Inflatable Kayaks, yay or nay?

[bryanthebold]

Or you could always go the Jacks Plastic route...



These things are a ball , although I prefer R2

[Sid]

I kayak but also have an old momentum self bailing duckie to loan to non kayaking friends. it is the bomb for newbies.

Those who don't/can't kayak can always paddle a ducky. They are forgiving and don't take an hour to set up like a typical raft.

the down side is that that they are cold and wet, plus you will swim, but that is part of boating.

I don't recommend walmart duckies on the alpine section of the snake at high water, but having said that: Here's a couple walmart duck pics at lunch counter @ 20k.



Nice air brace

[skiski]

What's wrong with an IK? I know it lets some people boat who are otherwise terrified of being upside down in a hardshell.

i.e. gay.

I kid, I really do kid. I used to kayak a lot in the east. No serious boater would dare paddle ducky back there. But, the rivers are different in the west, and there are a lot more boaters who are just interested in getting out there to enjoy a day on the river, whereas, in the east, I think it's more of an ego thing. If you're not handpaddling the upper blackwater in a playboat, you're considered a pussy (exagerration).

The only downside of a ducky is that you just don't get that carvy nimble feeling on the water, which is my favorite thing about kayaking. But they're are fine for just getting down class 3-4.

[refried]

Here's some of our local IKers getting down some class 3 drops
http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2006/06...-and-limp.html

[ski_adk]

Here's some of our local IKers getting down some class 3 drops
http://riverlog.blogspot.com/2006/06...-and-limp.html

Sweet stuff! I see they're using knee straps...I assume there are also foot pegs on those duckies too? From what I've heard, if you've got a decent pair of straps and pegs, you should be able to roll those things.

[refried]

I think thigh straps and footpegs or block of foam is absolutely necessary for any IK, without them you have no way to stay in the boat. Fish (the one making the big drop) can roll an IK,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA2hV...layer_embedded
but he can walk on water too
http://www.professorpaddle.com/media...p?File_Id=4468

[Flaskman]

Last week on The Forks, a singleblade paddle makes a ducky much more interesting:















In this last shot, you see the rock outcropping that's just behind James' boat? We call that "The Thing", when the water is up that thing creates this massive swirling vortex of spooky funnywater that's scary as shit. You get a 14' oar boat caught in that thing you better have brought lunch cuz you're gonna be there for a while.

[406]

cool photos

[tenex198]

Flaskman, what length of singleblade are you using with your duckie? I am really tempted to give it a try.

[Flaskman]

Some say the shorter the better, but I've seen some that are just too damn short. I bought a Werner bandit, the shortest one they have is a 54" and that's what I got...I love that paddle.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.a...35&deptid=1117

James, the guy in the photos above, customized an old rafting paddle by cutting down the shaft and reinstalling the handle grip. Short cuz you are often in shallow water and in tight rocks and a long one is just a pain in the ass. Also, a shorter one is better to do crossover strokes and not get hung up on the ducky.

I don't know if you have been following my dilemma on this, but I resisted this change for a long time. It was actually very much the same situation as me resisting the change from skiing to snowboarding. But all my superior paddling friends were adamant about it and I had to give in and give it a try...now I'm sold. So even though a kayak paddle is superior technology and has the advantage of having blades on both sides, once your C1 skills get better and you get used to a single blade, you'll never go back. My kayaking buddies all get together and hike in to the headwaters of the Kern River and singleblade down with quite a bit of gear strapped to the front and back and spend almost a week camping along the way. It forces you to learn to read the water more and plan ahead more, and that has helped my kayaking skills along the way as an added benefit. The only time it really sucks is going against a strong wind...that just plain sucks, but as your C1 skills get better it's managable. If you are like me, it's not something you will like the first time, just like snowboarding, but if you give it a few chances you will catch on pretty quickly and people will notice and you will be a better paddler.

[stalefish3169]

A big advantage of the ducky: it is light enough to easily rollerblade to the put in while carrying one.

