Inflatable Kayaks & Canoes

[Deleted96908]

Hey Folks -

I am off to Cornwall for a few weeks and fancy doing some inshore (coves, bays etc) paddling with Mrs P. Not sure I want to fit a roof rack on the A5, so was considering getting an inflatable sit-on-top or similar.

Does anybody have experience with inflatable kayaks and canoes? Must admit, I've never considered them before, but my next door neighbour takes his on the Thames most weekends and he's not had a problem so far.

Now my obvious worry (apart from lack of experience) is that the things will get a puncture or are they much more hardy than that? I should imagine with the cheaper end of the spectrum that might be the case? But I am thinking at the £1000+ mark, they should be a little more resilient.


Any experience of the above, including don't be silly, would be most welcome.

Some I found earlier.

 

[Dryce]

I have no experience of this product but having been tempted to go down the path of a folding or inflating kayak or canoe a while back it si the one I found quite intriguing: Oru Kayak - www.orukayak.com.

(I was talked out of it by SWMBO: "How often would you actually use it ..... seriously ..... think about it .... how often?").

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Seeing as Its Cornwall Chris, would you not be better hiring one when there.. there will be plenty of places I'd think for this type of thing, as Its a surfers/ out door sports paradise... just don't "Fart and fly out the window" on yer inflatable.. (Old Joke Punchline)

 

[toolman1954]

Hi,
Even though you are originally from a sea faring location, the tides can be unpredictable and quite rough at this time of the year, which I am sure you will know.
In my sea fishing days of many moons ago, we would often try Clovelly ( North ), Porthleven or Penzance ( south ) for a couple of days, and many times if we had booked a boat the trip would be cancelled because of rough seas and adverse weather.
It is so easy in a light inflatible to get carried onto the rocks, especially if you are a novice. Having been watching " Saving Lives At Sea " recently on the tv its enough to make you think twice.
As idyllic as paddling around sounds, in calm seas, its fine, but please reconsider and do something safer .
Cornwall, has much to offer as I am sure you know, if you are desperate to have an affinity with the sea get yourself a fishing rod?

Here is a nice book you can take with you ....
The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific....Paul Theroux

Steve.

 

[grober]

 

[merc85]

^^HAHA that looks brilliant!! i like that alot!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

How about SUP?

Given the abundance of decent surf in Cornwall there is also an opportunity to catch some waves as well as pottering about.

 

[m80]

If and when you go out be sure to have some means of communication with the shore.
Best would be a 'waterproof' (they aren't all IP68) marine handheld. Strictly you aren't legal to use one but noone will penalise you for putting in an emergency call on channel 16.
An IP68 mobile might well serve purpose or at least a dry bag to keep a non waterfroof phone in. But by the time you take the phone out to use it it may be wet and kernackered.

As for inflatabels, I've only used inflatable dinghies, and with a small outboard. As said if it's rocky it might not do so well if it goes aground. The hiring suggestion sounds good.
Before spending the sort of dosh you talk of consider joining a paddlers club. Their experience will pay dividends for you.
They can likely suggest good clothing also, like a dry suit.
When I see folks on saving lives at sea without a life vest I cringe.

 

[artyman]

Can we expect to see you featuring in a future episode of "Saving Lives At Sea"

 

[Deleted96908]

You are all right of course, it's a daft idea this time of year. Only bad can come of it, especially if I take my much better half with me. In my defence here's where we are staying (Porthkidney) and one look at the snaps from earlier this year and the blood rushed to my head.



But planning same in the Spring makes sense I feel. I don't think there's any safe time when you are a year off 60 and the mind is much stronger than the body, but it's got to make more sense when it's warmer and your fingers aren't blue before you get in the water.

As for being a star on a rescue prog, I hope not. But being from the sea and having spent much of my life on or around it, I wouldn't mind ending my days there. But my Doc reckons they'll find me in my home gym slumped over a vanity machine. All the gear and no idea Actually I'm pretty good at all this fitness stuff. Better I feel than rotting away in front of the telly. Although I'm not one of those hypocrites who maintain they never watch it. But it seems to me that we waste so much of the outdoors, even more so when you drive a lovely car and the temptation is to jump in and shut the weather out. Heater or AC shielding us from reality. And at my age, pneumonia or heat stoke, quite possibly.

