For Xmas I'm trying to get my boyfriend a kayak. He love the outdoors and I think a tandem kayak would be a ton of fun. Neither of us are experienced at kayaking but we're both athletic and love the outdoors. He has a big truck and we have a garage for storage. We live in Southern California and would likely kayak in the South Bay. I don't have a ton of $ to spend. I was hoping to get the kayak and paddles for under $750. Any suggestions for beginner tandem packages?

If you are looking for a boat that you can go out overnight in then you will most likely need to spend much more than that. The cheapest boat I have in stock (in BC, Canada), is about 2400 new. Generally I encourage most people to get two singles instead of one double. If you each have a single then you will be able to get out by yourself with little extra effort. Paddling a double by yourself is a lot of work, go figure they were meant to be paddled by two people. Also two singles generally gives you more storage space than one double.

If you are hoping to buy new then I don't think you will be able to find something. Even in a recreational double (you can't go out over night or in much rough water) the least expensive new I have is $1349 Canadian. Kayaks also hold there value very well. After an initial drop of a couple 100 they very slowly decline. If you have had the boat long enough then you may even get more for it than you paid for it.

If you have any further question then please ask. Look in your local Buy & Sell (i think you call them that) you may find a deal. Ask here if you want some advice on the type of boat that is advertised.

DONT BUY TANDEM!!! Trust me. Even if you have to wait to get two decent kayaks wait. I have never heard of a couple likeing tandem kayaking. Expecially if you are just starting out. Most people selling kayaks are willing to part with the paddles too.




Look for two used kayaks on www.paddling.net

My fiancee and I went out to a kayak demo day to try out some tandem kayaks. All we did is argue about who was or wasn't paddling right. We got frustrated and tried out individual kayaks. We loved them and ended up buying our two favorites! We were telling the guys at the store about this and one of them says, "Oh ya, we call those (tandems) divorce boats."