I'm strongly considering a couple of Kayaks to add to our activities for next year, and as fall approaches I know there will be some good deals out there.
Our outings are usually along small rivers and small lakes so the Kayaks would be more for leisurely use or maybe fishing.
DW has had some lake experience in a sit in Kayak and enjoyed it and, as for myself, I've only tried rented canoes. I enjoyed it but did have some trouble getting in and going out solo.
Would like some advice from experienced folks. I'm leaning towards sit on top kayaks for the ease of getting in and out but I'm open to pros and cons of both.
We have SOT 'yaks. Perception Pescadors to be exact. We love them. As you have realized, they're MUCH easier to ingress/egress and are preferred for fishing. You generally sit higher in a SOT and that's better for casting and retrieving. We're still water paddlers (for the most part) and we love ours.
I would encourage you to try to find as many as you can just so you can make the decision yourself rather than relying on input from folks that may have different needs/wants than you do. I would love to think that everyone in the world would be happy with the decisions I make, but you may find otherwise if you could try some out. We rented for a couple of years until we found what we likes and I feel like it was money well spent. Some dealers will let you "try before you buy" if only in a puddle behind their shop.
We own SOT kayaks (4 total), nothing fancy. It really is personal preference. I would first decide when you are going to be paddling...only in summer or year-round? We live in FL and paddle year round...SOT is the way to go as you will roast in the summer heat in the Sit-In yaks. Also, like BelchFire said, I find it easier to fish from the SOT.
Another plus for SOT yaks is that you won't take on water and sink! They have scupper holes that drain water.
I would list pros and cons of each for what you will be using them for. Then go test them out. (Although we didn't test ours before we bought.)
I bought my first kayak this summer. I had intended to go to Cabella's and window shop, and was 99% sold on getting a sit-in one when I left with a sit on top. There was one in the clearance at a price that I just couldn't pass up.
It was absolutely great in the summer when it's really hot. It's easy to move around and I can transport it in my SUV. It's easy to get back on if I fall off (I did it on purpose) both with and without a life vest.
That said, I still want a sit-in one. It's not cold outside but it's too chilly to use my kayak already. My butt gets wet every time I use it so I have to make sure I have a change of shorts. I plugged the scupper holes but I still get a little wet. (and I'm no where near the weight limit of it).
I agree with BelchFire to rent a few times and check out the "try before you buy" places. But of course if you find something at such a good price that you can use it a few times and easily resell it for what you paid for it, you can't go wrong!
I agree with everyone who says to try before you buy.
We have 2 sit-ins that we take on the ocean or bay (in Delaware). They are both extremely stable (nobody has ever tipped/capsized) but the larger one (Old Town Vapor 12') is much more so than the 10'.
When we bought, I and oldest DS was equally comfortable with on-tops and ins (never flipped either type), but DH and youngest DS always seemed to capsize whenever we rented on-tops (various brands and sizes), even on the calmest of water.
In our case, it really has to do with individuals and their methods of balance; I'd recommend to try as many types as possible before purchasing, or else buy something you know you can resell easily (as other posters have mentioned).
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