 

[Deleted96908]

Hi,
Even though you are originally from a sea faring location, the tides can be unpredictable and quite rough at this time of the year, which I am sure you will know.
In my sea fishing days of many moons ago, we would often try Clovelly ( North ), Porthleven or Penzance ( south ) for a couple of days, and many times if we had booked a boat the trip would be cancelled because of rough seas and adverse weather.
It is so easy in a light inflatible to get carried onto the rocks, especially if you are a novice. Having been watching " Saving Lives At Sea " recently on the tv its enough to make you think twice.
As idyllic as paddling around sounds, in calm seas, its fine, but please reconsider and do something safer .
Cornwall, has much to offer as I am sure you know, if you are desperate to have an affinity with the sea get yourself a fishing rod?

Here is a nice book you can take with you ....
The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific....Paul Theroux

Steve.

Thanks Steve - you'd convinced me not to, long before I'd read half way down your post.

I spend a lot of time in Cornwall - having retired from weekly trips to the US. Now it's car only and I can't imagine a nicer place. Although from memory the west coast of Scotland is something special too. It's 30+ years since I was last there, but the area around Altbea? still sticks in my mind. Next year again perhaps.

Fishing? My mum was addicted and held the national Coal Fish record for a while. There she was on the front page of the Angling Times, or whatever it was called in those days. We had a 20ft pontoon which was cheap and not very seaworthy. My 2nd stepdad (there were many) was a bull of a man and used to throw the 18hp Evinrude around like it was a toy. Every weekend we'd be out in it. Small bass, plaice, lots of eels and the occasional bream IIRC. We were nuts enough to anchor in Langstone Harbour, one of two harbours that forms the island of Portsea, and spend the entire weekend there. Tilley lamp keeping us lit and a smelly paraffin stove keeping us warm. All this in a tiny wooden boat. Fun though and a young lad's dream.

What about you? Fishing much these days? Love Penzance. My type of no nonsense place.

Thanks for the book recommend. I've got several on sea canoeing, but yours looks much more fun.

 

[m80]

I don't agree that it's a daft idea.
6 years go we joined a local 'dinghy' sailing club, only because we were doing all inclusive hols in the Carribean and didn't know how to use the stuff that was available on the beach.
The club has taught us how to sail and now the stuff I didn't know how to use isn't good enough. I sail better and that stuff would be boring.

We're the same age and I sail all year. I look forward to the New Years day ice breaker, traditionally we have flippin' good winds and I'll capsize a few times. With the right clothing it isn't such a serious issue.

Sharing our reservior is the Peak Paddlers. No doubt a bit more expensive now but a couple of years ago they charged £40 for membership. A friendly lot who will give time freely and offer tasters. They have w/e jaunts in many places, Beaumaris is one and we see them on the water when we're Yachting there.

Consider joining similar who knows what it might lead to.

 

[WDB124066]

It's a neat idea, apart from the obvious I'd wait till the sea temps are bareable and a day with little to no wind or swell. Make a course plan and let two people know locations and times, two forms of comms, lots of sunblock hats and things and have a great time. You have given me food for thought, I'm eyeing up the harbour this summer as we speak.

 

[James Copeland]

Sea temperatures are much warmer now than earlier in the year

 

[Flyinspanner]

Sevylor Riviera Inflatable Kayak

 

[Flyinspanner]

Mind you I’d rather get a Wayfarer dinghy. (And you can hang a small o/b motor on them) much easier on ‘oldish’ bones.


(used to do lots of sailing, and got a silver in the London inter borough regatta back in .... ‘77? - taught daughters to sail in the 90s - they never really got into it)

 

[toolman1954]

