Canoe or Kayak

[Stonepark]

I have a Malibu Xfactor sit on top, a good compromise between storage and floatability, if you can pick one of these (older model) second hand, they are ideal for trout  and mackerel/pollock.

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[lochgarryfisher]

That's a lovely looking toy Stonepark, is that still called a "kayak"? Never seen one with so much deck space, you have changed my mind, if i was buying a canoe/kayak now i would buy one of them!

[aliS]

Canadian/Open boat for lochs every time.

You can stand up on it, lie down, loads of room for kit,easy enough to paddle solo once you get the hang of it and if you really have to then some one else can fit in it too... although I prefer to go it alone!

I have a 15ft venture which is a great boat for about the bottom end of the price range. Coleman used to make a open boat but it had a fixed keel and they are a bugger for paddling on your own.

Sit on top kayaks look tempting but I recon they would get a little uncomfortable after an hours or two. Proper kyacks would be a royal pain in the hoop. My sea kyack would just be down right dangerous and your hips would be killing after a hour of casting and trying to keep the thing stable.

[corsican dave]

Canadian/Open boat for lochs every time.

You can stand up on it, lie down, loads of room for kit,easy enough to paddle solo once you get the hang of it and if you really have to then some one else can fit in it too... although I prefer to go it alone!

I have a 15ft venture which is a great boat for about the bottom end of the price range. Coleman used to make a open boat but it had a fixed keel and they are a bugger for paddling on your own.

Sit on top kayaks look tempting but I recon they would get a little uncomfortable after an hours or two. Proper kyacks would be a royal pain in the hoop. My sea kyack would just be down right dangerous and your hips would be killing after a hour of casting and trying to keep the thing stable.

absolutely.

since i have both, i've had plenty of chance to compare. can't beat the sot as a dedicated fishing yak , but for sheer versatility the canoe wins hands down. one of the real joys of the canoe is that you can hop aboard wearing normal clothing and a buoyancy aid if you wish, depending on conditions. most sots you will probably get a wet bum (unless you stick to flat calm conditions) and definitely wet feet. plus you'll never be able to take out the family or a mate unless you buy a tandem.

for fishing at sea i'd definitely go with sot kayak, as they're self-bailing and easier to right in the event of a capsize. but then that's a whole new set of gear such as dedicated paddling clothing, safety kit such as a vhf radio etc, and a whole new skill-set to learn, not the least being "sea-craft"

ignoring fishing for a bit  :shock:, i'd say that i prefer my canoe for river-running. if i'm out for an evening on the more sporting bits of the spey i feel much more comfortable throwing the canoe around in the eddies than the sot ,which feels "tippy" by comparison. but that could well be down to my kayaking skill levels..... :