David Cowell
New Member
OK, I'm brand new to a sea kayak.
A little history so you know where I'm coming from as I try to learn and become proficient at this amazing hobby.
I've been paddling a cheap recreational fishing kayak for about a year. I bought it as a first kayak so I could learn what I wanted to do. I have loved every minute on the water and I have switched my focus from my next boat being a nice fishing kayak to a touring boat of some sort. After lots of reading and watching videos I've figured out how much I don't know, so to that end I ended up buying an inexpensive Dagger Seeker poly boat. She's old but solid. Surprisingly the foam bulkheads are even intact, the neoprene hatch seals are good and so on. I'm going to replace all the deck rigging and rudder lines and call it a winner! My only intentions with this boat are to put a lot of miles under it in lots of scenarios, have some adventures and figure out what I want. Somewhere between a Jackson Journey day trip boat and a Kevlar sea kayak. Direction to be determined after I see what I think will work best for what I end up doing.
Enough background. This boat has a rudder. My lacking of actual experience had me wanting a skeg, but what do you do? It was an inexpensive boat and it's not like I actually know what I want yet.
My first observation is that after having sat in some boats at the store and seeing what it's like to fit the boat and feel solidly locked up in there without having to constantly work at it, the sliding rudder pedals seem to make it impossible to get that solid connection feel. I know that some of the modern boats have foot braces that you can lock in place, then they pivot to control the rudder. Is this a conversion that can be done to an older boat like this?
I've been in this boat twice after work so far. Yesterday I noticed that my left butt cheek and leg were pretty much numb after an hour or so! I chalk this up largely to needing a pad for the seat and some fitment adjustment, but probably because with the rudder I can't get solid into the boat.
Thanks!
A little history so you know where I'm coming from as I try to learn and become proficient at this amazing hobby.
I've been paddling a cheap recreational fishing kayak for about a year. I bought it as a first kayak so I could learn what I wanted to do. I have loved every minute on the water and I have switched my focus from my next boat being a nice fishing kayak to a touring boat of some sort. After lots of reading and watching videos I've figured out how much I don't know, so to that end I ended up buying an inexpensive Dagger Seeker poly boat. She's old but solid. Surprisingly the foam bulkheads are even intact, the neoprene hatch seals are good and so on. I'm going to replace all the deck rigging and rudder lines and call it a winner! My only intentions with this boat are to put a lot of miles under it in lots of scenarios, have some adventures and figure out what I want. Somewhere between a Jackson Journey day trip boat and a Kevlar sea kayak. Direction to be determined after I see what I think will work best for what I end up doing.
Enough background. This boat has a rudder. My lacking of actual experience had me wanting a skeg, but what do you do? It was an inexpensive boat and it's not like I actually know what I want yet.
My first observation is that after having sat in some boats at the store and seeing what it's like to fit the boat and feel solidly locked up in there without having to constantly work at it, the sliding rudder pedals seem to make it impossible to get that solid connection feel. I know that some of the modern boats have foot braces that you can lock in place, then they pivot to control the rudder. Is this a conversion that can be done to an older boat like this?
I've been in this boat twice after work so far. Yesterday I noticed that my left butt cheek and leg were pretty much numb after an hour or so! I chalk this up largely to needing a pad for the seat and some fitment adjustment, but probably because with the rudder I can't get solid into the boat.
Thanks!