# looking to buy a kayak



## camaroman (May 17, 2009)

i have been looking around and have been unable to find a used kayak so i am looking at new. i have about 5 in mind and wanted everyones opinion on these as i have no clue what i need. i am 6 feet tall and am looking for something that is comfortable and has a little leg room and is fairly light. i will use it mainly to fish hoover but will take it on rivers occasionally.
1 pamlico 100
2 pelican pursuit 120
3 future beach patriot 126
4 old town vapor
5 shakespear angler 80

thanks for the help
kyle


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## Mykidsr1 (Mar 19, 2009)

Your best bet if you are not in any huge hurry to buy a Yak is to go and paddle some first. A few stores around have demo days.. This all coming from the advice I got before I bought a Yak.

One thing I have noticed about advice you will get on a Yak is that one person will love it and the next will hate it so the only real way to find out is to get out and paddle a few for yourself.

Other then that I am still new to this whole thing so dont have much advice for you but I am sure the rest will chime in with the same advice they gave me about 5 threads below this one.

I ended up getting a Future Beach Trophy 126 and like it a lot.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Well the Old Town Vapor and the Pamlico 100 are probably the two most well made boats out of that bunch. Also the most versitile. And the fishing version of the Vapor would get my nod out of those two. Better seat, better plastic, more features...
The 12 foot boats are better for Hoover, the 10 footers better on a river.
If most of your yakking will be on Hoover, I'd get a 12 footer for sure. And I may consider looking at sit on tops too.


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## camaroman (May 17, 2009)

ok after expanding my search a little farther i found these used kayaks, just quite a drive to pickup. 
1 12' Old Town dirigo 120 solo kayak $500
2 Perception America 11.0 Kayak $400
3 Old Town Sebago Kayak - $450
4 Preception Acadia Kayak $500

most come with a paddle and a few accessories.

any input on these?

also does anyone have experience with "paddle power" located in chillicothe?
would like to know if they have competitive prices as i see none on their website


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## camaroman (May 17, 2009)

Mykidsr1- the fbt 126 looks like it has the same seat as the patriot, how is it comfort wise? i have a bad back and need a seat with a lot of support.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

camaroman said:


> ok after expanding my search a little farther i found these used kayaks, just quite a drive to pickup.
> 1 12' Old Town dirigo 120 solo kayak $500
> 2 Perception America 11.0 Kayak $400
> 3 Old Town Sebago Kayak - $450
> ...


From this list, for mostly fishing Hoover, I would go with the Dirigo. Truthfully, I have no experience or knowledge of the others. Generally, Perception makes a great yak, but I am just unfamiliar with those models.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Paddle Power down in Chillicothe is AWESOME!! Steve is the guy who owns it; great guy and will set you up.

And as far as the used yaks; it would have to be in pretty darn good shape for me to spend $400-$500 on a used yak.
Most of those boats sold for around the same prices new.
If I could talk down the price, the Acadia and the Dirigo would be worth the $$.


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## Ducky (Feb 1, 2009)

Paddle Power is great. They know their stuff and can set you up. Call first, he may hav esome demo's or blems at a good price. In C-bus you can check Sabo's, Clintonville Outfitters or OUtdoor Source. They all can set up a demo for you.


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## m_miller (Jun 2, 2005)

At those prices you are not far off of a wilderness systems tarpon 100. However i would not recommend it if you are mostly fishing lakes. I have one that i bought from Sabo's last year and love it but i mostly fish small rivers. If i were going to fish lakes I would look into a tarpon 120. I would think you could get one used in that same price range.

What ever you do take the above advice and paddle some. I saw Sabo's is starting their demo days and im sure the rest are also.


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## BlueDun (Feb 21, 2007)

It really is important and can make a huge difference in your decision if you try some boats before buying one, especially if you don't have experience with kayaks. 

Your build can make a difference in how stable you feel in a kayak compared to another kayaker on a forum. For example, if you are tall and have a lot of upper body muscle/weight in your chest and shoulders (with a smaller waist) and someone else is the same height, but has less upper body muscle mass with a large abdomen, you will each have a different center of gravity in the boat and your feelings of stability about each boat will be different. Thus, you might feel more stable in one vs. another for doing things like twisting around to reach something behind you or leaning over the side to haul in a fish. So you can't rely on the experiences of others to determine which boat to buy for yourself. 

As mentioned, the local stores all have weekly demo days through the late spring and summer. The store in Chillicothe and Whitewater Warehouse in Dayton (which also has new and used rec boats for fishing) also have a HUGE demo day on the first weekend in June. Manufacturers bring numerous boats to those demos that people can try. 

Also, 4/30 - 5/1 will be "PaddlePalooza" in Columbus - this will be the first huge outdoor event in Columbus that will have numerous boats to demo (as well as info on other outdoor activities). I think it will be held indoors, so the weather should not be a factor in trying boats.

http://www.paddlepalooza.net/

BTW, both the America and the Acadia are great boats and will last for a long time. For years, we had an America that we saved for beginners who went out with us - they had to actually force the thing to get it to tip over. (We sold it b/c we ran our of room in our garage from storing all our other kayaks! )


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I had a chance to be in Gander Mt yesterday and checked out their boats.
Whatever you do, don't get that Pelican boat. It's very cheaply built and might be the first kayak I've ever seen that looked destined to sink. It's got a seam right at the water line where the top and the bottom half of the boat are poorly fused together.
The Perception and Old Town yaks are built much better with a higher grade of plastic.


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## camaroman (May 17, 2009)

first i really appreciate everyones advice. 
I have decided the craigslist kayaks were too far away to go and see since they would not budge on the price. after sitting in quite a few yaks I have decided on a old town vapor. this is the only one that seems to have a lot of leg room and a somewhat comfortable seat. 
i will check out paddlepalooza and if i find one i like better there my wife will be getting the vapor. 

are there any good locally available seat cushions or a good material to make your own out of?
again thanks for all of the input
kyle


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

I have a Vapor 10Xt that I've added 2 flush mount rod holders to right behind the cockpit. It's a very stable ride I can take it into choppy water and not feel like I'm anywhere close to tipping. That's with me sitting on a throw cushion too. Doesn't track real well compared to my other kayak. I'm struggling with getting a front rod holder mounted and the rear storage hatch doesn't do to much for me. It's a poor fishing platform and not something I'd enjoy taking on a lodg day or overnight trip. You can jam a lot of gear into it but organiation is an issue.

My other kayak is an Ascend 10. It's a little more tippy than the Vapor (I haven't rolled this one yet either though) but it does track better. Much better storage here, you can put a milk crate or 5 gallon bucket into the rear well. It has a bigger dashboard and a spot to mount a rod holder.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I think this thread is like a year and a half old.
I hope he has one by now...


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

like I do and might appreciate the additional information. You may have noticed my title mentioning it was an old post.

Thanks for your contribution btw.


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