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The decision has been made to get a Yak


Rah

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G'day Raiders,

Iv had a look through the threads on here but think I might need a bit more info.

Iv used my mother in laws kayaks quite a few times to paddle the kids around but never to fish from, she has a heart condition and no one wants her going out on the water by herself so it has pushed me to get me own and tag along.

I'm 5 foot nothing and about 55kg, what in your opinion should I be sticking clear of? The weight of the yaks does concern me a bit, getting to and from the water.

If by myself id probably be going down to the cooks river or if with the mother in law she likes to go to Minnamurra, so no rough seas or anything like that.

I don't want to spend a "fortune" until I have figured out if it is something I'm going to be able to do regularly enough.

Any do's or don'ts would be appreciated. Or if anyone has any recommendations that would be awesome.

From what I have read on here, a sit on top is the way to go.

Cheers

Rah

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Mate for your size weight and requirements I'd go for one of the under 400 buck packages that are floating around. Gives you a good idea of what it's all about without breaking the bank. Theyre also short and light so easy to transport.

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buy second hand theres a lot out there, in saying that be weary of the ones that are selling "like new only used a couple of times" These are the ones I call bad choice! I bought one last year see post http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=74988&view=findpost&p=534455&hl=point65 3 outing only it was so hard to control Thankfully I bought it new from a decent dealer who gave full refund.

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Hi Rah,

There are lots of good yaks out there with some great attributes, but like insurance, you obviously don't want to pay for what you don't need.

I'm 5'8" in height and weigh 60kg wringing wet! I fish from my under $400 cheap and cheerful in quiet waters, like you have said you want to do. One of the reasons I chose mine was the light weight of 20kg. Even then, occasionally I have a bit of a challenge getting it my roof racks if the wind is blowing. But by and large, though, it's a good little unit to handle on my own. It's 3 meters in length and about 80cm across the beam. Because I'm never going to be very far from shore, I'm not too concerned about it's comparatively ordinary tracking, but it gets me to where I want o go without too much effort and it's quite stable.

It's rated to hold 130kg, so when you factor in your own weight, safety and fishing gear, and "bibs and bobs", you'll come in well under that weight, so no worries there. Heck, you can even throw in an electric motor and battery and still won't tip the scales.

Comfort is OK in my yak. I find I do need to stop and revive after a few hours, even with my "quality seat", but even then, I made a cushion out of bubble wrap to place underneath the seat for a bit of extra padding, and to keep my tail dry.

All other considerations aside, make sure you think safety. Always wear PFD, (personal flotation device), aka life jacket or collar, make sure you and mum are visible on the water, and always tell people where you are going, with an ETA on your arrival back home.

I think Witha was thinking of me when he posted his reply above. We've been out fishing together and so he's seen my little yak in action. Thanks mate, that's a nice endorsement.

At the end of the day, I think you'll either be very happy with a yak similar to mine, or if not, be able to offload it at a fair price and find that you haven't thrown away too much of your hard earned.

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Hi Rah,

There are lots of good yaks out there with some great attributes, but like insurance, you obviously don't want to pay for what you don't need.

I'm 5'8" in height and weigh 60kg wringing wet! I fish from my under $400 cheap and cheerful in quiet waters, like you have said you want to do. One of the reasons I chose mine was the light weight of 20kg. Even then, occasionally I have a bit of a challenge getting it my roof racks if the wind is blowing. But by and large, though, it's a good little unit to handle on my own. It's 3 meters in length and about 80cm across the beam. Because I'm never going to be very far from shore, I'm not too concerned about it's comparatively ordinary tracking, but it gets me to where I want o go without too much effort and it's quite stable.

It's rated to hold 130kg, so when you factor in your own weight, safety and fishing gear, and "bibs and bobs", you'll come in well under that weight, so no worries there. Heck, you can even throw in an electric motor and battery and still won't tip the scales.

Comfort is OK in my yak. I find I do need to stop and revive after a few hours, even with my "quality seat", but even then, I made a cushion out of bubble wrap to place underneath the seat for a bit of extra padding, and to keep my tail dry.

All other considerations aside, make sure you think safety. Always wear PFD, (personal flotation device), aka life jacket or collar, make sure you and mum are visible on the water, and always tell people where you are going, with an ETA on your arrival back home.

I think Witha was thinking of me when he posted his reply above. We've been out fishing together and so he's seen my little yak in action. Thanks mate, that's a nice endorsement.

At the end of the day, I think you'll either be very happy with a yak similar to mine, or if not, be able to offload it at a fair price and find that you haven't thrown away too much of your hard earned.

Haha I did indeed have you in mind mate. Your little battle ship is a great piece of kit (still envious of your motor [emoji14])
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Thanks Guys,

Those were the ones I was looking at yesterday. Will have a shop around and see what I can come up with. Once I have one ill put up a post and let you all know how I am going. Hopefully even be able to catch up with some of you guys and you can show me how its done. ha ha

Thanks for all the info I really appreciate it.

Cheers

Rah

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