Recreational kayak recommendations

I have friends who are retired and are fit. They would be beginner kayakers who want to know about general all purpose kayaks. What model do you recommend? They want to paddle on lakes and possible easy class II rapid rivers. I have a 14′ P&H Orca sit in kayak which I like. It is 14 years old and still suits my purposes. It has one store away compartment. I would recommend the same boat to them but it is now outdated. They may do an occasional overnight trip. What model and brand would you advice them to buy? Any general recommendation would suffice. My ideal rec boat would be a 14’length.
Also they would need a roof rack system to carry kayaks. Thules and Yakimas are pricey with a complete set going for $800.? Any recommendations for racks which do not break the bank.
Thanks, Willie

Hey guys….welcome to In-Depth.

I am by no means a kayak expert and don’t have a ton of knowledge of all the models. I have a 12′ perception pescador. It’s a sit on top. Works great for fishing.

Not sure if you’re on FACEBOOK but there are a few food kayak groups there. Specifically the mn kayak association

We have a lot of kayak experience unfortunately nothing we use would be considered a beginner kayak.

During the summer months some places offer a night each week where you can try some out.
Definitely worth taking advantage of.
WS

I have a fishing kayak, and my wife and two boys have recreational kayaks – A Perception Drift 9.5 for my wife, a Pelican Mustang for my 13 yr old and a Pelican Bandit for my 10 yr old (which we’re turning into a Bona Fide mini fishing kayak for him!).

While those recreational yaks are probably cheaper, entry level boats, they’ve served the purpose well. I will say that if they want to do even mild rapids and they have gear they need to keep dry, then either buy a good dry bag or spend a little more money on a yak with sealed, water-tight storage.

Also, if doing rapids or risking rock collisions, etc I’d opt for a single piece roto-molded body. My wife’s Perception Drift is like this. Each of the pelicans has a seam that joins the top to the hull all the way around the yak. They guarantee it, etc, but I’d feel more comfortable if floating a length of river, where you might be miles from help, in a one piece yak.

The longer the better for easier tracking. Most you see in stores are at the 10 foot length but the advantage there is that you don’t have the license them. I wouldn’t want to be in under 12 foot if I was going to do it a lot.

The challenge this year is like last year, buying new will be difficult with supplies already wiped out for the upcoming summer.

I am not a big time kayaker but use a canoe often. Here is what I have found with kayaks. I have found some that are so uncomfortable for me that I can’t be in them for more than 15 mins., and others that are GREAT. My recommendation for anyone is to be sure and sit in one and if possible try one on the water. Many dealers will let you try them first. I must day that most of the cheapo ones you get at box stores are the uncomfortable ones. It would be worth it to pay some more money and get a good one. I like the ones with the “lawn chair” type seats myself. It all depends on what you plan on doing with it for sure.

I second the comfort thing. We normally use ours on the Namekagon river for 3- 4 hours trips and they can be quite uncomfortable even with an extra cushion. For short trips in a lake its not much of an issue. We have one el-cheapo and one Old Town. Similar seats with adjusting backs.
My next one will be open on top.

Something to keep in mind. A kayak under 10 feet in length does not need watercraft registration. 10 feet or longer does. Here is the link.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/watercraft/index.html