No longer a yak virgin!

[wurring_of_slurds]

Well I finally took the yak out and put her into the water. Went to Werribee river and had a paddle upstream.
It was was more about finding what I didn't know, rather than testing out the Yak, She floated which seems to me to be a big plus.

I've got an Aquayak Snapper Pro. The package comes with a comfort seat, and yes it is comfortable, no numb bum, and also a paddle. I bought a couple of leashes for the paddle and 1 rod. I had my small fishing tackle box on deck between legs, and a bag of stuff in the back. Thanks to Youtube i only got my feet wet boarding the yak and away I went. I wobbled a bit as i found my balance but it didn't tip, so it seems pretty stable. I think i had an issue finding where to put my feet, and positioning myself in seat so I didn't feel awkward, but it was my first time. It seemed slow and it took me a while to get a rhythm going, also i was paddling into a headwind. I also seemed to splash my self a lot so maybe a session of Youtube paddle lessons. Turned around and returned to shore pretty pleased with myself. I was probably only out for an hour but I will be out again.

The yak floated, didn't spill me out, didn't leak and didn't take more than a dribble of water in the hull. The hardest bit was loading and unloading the yak onto/off of my car. My technique is to wear my yak as a hat. Works, just not what I would call an optimal solution. The aquayak is a good first yak, its pretty forgiving but I can see why there are so many Hobie Yakkers.

So I will look for a yak trolley or build one, get Velcro from Officeworks, for tackle box. Most importantly I think my next trip out will be with other yakkers. When I had packed up I saw yakkers turning up and missed the opportunity for a chat and feed back.

[Ghurkin]

Thats what I would call a successful trip, you learnt a few things, didnt fall in and got home safely, well done

[gummyshark]

good on ya wurring of slurds (bill) glad u had some fun
good to see u didn't tip either, good post hope u catch heaps oh yes how was your muscles sore

cheers gummyshark norm

[snapperboy]

i was looking at getting an aquayak or a seak swift and i ended up getting a seak swift because they are a very similar yak but anaconda ha a huge sale that made it about $100 cheaper. do you like your aquayak? i hope i didnt make the wrong decision

[Builderdave78]

Wurring - did you stick with the snapper or change it.... I'm toying with it at the moment as a newbie with a short term view to a way into the sport. Any more thoughts since you last posted?

[M_Wrigh]

Well done getting out there. Good to hear it was a successful first effort. AquaYak have some good Yaks, I have a BigFish myself and am more than happy with it( see my posy"BigFish Beute"). Again congrats

[greenhorn]

Hey Builderdave
Question wasn't directed at me but thought I'd jump in.
After owning a Aquayak Snapper for a little over year I recently upgraded to an Outback. (my girlfriend now uses the Snapper and loves it going for a paddle down Werribee river or when we go camping)
The Snapper is great in tight water and calm conditions and is quite easy to paddle because of its size, it tracks quite well also. The only downside is that while manageable I never really felt 100% confident when fishing in the bay with a bit of chop as it feels a bit unstable when side on in even small chop - heading into the waves you feel much safer but you do get really wet. Also it can be a little hard trying to keep straight and reeling in a fish at the same time (almost mastered the paddle in one hand, rod in the other lol) portability is awesome and being able to lift the yak over your head to put on the roof unassisted makes getting away for a paddle a quick and easy process.
The snapper pro is also great value (kayak, good seat, 2 x railblaza rod holders and ports, trolley, paddle, lifejacket all for $650-750 from memory) so you don't need to buy anything extra you can just hit the water and enjoy.
For a starting out yak it was awesome and I have no regrets buying it - I learnt many great lessons in what conditions feel safe/re-entry, positioning of gear etc and I've caught many cracking fish from that yak.

However for the sort of fishing I like to do out in the bay my outback suits my needs far better than the smaller yak, it is not as easy to push through the water even with the pedals but I tend to spend more time anchored up/drifting than moving and the extra space and particularly stability make for a much more enjoyable time - not to mention keeps the mrs mind at ease when going out in the bay. I keep dryer and can fish paddle free which is a definate bonus however portability and price were things I had to take into consideration.

Horses for courses really, as everyone here can attest it's probably best to test out a couple of yaks to see what you feel comfortable in - ask if the store has a test day or get the opinion on certain makes via the search button on the forum. If you are looking to start out the snapper is a great buy but if your looking to get out in the salt you might want to consider something slightly bigger to feel comfortable, as Michael mentioned Aquayak sell a bigger model the bigfish which quite a few people on here reckon are pretty good so might be worth a look.

[Builderdave78]

Michael,

thanks for the detailed response, it was really helpfull. Sounds like you did exactly what I have been mulling over. My fishing would be in the Bay so would certainly limit the conditions I could go out in, but I was a kayak instructor at school so although a bit rusty and all experience to date has been sit in, not sit on, feel fairly comfortable with that side. The other consideration is that im 6'3 and 90kg - so might be a little on the small side for me. If its not a personal question how big are you as some of the feedback seems to be that I might be on the large side for their design criteria!

I'm going to borrow one and go out on a day with a bit of wind a chop to see how I fare, but encouraged to hear your comments that you dont regret as although it would be a short term fix, it would then give me a spare yak and as you said, figure out what I want out of a yak to make sure my big ticket purchase is right.

Thanks again

[greenhorn]

Hi Dave

I'm about 5'10 and 80kg, my feet rest comfortably on footwell wall with a bend in my legs, being 6'3 you may feel a little cramped I would imagine but definately worth a test drive as it sounds like the yak would suit your purposes otherwise. Let me know if you have trouble sorting out a demo, not sure where you're located but if you want to head to Werribee South you can have a spin at both of mine if you want.

[Woodsy]

Hi David,
I'm very new to kayaking. We had a couple of Rays Outdoors kayaks (very basic entry level) that were very stable on the water but didn't track that well. You just couldn't tip them. We upgraded to Aquayak Scout recently and personally I dont feel stable on them. I am going to give it one more try but feel I am going to test run the Hobie units. I'm sure Scouts are good because I see them everywhere but they're just not for me. If you are interested in the Scout, PM me. I'm willing to drop a couple of hundred and cut my losses. It has the fishing outfit.

Barry