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Need help deciding on canoe or kayak

10K views 26 replies 25 participants last post by  NW GUY 
#1 ·
I'm having a hard time deciding weather or not to buy a newer better kayak or to buy a canoe.
I currently own a 9' older old town kayak all plastic sit in style with a skirt. Iv taken it everywhere even over a spillway (don't recommend)
Iv been looking at tandem kayaks so maybe possibly take my woman with me or even my dog or just load up all my camping and fishing gear and leave for a weekend or week. but I have no idea what to look into.

Iv paddled plenty in canoes I like that you can haul more than 1 and gear. Iv seen 14,15' canoes but I don't know if they are stable?able to handle rough waters?river waters?

What would you guys recommend?
 
#2 ·
I have had both and for me it depends on what your going to do with it.

I got rid of all the short kayaks! Yuk, way too much effort to cover any ground whatsoever. Replaced them with Malibu SOT two person, its only 12' but tracks like a dream compared to the 6-8' yaks I had been paddling. I get on average about 60% more speed (gps) and much easier to paddle a straight line!

I love to fish out of a kayak, much more so than a canoe. Having said that I also very seldom ever get out of dead calm water. I pray for current to the point I have rigged sails for any additional help paddling!

When my son and I go camping we take 2 kayaks, both 2 seaters as you can actually get all your stuff on/in board and still have room to fish. When my girlfriend and I go camping we take the canoe........ She is just not comfortable with being in her own yak and its not possible to load me, her and the kitchen sink on one of the two seaters.

hope this helps?

Good luck!
 
#25 ·
I have had both and for me it depends on what your going to do with it.

I got rid of all the short kayaks! Yuk, way too much effort to cover any ground whatsoever. Replaced them with Malibu SOT two person, its only 12' but tracks like a dream compared to the 6-8' yaks I had been paddling. I get on average about 60% more speed (gps) and much easier to paddle a straight line!

I love to fish out of a kayak, much more so than a canoe. Having said that I also very seldom ever get out of dead calm water. I pray for current to the point I have rigged sails for any additional help paddling!

When my son and I go camping we take 2 kayaks, both 2 seaters as you can actually get all your stuff on/in board and still have room to fish. When my girlfriend and I go camping we take the family canoe........ She is just not comfortable with being in her own yak and its not possible to load me, her and the kitchen sink on one of the two seaters.

hope this helps?

Good luck!

i am also can't understand that which will be best for me because i can't afford both kayak and canoe so i need one that can use for every time for solo and with family that's why i am finding light weight and log canoe as i explain first that i can't afford both i can't waist money to test so i was finding some one that have much experience like you. your post was in 2016 that represent that you have more then 5 year experience and so say in your post that you have both canoe and kayak so can explain me better....
Any canoe for solo and with family canoeing....?
best long and light weight canoe.....?
 
#3 ·
I have owned both; kayaks and canoes. Now I only own canoes. I like the speed and "feel" of kayaks but I have found that canoes are much more versatile (and a good one has a nice "feel"). The usual arguments for a canoe are better initial stability, better load carrying, much easier to load, easier to get in and out of, etc.)...all good arguments. I think visibility should be added to these arguments. You sit higher (even when kneeling) so a canoe is better to see from...important for hunting (for me)...and a canoe is easier to shoot from (shooting from non-motorized boats is legal here).

As for white-water in a canoe...canoes are good. Use some floatation bags and a spray skirt on a canoe and it will just about hold it own against many kayaks in white-water! Remember that the fur traders built a trans-continental business by paddling loaded canoes down some serious river rapids!

Just my opinion...either one you choose is often better than something that relies on a motor!!!
 
#4 ·
If you want to take someone else with you the canoe is superior. Kayaks are best for 1 person. They don't have the buoyancy needed for 2 people untill they reach around 21'. Although don't expect a 15' canoe to be fast. However the open boat allows seating as you need it plus coolers, bags, fishing gear or the dog. Aluminium canoes are stiff and paddle well without energy loss attributed to hill flexation. They can be improved by using sound deadening. Foam pipe wrap glued to the gunnels prevents a lot of banging noise as will a thick mat placed on the bottom of the boat. I like using a military foam bed roll. Kids will be more comfortable sitting on it and if the water is rough, kneeling on it while paddling isn't uncomfortable.
 
#5 ·
For me, kayaks are for playing, canoes are for trips. And I rarely paddle either if there won't be at least the promise of class II whitewater.

