Canoe or Kayak?

[BigDaddyLionfish]

Which do you think is better? I'm looking for some help here... I am a pretty good canoer, nothing special, but can do class 4/5 rivers, but I have been wondering recently if I should switch over to kayaking. I have a ton of fun with canoeing, but it seems when I start moving up to the harder stuff, I would be much safer in a kayak. Some pros and cons of each would be nice, or just your opinion on which is better on the tougher rapids (I realize it might depend on the river). Anyways, whatever you have to say would be helpful. Thanks

[RTR]

Which do you think is better: Riding a bike in the sunshine, or eating a pizza?

[carvedog]

Which do you think is better? I'm looking for some help here... I am a pretty good canoer, nothing special, but can do class 4/5 rivers, but I have been wondering recently if I should switch over to kayaking. I have a ton of fun with canoeing, but it seems when I start moving up to the harder stuff, I would be much safer in a kayak......

??????????
So you are looking for something like class 6/7 when you move up?



If you are that much of a badass, why would you switch. Kayakers are pussies compared to open boaters. If you move down to kayaking now your testerone will start to diminish, your abs and arms will become smaller and if you haven't kayaked around the ladies, they will no longer look at you with that mixture of awe and confusion.

Seriously though, open boaters have always mystified me. My knees were so shot by the time I started boating that I couldn't even try to start canoeing.
Seems like it is easier to play in a kayak. If a fat bastard like me can figure out how to roll that tells you something about the ease of this.

[RTR]

??????????
So you are looking for something like class 6/7 when you move up?



If you are that much of a badass, why would you switch. Kayakers are pussies compared to open boaters. If you move down to kayaking now your testerone will start to diminish, your abs and arms will become smaller and if you haven't kayaked around the ladies, they will no longer look at you with that mixture of awe and confusion.

Seriously though, open boaters have always mystified me. My knees were so shot by the time I started boating that I couldn't even try to start canoeing.
Seems like it is easier to play in a kayak. If a fat bastard like me can figure out how to roll that tells you something about the ease of this.

^Ditto. If you want to maximize your badassness, you're going to have to be paddling those Class VI/Class VII runs in your open-water, always-right-side-up, do-it-for-the-ladies open canoe. My hat goes off to you... you are my hero, my inspiration, and my newest friend.

[RootSkier]

If you are honestly canoeing class V then you wouldn't be posting questions like this.

Just sayin'

[RTR]

This is why he's not honestly running class V. No one I know that runs class V describes it as "nothing special," or "nothing serious."

[BigDaddyLionfish]

I don't think you guys understood what I said when I said I paddled 4/5. There are a lot of class 4 rivers around here with a couple class 5 rapids thrown in, getting them a rating of 4/5. I have only once done a full class 5 river and I had to portage two rapids

[RootSkier]

Where are you?

What are your regular runs?

What runs do you want to paddle in the future?

[BigDaddyLionfish]

WV... The hardest things I have run are the Gauley and most of the Blackwater. I would like to be able to run stuff like the Meadows, Quake Lake (Montana), the Kennebec (Maine), runs like that with realllyy big water. And ruletherock, stop sounding like such an overconfident douche. Nothing I said in my initial post was unreasonable, and I am not lying about anything. You tell everyone that I am lying because I am being modest and asking a simple question? What the hell dude?

[406]

I don't think you guys understood what I said when I said I paddled 4/5. There are a lot of class 4 rivers around here with a couple class 5 rapids thrown in, getting them a rating of 4/5. I have only once done a full class 5 river and I had to portage two rapids

So if I float a class 2 section on a inner tube and portage around a water fall, does that mean I am a class 6 tuber?

As a former whitewater canoeist, I only claim I am as good as the rapids I have ran...not what the river has or I have portaged. So I was a class 3 canoeist, despite the river having class 4+ rapids.

[Tye 1on]

........

[P_McPoser]

^^ I want me one of those!

[igBand]

So if I float a class 2 section on a inner tube and portage around a water fall, does that mean I am a class 6 tuber?

Don't sell yourself short...you'd be a class 7 boater.

Class 2 inner tube float + class 5 drop = Class 7 overall

[SuperChief]

You run the Upper B in an open boat?

[jm2e]

If you are honestly canoeing class V then you wouldn't be posting questions like this.
Just sayin'

ditto on that.

WV... The hardest things I have run are the Gauley and most of the Blackwater. I would like to be able to run stuff like the Meadows, Quake Lake (Montana), the Kennebec (Maine), runs like that with realllyy big water. And ruletherock, stop sounding like such an overconfident douche. Nothing I said in my initial post was unreasonable, and I am not lying about anything. You tell everyone that I am lying because I am being modest and asking a simple question? What the hell dude?

Now, the Gauley is perfectly respectable paddling in an open boat. It's the benchmark big class IV with nice wide lines and plenty of room to row your tub o' water back to an eddy in the pools between. Kinda like the Canyon, only less flatwater.
But it sounds like you're looking to run some steeper stuff and/or stuff with bigger holes that you can't skirt around like you've been able to do up to now. Are you rolling that thing as confidently as a decked boater? If so, you're the man and you should stay put.
On the other hand, what about a C-1? I'm not sure why you're jumping so readily from open boat to K-1. Isn't there a logical progression for you into a "decked canoe"? You can turn any kayak into a C-1 with a little outfitting and if you're solid you can go anywhere they can go, period.

[BigDaddyLionfish]

If you are honestly canoeing class V then you wouldn't be posting questions like this.

Just sayin'

Why?? Cause after you get good to a certain point... You must know eevverrrything about it right? No.... If the guys that skiied K2 had never snowboarded before and they were thinking of switching over, you think it would mean they were inexperienced if they asked? ...

[BigDaddyLionfish]

So if I float a class 2 section on a inner tube and portage around a water fall, does that mean I am a class 6 tuber?

As a former whitewater canoeist, I only claim I am as good as the rapids I have ran...not what the river has or I have portaged. So I was a class 3 canoeist, despite the river having class 4+ rapids.

What the hell are you talking about

[karpiel]

All real men have at least two of these though.

[jm2e]

Nicely played

[karpiel]

So if I float a class 2 section on a inner tube and portage around a water fall, does that mean I am a class 6 tuber?

As a former whitewater canoeist, I only claim I am as good as the rapids I have ran...not what the river has or I have portaged. So I was a class 3 canoeist, despite the river having class 4+ rapids.

That should be clarified to someone who can clean the class rapids at the level they claim. I think its the 12 year old skateboard syndrome, you know "I can do a kickflip, sometimes I even land them!!11!"

[Skipig25]

I wouldn't call the kennebec "big water" by really any means. It's a nice IV with some V thrown in, but if you come all the way up to maine, hit up the penobscot, it's better.

[carvedog]

Hey Karpiel I hadn't seen the canoe ender before. That was awesome.
THX.

Did you get some inspiration from that first vid Bigdaddy?

Some pretty nice moves in there. Hadn't seen much creekin style canoeing before.

[BigDaddyLionfish]

Yeah I did get some inspiration from that video... Thanks for that. I think I'm gunna stay with canoeing since I already like it so much, and I get a rediculous amount of respect on the river cus I'm almost always the only open boater. And... You guys did not understand what I said. I did a class 5 river, and class 5 rapids, but had to portage two that had serious consequences and are not often run. If someone ran the lower meadows, but portaged Coming Home, you would undoubtedly say they still did the river, right? Well, its the same type of situation

[BigDaddyLionfish]

BTW did you see that fucking gargantuan raft in the second video? Whats up with that?

[406]

Karpiel, those guys in the first video are amazing...the tandem in the grand was cool also.