Ocean kayaks on the river is it safe ?

This is exactly another condition where the sea kayak excels. With added weight it doesn't displace any more water.

Ummm ... this literally defies the laws of physics. 

-Allen

Well actually it's so insignificant you'd barely notice. The point wasn't that though, the point was that this is where a sea kayak is an advantage over most sit on tops. But if you're more interested in arguing the small points go right ahead. I'll be catching fish and teaching them a lesson in the class III rivers where most sit on tops do not excel, like the Sol Duc where I have yet to see one sit on top in the winter/spring. If you want to buy a hull which pushes water around in the river it will be harder to move when fully loaded as opposed to hulls designed to draft/skim on water.. How's that for physics? I'll be back to check responses in three years. LOL

This is exactly another condition where the sea kayak excels. With added weight it doesn't displace any more water.

Ummm ... this literally defies the laws of physics. 

-Allen

Well actually it's so insignificant you'd barely notice. The point wasn't that though, the point was that this is where a sea kayak is an advantage over most sit on tops. But if you're more interested in arguing the small points go right ahead. I'll be catching fish and teaching them a lesson in the class III rivers where most sit on tops do not excel, like the Sol Duc where I have yet to see one sit on top in the winter/spring. If you want to buy a hull which pushes water around in the river it will be harder to move when fully loaded as opposed to hulls designed to draft/skim on water.. How's that for physics? I'll be back to check responses in three years. LOL

A bit touchy, eh Ray?  To put the whole quote up ...

With an unloaded boat it's a lot easier.  With food camping gear and 5 gallons of water it's tough.

This is exactly another condition where the sea kayak excels. With added weight it doesn't displace any more water. But it will likely take some more effort to turn. The sit on top kayaks generally displace more water and are more negatively impacted by additional weight. Doing overnight oceanic voyages it makes an even more significant difference between the two as well.

And the biggest mistake I see people make in any kayak on the smaller rivers is leaving their poles in the rod holder six to eight feet in the air and smacking tree branches. Let's not forget it also makes them more prone to breakage in this position. Lay that stuff down and bungee it, tie it or whatever to secure it.

Not sure how you say this is arguing a small point.  It is exactly the point that I read you as making ... that a sea kayak excels in the exact condition of loading it with gear.

You based this argument  on the mistaken belief that it displaces less water.  I tell you what.  Take a SIK and  a SOT with exactly the same hull, and load them with exactly the same weight, distributed in the same fashion.  You know what?  They displace the same amount of water.  It isn't a SIK vs. SOT thing, like you always seem to make it.

See you in three years.

-Allen

The sea kayak actually becomes more stable when loaded. Anyway, I'm confident that my experience and time on the river and my abilities that I can firmly state the sea kayak is often times superior to any sit on top in the river condition. If it gets under your skin or makes you feel like you need to debate have fun. But like I said, I have to see one SOT on the Sol Duc and the reason is, people know they are generally not good for fishing vessels under those conditions and I hope nobody tries it. That's the fact. Just like I never see them at Tatoosh Island when the current rips...

The sea kayak actually becomes more stable when loaded. Anyway, I'm confident that my experience and time on the river and my abilities that I can firmly state the sea kayak is often times superior to any sit on top in the river condition. If it gets under your skin or makes you feel like you need to debate have fun. But like I said, I have to see one SOT on the Sol Duc and the reason is, people know they are generally not good for fishing vessels under those conditions and I hope nobody tries it. That's the fact. Just like I never see them at Tatoosh Island when the current rips...

I'm not arguing that there are circumstances that one craft is better than the other.  It's not me with anything under my skin.  Anyone that knows me knows that I like to discuss these sorts of "technical differences".  I'd love to keep discussing them with you.  But I'm not sure why you are being defensive here?  A sweeping statement that implies all sea kayaks are better than all SOT in a certain situation is just plane wrong.  There are so many factors in determining this, one of which is not the mistaken belief of displacement differences in the general sense.

If you want to make the statement that Ray Bourbon, in the sea kayak that Ray Bourbon selected, is the king of the Sol Duc.  So be it.  All hail the king.  But I bet you a dollar I can select a sea kayak for you to paddle the Sol Duc, and you'd be wishing you had the SOT I was in.  All hail king polepole!  Different crafts for different purposes, the least of which should be SIK vs SOT when it comes to selecting.

-Allen

Now boys, be nice and behave yourselves, or I'll have to try to distract you by making comments about the rocker of Polepole's favorite paddle sit-on-top kayak, which is manufactured by one of his sponsors, and is shown in my avatar picture.

Hey Ray ... you know where a SOT excels over a SINK?
When it comes to fishing and landing large fish ... like halibut ... a SOT is a far better craft.  Sea kayaks are good for touring and SOTs are good for fishing. Have fun touring tattoosh ... I'll be busy catching halibut. =)

Ray you mentioned prior that you've haven't seen one SOT on the Sol Duc, but didn't specify or provide pictures of how many SIK's actually fish that river at that same time.  Touring it, and fishing it are not quite the same.  So, if you by default are the only one in a SIK on the Sol Duc river actually fishing, then that's awesome and shows it just hasn't taken off as a kayak fishery just yet. 

Keep the movement moving. 

Hey Ray ... you know where a SOT excels over a SINK?
When it comes to fishing and landing large fish ... like halibut ... a SOT is a far better craft.  Sea kayaks are good for touring and SOTs are good for fishing. Have fun touring tattoosh ... I'll be busy catching halibut. =)

Oh come on Bill.  I thought I heard a sea kayaker caught a halibut this year.  Was that you Ray?  Right on!   

-Allen

Well I'm glad I was able to contribute to a healthy conversation/debate about sik and sot

I did enjoy the replies and value the advice of all .