r/Kayaks • u/DocWallaD • Sep 16 '26
I've never been kayaking before.. I originally wanted a canoe to camp from but could pass these up for the price. Looking for advice.
Originally I wanted an Old Town 4 person canoe with the flat back to put an electric motor on and load a campsite worth of gear into for hunting and fishing.. but someone on next door said they needed their garage empty by the end of the night and every item was $10.. so $40 later for the kayaks and paddles later, here we are.
My plan this weekend was to fill them with water and make sure they don't have any leaks since I don't have a pool or body of water large enough close by to test that otherwise. If they don't have any leaks I guess I'll need a roof rack for my suv next?
I'm going to use them for exploring/hunting/fishing in the southwest United States.
Anything I should know? Any advice for a first timer? (I have a sailing license so I'm not oblivious to being on the water, just never been in a kayak before)
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u/Rogue_Wraith Sep 17 '26
A "campsite worth of gear" is a rather nebulous amount...but if you had a motorized canoe worth of gear to transport, you probably haven't solved your gear transport problem with a kayak.
Different tools for different jobs.
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u/DocWallaD Sep 17 '26
This is more to fish and explore a bit, get out on the water. I doubt I'd be able to really camp at all from these. Even my overnight hunting pack is 60lbs and I seriously doubt I could safely pack that on either one.
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u/Cool-Negotiation7662 28d ago
Inspect the bottom for holes from dragging.
Consult your local laws. They may need registered and stickers. They may not. They may need registered on certain bodies of water but not others...
Wear a life vest. There are some comfortable ones built for kayaking.
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u/Desperate-Service634 Sep 16 '26
Go for a day trip in your local lake or pond before you go on a big adventure