Hello all,

My apologies if these seem like laughably dumb questions or if this
isn't the appropriate group. I'm a total newbie and googling around I
wasn't able to find much in the way of answers.

I'm interested in starting some paddling, either with a kayak or a
raft, just for fun. I'm just looking to go out on lakes and ponds with
some friends to relax, not to conquer rapids or anything like that. I
live in a small condo where I can't store anything hard shell. So I'm
pretty much limited to an inflatable.

I'm considering an inflatable boat since the seating capacity is
greater than a kayak, but for some reason I was under the impression
that you can only paddle those backwards (your back to your
destination) - or at least that if you paddle forwards, it's much more
difficult. Is this always the case? In particular, I'm looking at
something like one of these:

http://www.qualityinflatables.com/68335.html

Are these meant to be paddled backwards primarily? Would I be in for a
hard workout if I were to paddle one forwards instead, if this is even
possible?

Also, if anyone has experience with this particular type of inflatable
boat, could you comment on it? Did you find it comfortable, is back
support decent, etc?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Mike M.

Welcome!

Inflatables are a great way to go. They solve the storage problem.
For many seasons, I kept a couple of inflatable kayaks in the back of my van
ready to paddle at a moments notice.

A raft can be both paddled and rowed. If rowed, you have a choice of
positions.
On rafts that are somewhat symmetric, you would normally attach a rowing frame,
and depending on the type of seat, be able to row either facing forward or with
your
back toward the direction of travel. Rowing face forward (Portagee) is not as
effective
as rowing with your back forward, but you get a much better view of where you
are
going.

For fla****er and most whitewater (up to Class III), I face forward, swithing
to back
forward only in wind or in a rapid that I need the extra power to traverse.
But that is
with a rowing frame. Once you add a frame, that kind of eliminates the
advantage of
rolling up your boat. You still have the frame and oars to deal with.

Regarding the boats pictured in the link: Don't buy one of these. They are
toys that
will not be of real use. You would be better off finding a good quality used
raft. Even
old surplus military rafts will work better.

What you might want to consider is an inflatable kayak. The down side here is
that
a good one is not inexpensive. The Sevylor is probably still the cheapest, but
it too
suffers from the same problems as the Vinyl rafts shown in the link. The
material
used in these boats is simply not going to last. (I have owned a Sevylor and
can
speak from experience).

Again, a used boat is probably a good way to start. Some of the paddling
magazines
have annual buying guides that list much of what is made.

Blakely




Blakely LaCroix
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
RBP Clique member # 86.

The best adventure is yet to come.

Do take a look at the inflatable by Stearns. I have heard good comments about
them, but don't have personal experience. They are about $100-$150 though.
Look used.

IF you really want to get into kayaking, look into folding kayaks. They also
solve the storage problem and will also make your wallet a LOT thinner ;~)

Brian

Brian and Blakely,

Thanks so much for your advice and recommendations. Since I don't have
tons of money (who does?) I'll try to see what I can find used in the
slightly better quality department.

Thanks again and happy paddling!

Mike M.

Mike Massenberg wrote:

Thanks so much for your advice and recommendations. Since I don't have
tons of money (who does?) I'll try to see what I can find used in the
slightly better quality department.

Mike, I'm glad you followed up. I wasn't sure how to answer before.

Rafts are very very very very slow on lakes, especially when the wind
comes up. They are useful mostly for carrying lots of gear down rivers,
or for running difficult whitewater if you don't know how to kayak.

The idea that you row or paddle them backwards might have come from
the Galloway technique. Nathan Galloway was a western-US boatman who
invented the idea of rowing backwards, away from obstacles. This has
the advantages of slowing you down, and letting you see everything.
Before that (including Powell's famous voyage down the Grand Canyon)
rowers faced upstream and looked over their shoulders to read the river.

Most (all?) people paddle rafts facing forward, although they do
backpaddle to maneuver in whitewater.

So (getting to the point) if you want an inflatable for lakes, an
inflatable kayak or canoe will be faster and easier to paddle in wind.
Check out this website, which has good summaries of various models:

http://theboatpeople.com

http://www.advancedelements.com

Those guys aren't too expensive compared to some others, and from what I
hear they paddle pretty well.

"Mike Massenberg" wrote in message
om...
Brian and Blakely,

Thanks so much for your advice and recommendations. Since I don't have
tons of money (who does?) I'll try to see what I can find used in the
slightly better quality department.

Thanks again and happy paddling!

Mike M.

Blankibr wrote:

Do take a look at the inflatable by Stearns. I have heard good comments about
them, but don't have personal experience. They are about $100-$150 though.
Look used.
My girlfriend and I have been using the Stearns IK116 (one person) and
the IK140 (two person) for 3 years now and have been very happy with
them. But they are a bit more then $100 - $150.

http://www.stearnsinc.com/NC_Product...5&selection2=0

What I like about these two models is that the inner air compartments
are completely covered by thick vinyl on the bottom and canvas on the
top and inside the cockpit. Not all of theirs are like this. Quite a
few are not protected inside the cockpit so I would hesitate to do much
fishing with those (or have any other sharp objects inside the boat).
They have both tracking fins and a runner along the bottom of the boat
to help in keeping it in a straight line. And it only takes ~10
minutes to inflate them with a good foot pump.

-Don

(Coincidentally enough, just today we decided to graduate to hard shells
and ordered two Eddyline Nighthawk 17.5's, can't wait until they arrive.)