Thinking About Getting A Kayak
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OldAssDude
Posts: 1,436 Member
I do a lot of walking and biking, so my legs are getting a pretty good workout. I want to do something for my upper body and I figure a kayak would be a great way to do that because it will work all the major muscle groups in my upper body, and give me a cardio workout as well.
Every stroke will be working pulling muscles on one side while working pushing muscles on the other side at the same time. And core muscles will be in the mix the whole time too.
Anyone have a kayak, and can tell me a good one to get?
I am leaning toward a sit on rather than a sit in.
Every stroke will be working pulling muscles on one side while working pushing muscles on the other side at the same time. And core muscles will be in the mix the whole time too.
Anyone have a kayak, and can tell me a good one to get?
I am leaning toward a sit on rather than a sit in.
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Replies
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I've been thinking about this, too, but I think a sit-in would be better. No idea if one is better, per se, I just think there's less chance of becoming gator food if I can't fall off.
Eager to hear responses.
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I don't have good luck with boats. I think I have fallen into Sydney harbour like 3-4 times now.
But sounds like a good idea. Do you have good water near you?
Can I suggest going upstream first. So on your return trip it's easier.
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I go kayaking almost every week. Love it. It's a good burn, especially going up stream in the river. Just be sure to get a river kayak if river kayaking, otherwise you won't make it very far up stream.0
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How often will you go kayaking? I'm just saying, if you want to work your upper body you could just get some weights then that way you could work out a few times a week.0
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love kayaking, hubby has an on top and have the other sit in type. I swim better than him and can throw my feet up on top and mine was cheaper. He can just roll out which he likes better. We take them to the river, lake. My first year and it sure is fun. Got ours at Dicks sporting goods.0
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strong_curves wrote: »How often will you go kayaking? I'm just saying, if you want to work your upper body you could just get some weights then that way you could work out a few times a week.
True, kayaking shouldn't be a supplement for proper weight training if strength and physique are your goals.0 -
I have two kayaks that I bought from LLBean. They are ride in - single seaters. I bought singles because they only weigh about 40 lbs and are quite easy to lift up onto our truck roof. you will get a great upper body workout. We use them on a lake and I ordered them in red so they would be very visible to power boats. The first time out, we did about 2 miles - it was sort of tiring but I slept great that night, so a very good workout. The water birds do not seem to be afraid of kayaks so you can get quite close to them. Everything is quiet on the lake in the early morning - we really recommend this for a beautiful way to get a workout. Oh and we were able to buy a pulley storage system and store them up by the ceiling of our garage.0
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Mostly the pulling. All you're pushing forward is the paddle, in air, which is practically nothing (esp. compared toEvery stroke will be working pulling muscles on one side while working pushing muscles on the other side
pulling the boat through the water).
But yes, your arms, shoulders, back, and to some degree hips will all be engaged.
2 major kinds of kayaks.
Flat-bottomed for flat water. Really hard to tip over. You can do it, but you pretty much have to want to. These
are generally longer & broader than the white-water kayaks. Good for a beginner, and if you just want to get out &
paddle, tour, sightsee, not do anything too dangerous / exciting.
Can work on lakes or calm rivers.
I have one. Need to get the roof rack on my new car so I can go paddling again.
Round-bottomed for white water. Easy to tip over, which is part of the fun!
These are usually shorter.
They remind me of the plastic fidgets that you spin one way, and all of a sudden they reverse themselves.
If you get one of these, get someone to teach you first to self-rescue (bail out, hang onto the boat, flip it over,
remove the water, climb back in), then to roll (from upside-down to right-side-up). This is fun, too, but
takes practice.
I've done this too, going down rivers. It was fun. Being upside-down going under a huge rock, not so much.
Also, work on weight lifting, esp. pressing things over your head. Do it when you're tired, because how are you
going to put the boat back on top of your car at the end of your paddle?
Safety lecture:
WEAR A LIFE JACKET!!! Many drownings are people in small boats who don't anticipate being in the water. Once
you're in the water, it's really hard to put one on... if you even have time. You'd be surprised how many people
hit the water & never come up.
Leave a float plan. Tell someone where you're going, what your boat looks like, and when you plan to return. Call
them when you get off the water. If you're missing, they should have emergency numbers for the Coast Guard,
harbor police, etc. & be able to explain what your boat looks like & where you planned to be when.
Have at least a whistle, tied to your life jacket. Flares are a great addition, and can be required on some waters. They work day or night, depending on which you get. A waterproof flashlight is a Really Good Idea.
If you dump & can't get back in the boat, stay with it. You're easier to see.
(Yes, I volunteer with the Coast Guard. Among other things, I teach boating safety. Does it show?)
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I think that depends on where you will be kayaking and what you want to do with it. I have done a couple of overnight kayak trips and some more relaxing lake/river day trips.0
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Mostly the pulling. All you're pushing forward is the paddle, in air, which is practically nothing (esp. compared toEvery stroke will be working pulling muscles on one side while working pushing muscles on the other side
pulling the boat through the water).
But yes, your arms, shoulders, back, and to some degree hips will all be engaged.
2 major kinds of kayaks.
Flat-bottomed for flat water. Really hard to tip over. You can do it, but you pretty much have to want to. These
are generally longer & broader than the white-water kayaks. Good for a beginner, and if you just want to get out &
paddle, tour, sightsee, not do anything too dangerous / exciting. Can work on lakes or calm rivers.
I have one. Need to get the roof rack on my new car so I can go paddling again.
Round-bottomed for white water. Easy to tip over, which is part of the fun! These are usually shorter.
They remind me of the plastic fidgets that you spin one way, and all of a sudden they reverse themselves.
