K&C - Info

[Shane]

Ok lets get serious about this, summer is coming and I would like to get out on the water.

I am leaning towards purchasing a Coleman 15.5 Canadian canoe. For size and the ability to take 2 people. However I keep thinking a kayak would be better for travelling on the water.

The major question I have is follows:

I am 6'7" and weigh around 100 kilos. I have had a look at kayaks and they all look a little small unless you get the sea going ones and even then they look small. Any taller breamers using kayaks or canoes or have used both and can give me advice.

I fish in the Swan with ideas of heading down SW on trips to the dams and rivers.

Time to start saving, but what to save for ;)

Cheers

Shane

[MATTY]

hiya Shane,
you seem to be in a bit of a bind with this weight/height issue.when i used to comp paddle there was a heap of big/tall/heavy people and all got around ok.as with everything you buy it really needs to suit you & no-one else.
both canoes and kayaks have their + & -'s you just need to think about what you want and the only real way of doing that is go for a paddle in both styles.
i really recommend you go to the ascot kayak club and have a chat with the people there.they have a beginners night tonite at 5pm.its how i started & well worth the effort.trying out a few styles on the water is really the only way to go.
akc is down at garvey park in redcliffe.
cheers

[Shane]

Bah. I just want a "this is the best" answer ;)

The guy from canoeingdownunder said he would let me go out in a smaller canoe for a try out. The kayak's they had in stock where all to small for me. Guess I will try out the canoe and then jump someone with a kayak and try theirs ;)

I am mainly looking for peoples experience with different setups and why a majority on the site go kayak rather than canoe.

The akc is just down the road from me. I will see if I can get away from work to get down there.

[i_wanna_fish]

shane i have never been in a kayak (been in a 1880 old canoe:p) so almost any1 should be able to correct me but get the smallest one you can. being so big you should be able to get it goin fast!

[shoey]

The larger (or longer I should say) the kayak the faster it is on the water. I own a Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro, which im told carries about 150 kgs. I often carry my son and sometimes my daughter as well for shallow water joyrides and it copes with the 3 of us( probably around 140 kgs with 3 on board). The scrambler XT is a bit smaller but has a larger carrying capacity and paddles very well. Just test a few but IMO go for a longer one if poss.

Shoey.

[i_wanna_fish]

yeh shoey i didnt mention it but i meant small width. i think anyway:rolleyes: ;)

[brad]

Shane I fish from a Finn affinity sot. Comfortable to paddle,fast and fairly stable. Being 6ft5 myself finding the right YAk was a task in itself. I'm thinking of trading up to a cobra tourer just for the weight carrying factor.
I found canoes too restrictive when fishing alone especially in any breeze on the swan
Sunday morn canoeing down under have a trial time somewhere in bassendean. Might be the time to try the larger cobras or ocean kayaks