Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The 10-foot-long Pelican International Rise 100x is an introductory, sit-inside kayak designed for use on calm lakes and slow-moving rivers. In the kayaking world, recreational kayaks are not taken seriously. Referred to as “toyaks” and “bathtub boats,” an introductory kayak may be all you will ever want, depending on what you want to do with it. Be careful in selecting a kayak, though: the kayak in this photograph is missing its drain plug.

Part Two: How to chose the right model

This is one in a series of staff writer Graham Jaehnig’s personal experiences as a beginner kayaker.

By GRAHAM JAEHNIG

gjaehnig@mininggazette.com

When trying to decide what is the best kayak for you, conducting online searches brings to mind the old saying: “As a dozen people, you’ll get a dozen answers.” An online Paddling Magazine article, “What are the different types of Kayaks?” discusses 24 types of kayaks. The article goes into types of structure, design, intended activities and so on. It doesn’t have to be that complicated. Before you conduct internet searches ask yourself: What do I want to do with my kayak and what do I want my kayak to do for me?

When I decided to try kayaking, I thought it sounded relaxing and enjoyable. My first questions were: “Is kayaking something I will enjoy?” and “Considering my back issues, is kayaking something I can do?” My answers were “probably” and “I don’t know yet.”

My next step was to visit a local store in Houghton that sells kayaks. I didn’t look at brand names, but rather what was available. Nearly all the kayaks offered were in the recreational category. Of these, there were two types, sit-inside kayaks and sit-on-top kayaks. I didn’t like the thought of a sit-on-top kayak, because with those, you literally sit on the top of the kayak. You are seated above the water, so sit-on-tops are less stable. To compensate for that, they are wider, and often longer, than sit-insides. They are also heavier. However, because they are larger, they can carry more weight.

For example, the Pelican International Catch Classic 100 fishing kayak is considered by the manufacturer to be a sit-on-top. At 10 feet long, it is 34 inches wide, and has a weight capacity of 350 pounds. It weighs 57 pounds. Pelican also makes a sit-in kayak, the Argo XR Angler. It, like the Catch, is 10 feet long. But where the Catch is 34 inches wide, the Argo measures just 29 inches. Its weight capacity is 300 pounds, 50 pounds less than the Catch. It is also significantly less weight than the Catch. Where the Catch weighs 57 pounds, the Argo weighs 43 pounds, five pounds of which is the removable seat. Removing the seat before lifting it onto the roof of a vehicle makes it much easier to handle than the sit-on-top variety. But are sit-on-tops really less stable than sit-ins? It depends on the kayak. Some of the sit-on-tops made for anglers are made to be stable enough that the angler can literally stand up in the kayak.

After looking at various kayaks and their uses, I decided that what I imagined was using a kayak to enjoy a leisurely paddle for a couple of hours, to relax after work. I decided that what I wanted was a simple, lightweight, sit-inside that I could lift on and off my Subaru Forester by myself and carry to the water. What I chose was a Pelican Rise 100X.

The Rise is an entry-level, recreational kayak and is very basic. At 10 feet long and 28 inches wide, it weighs just 36 pounds, with a weight capacity of 275 pounds. The hull of the kayak is designed to provide stability in the water. Pelican International’s website says the Rise is “versatile, fun and ideal for paddlers looking for a stable and relaxing experience on lakes, slow-moving rivers and calm waters.” That was just what I wanted.

The Rise was my first experience with kayaking. I brought it to the boat launch (which is actually just a small beach) near the mouth of Swedetown Creek, in Hancock. It is a very shallow area, and I reasoned that if I capsized or something went wrong, I could be 300 feet offshore and be in roughly 4 feet of water. It was a reasonably windless day, around 4:30 p.m. and after paddling around for awhile, getting used to the feel of the kayak on the water, I was shocked to look at my watch and discover I had been kayaking for about three hours. It was relaxing, enjoyable and, I was happy to discover, an excellent, low-intensity form of exercise.

Most internet sites comparing recreational kayaks to touring kayaks agree that recreational kayaks, because they are wide (29 to 30+ inches), short (less than 12 feet) and slow, they do not track well. Tracking is the ability of the kayak (or canoe) to move straight through the water while paddling, as opposed to the bow dipping left to right and back with each paddle stroke. I found that comparing my little kayak to my 18-foot Wenonah Spirit II canoes, the kayak does, in fact, not track perfectly. But it was not a problem. It is easy to make minor corrections with your paddles and stay perfectly on course.

As for speed, I don’t know how to determine how many miles per hour a paddled watercraft travels. But my intention was a leisurely time on the water, just feeling the movement of the kayak around me on the water as I paddled along looking at scenery. However, out of curiosity, at one point, I did some timing. Paddling from the launch site, around the point of the small cove, past the mouth of the Swedetown Creek, moving east past the Hancock Campground, it took 12 minutes to paddle from the launch to the dock at the Hancock Beach.

The next morning after my first paddle, I did not experience back pain of any degree. I found that I could load and offload the kayak by myself, carry it with one hand from the car to the shore, and paddle for several hours with no back issues.

As for being stable, I found the Rise to be amazingly stable and I felt perfectly safe while using it.

In the next installment, we will discuss what is meant by stability. Both kayaks and canoes are rated for initial, or primary, stability and secondary stability. Stability is largely determined by the shape and design of the hull and can determine whether your first time kayaking will be an enjoyable experience, or so scary you never want to do it again.