adult and 7 yr old, tandem or single?

alynno3000 · Post by **alynno3000** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:13 pm

So I've been looking at AE kayaks for months now and am still stumped.
I've been considering the Straitedge2 and the Advanced Frame Convertible.
Also, my daughter is only 7, has anyone put their child in a single with them until they're old enough for their own kayak?
Decisions, Decisions.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Amy

Daddy-O · Post by **Daddy-O** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:29 am

Amy,
I have two Convertibles and two 10.5's. We live on the Caribbean Sea and really enjoy our kayaks. I do kayak with my children in the Convertibles, but would find it very difficult to paddle with a child in a AF 10.5. The cockpit opening is large enough, but paddling would be difficult. I would suggest a two person kayak if you plan on always going out as a pair. I also paddle my Convertible solo (and enjoy it like that), but I think it would be a little less enjoyable if I was not as stout as I am. If you are planning on going out solo quite often, I would suggest the 10.5 or the Expedition. I recently saw a picture of a man paddling his AF Expedition with his little boy in it. You can see the picture on one of the last pages of Pearly's Fishing thread located somewhere around here. I hope this helps, a little, in making your decision.
Daddy-O

***EDIT*** Here is the thread I mentioned: http://www.advancedelements.com/phpBB2/ ... &start=150 The pictures I mentioned are on page 11.

Post by **JCOOLEY** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:28 am

It isn't recommended to have two people in a single kayak even when the second is a child. Depending on where you are going to be doing most of your paddling will determine which kayak will work best. If you are going to be paddling short distances or paddling rivers were water will be coming over the sides of the kayak and you don't mind getting wet, the StraitEdge2 will do the job. If you are going to be paddling longer distances and need something with better tracking for Lakes and coastal paddling, then you will want the Convertible. The Convertible is the most popular of the two models and most people prefer it.

Jeremy

PJohanson · Post by **PJohanson** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:49 pm

The StraitEdge 2 is a good model, like Jeremy says, for two paddlers who are different sizes. My paddle group has tried it with several different paddlers.
My 7 year old niece paddled my Dragonfly (the new version is called Lagoon) in calm, sheltered waters. But i'd recommend that only if your child was like her -- she could swim really well, wore a child's life jacket, stayed within a few feet of me in another kayak, and she is a sporty kid who takes coaching direction well.