Good morning from the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin! We recently purchased two kayaks. We are all beginners and were interested in basic, stable kayaks to use on the lake. I researched for several months and also sought input from consumer's report. We ended up purchasing 2 Perception Prodigy 10' kayaks on sale. They have nice, large cockpits and are very comfortable! The seat is also quite excellent: it adjusts and is also comfortable. As someone mentioned, the paddles were extra. On sale, we paid $399. each, plus $50. each for the paddles. My husband is 6'2" and weighs 210; I am 5'11" and weigh 190. These kayaks are perfectly comfortable for us. Here's the icing on the cake for me: yesterday, our son and daughter-in-law arrived and thoroughly enjoyed their kayak adventure! Our son is 6'5" and weighs 250; she is 5'11" and weighs the same as I do. They were both very comfortable. I'd recommend these kayaks in a heartbeat for anyone wanting a recreational kayak without alot of 'whistles and bells'. Good luck - it's great fun!
I hope you guys all had a great time with your kayaks!
One thing I found to be really important (almost more important than the kayak itself!) was the paddles. After blisters and really tired arms and body, I bought a really nice paddle, lightweight and super-padded - and it made all the difference.
I think it was a Bending Branches (??) paddle? I bought it at Gander Mountain and it was $99, but worth every penny. Its has an aluminum shaft, it's really light, has plastic curved blades for better paddling - and best of all - a really padded grip. No more blisters, no excessive fatigue now. I'm sure that there are a lot of good paddles out there - just wanted to let you know how much a really good paddle improved my kayaking experience.
Took the kayak out twice over the weekend. I initially had flat paddles. I borrowed my friend's curved paddles and they worked MUCH better. My husband took me out yesterday and bought me curved paddles and a new life vest with a mesh shoulder area and pockets. My other life vest was more appropriate for someone on a motorboat. It was heavy-weight and had no pockets. I needed a more comfortable and lightweight vest when paddling . I also got a dry bag and a little plastic container to put my cell phone in. (My birthday is tomorrow and he wanted to get me something I really needed/wanted.) My paddles are a little lighter than his and that's good because I don't have a lot of upper body strength. I'm sure that will change with all the kayaking!