If you get one of these, get someone to teach you first to self-rescue (bail out, hang onto the boat, flip it over,
remove the water, climb back in), then to roll (from upside-down to right-side-up). This is fun, too, but
takes practice.
I've done this too, going down rivers. It was fun. Being upside-down going under a huge rock, not so much.
Also, work on weight lifting, esp. pressing things over your head. Do it when you're tired, because how are you
going to put the boat back on top of your car at the end of your paddle?
Safety lecture:
WEAR A LIFE JACKET!!! Many drownings are people in small boats who don't anticipate being in the water. Once
you're in the water, it's really hard to put one on... if you even have time. You'd be surprised how many people
hit the water & never come up.
Leave a float plan. Tell someone where you're going, what your boat looks like, and when you plan to return. Call
them when you get off the water. If you're missing, they should have emergency numbers for the Coast Guard,
harbor police, etc. & be able to explain what your boat looks like & where you planned to be when.
Have at least a whistle, tied to your life jacket. Flares are a great addition, and can be required on some waters. They work day or night, depending on which you get. A waterproof flashlight is a Really Good Idea.
If you dump & can't get back in the boat, stay with it. You're easier to see.
(Yes, I volunteer with the Coast Guard. Among other things, I teach boating safety. Does it show?)
There are also sea kayaks, which are various degrees of easy to tip over.
In addition to waring a PFD (personal flotation device, aka life preserver), do be sure to learn how to get yourself back in the boat when (not if) you capsize the boat. Kayaking is really fun and generally safe, but it is NOT risk free.0 -
Are you going to be on lakes, rivers or salt water? And what's the average water temperature in your area? I'm in a cold water area so I've got a sea kayak and can speak most about those (and why you might really want to consider a wetsuit or dry suit in areas like this).0
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Something a bit different than what you have in mind, but these are AWESOME. The design is thoughtful and functional on every level.
hobiecat.com/mirage/mirage-outback/
My dad has one and I take it out whenever I visit him. They are super stable--enough so that you can catch a salmon in one.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »How often will you go kayaking? I'm just saying, if you want to work your upper body you could just get some weights then that way you could work out a few times a week.
True, kayaking shouldn't be a supplement for proper weight training if strength and physique are your goals.
sure?
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Buying a kayak was one of the best things I've done. However unless you are going to get out and paddle almost daily, buying one for the sole purpose of exercise isn't that great of an idea.0
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Have you tried kayaking before? If not, maybe you should try renting a few to see what you like before you buy. Also, assuming you don't live on the water, transportation might be a concern ( weight). These might be important factors with a kayak.0
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My sister and bro-in-law have a cabin on a lake. My brother (retired) lives a 10 min drive away. Together they have 2 sit in kayaks and a stand up paddle board. BTW you can sit down on the stand up paddle board too. If you get a kayak, I would recommend getting one that allows for something to brace your feet against. When the water is cooler my brother uses a wet suit. If you are on calmer water look at the stand up paddle board, there is more versatility of use. My kids (teens and young 20's) as well as us older folks love it. As others have said use a life preserver.0
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Thanks everyone for your posts.
I have a park a couple miles down the road where I ride my bike and walk. It has a big lake there, so that is where I plan to do most of my kayaking.
I only walk and bike to increase my fitness to a decent level and lose weight, and that is giving me a pretty good workout on my legs and cardio, but I just want to do something to give my upper body a bit of a workout, and get some cardio at the same time. I figure a kayak can give me all of that in an hour or less. I can do that 3 times a week, ride my bike 3 times a week, and walk every day to get my 10,000 steps in.
Yes I plan on getting all the needed safety gear, and I only plan on doing it on calm waters. I want something that I can easily get in and out of with little effort, and I think the "sit on" type is best for that, plus the sit on ones have drain holes. They only weigh 40 to 50 pounds, and I can get a rack for my car to slap it on and take it to the lake.
I'm 57 years old, so I'm just trying to get to a good fitness level and maintain a healthy weight, and have a little fun while doing it.0 -
Gianfranco_R wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »How often will you go kayaking? I'm just saying, if you want to work your upper body you could just get some weights then that way you could work out a few times a week.
True, kayaking shouldn't be a supplement for proper weight training if strength and physique are your goals.
sure?
They look absolutely fantastic, but most athletes hit the weight room and I can't imagine these two are different.0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »Thanks everyone for your posts.
I have a park a couple miles down the road where I ride my bike and walk. It has a big lake there, so that is where I plan to do most of my kayaking.
I only walk and bike to increase my fitness to a decent level and lose weight, and that is giving me a pretty good workout on my legs and cardio, but I just want to do something to give my upper body a bit of a workout, and get some cardio at the same time. I figure a kayak can give me all of that in an hour or less. I can do that 3 times a week, ride my bike 3 times a week, and walk every day to get my 10,000 steps in.
Yes I plan on getting all the needed safety gear, and I only plan on doing it on calm waters. I want something that I can easily get in and out of with little effort, and I think the "sit on" type is best for that, plus the sit on ones have drain holes. They only weigh 40 to 50 pounds, and I can get a rack for my car to slap it on and take it to the lake.
I'm 57 years old, so I'm just trying to get to a good fitness level and maintain a healthy weight, and have a little fun while doing it.
Can you rent at the lake? It might give you an idea of whether that's something you would enjoy doing that often.0 -
Gianfranco_R wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »strong_curves wrote: »How often will you go kayaking? I'm just saying, if you want to work your upper body you could just get some weights then that way you could work out a few times a week.
True, kayaking shouldn't be a supplement for proper weight training if strength and physique are your goals.
sure?
Guarantee they hit the weights hard and heavy. If not, I need to see those legs, lol!0
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