Elmira, we have two inflatable solo Sea Eagle 330s that we got on special from eBay years ago. They were two-for-one, hard to pass up. They were offered by a dealer in the same town as Sea Eagle is located, and because they are the largest seller of Sea Eagles, they get a lot of discounts and special deals. This makes it easy for them to undercut the actual manufacturer. Weird, but it worked out great for us. We only kayak occasionally and the "boat in a bag" is great for us. Supposedly they weigh 60 lbs., but my DH and I both struggle to carry the bags. We got upgraded seats, upgraded paddles with floats, and the regular foot pump plus some patches and glue (which we have never had to use). They are very steady in the water, comfortable for sit-ins, and more lightweight to carry by the side ropes when inflated. They fit in our Odyssey when inflated as well; and, of course, they fit when they are in their individual bags as well.
I would say these are good for what we do; but if you will be doing white water paddling, using your yaks all the time, and have a place to carry and then store the "hard side" models, I would get one of those mainly due to what I think would be better maneuverability. Our Sea Eagles function well but we would not or could not race them!
Also, when we were looking, the company rep told us not to get a tandem kayak unless we had practiced putting up wallpaper together in a very tiny bathroom and were still married. He was right because we tried putting both seats and sets of paddles in one solo (we did fit), it was awful. We paddled in circles and got very annoyed with each other. 😀
I sure wish I could find that company name to give you. If I find it, I will let you know; but I do know they were in the same city/town as Sea Eagle.
FOUND IT!!!
[size=18pt]inflatableboats4less.com[/size] in Port Jefferson. Now running a spring 2-4-1sale: $418 complete for 2 sets --
http://inflatableboats4less.com/sport-kayaks/
Really nice mom & pop type company with good customer relations, courteous and patient when I asked a lot of questions, and less expensive with the deal they are running than the manufacturer of Sea Eagles down the street. Read their webpage for loads of info. Call Tim at the company if you have any questions; he is a really nice guy.
Elmira Fudd,
I own 5 kayaks and had 2 others prior. 2 are sit-in, 2 are sit-on and 1 is an inflatable.
The inflatable is convenient for travel but much harder to paddle through the water because these are blocky shaped.
The sit-on top kayaks have have your body weight above the water so it is easier to tip them. You are more likely to get wet on them as many have holes throughout them.
The sit-in kayaks are usually either narrow and fast or wider and more stable.
Tandem kayaks can not easily be used by one person on a lake because the wind will blow you around and it makes them hard to steer.
[size=12pt]I mainly use two sit-in recreational kayaks with wide hulls. They aren't the fasted on the water get very stable. My golden retriever can get in and out of the boat without it tipping.[/size]
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Inflatable
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Sit-On Top
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Sit-In
[img width=640 height=426]http://kayak.morro-bay.com/images/unsafe-sit-inside.jpg[/img]
Tandem
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White Water Kayak
[img width=640 height=428]http://web.jhu.edu/sebin/p/g/Kayak.jpg[/img]
We have a tandem Sea Eagle & it is big & roomy. As mentioned above, it won't keep up with a hard hull kayak. It inflates high & is more susceptible to the wind. That being said, though, for the type of recreational, lazy, paddling we do now, it suits our needs. As for the tandem, I believe we are the odd ones. Everyone I have spoken to say they are "divorce yaks", but DH & I get along just fine. Maybe our canoeing background has something to do with it 😉
We have two sit-on-top kayaks and even when we were in the Gulf of Mexico, we kept surprisingly dry. If you are looking to kayak calm waters (lakes/rivers), then don't discount them just yet. They are easier to get into and out of and are pretty stable. We have Hobie kayaks and love them but they are on the pricier side.
My goal in life is to be the person my dog thinks I am.
We have a couple sit on tops as well and like Jamie said, they are most comfortable in the Florida sun.
I wear waterproof (resistant?) pants so I stay dry.
When cold (rare for us, lol ) I just dress warm.
Our kayaks are 14 ft long and are very stable. Almost hard to tip over and I haven't done it.....yet.
I did roll it once coming in from the Atlantic as I surfed the 3-4 foot waves in.
I can stand in mine and sight fish in calm water.
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