Just bought a kayak!

[azbackpackr]

My husband and I just returned to Yuma from San Diego, where we purchased a tandem recreational kayak we found on Craigslist. We had been watching for a specific type, the kind where you can move the seats forward and back, and convert it to a solo. This one is a 15-foot Wilderness Systems Pamlico. My husband is disabled and is not interested in trying to stuff himself into a small, tight space such as in a serious whitewater or sea kayak. And we didn't want a sit-on top because they don't easily convert to solo.

We will be kayaking all the lakes around Yuma along the Colorado River (there are quite a few) and also running the river itself. There are three sections of river: Above Imperial Dam, below Laguna Dam and also the short stretch BETWEEN the two dams, which is only about 4 miles in a straight line.

I also have a whitewater kayak, and still want to find a school. I think I might check out the one at Lake Mead as they seem to have a complete school, with rescue techniques, plus learning to Eskimo roll.

If you are looking for a used kayak and don't mind going to San Diego, that is the place to get one. There are new listings daily for many different types of kayaks. So if you want to surf, run whitewater, or paddle the Sea of Cortez, you will find what you're looking for if you keep watching.

I took a kayak class in November here in Yuma. It was fun, but only taught me the beginner basics. However, it was the first time I had ever paddled one and I really did like it a lot!

[PaleoRob]

Nice! I'm sure you'll enjoy it - those 2 to 1 convertibles are really handy too.

[Strand]

Keep us (me) informed on what you think of the boat. As you know my fiance is somewhat disabled too, and we've been looking at that same kayak. Enjoy the water time, I'm jealous! The ski season is well underway, but I'm still missing my water time on the big lakes!!!

[azbackpackr]

We took it out yesterday, putting in at two places: Squaw Lake on the Calif side above Imperial Dam, and just past Betty's Kitchen by Mittry Lake on the AZ side, above Laguna Dam but below Imperial. This last place was out of the wind, which has been blowing here for days. Squaw Lake was very windy.

It is tricky to get the hang of paddling a tandem kayak. In the narrow waterway at Betty's Kitchen we had trouble with it. We'd get the kayak going one way, then we'd suddenly be in the tule reeds, and would have back paddle ferociously. We don't know who is supposed to be in charge of calling, the front person or the rear person?

I looked online for instructions in this but couldn't find any. I will have to find a book or a teacher. I can also email the teacher I took that class from.

But it was fun, anyway, and now we are well-practiced at getting the boat on and off the roof of the Trailblazer! We don't have a proper kayak rack, we are just putting it on the luggage rack and we use those crank straps and rope, fore and aft, plus two places around the middle, so it is on there pretty good.

[Strand]

If it's anything like canoeing in tandem, the front person should be just a second engine, while the rear paddler is in charge of direction and speed. I could be wrong though.

[writelots]

My husband and I started doing lake kayaking a while ago, and we've done several guided tours. The guides always told us that the rear gets to steer - which makes us fight over the back, of course. He, being heavier, usually wins, however - as having less weight in the front makes the tandems easier to steer. The person in front it like Strand said, just an engine. We bought a tandem a few years back - a short, cheap, sit-on-top, and found that we were unable to use it tandem, because it was designed for an adult in the drivers seat and a child out front. My sturdy hiker weight in the front made it nearly uncontrollable! Now I take that one out solo with the puppy in the front (sometimes) and he has another solo. The independence is better for us both.

Unfortunately, we took this up as an "activity to do together", and it's not turned out as well as I'd hoped. He likes to fish from the kayak (read float in one place with rod in water, pref. with beer), and I like to do the equivalent of hiking on water (ooh, honey, lets check out this inlet!). Even though we're both into the kayaks, we still want to do different things! :bdh: Sigh. Marriage.

[Strand]

I've been torn between going with two solo boats, or a tandem that's convertible to single, or a tandem and a solo. I don't think she'll be mentally ready to deal with a boat alone right away (she's not a water freak like me), but I also know that I'll likely take the boat out alone for a workout and some nature time. I can't imagine any boat that can be paddled by two being all that fast or maneuverable for a single. I'm not all that experienced with traditional kayaks, all of my time has been on a Wilderness Systems Kaos in waves. Because we have no real waves in AZ, that boat sits in the carport back at the beach in Michigan - it's a total dog on flat water because it has a planning hull and skegs like a surf board.

I know that someone up here rents kayaks, but I don't know what the name of the shop is. I kept seeing the truck with the rental boats driving around town last summer, but was never able to get a phone # or web address.

[Jeffshadows]

...You're going to pull an Into the Wild down the Colorado, aren't you?

[Jim]

Awesome. My first thought that came to mind when I read this thread title was, "yes, a kayak, thats what I need to explore the desert". Then I saw that it was for use on the river near Yuma and it all made sense.

[Strand]

"yes, a kayak, thats what I need to explore the desert".

I've seen kayaks used on snowy slopes...but I don't think they (or the rider) would hold up real well on cinders or scree... ;)

All this talk about water is killing me, I'm going to cancel the ski vacation and head somewhere warm, wet, and windy instead!!!

[azbackpackr]

We got a little better the second and third times we took it out. And my husband talked to an instructor. Yes, the rear gets to steer, he told me in a gleeful tone of voice! (He always sits in the rear!)

Tomorrow I think we will take it on the actual river.

I met a woman here who owns a business, sells Eddyline Kayaks, takes people paddling. You would not believe how far you can go. There are about 5 big lakes above Imperial Dam, and she starts at Squaw Lake on the Calif side (where we first took our boat) and goes a really long way up to another lake via a lot of nifty channels.

Don't believe me? Check it out on Google Earth. You need to look both above and below Imperial Dam and also below Laguna Dam. These two dams are about 4 miles apart, and are just a few mile north of downtown Yuma.