Question for the kayak guys.

[milltown]

When using a sit on top kayak, how dry is the seat are? I'm mainly asking concerning winter and fall fishing. I know they have scuppers and plugs so I am guessing if you use the plugs it is pretty dry except for paddle drips and the fish wetting you.

 

[KDarsey]

Yep, you're right. I usually keep the plugs in under the seat and sometimes at my feet on my Drifter if I want a dry ride.

 

[JRigs]

I have an Ocean Kayak trident prowler 15. I'm 270 lbs. With the plugs in just the seat area i still get wet but not soaked. I think a lot of guys that use them in the winter wear waders with a wading belt or some kind of dry suit.

 

[milltown]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[krusty]

Yep, wear waders.

 

[Sultan of Slime]

Yeah you are going to get wet no matter what brand SOT you have.

Mill I have some pink waders that are your size NIB if you want them?

 

[GAGE]

Once it gets cold, I pull out the waders.

 

[GONoob]

How much water gets in really depends on your weight and yak combination.

I thought wearing waders when yaking is dangerous when capsized?

 

[canoeFisher]

How much water gets in really depends on your weight and yak combination.

I thought wearing waders when yaking is dangerous when capsized?

not in a sit on top, by you don't want to capsize in the winter so practice in the summer and get a stable one

 

[FERAL ONE]

my native magic stays bone dry but my lack of paddlin' skill gets me wet from drips. when it is cold i plan on doing the wader thing too !

 

[BowShooter]

Yeah you are going to get wet no matter what brand SOT you have.

Mill I have some pink waders that are your size NIB if you want them?

Ive have a ride 135 and i can put the plugs in and be dry as i would be in my bass boat. The ocean kayaks have the holes at the seat which i think was a bad idea

 

[GONoob]

I figure trying to get back in a yak with a wader full of water will be tough.

 

[aznflycaster]

x2 wader in the winter, but I love the water in the kayak during the summer. The plastic can sometime get hot to touch.

 

[JRigs]

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[83_Dawg]

I leave the scupper plugs in and I usually just wear boots to get in & out of the water (at the ramp) and wear rain pants (from Walmart) to keep dry from paddle drip.

 

[FishingAddict]

When using a sit on top kayak, how dry is the seat are? I'm mainly asking concerning winter and fall fishing. I know they have scuppers and plugs so I am guessing if you use the plugs it is pretty dry except for paddle drips and the fish wetting you.

That's why many wear waders while fishing out of the yak in winter. It will still be wet.

ALWAYS carry a dry bag filled with a towel and dry clothes with you when it's cold outside in case you fall in.

 

[milltown]

Mill I have some pink waders that are your size NIB if you want them?

Thanks but I will have to pass.

 

[Randy]

Ive have a ride 135 and i can put the plugs in and be dry as i would be in my bass boat. The ocean kayaks have the holes at the seat which i think was a bad idea

So much uneducation about kayaks going around!!

The holes in the seat are to let water out to keep you from sitting in water all day. True if you weigh too much for the yak it may hold water in the footwells and even in the seat if you are too heavy. The weight capacity should be about twice your weight. Some yaks are wetter than others. Some, like the Drifter that was meant for fishing and playing in the ocean surf originally were not designed as dry rides because they knew there was no way to get through the surf without getting wet and it was much more important to drain after water got in than to let water in a little. There was no question you were going to get wet in the surf. The Drifter is one of the first and oldest fishing kayaks. Remember that SOT kayaks started in California as ocean fishing yaks so going through the surf and draining was of major design importance.

As use of SOT kayaks have progressed and more and more fishermen use them, more thought has gone in to making them drier rides. However one great aspect of the SOT is that they drain the water out if some gets in. As such scuppers are still important to that process. Yes there are kayaks that do not have drain holes in the seat area and most of those will hold water in the seat area once it gets there rather than drain out. Of course scupper plugs can be an answer if you are in calm water. They will help to keep water out. But if water gets in it is also there for good until you pull the plug.

There are give and takes with every design. There is no perfect yak as of yet. Keeping the seat and foot wells low and below the water line add to the stability of the yak but it may also mean water comes in a little through the scuppers. Being high and dry in something like a hybrid is great......until you turn it over and it fills up with water. It can them become dangerous.

As for waders: as you see in the youtube video Jim Sammons, one of our prostaffers for Ocean Kayak, demonstrates that indeed waders will not sink you. Yes they can make it harder to do a deep water re-entry. The good thing is a SOT will be easier either way than a SINK kayak or a hybrid or canoe to get back in. As Fishing Fanatic pointed out, a winter trip should always include a "ditch bag" with extra dry clothes and possible even a emergency blanket.

 

[Mass Fishing]

I don't use mine in the dead of winter, but March and November in New England are about like winter down south. When in my yak in cold water I wear waders and a dry top which has rubber gaskets around the neck and arms. A wading belt on the waders combined with the cinching of the dry top waste will keep you dry enough in the event of falling in that you will hold off hypothermia for a lot longer than without a top. Better yet, a full dry suit.

I always keep my scupper hole open on my Heritage Fisherman Pro SOT as the draining benefit far outweighs whatever may slosh through it.

Oh, and a lifejacket is an absolute must.

Anything short of a setup like that and you are asking for trouble.

 

[milltown]

Looks like unless you are sitting inside then waders are necessary for cold weather, and that is what I was really concerned about . Thanks for all the useful tips.