Kayaks and Airstreams

[Jdh]

Just bought myself an inflatable sevylor Colorado canoe, and my first fishing pole since I was probably 10 years old. Pretty excited about both. Just need to find me a lake.

[doorgunner]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

I am thinking about getting a tandem kayak, so my wife and I can kayak together along with our dog or a grand child. What to you recommend?

What do you think of the Perception Prodigy ll 14.5 Tandem? Do you recommend getting it with a rudder?

Thanks for your help.

Dan

How big is the dog? The wife? you? grand child? By big I actually mean weight.
Do you fit comfortably in the PP II ? Can you swim? wife? dog? little one?
Go to the local kayak shop and demo a few boats. Think about loading that thing on the vehicle. Maybe a little longer boat would not weigh that much more. Go to the local kayak shop,
I like boats with positive flotation for rookie paddlers. Just imagine a bit of water filling the boat half way, things like that.
There are a ton of boats out there, look at whats floating around in your area, TALK to people, most of us paddlers are pretty friendly.
rudders are nice in a cross wind.
That's my short answer.
best wishes on your selection

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

I am thinking about getting a tandem kayak, so my wife and I can kayak together along with our dog or a grand child. What to you recommend?

What do you think of the Perception Prodigy ll 14.5 Tandem? Do you recommend getting it with a rudder?

Thanks for your help.

Dan

Try before you buy, our 14.5 footer is great for two, maybe a well trained dog or small gkid could go in front of my knees and between my feet, at present I use this space for a cooler with 10widex14Lx17High. could your dog sit for a couple of hours without moving? Most dogs we see on the water like the bow maybe it could balance the load if you weigh a few pounds more than dw.
I haven't found a need for rudder as we don't do open water distance challenges, just rivers and lakes. Rudder would only help with wind or current from port or starboard.

[Colorado Casey]

On the way south to Florida for Kayaking. Still too cold in Taos!

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by Colorado Casey

On the way south to Florida for Kayaking. Still too cold in Taos!

This picture was taken last Feb, so mid winter picture here
More wildlife on river than in summer, they seem to enjoy it more too.

[doorgunner]

Did you say WILDLIFE ! !
Been there done that on Duvall St in beautiful Key West!!

[doorgunner]

Wife wanted a boat with a rudder, tired of corrective strokes. So I found this for her. Oh , she wanted to go faster also. A nice day on the water at the end of November here in Northern California where we kayak ALL year long. lol
Oh . we Airstream all year also. ! !

[Colorado Casey]

Well I did a nice trip on the Suwannee in North Florida. But I am still having trouble attaching photos on the site. Is it just me or is it a hard process?

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by doorgunner

Wife wanted a boat with a rudder, tired of corrective strokes. So I found this for her. Oh , she wanted to go faster also. A nice day on the water at the end of November here in Northern California where we kayak ALL year long. lol
Oh . we Airstream all year also. ! !

Looking' good, Linda Lu! Now, you guys reeeeeeally need a kayak shed....

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by Colorado Casey

Well I did a nice trip on the Suwannee in North Florida. But I am still having trouble attaching photos on the site. Is it just me or is it a hard process?

Not hard, but once in awhile the app that does the attaching breaks down and gives you a "bad address" error. I just keep doing it until it works.

Looking good on the Suwannee!

Z

[DaveFL]

Good choice on Suwannee River, closer to the gulf not as interesting.
Pointing at a manatee or one of the huge Suwannee sturgeons?
We did Suwannee River State park a few month back, we were able to do two days of going up stream, first the Suwannee then the Withlachochee just a quarter mile downstream of the park it enters the Suwannee.

[Colorado Casey]

Oh, he was pointing at a "river rise". I forget the name of the river, it dove underground for a mile or three, and then comes up right there just off of the Suwannee. We paddled up the side stream to where the river just came up under you with no big drama, like a giant spring. I think that is pretty amazing and have seen it before in Florida (the Santa Fe River for instance), but no where else have I seen rivers act like this!

And there were some other beautiful springs and side streams coming into the Suwannee all along it. Very slow current though on the main river.

[doorgunner]

Got totally surprised today when Dee (Warbler5) drove up to me as I was loading my kayak after my 124th day on the water at Lake Natomas. She thought my chances of being on google Earth were pretty good as I spend so much time there. lol So I surpassed my goal of 100 days easily. probably only get out 4 or 5 more before Christmas, then a Airstream adventure for 10 days to southern calif on the beach.January is already full with 2 races and a week of kayak crabbing in the Airstream. Retirement life is hectic at times. lol

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by Colorado Casey

Oh, he was pointing at a "river rise". I forget the name of the river, it dove underground for a mile or three, and then comes up right there just off of the Suwannee. We paddled up the side stream to where the river just came up under you with no big drama, like a giant spring. I think that is pretty amazing and have seen it before in Florida (the Santa Fe River for instance), but no where else have I seen rivers act like this!

And there were some other beautiful springs and side streams coming into the Suwannee all along it. Very slow current though on the main river.

O'leno state park is where the Santa Fe River goes underground. North Suwannee does have the more scenic rock walls, sand bars and springs, further south at the Manatee State Park both sides of the river has lowland woods, very short spring run of clear water dumping into the red tannin water of the river.

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by doorgunner

Got totally surprised today when Dee (Warbler5) drove up to me as I was loading my kayak after my 124th day on the water at Lake Natomas. She thought my chances of being on google Earth were pretty good as I spend so much time there. lol So I surpassed my goal of 100 days easily. probably only get out 4 or 5 more before Christmas, then a Airstream adventure for 10 days to southern calif on the beach.January is already full with 2 races and a week of kayak crabbing in the Airstream. Retirement life is hectic at times. lol

I'll be looking forward to more lessons next year, and some pointers on good crabbing! Congrats on beating your 100 day goal. Zep

[nilesrob]

This is the best canoe/kayak launch dock ever! At Oscar Scherer State Park on the west coast of FL near Venice. So easy to put in and get out on that little ramp, and WAY more valued because this is alligator territory. Campsites on the river don't allow dogs; they tend to disappear.

[Sky]

Did you find the Tiki Bar down the intercostal? One of my favorite paddling destinations from Oscar. On the paddle home your ready to wrestle a gator.

The hip is doing very well, have 3 outing for 30 miles so far. There is kayaking after total hip replacement, thank God.

[nilesrob]

Originally Posted by Sky

Did you find the Tiki Bar down the intercostal? One of my favorite paddling destinations from Oscar. On the paddle home your ready to wrestle a gator.

Can anyone say Skeeterville?

[Zigidachs]

You lucky dogs down in Florida….!

Our water temps this time of year are 42*!!!!

Shout out to the Buckeye…our Airstream's name is "Brutus"!

OSU '66, '70

Wright State '77 ( 3 years in the Army)

[Taylormade]

Man, Oscar Scherer is a great place to kayak, but I really hate that they've turned the few waterfront sites they have into no dog sites. There are two sites next to each other that are absolutely primo and we used to stay there at least four times a year (it's only a 30 minute drive), but haven't been back since the new rule, which I think took effect in 2013.

We've got german shepherds and never had any sort of encounter whatsoever there. We've encountered more "danger" in other parks with wild boar, nasty raccoons, snakes, etc... oh well.