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Kayak diving

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Sven,

Any chance of you passing some of that good karma around?
 
Ted,

They can not take much of a beating. The hull is a ruberized fabric, and will rip if you run into a reef. Also, draging it up on a beach will gradually wear it out. They are not nearly as tough as a sit- on-top.

They are, however, more stable than a sit on top. At least my two person Folbot is.

I think local or travel is not the most important question. The most important question is if you want to camp. You can carry much more gear in a folding kayak than in a sit on top -- enough to sleep and eat comfortablly for a week. And a folding kayak makes a much better dive platform than a "normal" rigid sit-in-side kayak because of the open cockpit and wider profile. So I would recommend the folding kayak to anyone that wants to do multi-day trips.


Jon,

Yes cost is a big differance. Mine cost $2000. To me diving with the aid of an internal combustion engine (zodiac) is like diving with the aid of compressed air: the dive loses the aesthetic appeal. With kayak diving you are less dependant on technology and more on your own physical abilities.

Sven,

I folding kayak is delicate. You have to be mindful to not be washed up against a shallow reef. They do not, however rely on bulkheads to keep them open. The front 1/4 and back 1/4 are pure kayak in the eskimo sence: Covered for protection from inundation from waves. The middle 1/2 is open. Into the spaces in the bow and stern you typcially will insert a conical bag stuffed with food, clothes, tent, and cooking utensils. These conical bags are then inflated so they fit snuggly in the bow and stern compartments. A folding kayak does flex a noticable amount in 5 foot waves of short wavelength. This is of no conern, however and is actually desirable, as it makes for a softer ride.

So to sum up:

Typical, sit-in-side, rigid kayak:
Cheap
Lots of storage
tough

Typical, sit-on-top, rigid kayak:
Cheap
Easy to dive off of
tough

Traditional, sit-in-side, folding kayak:
Lots of storage
Easy to dive off of
Can take on an airplane
 
I agree with you about keeping things simple with a human powered boat. I was just making a comparison about the extreme price difference between the two.
Fold-a-boats are also not as easy to get in an out of as a dive kayak.

After using my plastic dive kayak for a number of years I wanted something a step up, but wasn't looking for anything with a motor.

So, I bought a surfski. This is about as fast a boat as you can get without a motor. Some of them are very long, and FAST, but too unstable for me. I went for one in the middle. She is 15' long and a little bit wider than a true racing surfski, but still thinner, longer and faster than my plastic Scrambler. There is even a hatch on the back to strap stuff in, and a rudder to fight the wind and chop on Lake Michigan.

I still wouldn't be able to pack her on a plane too easily though.:duh

Jon
 
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Why not try one of these baby's

Just smack a 2hp Honda on the back(12kg/20 pounds) . It comes with a bag. You can actually put it on a plane.
 
I talked a friend of mine in to carrying Ocean Kayak at his new dive shop that he just opened.

This last weekend the boats came in and I took him out on Lake Michigan to show him how much fun it was. After his first time out he felt excited enough to add a small rental fleet to his shop. Ted and Jim, both freedivers on this list, also picked up boats from him and we're getting ready to attack the local lakes with them this summer.

Jon
 
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The surf here isn't anywhere near as big as the coast, but it is still fun to play in.

During the "Gales of November" we actually have a bunch of guys that hit the lake with their surfboards. I have used my boogy-board out there before, but now prefer to use the kayak and catch more waves. The couple of times that Ihave treid surfing I ended up in a world of hurt.:blackeye

Jon
 
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Well, I'm a little late on this one, but thought I would add my 2c. I've just recently gotten into the kayak and spearing game here in Sarasota, Fla. It's been awesome! Should have done it first thing when I came down 3 1/2 years ago, instead I spent more time out of the water than I wanted and complained about lack of depth for freediving. First time out I loaded my kayak up and headed 2 miles out. All I got for my troubles was one measley snapper, but it was a great day. You have to have a gps around here too, but some of the basic handhelds are perfect. It's easy to get the hang of and lots of fun.

-m
 

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Reactions: Jon
aww yeah!

that's definitely worth some karma Jon!

...but give your ol' lady back her suit! :girlie I mean neon green?? :yack


sven
 
Sven,

I TOOK the picture! I'm not IN the picture!:duh

I gave up neon wetsuits when the 80's ended.

Now how about that karma?

Jon
 
and there lies one of the many mysteries here on DB, the damned little window that tells you to spread your karma around before giving it to a person again. In the parlance of the day... "Wassup widdat?"


sven
 
The winds and waves were wild out on Lake Michigan today. That means all dive boat charters are called off and we hit the surf with out dive kayaks instead. It's no North Shore, but it's what we have so we play in it.
 
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My buddy, Gert, had a bit more of a learning curve today.
 
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Actually, Gert had a big learning curve today.

The water was about 48 -50 degrees (F) and the waves were ok but not great. In November we get some really nice sets of storm waves that come in. That time of year will bring out all of the longboarders and boogy boarders. By the end of the afternoon the sun was starting to peek out and allowed us to warm up a bit.

 
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Ironically, it was flat calm out there only three days ago. This is the wreck site of the Prinx Willem about 4 miles off the Port of Milwaukee. The wreck sits in 70'-90' of water and makes a great freediving location.

What a difference a day can make in the weather around here.:duh
 
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sit on kayak

Aubie,
I've got a Prism one-person sit on made by Perception. It has two hatches for gear with enough room for some lite camping gear. This boat is designed for fishing and is stable enough to sit crosswise with your legs hanging over the side. It's a lot easier to paddle than most sit ons and stabler than a touring boat. I can keep up with a shrimp trawler dragging double twin trawls (sort of like hunting rabbits with a bulldozer, but that's another story.)It's fine if you're not going more than a 3 miles or so. I've used it in the surf and out about 4 miles in the Gulf . Weighs around 80 pounds with an anchor. Strictly one-person, don't know how one could rescue someone with it.

I had the privelge of riding in Bryan's foldboat, and it is very roomy, packs a lot of gear. It's open, so surf may be a problem. The sit ons will get you thru anything that doesn't sweep you off.

My fleet has shrunk to a canoe and a kayak. As always, the smallest boat gets used the most. Anything you can tote by yourself will get you on better water more often.
Ruddyduck
 
Thanks to all for the help

Thanks for the info Ruddyduck. I didn't get to look at any Perception kayaks in person, just the internet.

I bought my boat last Friday(5/23) in Columbus, Ga. at a dive shop. The guy has been sitting on his kayaks for a while and made a great deal with me. Because of the reduced price I was able to buy the kayak I really wanted, which is the Scupper Pro TW by Ocean Kayak. This thing has tons of storage space, is long and fast, and has great secondary stability.

I'm a beginner paddler but the TW was a breeze to handle the first time I had it in the open water. On Sunday(5/25) I met Bladerunnner at Destin and we paddled out to a wreck about .6 mi. out. Early in the day the surface was calm and I had a great chance to get used to the boat. Geared up with both legs hangin' over one side early then straddled the boat to gear up later. Both were soooo easy. No trouble retrieving the anchor, in fact that was even easier than I thought it would be.

Later in the day the wind and current picked up and it was really a nice treat to paddle around in those conditions; the boat was great. We had a lot of fun and no troubles with the surf entries and exits. I wanted to go back down this weekend for some more but couldn't manage it.

But I'll be back down soon.

Thanks a million to all who helped out. I think every variable I was concerned about was addressed by someone. That made the first time out much more enjoyable and virtually anxiety free.

If any one is interested in Ocean Kayaks, send a PM and I'll get you in touch with the guy in Columbus.

Charlie
 
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