Kayak or Canoe?

I'm a kayak advocate, but either have advantages. With a kayak you get closer to the water and better maneuverability. In a canoe you have better gear-carrying ability. In my mind, kayak camping is like backpacking, while canoe camping is like car camping.
 
What amount of gear are you bringing? Canoes let you bring tons more. How agile do you want to be? Kayaks are more agile and easier to control solo. What kind of trips are you doing? Canoes give you a lot greater ability to bring others along. Most kayaks you are paddling solo. Canoes are easier to get into but kayaks usually have a lower center of gravity. For me, the advantages are with a canoe simpy because it is more versatile to a wider array of trip companions, which makes it easier to make a trip happen.
 
Funny, I have a canoe I don't use and just today I was telling my wife that I am definitely wanting to get another kayak. (any guesses on her response). I am with Ashergrey. I much prefer a kayak. i took a class years ago (OK, decades ago) at Utah State to learn to eskimo roll and was hooked from then on. Canoe if you are just going across a lake and your goal is just to get to the other side. I am assuming you mean touring kayak of course since you are matching it with a canoe as an alternative.

Have you tried kayaking before Nick? You have mentioned before that you are not a petite guy (in some post about sleeping bags I think) and most kayaks do seem to be designed for a smaller frame so consider that. Not a rule but a general statement. Some kayaks have huge cockpit areas and are almost like a canoe really. They are usually the ones that claim a good fit for a bigger person. My two bits I don't like that style very much. Nothing to brace your thighs against when rolling.
 
I am heavily leaning towards a kayak. My main use case is just going to be day trips/car camping, fishing or going around lakes(strawberry, jordanelle, flaming gorge and such). I don't think I will ever hit high speed waters/rafting as I don't know how to swim. Also in general kayaks seem to be bit on lighter side than canoes, easier for me to haul them from car to lake. I know anglers prefer sit on top kayaks but I would rather have a sit in of sort(avoid getting wet most of the time) and my dogs would probably like it as well. I've kayaked around a bit here in daybreak, tried out a 3 person canoe today that was just huge. paddling it wasn't so bad, but definitely too bulky for my needs. Something like jackson day tripper looks like perfect for me, but I see its not available anymore?
 
In my mind, kayak camping is like backpacking, while canoe camping is like car camping.

Ashergrey pretty much sums it up. A kayak is more nimble and certainly more efficient, but I can fit my wife, son, me and up to 150lbs of gear in my 17 ft canoe while keeping everyone and everything dry. Kayaks, on the other hand, are limited to no more than two people and light gear. One final thought: Lewis and Clark braved the Salmon in canoes, not kayaks, lol!
 
Once you get hooked on paddling, start to think about the more adventurous and elusive desert float trips...Muddy Creek and San Rafael River in the Swell, Escalante...nothing harder than class II+ but you want something manueverable. A canoe would be fine in the Little Grand Canyon of the San Rafael, but an Alpacka packraft would be an ideal craft for these runs. Duckies are good too, but those packrafts they are making now are quite sporty and I've seen people roll them. Plenty of room for a pack/gear and very light.

A recreational or sea kayak would be better suited for Lake Powell exploring and overnighters, a canoe would not be much fun when it comes to fighting the wind and motorboat wakes. But I might be biased...I spend almost every weekend in a kayak...:)
Regardless of what craft you choose, you will become addicted...have fun!

btw...whitewater boat companies are starting to make great crossover boats for whitewater expedition type trips if you ever decide to step it up a notch. Jackson, Liquid Logic, Wavesport and Pyrahna make kayaks now suitable for up to class IV with enough storage for 2 week adventures if you pack light.
 
Canoeist here. Much more versatility in my opinion. I paddle kayaks in white water but prefer the canoe in slow moving water and lakes. When paddling kayaks in slow water my lower back aches, changing positions is not always easy and sometimes not possible. In a canoe you can lay back, kneel, hang your feet over the edge,stand, grab another beer, whatever. Not as easy in a kayak. The main advantage to a kayak is(as previously stated) maneuverability. In a lazy river this is only important when then winds kick up. Seems a lot of your canyons the winds kick up so something to keep in mind. Solo or duo is important. Duo then canoe makes more sense, single then a kayak might be better. Canoes are harder to handle by yourself until you get the hang of it, paddler position, stroke etc.

