Thread: Which Kayak, Sit on or sit in

I like sit in but have never tried sit on. Both have pros and cons. This field n stream is what I was going to buy a couple years ago when I ran into the deal I got on mine. Looks like a good boat.

I prefer an SOT, as opposed to a Sink,,,but thats all I have had.

I prefer a sit inside usually, but have a sit on top when I need more space.

A sit inside is a little dryer when your fishing during the winter of it's white capping.

it looks harder to mount rod holders, depth finders or other rigging on sit on tops but they certainly have more usable space.

a SINK can do just that,if you turtle an Sot,you just right it and do rentry,,,if you take water in a sink,its there till you can get to the bank and dump it,,with an Sot it just runs out the scupper holes,,,just my take,,,sot is probably cooler in hot weather

I prefer sit on top. But honestly if you're going to spend that much money on a new yak, it would be wise to at least try a sit on top or a sit in kayak on the water before you buy one. Even if it isn't the same brand, you will get somewhat of a feel for what it is like in each type. If you can demo the exact kayak you are going to buy, that is even better.

I like the field and stream Sit inside more than the Sit on Top but both paddle pretty well. The Sit inside was quieter and weighed less which translated to a better paddle. Main questions that need to be answered before you decide on a kayak of any kind sit in or on top is what kind of water you will be fishing with it, are you taller and heavier like some of us? Do you intend to travel long distances, is stability a main desire or is speed? You can have a mix of the two or the best of one or the other, can't max out both. I've had a F&S talon, Ride 115, Ride 115x, Old Town K111, and now a Jackson Cuda and they all have strengths and weaknesses. The Ride I could recommend to almost anyone on any water, it's a great all around boat. If you fished moving water more than not you might consider a Coosa. Do you have a budget in mind?

Lots of guys will tell you to buy an expensive "name brand" boat so you're not wasting money on something you won't be happy with. I disagree, keep an eye out for a good deal and you won't loose much money on a resell and the experience of learning what is important to you can only be learned by paddling boats that teach you what's important. I though I wanted a stable boat to stand in so I demo'd a Diablo Amigo which is the most stable kayak I've ever been on, it was slow! It taught me that stability at the cost of that much speed isn't worth it, the cuda isn't stable enough for me to stand but it sure is nice paddling in the wind and across bays. Quick enough and stable enough.

Clear as mud?

For about the same price as the talon the Ascend boats from Bass Pro have quite a following and if you're in the lighter than 200lbs category a perception pescador at Academy is hard to beat. It's an old Tarpon 120 hull, one of the most popular ever made, and it is a speed demon as far as sit on tops go.