Post
by NaturalPath » Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:04 pm
Hey AT, my kayak is a 10.5ft. AdvancedFrame. It is just perfect for weaving in and out tight spaces, or cutting across open water. I've had it through all conditions, and it never lets me down. However, if I had my way, I would also have a 13ft. Expedition, for carrying my camping equipment. The AdvancedFrame is a bit lacking in the storage department, although I can load up the decks on top, but I don't really like to do that. If the weather should get choppy when I'm fully loaded like that, it does tend to throw things off balance a bit.
If I went only with the Expedition, I fear I would lose at least a little bit of the maneuverability that the shorter AdvancedFrame has, and I'm reluctant to give that up. I haven't paddled the Expedition yet, so I'm only going by what I've read from other users. But, it stands to reason that a longer boat will be a little bit more cumbersome to handle than a shorter boat, especially in tight spaces.
It all depends on what your main purpose for having the kayak is. What kind of situations will you be paddling in the most, day trips, or camping trips. Right now, I mostly do day trips, because I'm so close to thousands of lakes here. I usually only do camping trips when my son or my brother have vacation time off work, and then my brother usually ends up carrying some of my camping stuff in his canoe. If I had an Expedition, I could carry all my equipment inside the kayak, instead of having it on the top of the decks.