Do You Own a Kayak?
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118827)
Gainesville, Florida
October 1, 2016 9:27am CST
My son and I do a lot of kayaking on the various rivers here in north Florida (in fact, it was on a recent kayaking adventure that I broke my ribs), but we do not own our own kayaks. We have found it very convenient to just rent them when we go on our adventures. However, as we find ourselves kayaking more and more often, I think it's time to look into buying our own kayaks.
We have tried sit-in and sit-on kayaks, 8-ft, 10-ft and 12-ft kayaks, and found that we enjoy the sit-on kayaks the most. The 10-ft kayaks seem to be the best overall length, but I have found I have more stability on the 12-footers.
Kayaks can range in price from about $200 up to about $2000 or more. A couple of nice kayaks I have been checking out range in the $800-$1000 area. I was hoping to surprise my son with two new kayaks at Christmas time, but that might be a little pricey!
Do any of you own a kayak? If so, what type?
And do you enjoy kayaking?
12 people like this
18 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Oct 16
@moffittjc I prefer the strawberry ones, although they can be a little sickly when you reach the rapids.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@Asylum I prefer the blueberry ones, but the strawberry ones are quite delicious! The blueberry ones seems to hold their flavor better when you hit the rapids.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
They are only delicious if you get the candy flavored ones. Or the chocolate ones.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
1 Oct 16
@moffittjc We have a very old saying : "A true sailor does not know how to swim"
. I read an interesting article saying that in the 18th C only 1 or 2% of the marine officers in the French Navy were knowing how to swim. It is only in 1817 that swimming started to be taught to cadets in our navy.
. I read an interesting article saying that in the 18th C only 1 or 2% of the marine officers in the French Navy were knowing how to swim. It is only in 1817 that swimming started to be taught to cadets in our navy.2 people like this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
Anna, as an Aquatic Director, the worst thing I could ever hear someone say to me is: "I don't know how to swim!" The lifeguard in me wants to enroll you in swim lessons right away and start teaching you how to swim!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@topffer You would think that would be mandatory training for all sailors before ever letting them step foot on a ship! lol
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
1 Oct 16
That sounds exciting never done it before! How old is your son?
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
2 Oct 16
@moffittjc that sounds great! I do love by a canal where I see people kayak, so I should give it a shot sometimes! Your son is definitely at an age you can do some fun stuff with
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@Drosophila Yes, we love to do outdoor stuff together, like kayaking, hiking, fishing and camping! We always have such a good time!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
Yes, kayaking is so much fun! I'll have to take you some day! My son is 13.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
Well, I ended up with broken ribs, and it still hasn't stopped me from wanting to go kayaking again soon! lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@HazySue The best option would be two find two great used kayaks on Craigslist for a great price, which will make it a very affordable Christmas present. If not, worst-case scenario is that I wait until I get my tax return back next March and use that to buy us some kayaks.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39264)
• Gouverneur, New York
2 Oct 16
@moffittjc In any case, it would be a wonderful gift for your son, even if it is a bit pricy.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
I was looking at a 12-ft kayak on Craigslist that had a rudder. Not sure why a rudder is needed, unless maybe those types of kayaks are used for something specific that would require a rudder. Otherwise, your paddle serves as your rudder system!
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@paigea I used to be a canoeing/kayaking instructor when I was in the Boy Scouts, and one of the things I taught was how to maneuver your paddle/oar in the water in such a way that it keeps your boat straight as you paddle. Whenever I'm out on the water, I can always tell the novice boaters from the experienced ones, because the novice boaters will have their kayaks zig-zagging all over the place, while the experienced users are able to keep their straight! lol
@paigea (35830)
• Canada
2 Oct 16
@moffittjc when paddling with someone who doesn't have a rudder, I notice their kayak swerves a bit with each stroke. But it seems most don't have a rudder.
1 person likes this
@annaroselock (805)
• United Kingdom
14 Oct 16
I almost forget you have children! 
Tell me all about them!
