Kayak vs Paddle board recommendations

Submitted by GreenStoneRidge t3_zq4fda in Maine

Merry Christmas Mainahs

in lieu of getting each other presents, my wife and i decided we would buy ourselves either a kayak or a SUP. I have a canoe that I use pretty frequently, but we have a baby now, and it will be a few years before we can all go out.

I have never owned either a kayak or SUP, I have used each a few times, but I am having a hard time deciding what direction to go. I am leaning towards kayak, but I wanted to see what the community might offer up.

I live near the presumpscott and would probably get out for 2-3 paddles/month. And I would also like to explore some other rivers and lakes. I wouldn't mind being able to do some fishing, but not a necessity. I dont see myself needing anything ocean worthy, for the time being.

Any input from paddlers? Anything specific I should look for or avoid? LL Bean has a bunch of entry level stuff for around $450-500, and I am thinking that might be a good place to start. I have checked craigslist for awhile but nothing has jumped out at me as a good deal vs buying new.

I appreciate any advice.

1

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Guygan t1_j0w9fkf wrote

With how cold Maine water can be, you might find a kayak more usable.

9

GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j0wfz1f wrote

yea I had considered that, and that's the direction I am probably heading. But I have used an SUP on the presumpscott a few times and I had a blast. So I will probably add one at some point. I also like the idea that when my daughter is a little older she could just sit on the front and we could explore together.

Thanks for the feedback.

2

lucidlilacdream t1_j0wgfjt wrote

I used my SUP all summer. If you can, get a solid one rather than an inflatable. They are nicer to ride on.

2

lambaghetti t1_j0w8t5d wrote

Neighbor swears his $200 inflatable SUP from Amazon is better than the $500 solid one from Beans. He’s 190 lbs and a fit 45 year old.

3

Metal_Worldly t1_j0wfhij wrote

Just my 2 cents, buy used. I bought 2 kayaks and a sup all used for half the price new and it was well worth it. I have 2 sit on top cause we fish but also juist paddle around for fun. If you want to cover ground, go standard yak for speed and covering more area. The sit on top are very stable but slower from what I experienced. So make a list of what you want to get out of it and go from their. On the water is all that matters that's were the magic is. Enjoy friend

3

GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j0wfpdi wrote

this was exactly the advice I was looking for. Thank you friend.

1

siebzy t1_j0wo58j wrote

Kayaks are much more versatile than SUPs, especially for fishing and any kind of wind or current. Smaller learning curve too.

I'd recommend looking for a boat about 12' long. Will still be small/light enough to car top or truck bed carry, but more stable and versatile than the really cheap 10' models, especially for a full grown American adult male.

Avoid the cheap inflatable kayaks. Unlike the SUPs, they are not good.

If storage or car space is a primary concern, go SUP, and go inflatable, but buy a pump that will run off your cars 12V or a battery. Hand pumps destroy any convenience factor lol.

3

GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j0woody wrote

This is great feedback thank you. Definitely going kayak for now.

2

mtuchris t1_j0wo8ft wrote

My wife and I have kayaks and two inflatable SUPs. We also have a young kid. We have had the SUPs (Atoll brand, veteran owned, made in the USA) for 7ish years and they are awesome. They pack down small enough to travel as checked bags, one each. So we've flown with them to Michigan, Hawaii, Oregon. Plenty of flotation and stability for putting a kid on the front of. Only 25lbs each so one person can easily load them on the car and you can store them fully inflated so you don't have to pump them up every time you go to the water if you have a rack for the roof. The drawback is that they are slower than rigid boards and catch the wind hard. The kayaks, however, are much better in the consistent wind here on the coast of Maine and we find that for paddling with a child using a kayak is much better unless it's dead calm. We purchased the kayaks used and they are old and a little banged up but cheap. We have a standard single and the other is a single cockpit tandem that can be easily paddled by one person. Our kid loves it as he sits in the front and I paddle from the back. If you fish, it's a good option because it gives you plenty of space and stability when you are solo for doing that. The drawback is that kayaks are heavy and the tandem is 75 lb and difficult to get on and off the car by myself even as a relatively strong six foot dude.

3

GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j0wp3uo wrote

This is great information. Thank you. I had seen a few of the single cockpit tandem models and that sounds like a great solution for us.

1

shmerham t1_j0zwtv1 wrote

We have Atoll inflatable SUPs too and they sell a kayak kit (a backrest that attaches and a kayak paddle attachment)

I agree that they’re not great if it’s windy.

You might want a wetsuit if you’re going to use a SUP in the non summer months.

1

GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j11llu4 wrote

Hey, I found a good deal on a single cockpit tandem that i am going to pull the trigger on based in your recommendation. Thank you for the insight.

I have a follow up question if you dont mind. I have a sport rack on my car that works great for my canoe. Do I need to get those kayak hooks/racks that I see for sale or will my rack work fine? Is there a particular reason for the kayak racks, like to avoid damaging them, or is it so you can fit two on a roof?

I am picking up a loon 16 footer, it has good reviews, but it is a little heavy at 73 lbs. so still going to be a little challenge to rack it solo on my SUV.

I appreciate any insight you might have.

1

mtuchris t1_j11ro6o wrote

Glad to hear it! I have the old town otter tandem which is the predecessor to the Loon. The two primary reasons to use a proper rack are to protect the boat from dents or damage and to prevent it from wobbling and sliding around while driving. I have the Thule rectangular cross bars and the J-shaped carriers so I can fit two kayaks or a kayak and a paddle board at the same time. They are also cheap used. If you don't need to carry two boats you can use a flat carrier setup that sits with the hull horizontal or upsidedown. There are a number of cheap through expensive versions but they all support the hull properly so they don't leave permanent dents like bare cross bars might. In a real pinch I have used pool noodles for short trips of a couple miles. I drive an old Honda Pilot SUV and to load and unload the kayak alone I have to open the rear door and put a beach towel over the top edge of the open door. Then I lift one end of the boat up onto the top of the door and leave the other end on the ground. The boat will be at an angle and usually I get it positioned so the end of the rack stops the hull from hitting the side of the car and scratching it. Then I lift up the low end and walk forward till I can stand dead center and lift/shove it up onto the rack. Getting it down is the opposite. The car has some scrapes from when I've missed the mark a couple times but that's why I keep driving an old car. If you load yours flat on the roof then going straight over the top of the rear hatch on a towel might work as long as you don't have a spoiler there to break off. There are a variety of options in the website below to get a good overview.

https://paddling.com/gear/transport/kayak-transport/kayak-racks

2

fredezz t1_j0wgx2d wrote

SUP suck where ever there are boats around...it doesn't take much of a wake to put your ass in the water.

2

AhhhLeah t1_j0xu1a8 wrote

Kayak is more versatile

2

truththeavengerfish t1_j0zezg1 wrote

Kayak. 100%. I have 3 different entry level Pelicans that I still haven’t had to upgrade and love them and the sport of kayaking to death.

2

AppointmentNo3240 t1_j0wzdho wrote

My wife LOVES her Roc Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board ($250 on Amazon). She uses it in the ocean and on lakes. We bought our kids one since they enjoyed it so much. I was thinking it was going to be more like an inflatable raft, but it's super solid, super durable. I'm a big guy and I have no trouble imagining it would hold me.

1