Looking For a Kayak

wem21
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by wem21 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:56 pm

cheaterparts wrote:
Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:53 pm
wem21 wrote:
Tue Nov 12, 2019 2:43 pm

Ah ok, I see. What are your thoughts on the aquayaks?
I've never had anything to do with them but for a bay boat looking at there web site the Snapper - Snapper Pro and scout are to short and really just pool toys
if or when you get caught out in less than ideal conditions these kayak will be down right dangerous

the Ranger at 3.7 meters is about as short as you would wont to go - but it looks fat and heavy and at a guess would be a pig into a tide flow or wind

the problems you face with kayaking the bays in not when everything is calm conditions and even the best watched weather forecast will surprise and catch you out from time to time
so how does that effect a short kayak - paddling into a 5 kt ( 9 kph ) wind with no tide effect you could probably paddle at 3 - 4 kph constantly so 1 km will take 15 - 20 min - double the wind to 10 kts ( 18 kph ) that will cut a sub 3 meter long yak to 2 to maybe 3 kph so that 1 km now takes 20 - 30 min of hard paddling now make that 15 kts ( 27 kph ) the speed on a short yak will be 1 - 2 kph of hard paddling 30 - 60 min

and any tide flow against you makes it worse

now look at say a Prowler 4.3 or a Viking reload or most other name brands 4 + meters they cruse around 6 - 7 kph and even into a 15 kt head wind will still do 3 - 4 kph
now as weather is closing in would you prefur to get off the water or likely to be stuck out there

1 km out from the beach seams a long way when you first start kayak fishing but it takes only a short time before 3 - 4 km out isnt very far

as I pointed out I use long fishing skis now and know that into that 15 kt wind I can set up on a fast cruse at 6 - 7 kph and probably hold that for an hour

have a read through

https://seasherpakayaks.wordpress.com/2 ... me-buyers/

it may help a bit Eoin ( seasherpa )has this up on his site and gives some rough outlines on hull design

by the way I'm not trying to put you off kayak fishing but these are the reasons more experienced kayak fishos point you to longer yaks
and of cause we have all be caught out by the weather mans poor guesses on what the wind was going to do
Thanks, really appreciate the advice :)

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4liters
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by 4liters » Tue Nov 12, 2019 4:18 pm

My impression is the aquayaks are somewhere between the models cheater mentioned and the kayaks2fish cheapies.

At the end of the day you aren’t going to get a ‘good’ kayak for that kind of money, so you’ll probably end up with something with a few deficiencies. As long as you’re aware of those and plan your trips accordingly you’ll probably be ok.

When I get home I’ll try and find a screenshot of what ppb can throw at you
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
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mazman
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by mazman » Tue Nov 12, 2019 5:41 pm

Just gone through this again, it really depends on what you want to do off the kayak.

I think the first thing you need to do is decide what style of fishing you want to do and where, from there you can start working out what design features you want to have. The link to seasherpa above is a good one for getting an idea about how different features effect the kayaks performance and as a result what type of activities they suit.
Youtube channel:Hawkesy Fishing

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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by laneends » Tue Nov 12, 2019 6:26 pm

Any kayak can catch you fish, but they wont all get you home to your wife and kids if the weather turns to crap. Kayaking is a dangerous sport, nature can surpass any kayak and any kayaker regardless of quality or abilities. Its comes down to how much you want to shave your margins.

Of course you dont want to spend big bucks until you know you are into it and until the bug hits you. Thats why it is a good idea to get a secondhand safer kayak than be prematurely put off by scaring the crap out of yourself on a little one. Most upgrade from their first kayak so if you go secondhand just to get the feel and work out what you want you wont loose as much money on your next changeover.

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4liters
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by 4liters » Tue Nov 12, 2019 7:48 pm

This is why a good kayak is a good idea. It doesn’t happen often but once is enough.

Similar thing happened to that Japanese bloke who drowned a few years back. Perfect conditions when he launched at Altona but a strong NWer blew up mid morning and his crappy kayak wasn’t quick enough to paddle back in against it. He wasn’t wearing a pfd either which never helps but you get the idea.
D2866889-BB62-4121-B65A-3576ECF2CC59.png
I’ve been caught out in similar myself in my first kayak. The forecast wind change was for 15kn but ended up being closer to 30. It was pushing me back towards land which was reassuring in a way but it also meant the waves had a lot of open wasted to build up, and the following sea kept trying to turn the kayak side on. I made it back safely, which I put down mostly to the fact that the Ocean Kayak Prowler 4.5 is an exceptionally well designed hull for speed and stability.
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

wem21
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by wem21 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:58 pm

4liters wrote:
Tue Nov 12, 2019 7:48 pm
This is why a good kayak is a good idea. It doesn’t happen often but once is enough.