Somehow I think you will end up with both eventually:)
 
I'm a kayak advocate, but either have advantages. With a kayak you get closer to the water and better maneuverability. In a canoe you have better gear-carrying ability. In my mind, kayak camping is like backpacking, while canoe camping is like car camping.

Yup, summed up perfectly. So, the short answer is, you need at least one of each. :D I haven't even really taken my canoe out (just a couple of easy lake paddles) and I already know I'd rather paddle a kayak when going solo, but there's no way I'm going without a case or two of beer when I do Labyrinth.
 
Before you try out any boats make to sure to understand the typical canoe paddle strokes especially the 'J' and draw strokes. Easy to learn but if not used you will not go straight or you'll have to move your paddle from one side of the boat to the other.

2 excellent canoe companies, Bell and Wenonah. If you have the cash spring for Kevlar(I love spending your money). It is half the weight.
Here are few links to get you started. Now you got me looking at boats again....
http://www.wenonah.com/resources/
http://www.bellcanoe.com/content.asp?id=576&section=content
http://www.paddlinglight.com/articles/how-to-pick-a-bell-solo-canoe/
 
If you have the cash spring for Kevlar(I love spending your money). It is half the weight.


I was at REI the other day and they had a Wenonah Itasca kevlar ultralight that was purchased and returned. It was regularly $3000 but they were asking $1900. Are they really worth it? Why is lightweight so good? My wife is such a bargain shopper that she almost went and tried to haggle them down to $1500 but I was a bit reluctant to go and drop that kind of cash without knowing.
 
Why is lightweight so good?

Like heavier boots, a heavier boat will slow you down and tire you out faster. Lightweight materials generally tend to provide better buoyancy and require less effort to move per stroke. Consider that you're essentially dragging yourself through the water with your hands.

One advantage of my skin-on-frame boat is the fact that it only weighs about 20 pounds. Unloaded, it's a breeze to paddle.

Also consider what type money you're willing to spend on the paddle itself. Lightweight rules, but also costs. There are plenty of great options in the $200-$300 range for kayak paddles.
 
What Ashergrey said, plus it is stiffer than ABS, Royalex and poly materials. The softer the material the more it will flex in water. Flex means more resistance.
So: less weight and less resistance with Kevlar.
FWIW: my next boat will be kevlar. I've paddled them, never owned one. You got me looking again. I always wanted a Bell Merlin II.
BUT if you are only going to use once in awhile then it will be less of a factor.

@ashergrey: only 20lbs, very nice

I don't know about that particular boat. Here's alink for the review though, I didn't read it.
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=14
I think the canoe for you would be a tandem boat that paddles well as a solo boat. Solo: one usually paddles a tandem boat backwards sitting on the bow seat or kneeling closer to the center.

You should FIRST decide your boat, then go to paddling.net for reviews. Tons of reviews. Make sure it fits your needs.

Here's another Kevlar boat in your area(somewhat).
http://boulder.craigslist.org/boa/3982441989.html
 
My canoe is a Wenonah Adirondack tuf-weave, about 55lbs. I can get it on my my shoulders by myself. Paddling solo I put some weight in the front and turn it around. Works pretty well. Wind is a killer, but without wind it moves right along. Calm glass it is very fast, even with a good load.
 
I picked up my first boats over the weekend. Yes, plural. Kind of a freak weekend for gear. Started with zero boats and ended with 3. First I inherited a 14-foot aluminum jon boat with an outboard and trolling motor. It was my grandpa's fishing boat and it's been in use for about 40 years now. And in the human-powered category, I bought a brand new Pungo 140 from Backcountry.com to be my main kayak. I thought I was done there but during a trip to REI, I saw a Tarpon 100 sit-on-top kayak that had just been returned that they were selling for more than 50% off and I decided to get it too. Time to do some floating!

Here's some pics - the bigger kayak should be here this week. :)
audrainboat.jpg

jonboat.jpg
 
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