Official Kayaking/Canoeing Thread

What is the best way to choose a paddle?

 

Well, what do you need it for?...

You can choose by price, construction, length, blade type/shape...

 

Ok, I read back a few posts and I see you're getting a sit-on-top for fishing/hunting.

I would recommend a brake away plastic paddle with aluminum shaft. Best value for the money, easy to store and transport, ability to use flat or at different feathers, could potentially convert it into 2 canoe paddles.

Unless you are way shorter or taller than average, I would pick something about 200cm in length, it's a good general size, short enough to be maneuverable but long enough to be comfortable.

 

Looks like the back area of the Piragis parking lot to me. Been going to the BW and Quetico for about 11 years now, with the odd trip to Woodland Caribou thrown in for change.

 

This is it here. Im about 5'11

 

no pics handy now, but I have 2 canoes: 16' MR Explorer and an older 14' MR Guide Solo. Put kevlar skid plates on the Guide last spring after I bought it used. Have foam knee pads in the Guide and rigging bow and stern for float bags. It's my play canoe. Have foam pads in the Explorer bow, stern and in the middle. Also have a mod setup in the Explorer to remove the bow seat and replace the rear thwart with a seat for when I paddle that solo. The seat is cut short to pull in the gunwales for some tumblehome when I paddle it solo. Both canoes have bungee loops through the deck plates bow and stern for securing painter lines.

Most useful, easy mod I can think of -- basketball net anchor. Tie the small end shut, add a piece of line threaded through the loops at the top end. Leave it loose, add rocks along side of the river, pull it tight and add an anchor line. No need to carry a heavy anchor when you don't need one, make one when you do.

 

ah crap. forgot you had the tire rack.. then yeah, I would advise against that rack. I am all out of ideas for you. Some kind of rack is needed though. I have a roof rack but honestly, even with my mazda 3 sitting low to the ground, after paddling for a long period of time, that kayak is a b!tch to lift on the roof.

I am the same height as you and have the Carslisle Daytripper 220cm paddle. I like it though I wish it was a little lighter. It is perfect length wise and I have long monkey-like arms. lol

Didn't know they made skidplates for the boats! interesting! I like your anchor idea too. I have an anchor when I go up to the lake but on the river I just take the anchor line only and wrap it around a rock and use that. I will have to try the basketball net. That is a better idea.

 

The basketball net thing is genius......................if you kayak where there are rocks big enough to use in it. Some of us do not.

 

Subscribed

 

mntbiker2008, I think I got my skidplates from Relentless or maybe BAMF.

just kidding. You can search and buy them online. It's a kit that includes kevlar cloth and a resin mix. cut the cloth to fit, mask and prep the canoe surface, and lay down the resin-soaked cloth. It adds a strong protective layer to the bow and stern just above and below the waterline, where you typically see the most wear and tear. There are different kits for canoe size, hull material (kevlar, fiberglass, ABS/Poly). Takes about 2 hours prep to cleanup. I got mine from Northwest Canoe - http://www.skidplatekit.com/

 

another easy mod for canoes - tie a piece of parachute cord to one of your seat posts where it meets the gunwale. run it under the gunwale to the thwart in front or behind your seat, loop it around and run under the thwart to the other gunwale, loop and back to your seat. This provides a nice easy place to clip stuff to with small carabiners. Perfect for hanging things out of the way and off the bottom of the canoe, but still in easy reach.

One thing I hang is a simple car washing sponge, hole cut through the sponge on one end with a loop of rope tied through and a carabiner. Provides a convenient tool to soak up bilge water that collects at your feet.

 

at the Relentless/ BAMF skids. Thanks for the tip!! I am going to look in to this.

I have the sponge mod too. works great for the simple stuff.

 

Have you taken this out yet?

 

Subbed.. Glad I found this thread! I'm an experienced kayaker but not really as experienced with canoes. I went with a girl last year as a date and I love canoeing now. So much funner than being in a kayak. I guess that's because I'm one to take my time and fish and just hang out and it seems much more relaxed in a canoe. So any of you with experience want to suggest a good canoe for me, I've been looking at buying one. I want a smaller, slimmer canoe that trips good and smooth and can handle small rapids. Also something that I can handle alone, but also take a friend. How are these:
http://bham.craigslist.org/boa/2867567248.html

http://bham.craigslist.org/boa/2805462715.html

Really would like this but cant take someone with me and a little pricey:
http://bham.craigslist.org/boa/2822557533.html

Edit: I want to buy used because I plan to get a kayak also so I kinda want to keep both around the $500 range.

 

I would go with either one of the top 2. Old town makes a great canoe. If you want something smaller, go with the 147. the extra foot wont make too much of a difference though with the other. In fact, it will help track a little better and be a little easier on the rapids.

 

Thanks man. I already have a 14ft john boat.. Like i really need 2 more boats not counting my dad's 18ft G3

 

lol my dad's friend has an 18' old town canoe. I had to lift that bitch off his canoe rack in the top of his garage and into my step dad's tundra by myself one time. No one was around and I thought he had already gotten the thing down for the summer.... boy was I wrong. My back hurt for weeks and not to mention how unbalanced it was with my head inside the hull of the boat and not being able to see. I am sure his neighbors had fun watching me.

 

I'd get the 147, that's enough room for two people and the shorter one would be "easier" to maneuver than the 158. I've done many many canoe trips and canoes are much easier to handle when the weight is distributed evenly from bow to stern--and whenever I would take the canoe out by myself I would sit in the back for 2 reasons: Our canoe didn't have a middle seat and it's easier to direct it from the back seat. But any wind or current will spin you around real easy when all your weight is in one end of the boat so be ready to make lots of little directional adjustments when you're by yourself.

 

Not yet. I got it last weekend, still need a paddle. Prolly get one next weekend, then hope for good weather.

 

We have had these for about 6 years now. We got them because of the phase 3 seat and the length. Our paddles are a bent shaft carbon fiber werner. They almost cost the same as the boat. They rotate for easier paddling into the wind. The first 3 pics are various years and spots in Algonquin Park ( that is ice in the 3rd one ) and the last one is east shore of Lake Superior. We have put these boats thru quite a bit and i am not one to worry about some scratches here and there. They have proved very sturdy and held up well for the abuse we have put them thru.