Kayak in fox river
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Joined: Jul 2006
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Great info guys, I live in west Dundee between 72 and 90. Dams on either side of me by a couple miles. That's fine as it will be for working out more than nature viewing.
I am very serious about this and because I have access to a river 24/7 by walking 30' I'd like a nice-ish boat without going crazy.
I do plan on paddling year round subject to ice in the river. Currently there is no ice in the river and I would be out there daily if I had a boat.
I like the idea of renting. I don't like the idea of waiting lol
I am very serious about this and because I have access to a river 24/7 by walking 30' I'd like a nice-ish boat without going crazy.
I do plan on paddling year round subject to ice in the river. Currently there is no ice in the river and I would be out there daily if I had a boat.
I like the idea of renting. I don't like the idea of waiting lol
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,274
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From: Midwest
I have a couple of kayaks for sale. I used them a few times down the dupage river and they are fun. They have a sealed container in the back and in good shape. Will let them go for $200 a piece. If you only want one no problem. Since pm does not exist send me an email and I will send pics. daryl.holland@yahoo.com
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Crystal Lake
http://www.canoecopia.com/canoecopia/page.asp?pgid=1001
I may try and head up there Sunday to check this out.
I may try and head up there Sunday to check this out.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,019
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From: On a rock wall somewhere...
You may already know this, but I'll pass it along anyway.
The longer your boat, the better it will cut through the water, and the more straight it will stay over distance. The better it will coast. This also typically means the boat will be more narrow.
The shorter your boat, the more manuverable it will be, but will present more resistance and be harder to keep straight. This also typically means the boat will be wider.
Are you doing lake/quiet water or white water/rapids?
This question will help determine what length/type of boat you'll need/want. I have an Old Town Otter. It's a simple recreational use boat, but it has served me very well during its use. I've taken it through huge waves on Lake Superior, quiet calm lakes rivers, and whitewater 'yaking on the Peshtigo River. While not great at any specific task, like a specialized boat, it's not bad at anything either. A good well-rounded boat. My brother has a Perception that's longer, and he does a lot better on lakes and quiet water. My boat will outdo his in rapids. Even with a recreational boat, if you handle it well, it will perform.
If I'm reading some info on the Fox correctly, it says there is class I and class II rapids. This really isn't that big of a deal.
AS some others have mentioned, pay very close attention to the seats. Some will be atrocious. Most boats do not have much room, so don't expect to be able to stretch out easily.
If you're planing on doing longer trips, look for dry-boxes built in. Some have storage boxes, but are not water-proofed with a gasket. A splash-skirt will also be a good purchase, as that opens up a whole world of possibilities on where you can go with it.
From my experience, your oblique abs, shoulders, and arms will take most of the physical abuse. Your back rotates, but it pretty much just holds you up. A cheap pair of gloves will help reduce blisters on your hands. Also plan on spending upward of $60 for a cheap life vest, and make SURE you get yourself a good paddle. Those run around $100. You don't need anything fancy like a CF shafted paddle, but a simple aluminum/plastic one will do good service. Unless you have a really crappy pair of shoes, water shoes for gripping slimy rocks may be a good idea too.
... that was probably more than you wanted, but hope you found something useful in here.
Stores to check, REI, Moose Jaw Mountaineering (Moose Jaw is in Chicago...) and I'm sure there are a few others. The REI up here in Brookfield generally has lots of boats. Laacki & Joy in Downtown Milwaukee is right on the river, and you can test their boats out right at the store.
Good luck!
The longer your boat, the better it will cut through the water, and the more straight it will stay over distance. The better it will coast. This also typically means the boat will be more narrow.
The shorter your boat, the more manuverable it will be, but will present more resistance and be harder to keep straight. This also typically means the boat will be wider.
Are you doing lake/quiet water or white water/rapids?
This question will help determine what length/type of boat you'll need/want. I have an Old Town Otter. It's a simple recreational use boat, but it has served me very well during its use. I've taken it through huge waves on Lake Superior, quiet calm lakes rivers, and whitewater 'yaking on the Peshtigo River. While not great at any specific task, like a specialized boat, it's not bad at anything either. A good well-rounded boat. My brother has a Perception that's longer, and he does a lot better on lakes and quiet water. My boat will outdo his in rapids. Even with a recreational boat, if you handle it well, it will perform.
If I'm reading some info on the Fox correctly, it says there is class I and class II rapids. This really isn't that big of a deal.
AS some others have mentioned, pay very close attention to the seats. Some will be atrocious. Most boats do not have much room, so don't expect to be able to stretch out easily.
If you're planing on doing longer trips, look for dry-boxes built in. Some have storage boxes, but are not water-proofed with a gasket. A splash-skirt will also be a good purchase, as that opens up a whole world of possibilities on where you can go with it.
From my experience, your oblique abs, shoulders, and arms will take most of the physical abuse. Your back rotates, but it pretty much just holds you up. A cheap pair of gloves will help reduce blisters on your hands. Also plan on spending upward of $60 for a cheap life vest, and make SURE you get yourself a good paddle. Those run around $100. You don't need anything fancy like a CF shafted paddle, but a simple aluminum/plastic one will do good service. Unless you have a really crappy pair of shoes, water shoes for gripping slimy rocks may be a good idea too.
... that was probably more than you wanted, but hope you found something useful in here.
Stores to check, REI, Moose Jaw Mountaineering (Moose Jaw is in Chicago...) and I'm sure there are a few others. The REI up here in Brookfield generally has lots of boats. Laacki & Joy in Downtown Milwaukee is right on the river, and you can test their boats out right at the store.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2006
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pruhnke - real life name? do i know you?
Paul thanks for the post - much appreciated. at this time there is no such thing as too much information for me......
in short, i live in this area http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&...,0.016512&z=17
no whitewater rapids or anything that i am aware of. I am between two dams a couple miles each way. so my main intent is to be able to make it down and up the river, along with taking it to a private lake in wisconsin every once in awhile.....
what do you feel a good length kayak for that would be?
hopefully canoecopia is good resource for info and
Paul thanks for the post - much appreciated. at this time there is no such thing as too much information for me......
in short, i live in this area http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&...,0.016512&z=17
no whitewater rapids or anything that i am aware of. I am between two dams a couple miles each way. so my main intent is to be able to make it down and up the river, along with taking it to a private lake in wisconsin every once in awhile.....
what do you feel a good length kayak for that would be?
hopefully canoecopia is good resource for info and