Tandems and kid friendly kayaks

Was talking with SWMBO last night and the fact that I really have been wanting the ability to take the kids out on the kayak was discussed.  Money is not exactly flowing freely at Casa de Sump, so any purchases will have to be planned out and probably incorporate some birthday/Christmas/Father's Day sorts of gifts as well.

I'm leaning towards a tandem that I can take one or both of the 2 older kids out on first, and then a bit later get them their own single kayaks (by which time the 2 younger kids will probably be old enough to go out on the tandem).  Question though is which tandem.  A Hobie Oasis would be awesome, but at $2800 brand new ($1500-2000 used, $1800 as new-old-stock at Ballard Inflatables) rather pricey and probably at, if not beyond, the upper end of what we can afford.  I have an OK Prowler 13, and I like the OK line, so the Malibu 2XL or Zest 2EXP look decent and with MSRP's of $900-950 they're much more affordable.  Anyone with experience with those?  Certainly I'd start out taking them on lakes, and then eventually graduate to the Puget Sound on calm days.

Any other tandems that folks can recommend?

For the eventual single seaters for the older kids, I was thinking that if I can afford them by then, Hobie Sports, or maybe Revo 11's would be worth considering.  On the paddle side, the OK Tetra 10 or 12 looks like it might be a decent choice.  But then again, I've never tried any those out, never mind have the kids do so.  So again, I was hoping to go to school on the experiences of folks on here that have tried some of these various options.

Oh, I guess I should note that my kids are 9 (girl, slightly above average size for age), 7 (boy, rather small for age), 1.5 (boy, big for age), and 3 months (girl). 

When I went to the Lake Sammamish kayak show last month I had the 7 year old try paddling my Prowler 13.  It was clearly too much boat for him at his size, but he still had fun.

The Hobie tandems are awesome, get one. 
That said, I used a Malibu 2 in Mexico this winter and it was a fine kayak.  I only used it solo and it surprised me by how well it paddled.  I think it would have been a bit tight to use as a tandem with 2 adults but for kids it would be great, and as the kids grow they can use it as a single. 
For future singles I really like the Revo 11.  It is fairly light and has very similar handling and speed as its big brother.

With money being at issue, and if the kids aren't going to be specifically fishing, I'd go cheaper with the Malibu tandem and get yourself the Hobie.  The kids can always use the Hobie too.

If you CAN afford it, the oasis is awesome.

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My new prostaff demo kayak this year is going to be an Ocean Kayak Malibu Two XL.  I'm actually passing up the  latest and greatest model because frankly 90% of my fishing this year is going to be with my kids.  If I take at least one kid fishing my wife is more then willing to let me go. If I leave her all day with the kids, not so much.

Up until now my son has been riding along with me in my OK Ultra 4.3 (and the Ultra 4.7 before that, and the Trident 13 before that).  When he was about 3 to 4 he would sit in front of me on the Trident's sonar shield and  face me.    When he got a little bigger (age 5 - 7) he was moved to the tank well and he'd use a folding stadium seat and face backwards.    Now he wants to paddle and I feel a tandem is a great way to let him do that while keeping him as close as possible.  Once he masters that I'll either let him paddle my 10' OK Caper or get him something like an OK Banzai.

The nice thing about the Malibu Two XL is that you can, as Nate already mentioned, paddle it by yourself.  In fact, you can move one of the seats to the middle so that you can maintain trim.   Once I get it all rigged up for fishing I'll do a post on that and  I plan on writing an article for the front page on taking your kids kayak fishing.


Brian

If I take at least one kid fishing my wife is more then willing to let me go. If I leave her all day with the kids, not so much.

That's basically my situation.

lee have you tried taking your oasis out on your own? Is it possible to control it in the surf?

It's controllable in the surf, it just takes practice to learn how to land it.  Haven't used it solo yet.

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I'm in a similar boat...err, kayak. But now that I have had the chance to show several people new to both kayaking and fishing, I've decided to stay away from tandem front and back anythings.

First line of thought is you really can't interact with someone sitting behind or in front of you . Second is a tandem will always be just one vessel.

So now that I've had a chance to be on the water with a hobie and my mini x on one occasion and a two outbacks on another, I'm going to create a system that I can fish the two kayaks side by side. So that probably means surf launches are out but I wouldn't take my 11 or 8 year old out in surf anyways.

I think their learning curve will be much faster if I can be there for them but also they can go out on their own.

We will see how it works!!! 


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I've used my Oasis solo in the surf a couple of times.

I found it impossible to launch in 3' surf from the back. The bow falls off to the side too easily. When I switched to the front, I found I could make it out without any problem. I now fish from the front exclusively.

Returning wasn't as easy. I know that if I pull the drive and rudder, I swing around almost immediately, without really trying, so coming in backwards is probably the best way, but I have yet to try that. I stupidly keep trying to power it in with the Mirage drive, and keep biffing, although it is usually because the bow digs in - not because I get sideways, like I do in the Revo.

I bought my kid a surf board and wetsuit instead of a yak. But I wonder if I should have just bought him a yak or a oasis. It's just that fishing is relaxing and worrying about the safety of a 15  year old boy in the surf I'm not sure is? Lee next time you go out to hoebuck, maybe try it,( surf launch) a couple of times alone and let me know?

Two yaks rather than a tandem. The only reason I have an Oasis is that my wife does not want to be on the tiller in current (she won't even discuss surf). If she felt comfortable in her own yak, I would have gladly ponied up for two singles. Don't get me wrong, the Oasis is a great boat, and I don't mind fishing it solo - except in surf - but I take Younggun's Revo if he is not fishing with me. Lighter out of the water and faster in it.

I have and plan to keep around the OK Malibu Two XL Angler.  I have been the motor for two 10 year old kids.  I'm in the back troll paddling, my son is facing forward in the center and the smaller girl friend of his sat up in the front facing back toward us.  They could sing and giggle and be kids all while holding a fishing rod out opposite sides of the kayak well out of my paddle stroke area. 

I have also used it solo by myself, as has my wife.  It is really stable, and plenty of deck space for all your gear.

Being on a tight budget, I would definitely suggest the OK Malibu Two XL.

I got my OK Malibu 2xl for something like $600, and I love the options it provides.  Solo, or with either my 10 yr old or 7 yr old or both.  Took three limits at the clamming outing!

I got my OK Malibu 2xl for something like $600, and I love the options it provides.  Solo, or with either my 10 yr old or 7 yr old or both.  Took three limits at the clamming outing!

When we have all the money put together I'm hoping to find a similar deal.

I can certainly appreciate the sentiments of several who've suggested seperate single seaters for the kids.  If they were older/bigger/stronger that's probably what I'd do rather than a tandem.  But the oldest would be marginally able, at best, right now to handle her own yak.  The 7 year old is definitely not ready for that.  In a few years that will start to change, and I think I'll buy single seaters just for them when that time comes.  And by then the, now, toddler and infant will be approaching the age that the tandem will be useful with them.