Looking to purchase a Kayak.

[JP4CY]

Get whatever kayak you feel most comfortable in with a beer can in between the legs. Nothing more relaxing than being out on the water and seeing nobody around for a ways. Put the empties back in the kayak though, I always pick up ditched ones in the river from knuckleheads.
My wife and I have kayaks and have used them a lot in Polk and Story county. Rivers are probably still going to be shallow next year unless we get a TON of moisture so you'll have to stick to small lakes like Ada Hayden, Little Wall, etc.

[00clone]

There is an expo in february that you may want to check out in Indianola. Canoesport Outfitters

Don't actually own one, but kicked around the idea. ^^^^ Along those lines, a local(ish) place had a paddle day close, tried out several. Same place had a swap meet/clearance sale in the late winter. Might look at those places as well as the large chains.

[JoshTheCyclone]

There is an expo in february that you may want to check out in Indianola. Canoesport Outfitters

Good find! I'll have to check that out, unless I can find a great deal before then I likely won't have purchased anything yet anyways.

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Story City put a type of white river play area on the Skunk River a few years ago. I know someone from Omaha who goes there on occasion to practice. I would think there must be some sort of kayaking club that could give you advice. Might even have a used one for sale.

[Cycho1]

Kayaking is great! I definitely prefer it over canoeing. I own a Old Town, Otter. It's only 10' long, but super stable and maneuverable. It's not as sleek and streamlined as the longer boats, but i've been able to keep up w/ my friends that own fancier 16' kayaks and I'm able to paddle circles around them. I originally purchased it as a "starter" kayak, but I no longer feel it necessary to upgrade to something better. Plus for the price I ended up purchasing another one for my girlfriend and I don't feel bad scuffing it up on rocks and branches.

Good luck w/ your purchase!

[Clonehomer]

There is an expo in february that you may want to check out in Indianola. Canoesport Outfitters

I will second this. This place is great, especially for someone getting into kayaking. Prices may be a little higher, but they only sell top quality products and they are wonderful to work with.

The only other place I'd go is Rutabagas in Madison. If you're new to this, I'd stay away from chain stores because you're not going to get the same personal attention.

[Boony]

I've had an Old Town dirigo 12 ft kayak for 3 years and love it. Got it from LL Bean as a fishing package for $800. It does not need to be registered in Ia. I also have 2 Sea Eagle inflatable boats that I love to use in Ia rivers. They have a selection of kayaks that are worth looking at. seaeagle.com

[JoshTheCyclone]

So between a 10 ft and 12 ft kayak what's the biggest difference (other than 2 ft haha)

[stevefrench]

OP, JAX has kayaks you can rent. try a few out, figure out what works for you. they also have a bunch of outdoor enthusiasts that work there that can help you out as far as making a selection. Plus they will work with you on price a bit this time of year since it's the offseason.

[JP4CY]

So between a 10 ft and 12 ft kayak what's the biggest difference (other than 2 ft haha)

I have a 12 with a cubby hole and my wife has a 10. Hers can turn in circles a little easier but mine can cruise at a faster speed.

[JoshTheCyclone]

I have a 12 with a cubby hole and my wife has a 10. Hers can turn in circles a little easier but mine can cruise at a faster speed.

That's what I was thinking, I think I'd rather have the problem of more difficult turns as opposed to not being able to keep up with friends on the water.

[iowa_wildcat]

May I suggest getting to know these people well? Skunk River Paddlers

[CyinCo]

I have a 10 Ft. Wilderness Systems Pungo100. I has a dry storage area in the rear, a decent seat, foot pedal adjustments but has no rudder. It does have places to run cables and a rudder built in, I just haven't found it necessary. It is easy enough to control with just the paddle. We bought ours used for $400. But then spent equally that amount getting a carrier for our Pilot.

The only bad thing I'll say about the 10ft boat is that it seems a little undersized for me. I'm 6'2" and while I fit, my knees are popped way up and the padding around the opening doesn't hit me in the right spot. I tried a 12 ft. at Scheels after we bought this and found it fit me way better. For the amount of time I spend in it though, it is good enough.

[colbycheese]

am I crazy for owning an inflatable kayak? portability is big to me...

Is it one of those packable kayaks like they plug all of the time on the "Motion" tv show on LWN? Those seem interesting if your goal is to go on a hiking trip, but take one day to spend on the water. Otherwise they seem like they are hard to paddle in a straight line because you can't get your paddle under you, it has to go out to the side.

On an unrelated note, I have a buddy who has one of those cheap plastic kayaks that you sit on (not in) that he takes fishing all of the time. He has it rigged up to have three trolling lines out while he paddles.

Once I get a real job, and have room for storage of a boat, I'm going to get a nice canoe. A boating trip isn't a boating trip if you can't take the pooch! Also, I'll be using it for BWCA trips. I've tagged this as my first luxury purchase once I get out of grad school and get a real job.

[skipisu]

if you are planning on fishing out of a kayak i suggest trying out both a sit-in and sit on top kayak. i tried fishing out of a sit-in this summer and found it a little cramped, plus i couldn't stand up in it like you can with most of the sit on tops. you can't hit too big of whitewater with sit on tops, but if you don't plan on using it for whitewater and plan to do a lot of fishing or flatwater (lake or small river) paddling they are great.

i have been looking to get a sit on top yak for the past year and have been eyeing several different ones. just haven't found time to try them all out yet.

take a look at: jackson's coosa, kuda or the new big tuna, they are a little exspensive, but if you plan to fish a lot of them there are a lot of great features already built in to the boat
wilderness systems fishing line of yaks: pungo, ride or tarpon
there is also a newer design fishing yak made by native: slayer

with a little google fu do some more research about kayaks in general and search some forums for reviews on specific models of kayaks you might be interested. one forum i learned a lot about sit on tops is TexasKayakFisherman.com • Index page

oh and as other have mentioned, find out where the closest dealers of yak are at and ask them when they will be holding a demo day(s). usually they will have a full line of the makes and models they carry and you will be able to test them out. some dealers will even let you rent or borrow a yak to demo when they aren't holding demo events. try a few yaks out and determine which is the most comfortable for you. if you plan on fishing out of a yak, i suggest bringing your rod and real and see how well you like fishing out of it.