Canoe or kayak?

[ChadTower]

I suspect 99.99% of kayak paddlers can't catch a 300lb tuna either. One exception doesn't make it viable for the rest of us.

 

[troutstalker]

Boats have different applications. Before you buy one, you have to decide which one applies to your purpose. Before you buy, decide what that purpose is or you will not be happy. I have had canoes and kayaks. You just can't buy one without deciding what you are using it for. I have modified my yak to do different applications. I use it for backcountry trips and for fishing. When in the fishing mode , it is rigged with fish finder, rod holders, drift anchor, anchor and anchor trolley system. For safety I made a visipole so that motor boaters can see me. Before you buy, DECIDE!

 

[ppine]

The Makah Indians and many others have harpooned whales from canoes for centuries.

 

[troutstalker]

Realistically we are not talking about canoes that can seat 9 people! It doesn't really matter what you have as long as you can satisfy your passion. My free time is important to me and I would rather not waste time carrying unnecessary gear when I can go light and fast. When the weather is rough and the canoes I see are shore bound, I can paddle through the waves and wind and do my one trip portages. I have a 5 hour trip home from where I do my passion. If more people would read "Woodcraft" by Nessmuk they would understand more about traveling light. He had the first solo canoe made by Rushton. It weighed 10 pounds and he did 90 miles through the Adirondacks. He didn't believe in a lot of gear either. Sitting here writing this is making me anxious for ice out in the mountains(can't wait)! I'll have to settle for the salmon run in Lake Ontario instead. HAPPY PADDLING!

 

[troutstalker]

There are many different models of kayaks. There are ones that you can peddle or paddle, some come in three separate sections that snap together, there is the Freedom Hawk that the rear spreads out with the push of a lever and a stand up bar for the fisherman. Some come with electric motors and there is the Oragami Kayak that folds and carry slung over your shoulder with a strap. There are sit on tops and sit insides. There touring yaks, recreational yaks and fishing yaks. There is a yak for whatever your desires.

 

[Newanderthal]

You can't do that in a canoe!

Why not? When sitting properly in a canoe, it's just as stable as a sit-in kayak. Just about anything done in a kayak can be done in a canoe, including Class V rapids (I've seen it).

 

[troutstalker]

Canoes take on water in rough seas as they don't have decks to keep you dry. Kayaks can be paddled straight into the wind and canoes you have to constantly make direction corrections. I have seen plenty of times where canoes are stranded due to wind and waves as I paddle through.

 

[jason]

Why do I feel this has turned into a ford vs chevy debate?

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

Why do I feel this has turned into a ford vs chevy debate?

Beginning to seem that way. For my money, they are similar but different tools, like a claw hammer and a ball-peen hammer. you can use either one for some things, but one or the other excels at certain things.

Beyond that, it's largely a matter of taste , and "de gustibus non est dispuntandum".

 

[troutstalker]

While eating lunch at the upper dam on Bog River I chuckled at two guys with a canoe making six trips to make a single portage. This is fast? I have spent a lot of time planning how to make a portage in one trip. I bought a 36 pound kayak. Made a portage yoke and assessed my gear. I minimalized by eliminating items not really needed. I purchased a wood fired Solo Stove to eliminate the weight and space of gas canisters. I dehydrate my own food. I can go faster than any canoeist that brings the refrigerator and sink too. Oh, did I mention that I am 66 years young!

 

[Theo]

I have both a canoe and a kayak and I happen to prefer a canoe. Just like when I used to hunt, I always liked using my bow instead of my gun. And over the years I've seen just as many people who couldn't paddle a kayak very well as canoeers. Just remember, anything a kayak can do, a canoe has done it first.

 

[ppine]

Canoes used in the ocean, tough rapids and/or bad weather frequently have covers on them to shed waves and rain. Maybe some of you have never seen a canoe with a cover. The longest boat voyages in history have largely been made by canoes.

 

[troutstalker]

Kayaks were invented by Eskimos to hunt whales. I think that is a first.I think that it really doesn't matter what boat you have as long as you enjoy the out of doors. We all have different ideas and personal preferences. Whatever suits you well is all that matters. Now does anybody know how to get the ice off the Adirondack waters?

 

[ChadTower]

I love all of the "I once saw some people who didn't know what they are doing so that proves an absolute" stories...

Both boats can do just about anything the other can do. It's just a question of environment, experience, and needs of the day.

 

[ppine]

Troutstalker,
For large cetaceans like walrus and whales, Innuit and Eskimos use umiaks, which are much larger than kayaks and can hold a half dozen people. Kayaks are used to hunt seals and fish.

 

[vinovampire]

During this past 3-day weekend that I had off from work, I took out my kayak twice and went out twice in a canoe. So I guess you could say that I like both types of boats equally and any day on the water is a good day in my book! Personally I find that I grab a kayak on large lakes and oceans, while I tend to canoe on smaller lakes and on gentle rivers. I'm not really a rapids guy, too cautious by nature.

