What kind of kayak do I buy next?
Two of my clunky fishing kayaks that I have previously used on day/camping trips.
I have been planing my upcoming trips with the ferocity of a kid who is running all-out, screaming “Moooooooommmmm!!! I need money for the ICE CREAM MAAANNNNN!” because they just faintly heard the ice cream truck music chiming in the distance.
On the horizon I have a Kayak-Camping trip on flat-water through Glen Canyon, a Taco Tour (I’m not planning this one) in Baja, Mexico, and finally my two week white water raft trip through the length of the Grand Canyon. I have bought items needed, listened to audio books, read blogs, watched tons of vlogs and videos, bought waterproof guide books, and done tons of research.
And then, during my whirlwind of trip-info-gathering I saw a video or article on someone kayaking through the Grand Canyon. Yup, I fell down the rabbit hole. Did you know that in 2020 the youngest person to kayak the Grand Canyon is some cool 10 year old kid named Bodie? And the youngest female is a 12 year old cool kid named Abby, who has already been the Junior Women’s Freestyle Kayaking National Champion. And countless people have traversed the GC in all sorts of watercraft throughout the years.
If they can do it, I should be able to gain the necessary skills to accomplish my goals too, right?!?! Hopefully you can teach an old dog new tricks. Well, at least a middle aged dog.
Well if you know me at all, I have been really interested in learning to navigate white water since my trip down the Kern a few years ago. I have yet to do anything about it. This, however, has inspired me to get off my butt and do something… finally.
Recently I spent an days researching different kayaks that I could purchase that would fulfill my needs. Believe it or not, there are TONS of different types of kayaks that accomplish different tasks on different types of water. I could go into the detail of them but I think I will save that for another post. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in knowing about them or have a specific question (keeping in mind that I am no expert in any area of kayaking).
What I found out is that if I want to kayak white water and have the ability to camp, self sustained, I will need a kayak built specifically for white water, which also has room for gear. This kayak is called a crossover or adventure kayak, depending on the company selling them. Not only did I find crossover kayaks, but I also found that there were added features on some of these kayaks that may possibly sway me to making them my kayak of choice for flat-water too. These kayaks are generally a little longer than a traditional white water kayak and they have a retractable skeg!!!! That means when you are on flat-water, between rapids when you’re on flat water, you can lower the skeg and better control of your kayak. One of the models I saw also had a (small) track system for accessory mounting. They are smaller and lighter than my fishing kayaks, making them easier to transport and possibly maneuver.
Now comes the hardest part, besides forking out the dough. Finding one. I have scoured the interwebs for anything local for sale. There are no …zero… crossover kayaks in driving distance to me for sale. None used or new. If want to buy one I will either have to have it shipped, which can be very costly considering size, or I will have to make a special road trip to get it. I am not opposed to the road trip but between work and the other stuff I want to accomplish, this becomes a difficult task. It doesn’t help that most people that kayak whitewater seem to do it for sport of, meaning day trips, meaning no one needs a crossover kayak. Well some do, but they just aren’t as popular as entry level whitewater kayaks and the extreme tricks kayaks. Which is unfortunate, because they really seem to be versatile kayaks you can take on day trips, over night or even the ocean surf. Of course, I haven’t paddled one yet, but I will keep you posted when I finally do.
The hunt is on…
Update: 04/24/21
I kept scouring and I found a couple of local crossover kayaks for sale. They were an hour drive away, but I found them!! I also found a kayak company out of Arkansas and Missouri that would ship a Dagger Katana 9.7 to me but for $400 extra. They said that damage happens really often to kayaks during transit. So I opted for the used (cheaper and undamaged) kayak.
I am now the proud owner of a Pyranha Fushion RT in small. I am really excited to give it a try. I have never had a sit-inside kayak. Let alone a whitewater kayak.
Throughout my search I got on forums, groups, YouTube and checked out all of the available information. One group I was on, I even posted asking advice about getting a crossover kayak and one guy answered “Yeah, get a real kayak”. To that dude; Yeah, I get it. You’re badass and can already kayak white water. And you are probably really good at what you do. But consider, for a moment, that I may want something else out of it. Or I just need a starting point. Or that people can simply be different. Your comment was close minded and elitist. How bogus. I have no doubt that I will, one day, want a kayak better suited for white water specifically. But for now, I really want to give this crossover a try. It seems to be the kayak that will best help me attain my own personal goals. I am not even sure if they are realistic, but I am going for it.
I had already considered that I might want something more whitewater specific once I get going. I am not phased at having numerous kayaks…obviously. I own 5 kayaks currently if you don’t count the one I gave away. Who knows, now that I have the crossover, maybe I will keep an eye out for a used deal on one.
For now, I will be excited with my new toy and take it out as often as I can. I will watch all the instructional videos I can, and practice learning the necessary skills to navigate whitewater.
It occurred to me that I might need some new friends that like to do the same. Are there any 40-something women out there that need a new kayak friend? Besides me?
Dear lord, what am I getting myself into now? Let the fun begin!
Update 4/2/23.. So living in Long Beach means any time I want to white water kayak I will have to drive far away to do this. So it’s not conducive to learning the sport. I did, however, make time to take an entry level white water kayak class. It was super fun!! But it made me realize how much time I would need to dedicate to the sport before I would ever be able to Kayak the Grand Canyon. It’s not impossible, just daunting, considering my location. Additionally, the purpose for a more rapid specific kayak (than the crossover) became apparent in this class. I got to try a couple kayaks. So if ever I were to get to the point of kayaking down the Grand Canyon, it would be in a group, with gear boats, so there would be no need for storage on a crossover. So yeah, the guy with the bad attitude was kinda right. But it doesn’t change the fact that eh was a bonehead.
I haven’t abandon this endeavor yet, but it definitely has taken a back seat to some other stuff that I can do NOW.
Like Off-roading!!
