----==== Which kayak to choose. HELP pls =====------

LittleSister said:
I want others to have fun, and being out at sea in an unsuitable boat is certainly no fun
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Maybe not for you, and I thought this was about the Thames (yes it can get a bit dangerous) not the sea.

In woodwork class at school when I was about 13, all were making bookends and shoe racks...I built a 14ft wood/canvas canoe, I used it on the Thames between Mortlake and Putney (tidal) never had a problem.

The op suggested( imho) that cash for purchase is restricted and the best he seems to be able to afford is an inflatable.

I think given all the pro's & con's a reasonable quality inflatable is doable and the fun will be in the adventure, (trusting he is fully aware of the dangers)..
 
Bill is correct in that the original question was about the Thames not anything advanced or adventurous.

I have an inflatable canoe and it works reasonably well for what is wanted, compared to the kayaks of all types and Canadian canoes that I have paddled it is slower with a tendency to be blown of course.
But it is still used as a compromise and front a cost point of view would go down the Thames with camping gear ok.

Most people get on all right with the goony paddling stroke especially the families you see who have hired them for the day.
 
billskip said:
The op suggested( imho) that cash for purchase is restricted and the best he seems to be able to afford is an inflatable.

I think given all the pro's & con's a reasonable quality inflatable is doable and the fun will be in the adventure, (trusting he is fully aware of the dangers)..
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I completely agree, but on the Thames only upstream of the City (say Battersea? or Putney? - I don't know that area well).


Mister E said:
Bill is correct in that the original question was about the Thames not anything advanced or adventurous.
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Being out in the Thames Estuary would be very advanced and adventurous.
 
Mister E said:
Bill is correct in that the original question was about the Thames not anything advanced or adventurous.

I have an inflatable canoe and it works reasonably well for what is wanted, compared to the kayaks of all types and Canadian canoes that I have paddled it is slower with a tendency to be blown of course.
But it is still used as a compromise and front a cost point of view would go down the Thames with camping gear ok.

Most people get on all right with the goony paddling stroke especially the families you see who have hired them for the day.
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Yup. Using the most perfectly appropriate kit is the antithesis of adventure. Going round the world on a Unicycle is an adventure. Doing it in a 777 less so.
The "best" way to do Castle Bay to Canna is a 60ft Sunseeker but I'm certain every single one of us would prefer to do it in a Sigma 33.

I'm sure the OP will do enough due diligence to ensure it's safe and if his arms get slightly more tired than someone in a rigid kayak then that's part of the challenge. Most likely he'll be going with the stream for a weekend and will have a ball.
 
LittleSister said:
Being out in the Thames Estuary would be very advanced and adventurous.
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I've been many times and it's been flat calm, the mud can be more dangerous if you try to wade through it.
That said this is a boat I built from scratch when I was 15.
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Being pooped in the Thames Estuary ends up like this
1000030662.jpg
I was young it was a learning curve 😊
 
Thriftyarek888 said:
Hi I intend to kayak next to houses of parliament like thee do...
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For 24 hours?

The tide/current races past there - potentially 3kts - so try to go at slack tide or at least when the flow is least. Always stay up with and up tide of your launch point so you can always get back.

Watch out for other vessels.

Hope it goes well.

EDIT: What's the camping gear for? Is this a 24 hour trip up river or down river? Is central London the launch point or the finish point or a mid point?
 
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I would have thought issue leaving aside tides is the wash from passing vessels. Even down at Thames Henley or banks at ravens Ait Kingston would be worried at being swamped in a blow up decathlon offering - we just use ours in quiet harbours of south coast Solent and even there the wash from large mobo charging into the marina berths needs watching.
 
Thriftyarek888 said:
Hi I intend to kayak next to houses of parliament like thee do...
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The short response to this is "oh my god, no", and my longer response is "oh my god, no -please please read this and understand why central London is not the place to be: Tideway Code"

At the very least it's going to take a lot of planning, - it's a busy commercial waterway with very few places to exit the river in an emergency, the currents can run extremely quickly, and you'll have to remember which way to go around each pier whilst dodging traffic that can move much faster than you and that might not see you popping back out. An inflatable will lose way on any wash or waves (they try to ride up over waves, not cut through them) and be very susceptible to wind - which can be funneled and increased by bridges etc.

in short unless you're very experienced (and buying a cheap inflatable off the internet isn't promising in this regard), it's likely to be extremely stressful and unenjoyable - and if it isn't, you don't understand the situation well enough to be safe. I've seen accidents on the tidal Thames before and they are not pretty - it's a very serious place to have things go wrong.

I've been one of the more gung ho people in the replies to this thread, and even I think this isn't the place to take an inflatable. I think you could do it, bit I don't think you should.
 
This sort of stupid idea is the sort of thing that really needs to be discouraged.
There is a thread about people ending up dead from paddle boarding in the wrong place at the wrong time and this is the sort of thing that ends up with serious problems.

Unless the blokes real name is Guido Fawkes then go for it.
 
Some of us recall having eventually made it back to a beach and gratefully watching a Sea king appear over the horizon when a weekend organised "Sea" kayaking trip off Herne Bay went seriously wrong.
The organisers were experienced kayakers with a well known and respected youth organisation.
Pre briefing about sticking together, safety lifejackets etc etc..............................
An offshore wind + chop soon sorted that plan.
Out of a group of around 20 , many, more by luck than judgement , managed to get back ashore unaided, leaving about half a dozen a considerable distance out and still going.
Somebody obviously was awake , called 999 for help, remember no mobile phones then .
Fortunately at the time ( late 1960s ) the helicopter was based at Manston about 5 mins away.
All eventually bought back to shore safely with only a few kayaks unrecovered.
My parents only found out when it made the national press on the Monday.

55 years later with 40 feet & 7 tonnes of boat, 3 radios , at least 2 navigation systems a emergency life raft and inflatable hanging off the back, have now more respect for the weather and water than ever.

:)
 
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ashtead said:
I would have thought issue leaving aside tides is the wash from passing vessels. Even down at Thames Henley or banks at ravens Ait Kingston would be worried at being swamped in a blow up decathlon offering - we just use ours in quiet harbours of south coast Solent and even there the wash from large mobo charging into the marina berths needs watching.
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Plenty of skulls fours and eights about they rarely get swamped but they do shout a lot.....
 
RivalRedwing said:
a better outcome than Lyme Bay then
Lyme Bay canoeing disaster - Wikipedia
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Heartbreaking..............
Used to live on the isle of Sheppey near Leysdown, frequently reports of small children on lilos being rescued ever year.
and what really pulls my chain .................................... swimming lessons dropped from the school curriculum....a nation surrounded by ????
 
billskip said:
Plenty of skulls fours and eights about they rarely get swamped but they do shout a lot.....
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That's a lot further up the river though.

I've been out on it when at least five boats were swamped - wind against tide and inexperienced coxes trying to thug it out against the conditions. I wasn't entirely disappointed to call it a day and head for shore...
 
RivalRedwing said:
a better outcome than Lyme Bay then
Lyme Bay canoeing disaster - Wikipedia
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I was there, 5 miles out fishing, dead flat calm, wondering why the hell kids in canoes were there...they paddled off into the distance...a while later weather starts to come in so I upped anchor and went into Lyme.
Next Day I here of the tragedy....
Very easy after saying why this and that, and to this day I feel guilty for not interfering with their presence, but they seemed at that time not to have any problems.. there were several boats out there fishing...
 
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