Chris,
Reading the encouraging replies, I may have been alone on suggesting that with inadequate training and experience for both you and your good lady, it would be a disaster in the making for an imminent escapade on the high seas. However if floating about on the sea is what you would like to do, then there is plenty of time to get good training and experience for a session next year, whilst whistling the theme tune to Captain Pugwash as you take to the sea.
Porthkidney ( from your window ) looks idyllic, such a nice colour sea compared to the harsh grey North Sea that washes up on Leven Beach. Just up the road from you at Newquay I have been shark fishing, and lots of Turbot off the rocks at Porth, but that now was a long time ago. With arthritic knees I would now not dare even contemplate going out on a boat. I cannot even stand for long, so that rules out fishing even though I have kit here. Some time ago I did go to Anstruther harbour and like your Mum, ( impressive to find a female that likes fishing ) caught Coalfish, but they were certainly not record breakers. I can bore everyone witless with fishing tales over the years, especially on my mates boat "Its a Wreck" with its 5hp British Anzani motor pop,pop, popping along. Almost everything on the boat came out of his scrapyard. Windows, seats, lights, wipers, batteries and even a reconstructed roll cage formed the front rails. Stranded in the Thames estuary one night when the tide went out, out came the camping stove and we just cooked sausages, bacon and eggs and waited for the water to refloat us. We managed to hole the boat on the beach at Brighton which caused a rapid return to shore, the baling bucket working overtime, and then repairing it with a tin of P40, and back out again. Almost Swallows and Amazons stuff. Ken was a banger racer and he towed the boat with a big old Westminster which as I recall had lots of play in the steering, and which I got to drive at times when he got tired. On a Brighton to Northampton trip we came up the A23 and cut straight through London. He took no prisoners driving with the boat on the back through London. Frightening ride sitting next to a banger racing maniac! Clovelly tales another time, much to all the readers relief !
I have just had a look for that book I mentioned, but it might be up in Scotland as I would have posted it to you had it been here.
Do enjoy your Cornish break, I am sure you will find lots to do.

Steve.

 

[Deleted96908]

I don't agree that it's a daft idea.
6 years go we joined a local 'dinghy' sailing club, only because we were doing all inclusive hols in the Carribean and didn't know how to use the stuff that was available on the beach.
The club has taught us how to sail and now the stuff I didn't know how to use isn't good enough. I sail better and that stuff would be boring.

We're the same age and I sail all year. I look forward to the New Years day ice breaker, traditionally we have flippin' good winds and I'll capsize a few times. With the right clothing it isn't such a serious issue.

Sharing our reservior is the Peak Paddlers. No doubt a bit more expensive now but a couple of years ago they charged £40 for membership. A friendly lot who will give time freely and offer tasters. They have w/e jaunts in many places, Beaumaris is one and we see them on the water when we're Yachting there.

Consider joining similar who knows what it might lead to.

Don't get me wrong. I'm more active than most, immaterial of age, it's just that there's a time and a place and I reckon even the Vikings had an off season. So I will revisit this in the Spring. Quite possibly with a standard canoe now I've priced up the required roof system (zzzzz, that's what Audi call roof racks these days).

Looking forward to researching all the required kit. I enjoy the chase as much as the capture.

Also, I think you you raise interesting points about the social aspects. I am very lucky in that I adore time with my wife - whatever we are doing. But we have quite a few friends, divorced or who have never married, and they find themselves becoming increasingly lonely. And my response is always 'join a club..'. Alas, it's a dating club they usually join, whereas it seems to me that a sailing club or similar would expose them to like minded individuals. And keep them fit.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Roof systems .... apparently prams are now “travel systems” ....which will suck up around £1K for all the whistles n bells.

(The silver cross coach built is still in the loft awaiting grandkids.... which it doesn’t look like it will happen any time soon )

 

[Deleted96908]

Roof systems .... apparently prams are now “travel systems” ....which will suck up around £1K for all the whistles n bells.

(The silver cross coach built is still in the loft awaiting grandkids.... which it doesn’t look like it will happen any time soon )

Yeah same. We bought the kids hand made/painted cots from The Conran Shop and they are in the garage loft awaiting a new owner. Not in any rush though. But fed up with all the space used up, we gave neighbours our son’s Berg cart. Around £600 20 years ago. Amazing thing. It had a second seat hanging out of the back and believe it or not used to carry about 5-6 kids at a time. It was a real land mark in the village. Anyway we gave it away on the condition the new owners pass it on to a new family when their kids outgrow it. We see it out on the green outside the house most summers and each time it brings a pang of regret. Can’t imagine why I didn’t hang on to it. Can’t be more than half a dozen years before something similar is needed by the grandkids. If we are so blessed.