first serious kayak?

Hi everybody. Iv been fishing out of an ocean kayak frenzy which is i think 9 feet and has no storage for anything. Ive had a blast though and its let me fish waadah island at neah bay where before i was confined to the jetty. I think its time to look for a more serious vehicle though, and this seems like the place to get some advice. I want something maneuverable, so im looking at shorter boats in the 11-13 foot range, but id like to be able to do some multiday trips. luckily im young and dont mind packing really light. most of the time in this boat will be spent at neah bay between waadah and the garbage dump area, san juans, mabe outside at tattoosh, and a few trips to southern california. id like it to be stable for outside, but im not probably going outside the sound anythime other than late spring to early fall. and i do have some experience kayaking in bad weather in alaska, so im not totally inexperienced. ideally i would find a boat used or demo'd because i dont have a huge budget. ive been looking at the ocean kayak trident anglers, any thoughts? i would like to test paddle something and i live near seattle so if anyone hs recommendations about the best shops to do so (ones that might have demo boats for sale, id like to support a shop if they let me try a boat), id love to hear about them! sorry for the long first post, im just excited and trying to get things figured out as quickly as i can. thanks in advance for any help

welcome to the group. for us to help you a bit better, jusust how large are you? that would help many of us determine which boats to steer you toward, since many have weight capacities that may or may not work for you.

haha, the username refers to my favorite size fish, not myself. im about 180 pounds and 5'10" so i assume my size doesnt limit me much.

If you're in good shape, don't be afraid to take a long boat.  They may not turn as easy, but a few strong strokes will turn any yak.  A longer yak is more efficient to paddle and you can cover more distance.

how would you feel about fishing tight to jetties and walls in a 15 footer? that will make up much more of my fishing than the longer trips so its my biggest concern. if thats reasonable i will try paddling some larger boats though.

For me personally, size doesn't affect that.  Reason being, if there is a swell or strong wind pushing me towards, I'm not getting close at all.  If there is no swell and no strong wind, it doesn't matter.

Then again, I guess I could be guilty of pushing the limits down at the crab tourny, I was 10-15 away from the rock wall there, with a decent swell, strong wind, and a strong current.  16 foot Tarpon did just fine.

If you're in good shape, don't be afraid to take a long boat.  They may not turn as easy, but a few strong strokes will turn any yak.  A longer yak is more efficient to paddle and you can cover more distance.

Or...

If you're in good shape, don't be afraid to take a short boat.  They may not be as efficient, but a few more good strong strokes will cover the same distance.  A shorter yak is more maneuverable if distance isn't an issue.


I actually paddled an 11 ft kayak (OK Caper) for years before  moving up to a 13 ft  (OK Trident 13).   I think for my next kayak I might choose an  11 ft one again.

ha, i guess theres a few takes on everything. i think ill have to paddle a few to decide what length feels best. how about less subjective things, like are any brands more durable? or do some tend towards more storage space or more stability or whatever it may be?

I can't say enough good things about the Hobie pedal drive.  Give one a try if you can.

I can't say enough good things about the Hobie pedal drive.  Give one a try if you can.

+1...If your not limited by lack of funds, try a Hobie Mirage drive kayak for sure, you'll love it. There's one for every need, from the 9ft sport to the 16 foot Adventure. Most of the Hobie owners here have an Outback(12ft.) or the Revolution(13+ft).