old town kayaks(loon)
Question:
I have never paddled a kayak, The closest white water to me (that I know of) is 6 hours away. I want to get a kayak to paddle on lakes and maybe a slow river. I had planed on building a Pygmy or CLC kayak, but decided that mabye I should buy an inexpensive kayak first. I’d hate to spend 50 hours and $700 on a kayak only to discover that I don’t like kayaking as much as I thought I would. Only 2 stores near me sell kayaks, one is a Jumbo Sports with low prices but small selection, the other is a camping/boating/fishing/hunting store with high prices but a decent selection. While at the store with the better selection, I looked at quite a few Old Town kayaks hanging from the ceiling. I also picked up an Old town catalog. When I got home I saw the Loon 120. This looks like a nice little kayak for me. Keep in mind I am a beginner who has no plans to run any white water. The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand bar in the middle of a river. So, would this be a good first kayak for me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.) Also, what is the typical price for this kayak? If I decide to get it I will have to haggle the price down. Andy– "It’s the pain that hurts the most." —The Tick
Response:
: I have never paddled a kayak, The closest white water to me (that I : know of) is 6 hours away. I want to get a kayak to paddle on lakes and : maybe a slow river. I had planed on building a Pygmy or CLC kayak, but : decided that mabye I should buy an inexpensive kayak first. I’d hate to : spend 50 hours and $700 on a kayak only to discover that I don’t like : kayaking as much as I thought I would. : Only 2 stores near me sell kayaks, one is a Jumbo Sports with low : prices but small selection, the other is a : camping/boating/fishing/hunting store with high prices but a decent : selection. While at the store with the better selection, I looked at : quite a few Old Town kayaks hanging from the ceiling. I also picked up : an Old town catalog. : When I got home I saw the Loon 120. This looks like a nice little : kayak for me. Keep in mind I am a beginner who has no plans to run any : white water. The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand : bar in the middle of a river. So, would this be a good first kayak for : me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.) Also, what is the typical price for this kayak? : If I decide to get it I will have to haggle the price down. The Loon is a splended little boat, it’s not real wide, and long enough to move thru the water pretty quick. I have a Loon I (which I think is now called a Loon 138) and it’s just find for the local river. I think that for the non-hatch version $499 is the retail? You may want to check www.otccanoe.com and see if they have a price list online. Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page: http://www.ripco.com/~jwn/ (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have never paddled a kayak, The closest white water to me (that I know of) is 6 hours away. I want to get a kayak to paddle on lakes and maybe a slow river. I had planed on building a Pygmy or CLC kayak, but decided that mabye I should buy an inexpensive kayak first. I’d hate to spend 50 hours and $700 on a kayak only to discover that I don’t like kayaking as much as I thought I would. Only 2 stores near me sell kayaks, one is a Jumbo Sports with low prices but small selection, the other is a camping/boating/fishing/hunting store with high prices but a decent selection. While at the store with the better selection, I looked at quite a few Old Town kayaks hanging from the ceiling. I also picked up an Old town catalog. When I got home I saw the Loon 120. This looks like a nice little kayak for me. Keep in mind I am a beginner who has no plans to run any white water. The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand bar in the middle of a river. So, would this be a good first kayak for me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.) Also, what is the typical price for this kayak? If I decide to get it I will have to haggle the price down. Andy– "It’s the pain that hurts the most." —The Tick
Anyone answering Andy’s query might also answer one of mine. The OT boats are not molded from solid polyethylene, but rather a sandwich of foam between two poly layers. OT speaks of the superior insulating qualities of this structure, but isn’t it much more susceptible to dings & dents? That can’t be removed with heat? George Berman
Response:
<snip : Anyone answering Andy’s query might also answer one of mine. The OT boats : are not molded from solid polyethylene, but rather a sandwich of foam : between two poly layers. OT speaks of the superior insulating qualities of : this structure, but isn’t it much more susceptible to dings & dents? That : can’t be removed with heat? : George Berman We accidentally dropped my Loon I off the car roof once (I have a GMC Safari mini-van) while loading it without damage onto a gravel boat area. It gets scrapes in it, but so do my aquaterra’s. I don’t know that either material is superior to the other. I don’t think i have dents in either one, but they aren’t made for places where they will get rammed against a rock with great force, except for say, if i put it in too shallow of water, hop in, and then push off draggin the boat across a rock (but those scrapes happen with either one i’d say) Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page: http://www.ripco.com/~jwn/ (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)
Response:
When I got home I saw the Loon 120. This looks like a nice little kayak for me. Keep in mind I am a beginner who has no plans to run any white water. The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand bar in the middle of a river. So, would this be a good first kayak for me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.) Also, what is the typical price for this kayak? If I decide to get it I will have to haggle the price down.
Some of us who are not beginners also do not do whitewater as regular course. I feel this boat would be a good choice. See if you can rent it if you don’t feel comfortable. Running into sandbars and gravelbars are commonplace.
Response:
The Loon is a splended little boat, it’s not real wide, and long enough to move thru the water pretty quick. I have a Loon I (which I think is now called a Loon 138) and it’s just find for the local river.
As do I. Really enjoy it. There are better boats around, but the single place Loons are hard to beat in bang-for-the-buck. I think that for the non-hatch version $499 is the retail? You may want to check www.otccanoe.com and see if they have a price list online.
The Loon 120 (also known as the Loon S) lists for $449 in the current OTC price list. Check on their website for dealers near you, and shop around a little; someone may be selling under list. — Wes Boyd
Response:
I had planed on building a Pygmy or CLC kayak, The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand So, would this be a good first kayak for me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.)
My personal opinion is that all the Old Town kayaks are slugs. They are wide heavy and to lose fitting. They are kayaks designed by canoeists who plan to use a kayak like a canoe and have no idea what a sea kayak is capable of. Old Town should either hire a good kayak designer or stick to what they know! I like the Pygmy kayaks and, though I am not a fan of CLC, even the CLC would be infinitely superior to an Old Town. The best way to be put off a new sport is to use mediocre equipment. Would you enjoy baseball if all you had was a vinyl glove and a plastic whiffle ball and bat? I don’t know about prices where you live, but here in the northwest you can often pick up a good used kayak for between $500 and $800. Get something 15′ to 18′ long and 22" to 24" wide that fits your body. happy paddling Arthur arthur
Response:
I had planed on building a Pygmy or CLC kayak, The biggest hazard I can imagine is bottoming out on a sand So, would this be a good first kayak for me? (I’m 5′10 190lbs.) My personal opinion is that all the Old Town kayaks are slugs. They are wide heavy and to lose fitting. They are kayaks designed by canoeists who plan to use a kayak like a canoe and have no idea what a sea kayak is capable of. Old Town should either hire a good kayak designer or stick to what they know!
Judging Old Town as a kayak designer based upon the Loon is like judging Aquaterra as a sea kayak designer based on the Keowee. The Loon isn’t the only sea kayak they make. Take a look at the Millenium 174 and you’ll see something quite different then a Loon. John Fereira Stop Unsolicited Commercial Email – Join CAUCE (http://www.cauce.org) Support HR 1748, the anti-spam bill.