Canoeing on Newfound Lake, NH, USA on September 7, 2014

 

[ppine]

duct tape is right about the learning curve in small kayaks with double blades. It takes some skill to handle a canoe. that stops a lot of people right there. I had a sea kayak that I built from a kit out of mahogany, but I sold it. I am a canoeist.

 

[Rosepetals]

I do not prefer one over the other. It is nice to have change sometimes. I mix it up from time to time. I don't want to pick just one out of the two.

 

[Blazer]

I used to go canoeing when I was younger, in high school and college. A group of us would rent canoes and go camping on the Delaware River. I used to go regularly canoe/camping with my boyfriend and friends back in those days.

Recently I took my daughter out for a day trip in a canoe with the idea of seeing how we both liked it. She was bored sitting in the canoe (she prefers either chilling in a tube or whitewater rafting) and I prefer kayaking to paddling a canoe. IMO, a kayak is more maneuverable and I enjoy the feeling of sitting lower and being "one" with the boat.

You can carry a lot of gear in a canoe so if I were to go camping with a friend or my daughter I'd probably rent a canoe and use it for that. But I can't say that I prefer paddling a canoe to a kayak. I guess I've gotten to used to kayaking. I use a greenland paddle when I kayak my bigger boats, which I really enjoy. For my smaller boat I use a carbon fiber euro paddle. I'm really big into having a lightweight paddle as it makes a huge difference.

I have two kayaks. One is 10' Advanced Elements Advanced Frame inflatable kayak. I bought it before I had a kayak trailer and found inflating/deflating it to be a pain. Nowadays I don't deflate it and it's an excellent kayak to use. It's no "blow up boat", but actually has a frame that makes it feel like any other small kayak and it's more comfortable.

I use it for day trips on smaller rivers, creeks and it will handle Class 2 whitewater if I don't mind getting wet. It doesn't carry much though so it's a day trip boat.

My 16" P&H Capella 160 sea kayak rarely sees the sea, which is ironic because I live within a few miles of the ocean but I don't like salt water and use it for larger rivers and lakes and for kayak camping. It has 3 waterproof compartments and is quite stable so I've used it on rivers with light whitewater as well.

I have a kayak trailer that I use to transport my kayaks with my Jeep and can pack up my kayak with everything in it on the trailer and just slide it off and into the water, which works really nice.

I do a lot of kayak camping in the summer. I hate hot weather and being near and in the water helps me deal with the heat, plus kayak camping is a good way to get away from crowded campgrounds during the summer season. I tend to paddle my kayaks from April-October. When the temperatures are below 60 I'm done with kayaking. I hate being cold and wet so when the air is cool that's when I hike/backpack.

Here's a few pics: First pic is from just a few weeks ago at Indian Lake in the Adirondacks. I went kayak camping there for a week and managed to fit everything in my kayak for a week.

The other pics are of me and my greenland paddle in my P&H Capella 160 sea kayak and the kayak trailer for my Jeep. And the last is my 10' Advanced Elements inflatable from a trip to the Pine Barrens in NJ, which is my favorite place to paddle it as it's so easy to maneuver.

And yet another one from Indian Lake on Sept 17, 2014

 

[Blazer]

I hunt and fish out of a 14ft Old Town Predator sit in kayak. Extremely stable. Camped on the Susquehanna river several times (it can hold a lot of gear). Been in plenty of canoes and they are fine but too much secondary instability for my tastes.

I love the Susquehanna River. I've paddled 50 mile trips on the mid section twice this year. The free, primitive camping islands are incredible! The Susquehanna River Trail Association maintains the campsites between Hummels Wharf and Harrisburg. Some sites are better than others. One time I couldn't find an approved site so I just camped on a beach. There are some islands that aren't owned and considered public land so you can camp there.

For the cost of a shuttle I can get 5 days of great camping/paddling on the river. I end up at my car when I'm done. You can do the same thing on the Delaware River in the national recreation area of the river as well but it's a lot more crowded, especially on summer weekends.

About the only downside of the Susquehanna mid section is that roads run along both sides along with a railroad track so you don't get the feeling of being in a pristine wilderness. There's a lot of road noise. But the scenery and camping makes up for it.

Fortunately I'm a backpacker so the gear I have converts nicely into kayak camping and fits in fine. It helps that I have lots of dry bags. I even bring full sized chairs/tables. Everything has it's place on and in the kayak. You just have to do it carefully.

Next season I want to explore the western and northern branches of the Susquehanna river as well.

Here's a pic of my Susquehanna river trip.

DEF worth the trip! Hard to beat a sunrise/sunset over the river.

I agree completely!