I just cannot decide. I figure the sit-in would be more stable but when water gets inside, it stays wet. The sit-on will have holes to let water drain but may not be as stable.

What do y'all think? I will mainly just be paddling around. Probably not much fishing as I am not very good at it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BennerP220,

Paddling around where? My recommendation would be different for someone in the Keys vs someone on Lake Superior.

We have three of these Wilderness Pungos: https://www.wildernesssystems.com/us/kayaks/pungo-120

Water getting in and causing a problem has never been an issue.

I should have included that. I have a lot of old stripper pits very close to my home. It is now a public wildlife area.

I found a couple of nice ones at academy for around $250-$280 range. All of the ones I look at are 10' single paddler.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Paddling around where? My recommendation would be different for someone in the Keys vs someone on Lake Superior.

The terms "nice ones" and "academy for around $250-$280 range" don't really belong together when talking kayaks. (My opinion and yes, I may be a kayak snob.) The problem with kayaks in these ranges are comfort, durability, and performance.

Sit in vs sit on really depends on how you are going to use it.

If you are just going to paddle around and not get in and out of it often then a sit in makes a lot of sense, use a skirt to keep water out and get one with a built in bilge pump.

If you plan on doing stuff like fishing, swimming, snorkeling, or stopping often to explore then a sit on makes sense.

You can use each style to do anything but they are inherently suited to doing some things better then other things.

In my opinion, kayak selection should start with the seat. If its not comfortable then you won't want to use it.

My take is sit on tops are wider, very stable, harder to paddle and you get a little wet, so they are good for warmer areas and water. They are easy to get on and off of.

Sit in kayaks are harder to get in and out of. They may seem a little tippy, but you are lower to the water. The kind you are looking at will be fairly stable. They tend to be lighter and thus easier to transport manually.

We have a 2 person Hobie. It is very stable and can be either paddled or peddled. They come in a number of configurations and aren’t cheap.
Mike

If the weather is warm and the water is nice, I prefer the sit on top. The ones I have been on don't glide through the water as nicely as the sit-ins because they are usually wider. But you have more flexibility in how you sit on a sit-on and you can dangle your feet in the water or change up how you sit. With a sit-in, you sit legs straight out or maybe semi-indian style. But I always get hot in the sit-ins.

Unless you're doing some white water rapids. I wouldn't touch a sit in. I don't like the feeling of half my body stuck in it, or getting wet, or how hard it is to get back in it if you fall over in deep water.

I've used a 2 person Malibu II from Ocean Kayak that has a third seat in the middle for 1 person usage. It's stable as hell, is very easy to paddle, and being a 2 person kayak you can bring a second person or as much gear as you can practically fit on it. It's a SOT.

quote:

In my opinion, kayak selection should start with the seat. If its not comfortable then you won't want to use it.

This

And you're not going to find a comfy seat in a $300 kayak.

Now, if you're in and out inside of an hour or so, then yeah, a box store kayak is fine. If you plan on spending a half day or more paddling around, spend the extra coin.

Go rent one of each, just like you would a pistol you wanted to try out.

I appreciate all of the replies. I do not have a whole lot to spend. I will not typically be out half or all day.

I am leaning toward the sit on. I am going to look up the Malibu II from Ocean Kayak.

Consider your local for sale ads (Craigslist, Next Door, Offer Up, etc) . End of the kayak season tend to have the lowest "get that thing out of my house, you never use it anyway" discount.

Maybe I've missed the reply, but I think open water kayaks are larger than river kayaks.

Good idea. I will check the Facebook market place. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Consider your local for sale ads (Craigslist, Next Door, Offer Up, etc) . End of the kayak season tend to have the lowest "get that thing out of my house, you never use it anyway" discount.

I have a Wilderness Systems sit on top, but if I went out to purchase a new one, I'd go with Hobie the top dog. Mine can have a pedal or an electric drive, but that Hobie pedal system seems to be bullet proof.

I'd search for a used one since they are way too expensive new. Also, I'd go with a trailer rather than a rack or pickup bed transport.

SOT is extremely stable and depending on your needs, some of them can haul 300+ lbs. They aren't quite as nimble as a SI kayak but that can somewhat dealt with by length but remember, a longer kayak is faster and tracks better.

+87 on the Hobie. Top of the line stuff and their finned propulsion is the gold standard. Around $2.3k but buy once, cry once.

I'm using Wilderness Tarpon 14. Very stable, fast and it tracks well. The entire Tarpon family are great SOT kayaks.

I prefer the sit in, as I find they paddle easier. The strike for the wider sit-on models aggravates my shoulder.

As someone mentioned before, the seat is the biggest comfort concern, but I follow that closely with the fit rests. I have yet to find moulded in rests that line up with my legs. I greatly prefer the adjustable rests, and the more adjustments the better.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Unless you're doing some white water rapids. I wouldn't touch a sit in. I don't like the feeling of half my body stuck in it, or getting wet, or how hard it is to get back in it if you fall over in deep water.

I've used a 2 person Malibu II from Ocean Kayak that has a third seat in the middle for 1 person usage. It's stable as hell, is very easy to paddle, and being a 2 person kayak you can bring a second person or as much gear as you can practically fit on it. It's a SOT.

The sit on type is really the only way to go for warm water/weather conditions and where I live the Ocean Kayak Malibu II you mentioned is by far the most popular, especially so with rental and tour companies. My back is destroyed but I bought one from a tour company that replaces theirs every 2-3 years for when my kids visited for about half the price. It was stolen from the rack at my condo a few hears later.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
My take is sit on tops are wider, very stable, harder to paddle and you get a little wet, so they are good for warmer areas and water. They are easy to get on and off of.

Sit in kayaks are harder to get in and out of. They may seem a little tippy, but you are lower to the water. The kind you are looking at will be fairly stable. They tend to be lighter and thus easier to transport manually.

This.

In terms of stability, be sure to pay attention to the weight limit. You don’t want your own body weight and weight of any gear to come too close to the weight limit. I would advise that you consider making sure your combined weight stays at least 50-75 pounds less than the limit.

I’m 240 pounds, and along with a cooler with ice for the fish and fishing gear, I bought a Hobie that has a weight capacity of 475 pounds. That’s WAY more than I need, but it’s so stable that I can stand in it.