Hey guys, I'm in the market for a Kayak but I'm on a budget. What are some good, affordable Kayaks, looking for a one man Kayak, light in weight because obviously I'll be solo. I want to be able to fish freshwater, and pretty much drop in the water and go. Under $500 would be ideal . Thoughts 
Oh man, you're gonna get so many opinions on this. Biggest thing is wether you want a sit on top or sit inside, that'll narrow down the options in your price range quite a bit. I prefer the sit in style, but you really should try each style to decide for yourself (I think most places that sell yaks offer some sort of trial period or have demo ponds you can float on). I purchased my first yak this winter and after all my research on it I'd say that $500 is roughly the cutoff between cheaper quality and the high end models. I bought the Ascend FS10 from basspro. It's light enough to get on the car by myself, can carry it to the water without a cart, comes with all the rod holders and junk, and the plastic is much thicker than some of the $300 models I looked at. Really though, you just gotta read up on em and try whatever interests you. I love my FS10 and know a couple other guys who feel the same way, but I've also met a number of dudes who were terrified in them and think they're junk, haha.
walleyefanatic is right: You're going to get a LOT of info... I spent 400 on the Angler160 from Ocean State Job Lot a couple weeks back. Fished it at least 10 times already. I know Job Lot seems funny, but I really did my homework starting mid-summer last year... Something I could go fresh and salt with, move around on my own.
***I didn't see good, smaller models at Job Lot.
***I was close to a hobie pedal kayak, but that would be overkill at most of my freshwater spots. They are also a 1-2K commitment.
Job Lot's return policy is much more friendly than Dick's.
Craigslist was a pain in the arse, but if time is on your side and you choose a range of acceptable yaks, you can find real bargains.
I'm loving mine. It's good out of the box and I can upgrade the sh*t out of it. The back tackle hatch is a makeshift, comfortable seat for my 6 year old too.
At 400 bucks, I don't mind beating on it like a red-headed step child either (drag around, leave in the yard, etc...) I don't want to lug it in and out of a shed/basement/garage all the time or panic over a scrape. Also, an expensive kayak is pretty tempting to a thief. ... I would like mine to sit on my car at work all day without worry.
**My 8 cents.
***I didn't see good, smaller models at Job Lot.
***I was close to a hobie pedal kayak, but that would be overkill at most of my freshwater spots. They are also a 1-2K commitment.
Job Lot's return policy is much more friendly than Dick's.
Craigslist was a pain in the arse, but if time is on your side and you choose a range of acceptable yaks, you can find real bargains.
I'm loving mine. It's good out of the box and I can upgrade the sh*t out of it. The back tackle hatch is a makeshift, comfortable seat for my 6 year old too.
At 400 bucks, I don't mind beating on it like a red-headed step child either (drag around, leave in the yard, etc...) I don't want to lug it in and out of a shed/basement/garage all the time or panic over a scrape. Also, an expensive kayak is pretty tempting to a thief. ... I would like mine to sit on my car at work all day without worry.
**My 8 cents.
Here's my advice for your price point:
Sit on top kayak - Go to West Marine and buy a Pompano 120 ($549 but comes with a $100 rebate thru June 15). Take that $100 rebate and buy an really good aftermarket seat.
Sit in kayak - I like the Bass Pro Ascend models because of their seats (owned one and fished it hard for two years).
Sit on top kayak - Go to West Marine and buy a Pompano 120 ($549 but comes with a $100 rebate thru June 15). Take that $100 rebate and buy an really good aftermarket seat.
Sit in kayak - I like the Bass Pro Ascend models because of their seats (owned one and fished it hard for two years).
You don't mention your weight which can be a deciding factory in yak selection (and satisfaction).
Generally speaking though, there are some great deals out there in used yaks and even box store selection.
First you need to decide sit in or sit on top. Tons written on every paddling site on the planet on this age old debate. Both have distinct advantages. ME, I prefer sit in's for their speed lightness and ability to paddle with my lower body out of the sun, rain, paddle drippings etc.
Second, size. Short boats are inefficient to paddle as they plow and /or waddle (but often cheaper.) I'd recommend nothing short of 12' for any purpose other than floating with the current. The longer the
paddling.net is a great resource to learn about these attributes, BTW. boat, the more efficient it is to paddle and the more weight it will take comfortably (all else being the same.)
The bass pro boats as mentioned seem to have good reviews but tend to be heavy . Dicks sporting goods also sells their 12' Field and Stream series (SINK or SOT) that often go on sale for $350-$400 ( with sign up for their credit card. ) Also decent boats and a VG ready to fish value.
Lastly, a used Pungo, Loon, Prowler, Tarpon, Ultimate or similar wide 12-14' x28-32" yak will get you started and often come with a decent paddle and extras already. A few days on Craigslist should find a good one but you need to act fast.
hth
Generally speaking though, there are some great deals out there in used yaks and even box store selection.
First you need to decide sit in or sit on top. Tons written on every paddling site on the planet on this age old debate. Both have distinct advantages. ME, I prefer sit in's for their speed lightness and ability to paddle with my lower body out of the sun, rain, paddle drippings etc.
Second, size. Short boats are inefficient to paddle as they plow and /or waddle (but often cheaper.) I'd recommend nothing short of 12' for any purpose other than floating with the current. The longer the
paddling.net is a great resource to learn about these attributes, BTW. boat, the more efficient it is to paddle and the more weight it will take comfortably (all else being the same.)
The bass pro boats as mentioned seem to have good reviews but tend to be heavy . Dicks sporting goods also sells their 12' Field and Stream series (SINK or SOT) that often go on sale for $350-$400 ( with sign up for their credit card. ) Also decent boats and a VG ready to fish value.
Lastly, a used Pungo, Loon, Prowler, Tarpon, Ultimate or similar wide 12-14' x28-32" yak will get you started and often come with a decent paddle and extras already. A few days on Craigslist should find a good one but you need to act fast.
hth