paddling partner for a wife.
As a side note, a ducky OR a sit on top WW kayak (think Dagger Torrent http://dagger.com/products/crossover/cr ... rrent-10-0 [was also sold as a Perception Torrent]) would be a good option for warm weather paddling and would be able to accommodate you also, just don't plan on doing any flat water or moving fast.
I went out of my way to get her some training and take to on runs that she liked and it really paid off. She LOVES to be on the water.
Fast forward to present, she wants a new Kayak. She has spent some time renting boats and REALLY likes the Mamba 7.5 with creek boat outfitting. She has progressed in the Allwater and likes it for flat water but it really is hard to maneuver on more technical water. Also, the Mamba is much easier for her to roll.
As an added benefit she can now jump into a canoe and make handle it reasonably well with a single blade much better than before her experiences in a kayak. Some of my female open boat friends are working on bringing her back from the dark (kayak) side
Sooo, my advice would be to let her shop for a boat, try to direct her in the direction that she is likely to do best, make sure that she has decent gear, be prepared to buy her another boat if she wants it, get her some training in the (huhum) art (did I really say that) of kayaking and have a great time having a paddling partner for a wife.
As a side note, a ducky OR a sit on top WW kayak (think Dagger Torrent http://dagger.com/products/crossover/cr ... rrent-10-0 [was also sold as a Perception Torrent]) would be a good option for warm weather paddling and would be able to accommodate you also, just don't plan on doing any flat water or moving fast.
~Aaron~
Just being willing to try is half the battle.
Just being willing to try is half the battle.