[lll100]

Have been boating in IK's for years. Self supported trips down Middle fork of Salmon, southfork salmon, selway and owyee. Aire lynx I is my preferred boat(mine is 12yrs old) Use drybag as seatback, lace river straps everywhere to secure gear. Flip ready. Thigh straps required though. Makes paddling much easier in whitewater. Aire boats are also quite light and bomber. Great for running low in low flow conditions that rafts cannot.

[mysteryzombie]

duckies are lots of fun, especially if you wanna take someone else boating
there are many paddlers that own duckies and only use em occasionally. you can run anything in them!
i wish i had one, but they are too expensive for my thin wallet!
low vol creeks and multiday trips are a cinch with ik's

[Flaskman]

The ride...


The victim...

That was just the biggest one...it was another good day in the ducky.

[jt]

I got an Innova Safari and love it! I got it for the convenience, but it's really a lot of fun. I'm in Illinois and get to paddle class 1 & 2 (occasionally 3), and it's fine for that. It has a removable skeg so it tracks ok on flatwater. Holds plenty of beer.

[XXX-er]

I never been in a duckie but fro m my very limited perspective they do is allow someone with limited skills to get on the water

We ran a canyon with a couple of 3+/4 sections last sunday ,2 hard boaters (one being myself ), 3 rafts and 3 duckies

2 of the brand new duckie riders got in the raft for the knarly bits but the duckie did allow the one guy who had a couple of river runs under his belt to get on the water ,sure he flipped but he just got back on

no way it would have ever been possible in a hard boat ...just too much to learn

we had 2 commercial guides and the owner of a swift water rescue company so it was all reasonably safe

edit :Will i try one ?probably not

[72Twenty]

I've been pondering the IK idea as well; I would use it primarily for fly fishing in still water and occasional slow rivers and non-rapid sections (Big Laramie, North Platte, etc.). Any suggestions for a style/brand to use just for this application?

[Flaskman]

I'm familiar with two types: Aire and Hyside. They both are great for moderate Whitewater and fishing. One thing you may want to consider for fly fishing is the seat. The Aire's have a flat, foldable seat and the Hysides have an inflateable seat/seat-back. You would sit up higher on the Hysides and I think that would be an advantage for fly fishing. However, they are heavier so hauling them around is a little harder. You can also fold the Aire seats down and sit on the folded seat to get you up a bit higher off the floor, but still not as high as the Hysides. You can kneel in either boat just fine.

The Aire boats have better tie down loops for hauling gear and overall the Aires seem to be a better boat. The Hyside boats are wider and therefore better for running burlier whitewater.

Tributary is a budget version of the Aire, I've not looked closely at one to see what the differences are, but I bet it would be just fine.

I caught a decent catfish yesterday


but was heckled by other fish

[72Twenty]

Thanks for the info... I was pondering IK's -vs- sit-on-tops just for fishing. I may go a completely different direction and go in halfsies on a Clackacraft with my cousin, but haven't decided yet. A small kayak makes much more sense for solo trips, but in a Clacka I can obviously have more people along, gear, etc.

[Flaskman]

It sounds to me like you need both.

[72Twenty]

I like how you think.

[ski_adk]

Thanks for the info... I was pondering IK's -vs- sit-on-tops just for fishing. I may go a completely different direction and go in halfsies on a Clackacraft with my cousin, but haven't decided yet. A small kayak makes much more sense for solo trips, but in a Clacka I can obviously have more people along, gear, etc.

Now that I think of it, I've found inflatables to be a little annoying in regards to fishing. In any sort of moving water, they're always spinning and require active paddling to stay pointed in a particular direction.

[XXX-er]

Now that I think of it, I've found inflatables to be a little annoying in regards to fishing. In any sort of moving water, they're always spinning and require active paddling to stay pointed in a particular direction.

wouldn't that make sense with any water craft if the water is moving ?

[carvedog]

wouldn't that make sense with any water craft if the water is moving ?

Yeah even my 16 foot raft will spin in the eddies. In the current you almost always need an oar in the water to keep the boat online. Don't have to do much but just a little all the time.

[XXX-er]

Yeah even my 16 foot raft will spin in the eddies. In the current you almost always need an oar in the water to keep the boat online. Don't have to do much but just a little all the time.

Actualy more than one person has commented I don't have both oars in the water