Like I say I’m keen to get a water craft for lakes and rivers and maybe the sea when calm. I have been out in a few canadian hire canoes, and they are great but very heavy for getting in and out of the water and transporting. So I then looked at the Ocean Kayak Malibu 2, which seems to tick all the boxes and comes in at £500. But then my mate just bought an inflatable one for less that £100 which looks good out of the water. Looking at reviews, it seems mixed in terms of puncturing and handling.

So really just after some advice if anyone has experience of these.. I guess I am thinking is it like when I bought my first decent bike then instantly wished I bought a better one. The Malibu sounds like it will last a lifetime and seems to hold value.

We have a Malibu 2 and a 13ft solo. Used on lakes, canals, rivers and the odd bit of coastal stuff. Great fun as they are very stable, easily righted and comfortable.

P1020282 by druidh_dubh, on Flickr

Remember that you need somewhere to store it. Ours hang on an outside wall, covered with tarps.

Meh, I have a choice via work. Canoe every time for us – more kit, drier, and with a big un we all fit in!

Inflatables: ok for strorage, pain to blow up and usually very poor performance and pain in the arrris…avoid!

Sit on tops – ace, if you want a kayak, but definately wetter and less adaptable IME.

Favourite at the moment is a 17′ Novacraft Prospector SP3 – big beast, but by ‘eck it is quick with most of the manouverability of a smaller boat. It is also lower freeboard than some, less wind affected. We get all of us in here without too much faff and with space…No pics of us in it from outside the boat – so one of ours and one other pic from Lloyd of SotP. Ordered another to replace busted one this week without hesitation.


We also use the Novacraft Prospector 15’s in Royalex or SP3 – ace boats if you fancy some river paddling, lots more room that you may thing due to high freeboard, but more suscpetable to wind on lochs, and feel ‘big’ for a 15′.



We also are moving over to Mad River Explorer’s in 16TT guise from Old Town 158’s – great boats for centre, good on rivers, lovely secondary stability although they feel more wobbly initially. Ordered 4 of these this week.

For a wee ‘do it all and ace at everything boat’ I think that a Mad River Reflection (was Dagger Legend) is hard to beat – ace on flat, ace on river, light, not too affected by wind, quick enough…Ordered another as instructor boat and one more for staff this week…

We also use the Venture Propsectors in 15 and 16′ – good, but not brilliant unless really loaded up for a trip, then they become fabulous in waves, wind and good on rivers. Very narrow entry so fast, good carrying capactity, but highish sided, short waterline heeled solo, ‘grabby’ on rivers due to narrow / flat sided entry. Not buying any more, but not a ‘bad’ boat. Cheap.
Kids also use the ancient Old Town 119’s now and I expect to get them paddling a river themselves this year in it 🙂

Finally a warning – it is addictive! I also have a silly weekend boat, and you end up heading into the wilds more and more….
Silly canoe 🙂

Garbh Gaur on Rannoch trip 🙂

We have an inflatable canoe, cost more like £300 second hand including all the kit. I would comment that steering an inflatable canoe is harder work than a rigid; I would only consider an inflatable with a tracking fin, else it becomes really hard work. However, ours is \very\ stable; you really couldn’t roll it if you tried. We bought an inflatable because of storage and transport issues. If you have a roof rack and a good, dry and secure place to store a rigid then it will probably be nicer to paddle. The alternative view of course, is that with an inflatable you can start from one part of a coast or river, pootle down it and then pack down the boat into a carry case and get a bus back to where you started 🙂 (Although the boat gets very heavy when wet).

We’ve got an inflatable, too. It was £200 second hand. Not used it much but have used similar ones. You can take it into the waves for a play. As above, not brilliant for going in a straight line but it packs up small so we are more likely to chuck it in the boot and take it with us.

matt_outandabout, the pictures are great. The reason I thought malibu was the weight. My pal has a canadian style, and he has it on wheels to launch and moves it around on a roof rack. But he’s a big fella and can lift it up alone, I would have no chance. Are any of these easy to move about?

Remember there are lighter and heavier canoes – the heavy (cheaper) plastic is hard wearing; Royalex comes in a variety of flavours / layers – a Royalex light boat is a very good thing – a 15′ Reflection in royalex light is a one hand lift for me, lighter than many a sit on top.
With good technique, I can lift the 17′ Heavy SP3 plastic monster myself…If you are not on rivers, look at glass fibre canoes as they are lighter still or if feeling flush, carbon 8)

The Song Of The Paddle forum is a good place to read lots of opinion and ideas – http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?26430-Sit-On-Tops-how-good-are-they&highlight=Ocean+Kayak+Malibu

There are more varieties of human powered watercraft than bikes, and like bikes they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

My choice:

Packraft deflated and packed on bike, along with paddle, PFD, tent, sleeping bag, food, stove…

What a great thread – beautiful photos (boats, scenery and families!).

I’ve got one of these, use it in the sea mainly, great fun and moves pretty quick, they hold there value too. Perception Recommend back rests.

Some more inflatable choices please after one for 2 adults one child!

Rich

Please stop posting, I really really can’t afford it…..

brassneck – don’t worry. It’s rubbish really.

A wee paddle by druidh_dubh, on Flickr

21/04/2010 by druidh_dubh, on Flickr

Have been through a few but can not let the Mad River 16 Explorer go, sitting by the side of the house in covers but not wet once last year : ( . Like Matt said gets addictive and great fun with children on mild water and mates on faster water. Will always remember camping trips with the kids on the river. If you get a Canadian get a trolley for when on land so much easier. Good luck Rich and before you know it you might be racing and have little ones in real boats – kayaks on the sea, on the river

A very young James progresses to kayaks

Gets older!

Scaring friends on some light water

Racing

Proper kayaking on the sea, 2nd day of 3 day trip

Yep, mountains, lakes, sun, nothing to see here…

<closing browser before I do something I’d be made to regret>

Any opinions on Perception Gemini Comfort Double vs Malibu 2 (or 2XL).

It will be used for inshore mucking about and freshwater lochs e.g. Morlich

The 2 XL looks god because I’ll be able to put both kids on.

Thoughts?

Someone remind me why the hill in druidh’s pic is called the tit pap of Glencoe.

Shit – don’t do that!

All the water will run out of the photo!!!!

And you just capsized….

something a bit warmer!

Abel Tasman by Richard Munro, on Flickr