Kayaking For Seniors - Picking the Best Kayak - Episode 1

Kayaking for seniors is popular. The first question a senior citizen asks is, "what is the best kayak for a senior beginner?" It does not matter if you are a senior woman or man... in my opinion, the answer is the same when picking the best kayak for seniors, whether for exercise or fishing. It has to be lightweight, stable, and suitable for older guys and gals. It all comes down to the pros and cons of a sit on top vs a sit inside kayak.

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[brianeady]

I love the idea of a series about seniors and kayaks.

[kjfishman]

I am 71 and have an Old Town Loon 126 sit in rigged for fishing. The Loon series has large cockpits making it a little easier to get in and out of. Much larger than the perception in his video. The Loon is very easy to paddle compared to any sit on top. Also it has an adjustable seat that is very comfortable. The kayak is made of a 3 layer shell and is more durable than any roto-molded kayak. There is a price to pay for this construction as it adds some weight. Also a sit in kayak is cooler in the summer and warmer in the fall or winter since your legs are out of the sun.

[myadventureoutdoors]

Hey Dad, this was a great video. Looking forward to the series. Mom will not like those kayaks sitting in backyard for long.

[mee]

great info! I'm about to buy a kayak- just need a buddy to kayak with here in the Atlanta metro area

[stanleyheath]

I'm 74, in good shape and only have experience with sit in kayaks. I love the responsiveness of being connected to the boat with my butt, knees and feet. It gives me a lower center of gravity that gives me a sense of security. I guess if you enjoy the paddling part of the activity, a sit in enhances the experience more, if fishing is the intended use, the sit on top allows for more variation of movement and a stable platform for standing if necessary. I agree that the exit movement is the toughest to master, but there are helpful videos on that as well. The weight is a critical consideration if car topping. I put rollers on the rear of my cartop rack so I only have to lift half the weight at a time and roll the hull forward.

[jaymailloux]

I have a Old Town Loon that is 12 feet long. I love it, is fast and great ride, but getting out little difficult at times especially if I have spent some time in it. I discovered a machine at the gym that is for dip up exercising and it really strengthens the muscles used to lift my butt out of the seat .

[jimwhite]

Well done. The street end on the Big Davis Canal where my wife and I live attracts a lot of kayakers putting in and taking out or just passing by while fishing or sight seeing. Watching them underlines the truth of your observations and suggestions. Keep up the good work. It should be very helpful to those of any age interested in getting a good kayak for their use.

[RogerFordTheSmilingBassHole]

Another Awesome video!
I NEVER considered a sit-inside kayak (I was in my 60s when I bought my first kayak -- wish they'd had all these choices when I was younger!); even when young I wasn't comfortable sitting with my legs straight out.
That first kayak was a Perception Striker with a 2-height molded seat. My back was killing me! I used the lower one, bought a seat (cost 20+% of the kayak, but it worked), and built a seat extension using large pool noodles cut in half and duct-taped together. I paddled BUT was never real good at that.
My second kayak was a Hobie Outback. Great kayak! But I upgraded to the Pro Angler 12 360. The WEIGHT is certainly a huge detail to consider. I have the Boonedox wheels and often there are younger guys (I'm 70 now) who will haul it out of the water. I also have the Dynamic Dolly which REALLY makes it more manageable. But I had to "borrow" my old Outback while the PA was in for repair, and I'm wondering if I should either get an Outback next time OR get me a trailer!
I did get a Hobie inflatable kayak. It was light, but I felt it wasn't anywhere near as stable as the Outback or PA. Not sure how the others "stack up."
Even though I'm a confirmed Hobie pedal kayak user, I'm REALLY looking forward to your future videos in this series! Plus I'm sure you'll include links or repeats of some of the safety products: you inspired me to buy my SPOT for emergencies. I've never had to use it, but I feel much safer having it at all times.

[zolfodor]

Brilliant video mate, i, m retiring next year aged 55 & i live by the sea in the north east of england & am looking at getting a sit on top next year, really looking forward to it.

[anthonyb]

Hi, Steve. I’ve moved from a hobie revolution to a hobie lynx and I think the lynx, though expensive is absolutely the best kayak out there for seniors. At 47 lbs it super easy to care top, its really stable, its pedal driven, and the seat is really comfortable. Again it’s expensive, but I now fish out of more than I did the big heavy hobie revolution and at the end of the day, I guess that’s what it’s all about.
Thanks for sharing.

