I was all set to get a 12′ Tarpon fishing kayak, a really nice boat, with lots of fishing accoutrements. But when I took it for a paddle, I discovered that a lot of accoutrements means a lot of weight, maybe 65 pounds vs. 45 for my old (trusty) 12′ Ocean Kayak Scrambler. Too heavy for my not-functioning-fully-anymore shoulders. Also, the Tarpon has no rocker, as does the Scrambler; it’s gonna pearl if it gets even near a wave. So I’ll stick with the old guy on my clamming expeditions, but get a better paddle.
About Lloyd Kahn
Lloyd Kahn started building his own home in the early '60s and went on to publish books showing homeowners how they could build their own homes with their own hands. He got his start in publishing by working as the shelter editor of the
Whole Earth Catalog with Stewart Brand in the late '60s. He has since authored six highly-graphic books on homemade building, all of which are interrelated. The books, "The Shelter Library Of Building Books," include
Shelter,
Shelter II (1978),
Home Work (2004),
Builders of the Pacific Coast (2008),
Tiny Homes (2012), and
Tiny Homes on the Move (2014). Lloyd operates from Northern California studio built of recycled lumber, set in the midst of a vegetable garden, and hooked into the world via five Mac computers. You can check out videos (one with over 450,000 views) on Lloyd by doing a search on YouTube:
I've had a two person Ocean Kayak for the last fourteen years, it's had a hard life but what a wonderful craft, great for fishing from. Very stable. A good high backed seat makes a hell of a difference…
You might consider the Jackson Cruise 10- it's not necessarily built for the ocean, but at 53lbs it falls between the boats you list above. A nice compact boat built for fishing. http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks-4/kayak-fishing/?discipline=fishing-hunting
Just found your blog researching the Fit car .. I've also been a lifelong truck driver (still have an '85 Toy). Anyway, I'd like to suggest the Necky Dolphin SOT kayak which is an older but great design that's easy to customize for fishing. It handles surf well and is about 50 lbs. You can see me ice breaking with it here:
http://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/winter-wonderland-paddling-kayak-photography-at-cochiti-lake-on-the-rio-grande-in-new-mexico/paddling-in-a-winter-wonderland-kayak-ice-breaking-on-the-rio-grande/
Also if you're under 180lbs, the RTM Disco is by far the best handling plastic SOT kayak. It has the hull of a (short) Sea Kayak and is an excellent all around boat (downside is that it's a very wet ride). You can see it in action here:
http://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/alligator-light-reef-lighthouse/
Keep on paddling Lloyd, great site you have!
-Flex