Similar thing happened to that Japanese bloke who drowned a few years back. Perfect conditions when he launched at Altona but a strong NWer blew up mid morning and his crappy kayak wasn’t quick enough to paddle back in against it. He wasn’t wearing a pfd either which never helps but you get the idea.

D2866889-BB62-4121-B65A-3576ECF2CC59.png

I’ve been caught out in similar myself in my first kayak. The forecast wind change was for 15kn but ended up being closer to 30. It was pushing me back towards land which was reassuring in a way but it also meant the waves had a lot of open wasted to build up, and the following sea kept trying to turn the kayak side on. I made it back safely, which I put down mostly to the fact that the Ocean Kayak Prowler 4.5 is an exceptionally well designed hull for speed and stability.
Oh wow, ok

Yeah I'll definitely save up for a bigger kayak, thanks!

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4liters
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by 4liters » Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:53 am

Some bloke chucked a couple of seak mako kayaks up for sale, never been in one but they look ok
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by johnjake » Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:11 pm

Seb85 wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:50 pm
wem21 wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:28 pm
HI guys,
Im on the search for a kayak, and im looking to spend about 500$ on it. Are there any decent yaks in this price range? And if i do get a yak, where do I go to use it? Are there gps marks available on your phone, or do I just find a place to drift (flat sand for flatties, weed beds for squid, ect)

Cheers
Is this gonna be your first kayak?
I did that before, bought a second hand kayak around $350 with all the stuff (would've been $500ish new), but had no idea what kayak it was etc etc.
Was okay, weird, learnt a lot. Then I bought Native Watercraft Slayer 10. Only then I realised how bad was the old kayak. It wasn't all bad, I caught fish and stuff, but wasn't great.

I bought the old kayak two years ago and bought the Slayer 10 not long ago. Still pretty fresh for me.
My suggestion is, start with what you want to do, since everyone has diff preferences.

My first one was just something to try and muck around. Found out hand paddle wasn't for me. Tried to put electric motor on, was actually causing trouble sometimes with more stuff on the kayak. That's when I decided to get an upgrade.

Then I thought of, do I want speed or space or balance and check the size vs the weight. After I had some experience on the old yak, it was an easy decision. I wanted something stable, though slow, Slayer10 propel frees my hand to fish while maintaining position. Not cheap though. Then there's Hobie, kingfishers, vikings, etc.
Dont think you can get foot pedal kayak with that budget.

When do you use?
I use my best canoe when the wind is 20kmh or less, my preference anyway. I found 25kmh+ is too strong for me. You'll be drifting too fast, can be dangerous too, especially if you're new.

Gps marks and drift?
Pretty much. I have $100 sounder on mine but often start with phone map. Use the sounder to find structures and stuff and drop the bait/lure. I have anchor with 5m rope, drift chute and also a anchor clip for freshwater fishing.

Where do you live btw?
Capacity sports in Moorabbin allows people to try. Also to hire. Mornington boat hire does kayak hire too. Try around and see how you feel after that.
If you live in the west, we can meet up. I live in point cook.
I have same question but i read your post but cant understand that which is best old kayak or new kayak near you....? I want to buy a kayak with in 400$ and as you write in your post that you have bought old kayak within 350$ so i think this was expensive for you or not...?
Within 400$ which kind you kayak i can bought and what will be condition of this....?
and i have a final question that how can i find wind speed before kayaking explain plz.....? :nw:

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croe04
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by croe04 » Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:48 pm