That said, if you want to do some trips with your lady, a canoe is the way to go. There is enough room to pack plenty of gear to ensure comfort and still not be cramped. You're working together to make the boat go where you want it to go (this can be a blessing and a curse), and a flatwater canoe can handle class III whitewater (with a bit of experience and some kneepads) just as well as a kayak.

As for brands, I'm partial to the Old Town line, but that may be because they're manufactured up the road from me.
 
#7 ·
I've got a 16' canoe that we take along for "fun" on occasion but, when I want to go and catch some fish, I'll slide my jon boat in the water and use that. I've got an 18hp motor that moves it along quite well and then a 5hp or my 5ho electric trolling motor for when I get to where I want to fish and just move about slowly.

With my canoe, I have 2 sets of paddles as well as a solo wooden paddle that looks like something you put the handle up on a curb and the blacd on the road and drove over it with your truck.

If I take them on a long trip, I'll put the jon boat on the rack on my canopy first, then the canoe on top of that, both upside down so the edges they rest on are in contact with the rack or boat below and won't wobble all over up there..

My Job Boat is named after my wife. I call it 5 horses. Old Indian Name that translated means "Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag.."
 
#8 ·
I recommend you each have your own kayak unless you needed the extra cargo space a canoe can offer. Most of the time when I see a couple in a canoe they are either arguing, about to argue or just got done arguing.

I have a canoe and kayaks. I haven't touched the canoe (other that to move it further out of the way) since we got kayaks.
 
#9 ·
Kayak...

The only time in my life that I thought a canoe was more useful were when my boys were young and wanted to fish/camp (to keep them close). However, now they have some nice kayaks for kids too because a coworker has a kayak for a 7 and 11 year old. And he doesn't have to gripe for them to keep up. Most kayaks have a hollow storage area in the center (if not already, they typically have cut lines) which will hold camping gear. Maybe not enough for an expedition, but enough for normal use.
 
#10 ·
I've taken my kayaks out on longer trips before. If I packed light enough I could easily stay out for a week or longer as long as I had access to fresh water.

I prefer canoes for most things. One of the issues with canoes vs kayaks is that kayaks in a lot of cases will handle rough water a little better. A lot of what I do is saltwater.

Getting in and out of a sit-on-top kayak in the water is a lot easier than a sit-in kayak or a canoe.

I suppose it really all depends on what the intended use was. There's a place for both.

A few years ago we were fishing about a mile and half off shore and it got pretty rough. I imagine that a canoe would've taken on a lot of water. The self bailing hulls of the sit-on-tops really shine in those conditions.
 
#11 ·
I have several of each... Canoe, hands down.

Jump in and out, stand wherever you want, throw everything in and out, flip it over for a sort of roof for your gear in the rain, your dog can jump in and out easily, take out the seats and sit on gear to fit more gear, bail it out on the water instead of going ashore and standing it up on end, toss out your gear and the dog and sleep in it if its dry, man I love canoes. My current boat - Old Town Discovery 119. I would take it anywhere, except serious white water, and expect it to be fine.

MOGuy is dead on, though. The GF has her own Kayak, I pack the gear in the canoe, the daughter uses my old kayak. That 2 person stuff is for a good friend on a long trip, not your GF or wife. Trouble ahead.
 
#12 ·
I have been doing overnight canoe trips for over 50 years. Currently have 3. They are superior for hauling gear, and can be used in Class III whitewater by skilled paddlers. Nearly all of the long distance trips across North America have been in canoes. I like larger boats for tripping, 17 feet or more. They are easy to load and portage, and plenty fast.

Bringing a dog or a Coleman stove is not so easy in most Kayaks. They have two stable positions, right side up and right side down with your head exposed to rocks. For the ocean a good sea kayak with a cockpit has some advantages. I built a 17 foot Pygmy out of African mahogany but sold it after a few years.

Plastic bath tub kayaks are popular with people that have never taken the time to learn how to paddle.
 
#13 ·
I've got 2 canoes and 2 kayaks (having sold off the other 4).

I'm in the same boat (canoe?) as the others that said, kayaks are for fun, but canoes are superior. you can haul more, take passengers, even add a motor (my old towne came with an outboard motor mount).

lots of people make outriggers for canoes if you are concerned with stability, but if you can handle a kayak, you can handle a canoe...
 
