Canoe vs. Kayak

[DavidtheProducer]

I was all set on getting a fishing kayak but have been seeing some nice canoes that look like they can do the same thing lately but I'm not sure how easy they are to fish in...It looks like there is much more room to move around and store stuff within reach, stand up easily and be able to bring an extra person...so why would people want a kayak over a canoe? I'm kind of confused right now...are kayaks easier to get around in? More maneuverable? Get in tighter places or skinnier water? Please help!

[DoubleM]

get an ultimate and you have the benefits of both

[pag_yaker]

You need to demo both. Opinions are like, well, opinions.

I finally got to park me arse in an Ultimate last weekend ... damn nice. I'm sitting in a recliner right now, and the feeling is similar. My neck and back issues rule out conventional paddling (for long), so I go Hobie and peddle. I'm a good sport though - I'll wait on those paddling with me.

But both have their advantages, YOU just have to decide what matters most to you. Trust me, if you demo enough paddle craft one will speak to you.

[Rik]

get an ultimate and you have the benefits of both

ditto.

I have both an Ultimate 14 and a Tarpon 16. I rarely use the Tarpon 16 anymore.

Now, if you want to go full canoe, check the Mohawk Solo 14. Flatssteeler on this forum has one and it is a darn nice canoe. Has virtually the same dimensions of a nice paddling sit on top kayak but with the benefits of an open canoe.

So, are you even more confused now? Best thing to do is try them. Not sure where you are located but some of the shops have demo days where you can get your butt into many different boats.

[Todd]

get an ultimate and you have the benefits of both

ditto.

I have both an Ultimate 14 and a Tarpon 16. I rarely use the Tarpon 16 anymore.

But there are some situations where you would much rather be in your 16 and some where you would much rather be in your Ultimate. There is no right/wrong answer. Mostly depends on what you are going to use the boat for. If you are doing a lot of long paddles in open water you will want a SOT kayak, calm waters you will prefer a canoe.

I have had a few paddles that I am not sure I would have made it in a canoe, ones where I was taking waves over the bow of my Tarpon 160, a canoe would have been filled with water in those.

[Rik]

get an ultimate and you have the benefits of both

ditto.

I have both an Ultimate 14 and a Tarpon 16. I rarely use the Tarpon 16 anymore.

But there are some situations where you would much rather be in your 16 and some where you would much rather be in your Ultimate.

True. Very true. Rough water or long distance, the Tarpon 16 wins without question.

You have to first decide what it is you want to do with the boat. These days when it is rough, I stay home and knit and there likely aren't many 12 miles days in my future. That said, I'll likely the the Tarpon 16 for a long time just in case.....

For me, I found that it takes two different boats to cover what I may do. I don't think I'm alone in that.

[jbdba01]

I have both a kayak and a canoe.

My $.02...

If you want to take out the kid(s) fishing get a canoe (but get a kayak paddle - they'll wear out before you do and then you have to lug their weight and yours on one blade).

You want to fish seriously - get a kayak. Editorial : Beach poon in a canoe just seems kinda nutty, but I might give it a whirl in the right weather.

The two man kayak seems a like a hybrid solution that just doesn't seem to work for me. It might for others.

Personally... after having learned over the past couple/few months to fish in a kayak and having canoed for +20 years I would do this. Get a kayak you can stand up in and make it a dedicated fishing machine, get junker canoe that you can trash with the kids and have fun. That way you're covered. Yes it's more space, but then you have everything - plus you can put the kids in the canoe while you go in the kayak...kinda another Hanna Montana moment.

No kids (looks like in the picture you do)?? IMHO - Get a kayak you can stand in and forget the canoe UNLESS you plan on overnighting somewhere - then it's a function of space and what you can port.

Lastly retro fitting a kayak to a sail/kayak is harder than retro fitting a canoe to a sail/canoe, but that's kinda "out there".

Then there's the whole sit on top vs. sit in thread....

All of the above is strictly my opinion - your mileage may vary.

Answering these directly...

• "so why would people want a kayak over a canoe?"
  In general my kayak seems to run faster, so you can cover more ground. It also tends to have less wind drag, so it will track better.
  
  "I'm kind of confused right now...are kayaks easier to get around in? "
  IMHO - yes.
  
  "More maneuverable? "
  Yes - With a rudder even more so.
  
  "Get in tighter places or skinnier water? "
  Tighter places...width difference is a matter of inches. Draft is a matter of inches too, but my kayak runs in skinnier water than my canoe.
  
  Now I can't fill up my kayak with water - it's a sit on top; my canoe I can.

[DavidtheProducer]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

So...I ended up with a kayak! It's a Hobie Kona. I tried it out and loved it. It's exactly what I need. I started out getting it rigged up with a trolly anchor system. My next upgrade will probably be the stabilizer thing-a-ma-jig so I can stand up on it!

Again, thanks everyone!

[DavidtheProducer]

Here's my first fish on my new yak! Just a small trout but whatever...

[1okbyme2]

uh-huh...

[pbr]

Cant generalize when it comes to canoes. Some are narrow and low freeboard, basically a kayak without a deck and some are much beamier and have a lot more free board and stability. My Hornbeck is a 14 ft. solo canoe built of carbon and kevlar so it will get blown around more by wind because it has higher freeboard than a kayak and much lighter, it is a little wider than a kayak so maybe not as fast as some. However it is very dry, (never taken waves over the bow) and has a lot more room in it. It only weighs 25 lbs so I can cartop without any help. And I put an Ultimate seat in it so it is very comfortable.