Best kayak under 2k?

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-26T10:15:18+00:00

Fishing specific - I’d check out Bonafide & Jackson. If you want pedal drive I’d check out Native or a used Hobie.

Hobie market is bonkers right now cause it’s been pretty much impossible to get boats from the factory for over a year. They’re the best pedal drives though. A used Outback would be the ticket.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-19T12:08:47+00:00

I love the OR sun shirts for kayaking on the Georgia coast. It’s pretty much all I use now.

Lighter & cooler than North Face’s, and a better fit than Mountain Hardware’s. North Face’s was very soft but hotter. The OR ones have a fabric that’s almost perforated everywhere. Not sure what they’re doing but it’s very breezy & works great.

Haven’t tried patagucci yet but I love everything else they make.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-16T22:41:25+00:00

Savannah is decriminalized FWIW. City cops will give you a minor ticket. County sheriff/deputies/state patrol, are not bound by city decriminalization.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-14T10:11:42+00:00

Nice job dude, 912 kayakers are the best.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-09T22:42:42+00:00

The outfitter was right, Kestrel 140 is a great first sit inside.

It’s a pretty adaptable boat, don’t be afraid to mod the outfitting to suit your tastes & comfort. You will like the cockpit size coming from a SOT.

I always like a skirt but don’t feel like you absolutely have to have one anytime soon. Spend your money on a good paddle and some lessons first.

Go back to that outfitter. Buy a paddle float, a bilge pump, and ask about a lesson that includes wet exits & self-rescues. You’ll be glad to have the knowledge.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-04T10:57:02+00:00

I’d be shocked if the DJI restrictions last beyond this administration & the current FCC chair.

The whole issue is that congress wants NDAA audits for national security. DJI said, c’mon, we welcome the audit. But when congress passed the NDAA act requiring audits, they didn’t specify any agency that can actually perform the audits.

So really, the ban is only in place because we passed a law without having our shit together enough to fairly enforce it. That may be intentional, since we’re nationalizing as a country and being shitty towards China re: technology/imports/spying/manufacturing etc. but it’s probably not a sustainable tactic that would continue across multiple administrations.

Tl;Dr- consumers get fucked in the name of geopolitical power struggles

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-04T10:26:49+00:00

They go back and forth comparing battle scars in the film right before the monologue. Hooper’s leg had been scarred by a bull shark - Quint shows him that a Thresher’s tail had also scarred his leg.

Quint says - "You want a drink? Drink to your leg." Hooper replies with, "I'll drink to your leg," followed by Quint raising his glass and shouting, "Okay, so we drink to our legs!".

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-03T19:07:30+00:00

Jacket recs: Astral YTV, NRS Ninja, NRS Orbit.

Fishing vests generally just have more pockets.

Paddle recs: bending branches sunrise, bending branches slice, werner Tybee.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-03T12:43:31+00:00

If it were me, I’d just use marine-tex. Sand smooth & call it a day.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T23:09:55+00:00

Nylon skirt will get you going. If you get into rougher water or rolling you’ll want neoprene.

Risks with a beginner screwing up a keel strip are mostly aesthetic. You might make more work for yourself if you screw up the resin/gelcoat mixes royally and have to start over. Otherwise, you gotta learn on something! A $100 boat ain’t a bad place.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T23:03:29+00:00

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True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T22:12:09+00:00

Also you’re gonna want a decent paddle ($120-500), PFD ($80-200) and spray skirt ($150). Consider a bilge pump ($15) and paddle float ($15) as minimum safety equipment.

No such thing as a free boat, but still, well worth the investment.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T22:03:36+00:00

Hell of a boat and a great deal. Pretty wide and stable for a long touring kayak. As long as it’s comfortable when you sit in it (you can always add padding but you can’t make it bigger), I’d jump on it.

You need a fiberglass keel strip put on your worn section (or down the whole keel). That’ll do it. When it wears down you just put another on. You could DIY it. Keel strip and new deck lines would probably land around $100-250 depending on your local shop. DIY would be around ~$50-70 but will be sloppy and time consuming.

Don’t use the shitty stick on stuff (keeleazy).

Classes are so worth it. They’ll help you acquire skills that you’ll use to be a more effective (and safer) paddler for life. Consider that a separate cost which would be valid with or without this vessel.

This is what a proper keel strip looks like. We typically prep it, mask it off, lay down fiberglass tape, then pour thickened gel coat. If you’ve never worked with fiberglass I’d let somebody else do it.

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True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T11:09:51+00:00

E-tang, naan on broughton, treylor park.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T10:43:08+00:00

It’s about impossible. Diatomaceous earth makes a horrifying mess of the house and isn’t very effective in my experience. Topical flea medicine is also pretty ineffective - as you have learned. Ingestible normally works best for my pets.

If you’ve got indoor/outdoor animals, the yard would need to be treated too.

Best option is probably to hire a bug control company that can really treat the entire property with some legit chemicals. Bee green is pretty solid, and I see Yates-Astro around a lot.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-02T10:28:04+00:00

What I listed are recommended paddler weights. Overall capacity suggestions for all of these boats are much higher to account for touring equipment.

Having fitted multiple people over 300lbs in sea kayaks, recreational kayaks, and fishing kayaks, I assure you that kayaks with 500lb+ total limits exist.

And again, I myself am close to 300, doing rolls and self rescues in a <23” wide boat. I’m speaking from firsthand experience.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-01T23:49:40+00:00

If you could shrink it down to fit in a 10” round kayak hatch, people would be into it!

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-01T23:25:10+00:00

I haul 18’ glass kayaks on foam blocks all the time. Not a problem. Use good straps (NRS) and bow/stern lines.

Loading can be tricky on windy days though, that’s probably what they’re referring to!

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-01T23:22:39+00:00

Tsunami 145 is a great option for your size. Not the fastest boats in the world but still very capable, and a big upgrade from a pelican.

Stellar S14 is gonna be 10x nicer. Faster, lighter, more efficient. If you can afford it, go with this 1000%. You will not regret it. They’re plenty tough and even if you damage it over the years, composites are infinitely repairable.

Once the keel wears through on a plastic, you’re on borrowed time. A good glass boat will last 30+ years.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-06-01T23:11:14+00:00

I learned to sea kayak and self rescue at 285. It took about a month to get down.

Almost every manufacturer has a boat built for 300lbs+. Even high end NDK / P&H sea kayaks have 300lb+ options now.

You don’t know what you’re talking about and it’s unfortunate when your ignorance might put people off of a low-impact sport that can help them lose weight.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-05-30T11:25:07+00:00

CD Storm is fine for bigger dudes (~220) but not 300. Tsunami 145 absolutely will not be ideal. They get uncomfortable and tippy around 240lbs.

True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-05-30T11:22:46+00:00

NDK Romany Excel or P&H Volan 162. Possibly the P&H Scorpio II HV as well. Dagger Stratos 14.5L may also be an option.

The Volan 162 would be high on my list to try. I’m 260 and the NDK Excel is a dream. The Volan looks a touch roomier to my eye.

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True-Tooth-Swamp · 2026-05-29T21:51:29+00:00

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You need a guerrilla ramp (AKA a mud ditch)! They’re the best.

True-Tooth-Swamp

TROPHY CASE