Tell me all about them!1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Oct 16
I have two, a son and a daughter. My daughter is 16, and my son is 13. They are both very smart kids, and also well-behaved. My daughter is quiet and shy, but my son is very outgoing. He loves the outdoors, and is very adventuresome, so he and I are always doing crazy stuff together. And other than being shy, my daughter is just like me in just about every way, while my son takes after his mom (or, as you Brits say, mum! lol). I never worry about my daughter when she goes out, as she is very mature, and very well grounded. My son, on the other hand, is going to be a handful when he gets a little older. He's already a big flirt, and he's got all my female lifeguards at work wrapped around his little finger!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Oct 16
@annaroselock I have no idea what you're talking about Anna! I'm a perfect little angel!
1 person likes this
and as for your son.. he definitely takes after his dad!! 
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
1 Oct 16
Not my thing although we live in an area where tourists by the bus load head to Ocoee to do all that on the River where the Olympics were held in '96.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
1 Oct 16
@moffittjc we lived about 5 minutes from the rafting outfits in over.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
I broke my foot many years ago on a whitewater rafting trip on the Ocoee. And even with the injury, it was a fun and great experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
@1creekgirl (40653)
• United States
1 Oct 16
Our daughter and her husband have kayaks, but they live in Charleston, close to a river. They love it, but they tip over too easily for me! The kayaks, not the kids.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
I've only tipped over once, and it was completely my fault. Otherwise, I feel they are quite stable, more than I ever thought they would be!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@1creekgirl Yes, I wouldn't suggest kayaking in frigid waters unless you have adequate waterproof clothing on! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
I should come join you when you come to Florida, and we can all go kayaking!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@DianneN I would seriously do it! We could have a lot of fun kayaking!
@JudyEv (326823)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Oct 16
Vince's brother and his wife enjoy kayaking or canoeing (is there a difference?) They have a two seater so it is quite long but I don't have any informative stuff to offer. I guess to some degree you get what you pay for. Are second-hand ones likely to be an option?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
Kayaks and canoes are two different, yet similar, types of boats. They are both designed for single or double-rider use, and for propulsion and maneuvering using a paddle.
Yes, second-hand kayaks are a great option, and often the most affordable way to go.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
Nice! I hope he gets lots of enjoyment out of it! Do you know what brand it is?
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (116306)
• United States
1 Oct 16
@moffittjc It says Dagger on it but that may be the model. I'm not sure. He only went once last year and not at all this year. He would go more often if he had other people to go with.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 16
@NJChicaa Yes, Dagger is a brand of kayak. I was looking at some Daggers a couple of weeks ago!
1 person likes this
@CaseyRoss9966 (4056)
• United States
2 Oct 16
I have never been, but I want to go kayaking. My boyfriend & I are actually looking into buying some. We both want to do and when he comes up to the mountains there are a lot of places we can go.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
If you don't go kayaking pretty much all the time, it may not be wise to spend the money on buying one. When you buy a kayak, you have to figure out how to transport it, as well as store it when you're not using it. Sometimes not easy to do when you're a college student!
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
@CaseyRoss9966 Then that might make it easier to own a kayak then!
@CaseyRoss9966 (4056)
• United States
2 Oct 16
@moffittjc Not easy for me to do at college but super easy for him to do back home.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
It is very similar to a canoe, but it is much flatter. It's a type of small boat that you paddle in the water.
@FayeHazel (40246)
• United States
6 Oct 16
Never tried it -- but once at a lake I saw a man take out his Kayak. He came back in about an hour, said he made it around the lake and it always struck me as awesome - what a sense of freedom. I hope you find a kayak you like for a good deal
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Oct 16
Kayaks give you a great sense of freedom out on the water, whether it be a lake, river or ocean. They are so much fun!
@Hate2Iron (15730)
• Canada
1 Oct 16
I was always afraid of flipping them around so I end up under water, but my sister has one and she loves it!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118827)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Oct 16
The sit-in ones bother me a little more than the sit-on ones, because it's harder to get out of the sit-in ones if you flip over. However, they are very easy to flip back upright if you tip over, so really nothing to be worried about. If you use the sit-on kayaks, if you tip over you just fall off the kayak and into the water.
@williamjisir66 (594)
• Hangzhou, China
19 Oct 16
I do not swim, so I cannot go kayaking. Yet it looks nice and interesting to do this sport for people who love it. I am sure that your son will get a big surprise when he gets it some day. Take care.
1 person likes this
