What size kayak?

[dkramer]

If I'm diving a reef, I carry an anchor so that I can get geared up & not have to worry about being blown off the reef while gearing up. In that case, once I'm geared up, I'll pull the anchor & then tow with my reel. If I'm shark tooth hunting, I rarely use an anchor. My BC is clipped to my yak so I just jump in, gear up while still clipped to the boat, then unclip, head to the bow, grab my reel & drop. When under water, sometimes I hang onto the reel & sometimes I clip it to my BC. I know it's safer to hang onto it so in case someone or something tries to haul you quickly to the surface, you can let go but................I'm in relatively shallow water & if I'm trying to grab teeth, it's nice to have both hands free.

 

[seawolfhd]

When I yak dive for teeth, I anchor and get geared up, then I drop down and clip my anchor to my BC, the extra weight of the anchor helps me stay on the bottom when dragging the yak.

Got this idea from dkramer first time yak diving and I couldn't stay on the bottom.

 

[jmf1081]

I just got a Scupper Pro TW a few weeks ago myself. Unfortunately I will not be diving with it this weekend as my girlfriend and I are going to check out the mangrove tunnels off South Lido Park.
Maybe the 11th I can get out to Venice and finally do a dive from my Kayak.

 

[ocean walker]

Where is south Lido Park? I would like to go to the mangrove tunnels with my scrambler.

 

[jmf1081]

From St. Armands Circle, take S. Blvd of the Presidents (SE exit), continue on that road and it will eventually turn to the right and become Taft Dr. Just before the turn there will be a gate on your left. Go through the gate and you can park on asphalt and carry your Kayak to the water.
Once in the water paddle SSW. The entrances to the "tunnels" are marked by numbered posts. They can be hard to spot the first few times, but if you follow the edge of the mangroves you cannot miss it.
If you go at the lowest part of the tide you may drag bottom in one or two spots.


If you head north from the launch point and paddle toward the channels behind the houses you can often see manatees and dolphins. I was there last weekend and the Manatees were not shy. There was a younger one that kept popping up and sniffing my Kayak - maybe he though it was a giant banana.

 

[ancientdiver]

Length of boat is proportional to speed. Longer boats are faster, and hold more stuff. The first time you paddle more than a mile you will know why faster is better. Best boat for a diver is the Ocean Kayak Trident 15 footer. THE boat for a diver. Second best is the Ocean Kayak ScupperPro. Get a used one if you can. Craig's List best place to find 'em. You will want a rudder. Ocean Kayak Prowler 15 is good boat, and so is Wilderness System's Tarpon 160. There is a ton of info on the net. Check out kayak diving section of sit on top kayak website.
Will in Sarasota

 

[divedude1962]

What vehicles do you have/use for carrying your kayaks?

 

[tlawler]

What vehicles do you have/use for carrying your kayaks?

Do you mean for road transportation or from the car to the water?

If you mean the latter, I made a cart out of schedule 80 PVC and wheelbarrow tires that pokes up through the scupper holes to hold it in place. If I had to do it over, I would either use the tires marketed by Wheeleeze to build one, or just get a Wheeleeze cart. The smaller ones are really nice and even fold up for storage in the forward hatch. The wheelbarrow tires are great over firmer ground, but don't do well over soft sand.

 

[dkramer]

Well. I agree that ocean makes good kayaks, I think the Cobra/Fish Dive is excellent when it comes to stability & storage room so don't leave it off the list. When you ask about vehicles, do you mean the wheels used to transport to the beach or do you mean the car used to get to the beach? To get the boat to the beach I have the Wheeleeze Beach Kayak Kart. You definitely want to get the wider, beach wheels. To get to the beach I have a Chevy Colorado Extended Cab Pick up with Yakima kayak racks mounted to the bed.

 

[reefcreature]

I use a Ocean Prowler 15'. Very stable, large tank well and tracks well. Used to dive from a 12' Hobie, not nearly as stable and no room for gear.