I'll try my best to weigh in well because I was recently in the exact same boat as you and i'll mention a few things:
Wem, for your budget, gumtree is probably going to be your friend. Heaps of good deals on good yaks go up daily, sometimes with extras like PFD's, sounders, anchors etc. I've seen wavedance kingfishers and ocean kayak prowlers go up for like 350-500 over the last month or so in good condition, as well as the host of other ones for similar prices, and hobies going into the 1000-2000 range. Few good deals pop up on facebook marketplace and kayaking facebook groups too.
For your budget of 500 bucks i'd avoid buying a new kayak, because most of what you are gonna get are cheapo pool toys like whats made by kayaks2fish and other weird brands. 4liters already said this, but they're mass produced kayaks likely off alibaba for 99 bucks a piece, branded and then repackaged and sold to you. They also have that weird sales tactic of pretending they're on sale all the time when they're not. These kayaks are too small and seem to me like they are designed to coax in new kayakers looking for a cheap yak. I'm also still signed up to gumtree alerts, the number of these things that pop up every day goes to show how people buy them, realise they're bad yaks and then resell them a few weeks after purchasing. I would brands like this like the plague if I were you.
Like cheaterparts said length has strong correlation with safety and stability, ideally you want a yak thats 4m or more for the bay. Also worth considering visibility, I deliberately bought a bright yellow yak so that I can be seen easily. I wouldn't go buying blue/deep green/black yaks because its harder for people to spot you on the water. Weight is also a thing to consider, yaks that weigh 30kgs+ are not only going to suck to transport but will be slow, and make it harder for you to get places quick when you need to.
A lot of these cheapo kayaks come with a gimmicky 'stadium seat', which is just mimicking a hobie's seat. All this does is cause the yak to be more unstable, consequentally making it wider, which makes it heaveir and slower. Not something you want.
This became a bit of a buyer beware when coming to buying a kayak, but if you wanna look into some more advice on what models to pick based on specific factors, you should read this thread - http://www.fishing-victoria.com/viewto ... ilit=kayak
I posted it a while back while I was looking for a yak and heaps of helpful advice was posted that will probably help your decision too.

cheers.

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4liters
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Re: Looking For a Kayak

Post by 4liters » Mon Nov 18, 2019 6:41 am

johnjake wrote:
Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:11 pm
Seb85 wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:50 pm
wem21 wrote:
Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:28 pm
HI guys,
Im on the search for a kayak, and im looking to spend about 500$ on it. Are there any decent yaks in this price range? And if i do get a yak, where do I go to use it? Are there gps marks available on your phone, or do I just find a place to drift (flat sand for flatties, weed beds for squid, ect)

Cheers
Is this gonna be your first kayak?
I did that before, bought a second hand kayak around $350 with all the stuff (would've been $500ish new), but had no idea what kayak it was etc etc.
Was okay, weird, learnt a lot. Then I bought Native Watercraft Slayer 10. Only then I realised how bad was the old kayak. It wasn't all bad, I caught fish and stuff, but wasn't great.

I bought the old kayak two years ago and bought the Slayer 10 not long ago. Still pretty fresh for me.
My suggestion is, start with what you want to do, since everyone has diff preferences.

My first one was just something to try and muck around. Found out hand paddle wasn't for me. Tried to put electric motor on, was actually causing trouble sometimes with more stuff on the kayak. That's when I decided to get an upgrade.

Then I thought of, do I want speed or space or balance and check the size vs the weight. After I had some experience on the old yak, it was an easy decision. I wanted something stable, though slow, Slayer10 propel frees my hand to fish while maintaining position. Not cheap though. Then there's Hobie, kingfishers, vikings, etc.
Dont think you can get foot pedal kayak with that budget.

When do you use?
I use my best canoe when the wind is 20kmh or less, my preference anyway. I found 25kmh+ is too strong for me. You'll be drifting too fast, can be dangerous too, especially if you're new.

Gps marks and drift?
Pretty much. I have $100 sounder on mine but often start with phone map. Use the sounder to find structures and stuff and drop the bait/lure. I have anchor with 5m rope, drift chute and also a anchor clip for freshwater fishing.

Where do you live btw?
Capacity sports in Moorabbin allows people to try. Also to hire. Mornington boat hire does kayak hire too. Try around and see how you feel after that.
If you live in the west, we can meet up. I live in point cook.
I have same question but i read your post but cant understand that which is best old kayak or new kayak near you....? I want to buy a kayak with in 400$ and as you write in your post that you have bought old kayak within 350$ so i think this was expensive for you or not...?
Within 400$ which kind you kayak i can bought and what will be condition of this....?
and i have a final question that how can i find wind speed before kayaking explain plz.....? :nw:
I’m not 100% sure what you’re asking but I’ll have a crack.

For $400 you’ll either get a brand new crap kayak or a second hand ok kayak, maybe with a few extras thrown in.

You can check the wind using apps like fishranger or willyweather
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

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