#15 ·
A decent sized canoe can take a small outboard or trolling motor by adding a bolt on motor bracket. Then the controls are to the side and easy to reach, compared to a canoe with a flat transom where the controls are behind you.

For big lakes two canoes can be lashed together with poles about 6-7 feet apart. A sail works great with a following wind.
 
#16 ·
Mad River 16' Explorer as a starting point. After some experience with it you may, or may not, decide on something larger or smaller.

There are good reasons to have a bigger canoe for some people and there are good reasons to have a smaller canoe or solo canoe for some people. But if you are not sure where to start get a Mad River 16' Explorer.

I love mine.
 
#17 ·
I have a 14' canoe, 12' sit-on-tops and 12' sit-in kayaks, and I'd say the canoe is the answer. I can put my wife and son in the canoe, plus gear. Can't do that with a kayak, and if I DID get three kayaks that could carry it all, I'll have spent triple the cash.

You can add sails, outriggers and motors to the canoe easier than a kayak, as well. The canoes aren't all equal, like the kayaks, some are wider or more stable, some are faster and/or glide better. My 14' long, 42" beam canoe is a wide thing, very stable, but not very fast. The kayaks are 12 ' X 29-32 inches wide, so you see how there can be a lot of difference in things.

Good luck!
 
#19 ·
My vote goes to the canoe also. We have a pair of 17ft aluminums that we use (3 small kids, a wife and two dogs). We have paddled with larger groups and had no real trouble keeping up. With that said, I'm sure a few of the yak'ers could have left us sit but over 8-10 miles they normally don't sustain much more unless they are in a hurry which isn't why we go. We've got powerboats if we need to go fast.
 
#20 ·
I will not debate the canoe versus kayak thing but I will make a comment regarding length of a canoe. I see lots of people buying 14' and 15' canoes. This is the only size usually sold at a bog box store. For general paddling and weekend short trips, I am sure these are fine. But... for canoe camping with two people, a longer canoe makes a huge difference. they are not only more stable but they have tons more room. a 17' Old Town is my favorite. You can put a full size cooler in the middle and pack around it with all of your gear and still have leg room for both paddlers. That extra 2-3' makes a huge difference.

just my $0.02....
 
#24 ·
I really like tripping canoes which are designed for overnight trips. I have had a couple of great ones, a Sawyer Charger that was 18 1/2 feet long and 15 inches deep. I have an Old Town Guide 18 made out of red cedar and canvas from 1951. Boats of this size are fast and can haul larger people, the dogs, a small cooler and some furntiture for a week long trip. I would never own a 15 foot canoe. It is like a toy in comparison.
 
#26 ·
One thing to think about in canoes is initial stability and secondary stability.
Your flat bottom canoes ( aluminum like gruman ,osagian)have tons of initial stability and no secondary.
Initial stability makes many more comfortable but are less sea worthy than one with secondary stability. The initail ones (flat bottom) will follow the waves while the ones with secondary will go through the waves ( the more you tip them the more they resist being tipped).
I've had both and like both designs for different reasons .
I have a Old town 174 (great for long trips huge carrying cap but heavy to portage)and a 15' Curtis solo tripper.
The Curtis will teach you about balance until you get used to it.
After the learning curve you will be able to lean it over to the gunale and just about do a 180 with a J stroke.
 
#27 ·
WHAT are you really looking for?
Stability?
Load carrying?
more than one person?
weight for handling or throwing around?

I spent a LOT of my early life in boats and lots of time in canoes. I have tried kayaks but I found them to be not so friendly if you are bigger than the average two legged mammal.

I have run the gamut of real canvas and pine ribbed canoes that are a hundred years old to the aluminum canoes found everywhere, to a couple different Old Town glass jobs. They all have their plus and minus's

These days, I run Meyer's Sportspal canoes.
They are not as sleek as some others but they are stable and light and very forgiving. At 70+ now I am not quite the athlete I used to be and I really like how light compared to everything else .
I actually have 2 of them now.. a 12foot
https://www.meyersboat.com/#/sportspal/models/S-12
and a square stern for mounting a motor if I am feeling lazy.
https://www.meyersboat.com/#/sportspal/models/X-13

Both of mine are in OD green from years ago. If you hunt Craigs you can find them at the end of the year when folks realize they are going to have to store them for the winter and decide they want the space more than the canoe.:D::thumb:

I can easily throw either of them up on the Jeep or truck without hurting myself.:D:
 
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