When I was participating in the RX-8 Marketing Focus group one of the women wanted to know if there would be an acc. roof rack to carry her Kayak on.

 

We bought the accessory Accord sedan. Works great!

JonasM

 

I've been kayaking for the past two weeks. I am currently using a rental kayak but interested in finding out more. The one I am using is Old Town 9.5 feet single sit on top kayak. I am thinking of buying one for myself but am not sure if sit on top or sit in is better. Apparently, sit on top is alright as long as it is not too cold. Sit in type of kayak seems more versatile. If anyone can offer some information, that would be nice. I go out early in the morning and in the evening for about an hour while listening to my IPOD. It has been really enjoyable for upperbody exercise.

 

We "test drove" the Kestrel and I think it would have been my second choice, but we ended up buying two 14' Eddyline Equinox(es?). I didn't realize just how personal a fit a kayak is until we took several out to test with the shop owner .

Jonas, Dean's paddle matches your canoe!

 

Both types have their advantages, so give both a try for a while. There's a slightly steeper learning curve with a SINK (Sit INside Kayak) than there is with a SOT (Sit On Top). If you ever plan on doing much fishing or photography, a SOT is the better choice.
A very good source of info and expert advice is:paddling.net

 

never realized how bad my sense of balance had gotten until I tried a SOT type in Mexico.
granted the ocean swells made it a little more exciting but I don't see a kayak in my future.

 

Thank you for your excellent advice. I will study it further.

 

It must have been an unusually narrow SOT. Most of them are so wide and stable that people can stand up in them and fish.

 

I felt nervous first time but I launched on a SOT kayak and it wobbled a bit. I felt more comfortable as I went out several more times. Whenever I go out, there is no one out there but I think I am managing alright. I am always prepared to swim if things get out of hand. My IPOD will be ruined if that ever happens.

 

You're welcome. One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're going to try out recreational type SINKs, try out a bunch of them to see which one fits you best just like you would with shoes or clothes. Get a bad fit and you're going to be hating the thing in short order.