[beverlyc.]

Thank you, Steve. I have been looking forward to this series of videos. Excellent information for us seniors.

[jamieab]

Steve very good information. I would like to add one thing. When you start the day everything might be feeling great. Later on your arm or shoulder could stiffen up. You can always peddle a paddle kayak but you can’t peddle a paddle. It’s a good idea to have two modes of propelling.

[DennyT]

I'm 70 years old. I have two sit in kayaks and a couple canoes. I get in and out of my kayaks (both) a easy as pie. You just need to learn the proper methods. I'm not taking shots at you. I like most of your videos, but I don't agree with this one. It doesn't matter how old you are. If you're out of shape, you're out of shape. 😊 Also remember sit in puts you closer to the water= stable. Also drier with a sit in which means a longer season.

[glennrobbins]

Great info. I absolutely love my Lifetime Tamarack kayak. I tried to customize it with a folding stadium seat but being 6'2" , it raised my center of gravity and I felt like I was going to tip. When you get to the transporting segment I have a hack for keeping the kayak cart from sliding off.

[tomballard]

I have both and I’m in my mid sixties. It depends on where we are going and what we are doing. For just paddling a sit in will do, for fishing, sit on top. We try to go places with a kayak launch or at least a dock. What helps me to get out is a four foot stick. I use it as a support to get out of the sit in. I also use it as a anchor in shallow water. Just put it through the ring on the anchor trolley to hold you in place.

[reelyakrz]

I really enjoyed that video. Great summary of the basic types - and I also enjoyed the background bird chirping 😋. I'm not quite an old geezer yet, more of an OGIT (Old Geezer In Training), but the principles still apply. Looking forward to the others.

The 1st tandem my wife and I tried was a Hobie Tandem paddle of some type (it looked a lot like your green one). I absolutely hated it because the seat nearly destroyed my back. At the end of day one, we were paddling against an outgoing tide, the seat wouldn't hold its position, and my back was knotting up pretty badly. If I were in that situation now (row back in intense pain or get sucked out into the Gulf) and had to choose what to do, I'd have to think about the options 🤔. We went with sit-on-top pedal and never looked back (well, we look back when a fish hits one of the trolling lines, but that's different 😂🤣😂). It is heavy and we need a trailer and boat ramp to launch it, but it is worth it for us.

[lynettea.whitfieldesq.]

Also helpful for those of us in our 50s but with bad arthritis. Thanks for this series!

[georgerawley]

I'm in the market for the purchase of a kayak to learn with. The information you provided is good. I think I'm going with the set inside style as in the future I plan on I'm getting a live aboard for use in the PNW/Puget Sound area so would like to have a touring/sea kayak.

[WilliamBarron-vg]

William Barron
0 seconds ago
Steve,
I just found your channel and I am very impressed with your experience and depth of knowledge. We are lucky to have you sharing. You and I are both older (72 for me) but I think that is where the similarity ends. My wife and I (both shorter individuals) have no kayaking experience and are very interested to begin tandem paddling on quiet ponds and lakes in the Sacramento area (we are both quite fit for our age). I am a novice fisherman and very interested to begin solo kayak fishing, again on quiet waters.
Your comments about lighter weight, longer, sit-on, all make perfect sense. I was, however, a bit surprised to hear your comments about the safety of inflatables. I have been looking hard at the Aquaglide Blackfoot 160 that can double as a a recreational tandem for my wife and myself. The lighter weight, portability (in and out of storage and to and from water) and storability of this craft are huge positives. It is my understanding that this kayak is extremely stable ( I will not fish in wind over 15mph), has a very firm, drop stitch floor on which one can stand (I doubt that I would), great seats, scupper drains, numerous universal mounts, a fin box for attaching a small battery powered motor, and is constructed of Duratex pvc tough enough to handle the vast majority of encounters with hooks, docks, etc. Will will never be on water with rocks and fast moving water. Admittedly this is a higher end inflatable, but I would be very interested on your thoughts about safety of this particular craft that can double as tandem recreational and fishing vessel. Thanks for putting up with this long-winded query.

[richsilvasatx]

At 82 yo, and a bad back, weight is important. Would love to get a petal drive but don't see how I could get it on top of my Forester. And I don't want to deal with a trailer because my home street has a lot of traffic and backing the trailer into my driveway would take a lot of practice. Maybe I can run down to the coast and see about a day rental. But dog gone it, I really wanted a petal drive.