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Re: Seeking: Children kayak *PIC*
By:Dan Caouette (CSCWC)
Date: 8/26/2015, 2:11 pm
In Response To: Seeking: Children kayak (Bill Mayberry)

I would like to build her her first kayak and paddle. Probably by age three she could use something to paddle???
Any thoughts on what to build?
Thanks.....😀

Traditionally there haven't been many child-sized kayak designs on the market. For our two girls (now 7 and 9) I started them off with short and wide kayaks. As they've progressed with their paddling they've moved up to longer and narrower boats. Fuselage SOFs are quick and cheap to build. Stuff the ends with some foam or air bladders and they're good to go.

For paddles I carve them simple Greenland-style sticks. Nothing fancy. As they've grown I've carved longer ones. They're easy to replace if they lose one.

To start my two young girls I designed and built them some SOFs. The Coos-8s were 8' long with an 18" beam. They started "paddling" them when they were two. I added outriggers to them made from scrap wood and foam swim noodles and mostly towed them behind us on small ponds. If you want I can send you the offsets.

When my oldest turned five I built her another SOF. This one was a scaled down version of an adult boat (SEA-12) and was 12' LOA x 16" beam. Here's a picture from about a week ago.

My youngest just turned seven and received her new boat. This one was a S&G Black Pearl-Jr: 11'-6" long and 18" wide. It should last her a few years.

Messages In This Thread

Seeking: Children kayak
Bill Mayberry -- 8/26/2015, 9:32 am
Sharkbait *Link*
Curtis Fisher -- 8/26/2015, 2:01 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak *PIC*
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 8/26/2015, 2:11 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Bill Hamm -- 8/26/2015, 4:40 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Allan -- 8/26/2015, 5:59 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak *PIC*
anewhouse -- 9/2/2015, 5:09 am
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Bob Borovicka -- 8/26/2015, 2:42 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Randy -- 8/26/2015, 5:56 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Randy -- 8/26/2015, 5:59 pm
Re: Seeking: Children kayak
Bill Mayberry -- 8/27/2015, 9:23 am
Re: Seeking: Children kayak *PIC*
Etienne Muller -- 8/27/2015, 10:25 am