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[SAR-EMT40]

I have a question that is partly related to this subject. Is there an inherent reason that no one seems to use a sit on top kayak for ocean travel. Center of gravity, protection, etc. I use one for flat water and love it so I am wondering why everyone uses a sit inside for ocean use. It seems pretty exclusive. Is it just personal preference or are there technical reasons not to use a sit on top?

Keith

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I have a question that is partly related to this subject. Is there an inherent reason that no one seems to use a sit on top kayak for ocean travel. Center of gravity, protection, etc. I use one for flat water and love it so I am wondering why everyone uses a sit inside for ocean use. It seems pretty exclusive. Is it just personal preference or are there technical reasons not to use a sit on top?

Keith

Off the top of my head, you can (easily?) climb back onto a SOT, but:
A. I don't have one
B. In a sit-inside, paddlers can remain fairly dry if wearing proper clothing and a spray skirt (if you don't bail out)
C. a SOT is much colder when waves are washing across your boat
D. Bracing yourself is more difficult compared to a smaller cockpit of a sit-inside (foot braces only vs. that and thigh/knee bracing)
E. They're usually wider, which means slower
F. lower center of gravity in a sit-in (not a big deal)
G. You can't get that cool effect when your bow submarines through waves and the water washes across the forward deck.

 

[darren]

I have a question that is partly related to this subject. Is there an inherent reason that no one seems to use a sit on top kayak for ocean travel.
Keith

I was thinking just the opposite when I lived in Hawaii. Here in the Northeast, everyone pretty much paddles sit inside kayaks on the ocean. There are exceptions of course (like Swamp) - mostly divers and some people who fish. In Hawaii it is the exact opposite, everyone paddles sit on top kayaks. It is almost impossible to get a sit inside kayak in Hawaii. New ones are not sold there - period. I saw one used one for sale and it was super expensive because the owner had paid to ship it there from the mainland. I could never get a straight answer from kayak dealers I went to. They all thought that it was very odd that I would want to paddle a sit inside kayak....they are "dangerous". Bizarre. Mostly all I could figure out was that 1) you don't want to land a sit inside kayak on a lava rock beach and 2) there are a lot of tourists and it is safer to put a touron on top of a boat rather than inside it.

Back to New England, it mostly comes down to the fact that sit on top kayaks are usually big heavy plastic boats that are slow and us New Englanders pride ourselves in rushing around everywhere. Plus, North of Cape Cod the water is just plain frigid and you can stay dry in a sit inside kayak. Sit on tops are more popular in the Southeast and Gulf Coast where the water is warmer. I guess there is also the cultural thing...New Englanders like traditional things and a sit inside is traditional for kayaks.

For me, I like the ease of covering a lot of miles in my efficient sit inside kayak, I like the low profile which makes it easier to paddle in the often windy ocean environment, and the added bonus that you don't have to wear pants

- darren

 

[roadtripper]

Generally, don't sit-on-top kayaks have less storage as well?

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Generally, don't sit-on-top kayaks have less storage as well?

They might have a little less but mine is a "fishing" kayak and seems to have a fair amount of storage available. So much so I have considered packing it for a weekend camping trip on Unbagog.

My wife will only paddle in a sit inside so I can make the comparisons fairly easy. Makes her feel safer though on an intellectual level she knows there is little if any difference. At least I think she does.

It sounds as though there is nothing inherently "incorrect" about using a sit on top for ocean kayaking. Maybe a little colder, if that is an issue I assume a dry or wet suit can help with that. I have wondered this for a while now. And not wanting to wind up on here because of a news clipping being labeled a knucklehead for using one in the ocean. But if one equips it appropriately as you would a sit inside, there shouldn't be any real issues. Is that what I am to understand?

For the next question I will start another thread.

Keith

 

[Brambor]

sit on top

I think sit on top is a good idea during July and August here in the Northeast and probably only in protected ocean localities. They would be good enough if you went for a 2 hour paddle or shorter. Paddling in a wet suit in July and August is not something I would enjoy.

But for me, in situations as described above I was wondering the same thing. In hot weather it would feel very refreshing.

I have a short sit on top that I use for surfing. I get tossed around by waves and love every minute of it. After an hour I'm exhausted and happy.


BTW - There are few faster sit on tops. Seda used to make a nice fiberglass sit on top kayak but they discontinued it.

 

[IndianChris]

I disagree - the technique is the same

Back to that rough water / calm water recovery subject...

I have to agree with Darren on this, especially his analogy about crampons and glacier travel. Not only is rough water recovery so much more difficult but there is a HUGE difference in the mental state of a person when in rough water compared to calm water, especially in the state of mind of an inexperienced paddler.

The unexpected need for recovery techniques in calm water might not throw an inexperienced paddler into panic mode but it will most likely get their heart rate up a little bit temporarily. Hopefully it doesn't get too high for any of us, no matter what our skill level is.

However the unexpected need to practice recovery techniques on rough waters will definitely spike the heart rate of paddler with little to no experience on rough water. They may panic. This can lead to unclear thinking and the loss of good judgement. Time is critical in these situations and a paddler must be confident in his/her ability to return safely and make efficient decisions . The word of the day here is "confidence." If you might be paddling in rough seas or get caught in rough seas, you must be confident in your ability to paddle in that environment.

I can remember Coldfeet and I used to paddle every Wednesday evening (btw, we need to start that up again CF) at different areas along the north shore here on Long Island. We would try to make a point of occasionally practicing our recovery techniques. This was a great boost for our confidence and enabled us to extend our trips each time.