I want to us it to take trips up and down local lakes and creeks. I’m not really into fishing but still want room to carry gear. Any moderately affordable suggestions are welcomed.
I want to us it to take trips up and down local lakes and creeks. I’m not really into fishing but still want room to carry gear. Any moderately affordable suggestions are welcomed.
hobie lanais are great, and i don’t think they’re too expensive.
I think either a Perception Carolina (like a 14 ft.) or a Prijon Calabria is what you’re looking for. They’re shorter than typical touring or sea kayaks to be maneuverable in creeks but fast enough to get some decent distance while you increase your skill level or are in open water. They also have bulkheads for storage. Retail prices should be around $1000 but I’d personally look for any used boats. Of course, this all assumes that you can fit into the smaller sizes of these boats. Basically, I’d stick with smaller plastic sea kayaks.
When you say “local lakes”, I am assuming that you mean fairly small lakes, not large enough for any tremendous wave action other than from power boats. Referring to “creeks”, to me, means narrow waterways with tight turns, occasional snags & overhanging branches… that sort of thing.
Lots of people look at sit-on-tops for a first kayak, because of the stability of their wide, flat hulls. The drawback to those is, they are generally slower than a typical sit-in kayak of the same length, and most of their gear carrying capacity is exposed. Also, you sit higher in a sit-on-top, and that will make passing under overhanging branches more difficult.
I would recommend that you look for a sit-in kayak of about 14′ in length. Since there are a number of models & brands available that would be suitable, my best recommendation would be for you to see what is available locally, and try them out. DON’T just buy based on anyone’s recommendation. See how it handles, make sure your legs don’t go to sleep if you’re in it for an hour or so (see if you are comfortable in it!), and see how easy/difficult it is to handle while loading & launching.
Good luck!