SOT Kayak versus Solo Canoe (please advise)

[oldguy]

Newly retired and considering a solo canoe or a sit-on-top kayak.

When i was a young man i had a sit-in Old Town touring yak I'd float Red River in and we floated Piney and Buffalo in Grumman tin boats.

These days, I'd only float in very warm weather, as i hate the cold water and plan on staying out of it as much as possible. Primary floats would be Mulberry at lower water levels mid summer.

Speed isn't a factor. I need stability. Will a solo canoe need more water to float?

I've looked at Dagger SOT Torrent 10 footer. Would be easy to haul.
Looked at the Old Town Guide 119 Canoe Dimensions: 11'9'' x 32.5"
Old Town makes a 10' sit-in fishing kayak Cockpit size: 19.5" x 48" that i think i could like (easy in and out). No rolling nor spray skirt for me.

Please advise and thanks in advance!

[robkanraft]

You might consider a Jackson Coosa. It's primarily a sit-on-top fishing kayak, designed for moving water. Re stability, some folks stand up in them and fish. I have a Native Ultimate 12 which I like, super stable but for shallow, moving water I would not recommend.

[magicmike]

Are you more comfortable sitting with legs out in front, or kneeling on your knees all day? Either way, I'd go with the canoe. Canoes are just cooler.-M-

[AR-Nimrod]

Check out the Native Manta Ray SOT's super stable.

[oldguy]

Check out the Native Manta Ray SOT's super stable.

Looks like a good candidate.

You might consider a Jackson Coosa. It's primarily a sit-on-top fishing kayak, designed for moving water. Re stability, some folks stand up in them and fish.

32" width i see, i would expect more stability than most.

Are you more comfortable sitting with legs out in front, or kneeling on your knees all day?

No kneeling unless it's for prayer - which I find appropriate and helpful. Canoes are cool :)

[oldguy]

impressed with the Coosa video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-1nq7m97lo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Louiscov]

Good luck with your decision. Tough choice between a sit on top and a canoe. Great choice on the SOT if you go with a kayak.

I LOVE my Torrent purchased a few years ago not long after I retired. It is light, sporty, COMFORTABLE, a delight to paddle. it is a "paddlers boat." If you like the sport of paddling a responsive kayak and like paddling, turning, leaning, maneuvering and just enjoy the response of a boat, a Torrent is excellent. Turner Bend on the Mulberry probably rents them so it'd be easy to test one. I also liked the Coosa a lot when I test paddled it. It is drier than the Torrent, takes less skill to paddle (to me that's a negative) and is noticeably less sporty, would be more versatile (carry much more gear, could fish from it), handles OK, but is 22 pounds heavier, 48 lbs vs 70, has a higher weight capacity (roughly 260 Torrent vs 375 Coosa). Your primary use and what type paddling turns you on will be a major determinant. Torrent is about $500 less. BOTH are quality boats depending on your main usage. For fishing, exploring, just being outside and on the water, the flatter the water the more so I'd lean towards the Coosa; but if you really like to handle a boat and sporty paddling, go with the Torrent.

And...my first love is canoes. They are "cooler" and more graceful, drier, you could extend your paddling season. An Old Town Pack canoe at 33 lbs is nice, handles well, same price as the Coosa. My favorite canoe is my Wenonah 15 ft Prospector, 59 lbs, rigged with a center seat for solo and I can car top it with my 65 year old shoulders. Handles wonderfully, turns great, you can paddle it straight as a freight train, but is susceptible to wind. If I could only have one boat myself I'd keep the Prospector, canoes are so AWESOME to paddle. But why limit yourself to one? I paddle the Torrent and Prospector about 10 days a year each. Love them both!! When you decide between an SOT or canoe, keep an eye out for a good buy on the other. You'll love 'em both too.

Please let us know what you get and why you made that choice, and please PM if you have specific questions.

[Canoe_Codger]

I can only speak to solo canoes. Never had a SOT or other yak. The 119 is eleven feet nine inches long. Compact but lacking in tracking and weight capacity. I spent a lot of effort maintaining track and it had little glide. My current solo is a Bell Morningstar, a David Yost designed composite. It is a dream to paddle at 15'4" and does not weigh much more than the smaller plastic solo. Of course it cost more. Ted Bell sold the company a while back but is back making canoes again so you can still buy them. Or find a nice used one on the secondary market like I did. Most any moderate sized tandem can be soloed though so don't restrict your search too much. I also solo a 16'9" Old Town. It isn't nearly as nimble as the Bell but will carry a lot of gear and with it's length and width is very stable if that is a concern.

[Robbie]

Well, I'm just getting into the sport myself and had to make the same decision. We have a lot of flat water around such as the Illinois River near Siloam Springs in the summer, and Lake Weddington. My family loves to take leisurely trips to cool off in the water, so a SOT seemed like a good choice. You can just roll off into the water, and easily climb back in. I also wanted something that And something that would track well on the flats. But I wanted something that would handle some white water too. So I ended up with a Liquid Logic Coupe. It has a skeg that drops down with the flip of a leaver for the flats, and it has enough rocker that when you put the skeg up it seems to turn pretty well. And the seat is REAL comfortable. I can go all day in it without getting a sore butt. Reviewers said that it would handle up to light Class 3 as well.

But that's the opinion of an absolute nube. Basically, I fell prey to the video and slick marketing at http://www.liquidlogickayaks.com/coupe.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Eztouche2]

I have a solo flatwater Sawyer Summersong. They are no longer made by the original manufacturer but I think the Wenonah solo boats accomplish the same things. The boat is light, tho fiberglass, fast, and usually paddled with a "sit-and-switch technique and a bent shaft paddle. .I have paddled it on the Arkansas, the Buffalo, 11 Poihnt, and numerous other streams w camping gear.
I also have a Bell Yellowstone (ABS) and it is better suited for rocks and turns much better than the Sawyer.
With either boat I can fish, carry several days of camping gear, and enjoy the water.
At 68 yrs, knee problems restrict my kneeling , but there is plenty more to paddle excluding the class 11 + whitewater.

[chuck]

Check out http://www.gaboats.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for diy canoes, kayaks, and rowboats. Their lightest, an 8' model is 8#. Others which can carry up to 600# can weigh up to 30+ #. These are plans and partial kits. The kits consist of the plans, epoxy, the aircraft dacron skin, heat sensitive tape and roving. I made the Classic 10 into a sailboat, but I make boats. You have to supply the wood and labor to put them together.Check out the pix of boats customers have made. One pix shows an octogenarian getting in the boat she made, think it was a 12' canoe.
Chuck