Boat recommendations for 10yo, 5'0", 100 lbs

[glad]

Could folks let me know what boats might be good candidates for a tall 10 year old?

 It would be great to have something that was easy to drain.  The last boat I got for him had to be brought on shore to drain through a plug.  

Also, this boy is growing really fast and he is projected to be well over 6 feet at full height...but that's a few more years down the road.  

Thanks!

Karen

[rfolster]

What activity are you considering: WW, Ocean (play/touring), etc.?

[glad]

Good question.  This would be for ocean kayaking.  Generally, touring, flat water but he sometimes likes a little excitement of waves.  

[rfolster]

So, I will admit that I am not that great at picking out specific boats for people, but I will give you my thoughts and wait for others to tell you why I am wrong.  I wouldn't take his age into as much consideration because size and weight are probably more important.  At 5' tall and 100lbs, he might be beyond a "kids" boat and moving into the small adult category (he is probably as tall and weighs just as much as a couple of our adult members).  I would suggest looking at common design kayaks (NDK, P&H, Valley, etc) in low volume versions to accommodate the lighter weight.  If you find a used one and he takes relatively good care of it, you should be able to sell it off for close to the same price when he grows out of it in a few years.

[mattdrayer]

Hi Karen,

It's a good idea to have your son try out as many boats as possible before buying something -- they really do come in all shapes and sizes.

Along those lines you might consider taking a trip down to Billington Sea Kayak where they have a lot of boats to try out in a relatively calm/safe environment.

Also, I always like to recommend Kayak Learning Center in Beverly -- they have a rental fleet and your son can try out several types of boats there -- they also offer lessons/camps for kids throughout the warmer months.

I'm a surfski guy, and am considering an Epic V5 for my 10yo daughter, because it's a fairly simple design and drains quickly on its own.  However I may pick up a tandem ski instead so I can introduce my son (8) to paddling as well.

Cheers,

Matt

[BethS]

6 hours ago, rfolster said:

So, I will admit that I am not that great at picking out specific boats for people, but I will give you my thoughts and wait for others to tell you why I am wrong.  I wouldn't take his age into as much consideration because size and weight are probably more important.  At 5' tall and 100lbs, he might be beyond a "kids" boat and moving into the small adult category (he is probably as tall and weighs just as much as a couple of our adult members).  I would suggest looking at common design kayaks (NDK, P&H, Valley, etc) in low volume versions to accommodate the lighter weight.  If you find a used one and he takes relatively good care of it, you should be able to sell it off for close to the same price when he grows out of it in a few years.

I think this is a good idea, get good small used boat.  He'll have a lot more fun in it than in a "kids" boat, and it will hold it's value. Any good low volume sea touring kayak will be fine, preferably one with a skeg  since he is light and will be more affected by the wind. Look on paddling.net, they often have good  users for sale in the classified section. If the seat is too big for him it can easily be padded out to fit.

Edited April 11, 2017 by BethS

[Inverseyourself]

My son tried a Delphin 150 when he was 2" taller and 15 lbs. heavier. Worked very well for him, good primary stability but yet playful. They can be picked up at reasonable prices used. They have their limitations for distances but that's probably not a concern yet.

I agree with what Matt said regarding trying one of the shorter and wider Epics in Beverly. A kid can learn good paddling technique on these mini-Surfski's without having to be as closely supervised as in a closed-cockpit boat. If he falls off, he just climbs in again. 

I'm actually planning to have my son try out a shorter surfski at the Kayak Learning Center as soon as conditions allow.

I'll be curiously following this thread.

[jason]

You might check with Todd Wright as I recall he had a number of boat for his son (I think that he was paddling at 4 years old.).

[glad]

Thanks to everyone for your input.  

Scott Camlin suggested the Impex Mystic which my brother has.  I thought it was a very good idea.  A definite step up; 14', no day hatch but a real boat, with good primary and secondary stability, a fairly deep cockpit for those who are nervous about a spray skirt and you can roll it.