BeachHunter kayaking in the Charlotte Harbor area courtesy of Grande Tours. Kayak is a Pungo, 12 footer.
I find myself in need of a way to get to beaches and islands that are not accessible by car. The expense of a boat or a jet ski does not appeal to me. So a kayak seems the most natural option.
Ah, but do you think it is easy to choose the right kayak for my needs?
BeachHunter in a tandem kayak in Fort Desoto Park.
Sit-on-top (SOT)? or sit-in-kayak (SINK)?
I’ve mostly paddled SOT kayaks so far: Prowler 13, Tarpon 140, and a few SINK’s like Acadia II and Pungo 12, which are still “recreational” kayaks. So my initial thought was to buy a SOT to allow me to easily enter and exit the boat while in the water to make it a good platform for either snorkeling, fishing or any other “ing” I might be inclined to indulge in while paddling.
Sit-on-top kayaks in the Native Rentals Shop in Holmes Beach, FL.
Not long ago I tried out a Prowler 13 at Shawn Duytschaver’s Native Rentals out of Holmes Beach. I liked that it sits low in the water and is very stable, but it is quite a bit of work to paddle in open water against a breeze. Still, the Prowler is one of the most popular fishing kayaks, so it has been high on my list.
Paddling a Prowler 13 on Palma Sola bay in Bradenton, FL.
Another very popular kayak is the Tarpon, from Wilderness Systems. Last week I paddled a Tarpon 140 from Dunedin Causeway to Caladesi and Honeymoon Islands. I liked it a lot, but still found it a bit of work to paddle any distance.
Tarpon 140 kayak I rented from Sail Honeymoon and paddled to Caladesi.
Paddling the Tarpon 140 to Caladesi Island.
What really spoiled me was my visit to Sweetwater Kayaks. I went there to try out the Malibu X-13, but as it turned out, they don’t really stock much in the way of SOT kayaks. I spoke at length to Steve, who asked me what type of kayaking I wanted to do. Since one of my goals is to paddle out to Anclote Key to thoroughly explore that beach for my next beach book update, I mentioned that. He reacted rather quickly saying that he did not think it would be a good idea to paddle a SOT kayak out to Anclote Key. “You could do it,” he said, but he felt strongly that the large wakes generated by the boat traffic would likely capsize a SOT. He recommended a sit-in-kayak and steered be toward an Easky 13 from Venture Kayaks (made in England).
Steve set me up with a $300 carbon fiber paddle and I took the Easky for a ride. And a sweet ride it was. I would estimate that it took half the effort to generate twice the speed of a Tarpon or Prowler or any other SOT kayak I’ve yet paddled. So I’m having to re-evaluate. I liked that my legs were sheltered from the sun in the Easky and that I could easily pick it up and carry it without help. With a price tag of around $1,200, it was a bit higher than I’d budgeted, but it comes with a seat, and the quality is not questioned.
I decided I needed to do some more comparisons. With the speed and ease of the SINK, I felt that I’d be more likely not to shy away from longer trips.
Following Shawn Duytschaver (Native Rentals) through the mangrove tunnels near the Robinson Preserve in Bradenton, FL.
A friend of mine suggested that I try the RTM Midway. He had purchased one from Masthead Sailing Gear the year before. It is a SOT, but has the sleeker shape of a typical SINK. I researched it online and found that it has a “little brother” called a “Disco.” Compared to the Prowler and Tarpon, I didn’t feel like it would be enough of a stable platform or have enough gear carrying capacity. But after experiencing the speed of a SINK, I decided to give the Midway and the Disco a try. As it happens, Masthead is participating in a “kayak demo day” coming up next weekend so I can try them out. I stopped in the shop and had a preliminary look at them and met the owner. Here’s a shot of the RTM Disco:
Here's the RTM Disco (blue) at Masthead in St. Petersburg, FL. Click the image to enlarge.
I’m hoping the Disco (13.5 feet+) or Midway (15 feet) will offer the ease of exit and entry of a SOT with the greater speed and ease of paddling offered by a good SINK.
No doubt I’ll still want a good sit-in-kayak one day, but I’m just not sure I want to start out with one.
So how about it? Anybody out there got any advice? I’d especially like to hear from anyone who has experience with both SOT and SINK’s in rougher water and boat wakes.
I’m not all that keen on paddling a SINK with a spray skirt in mid-summer. It’s hot enough already. And most of my paddling will not be all that adventurous. But I might want to take it in the surf on occasion…
