Kayak Photography - Sit on top or Sit in ??

[username_69]

I want to buy a kayak for photography but wondering if I should go with a Sit On Top Or Sit In version. Does anyone have experience with kayak photography? Note - The Kayak cannot be over 10 feet in order to transport it in the back of my pickup. Thanks.

 

[Loughgear]

I would say sit on top would be your best bet, just my opinion tho, I’ve never used a sit in

 

[username_69]

Hi Loughgear,

Thanks for the reply. I infer you've tried the sit on. Does water come through that could get the camera gear wet? Thanks.

 

[Poindexter]

I run a Hobie Pro Angler 12” on the lakes, ponds, and rivers of Vermont. Fall, Spring, Summer. Winter is too icy.

My wife uses the Hobie Outback.

When we first got them we transported them in the back of a short bed F150. I ran a hitch support to provide a little more security as the boats hung off the back a bit. Now I have a long bed F350 that carries these boats with ease.

I have taken my 600mm Canon f4 glass out, but the ultimate is two camera bodies with one wide angle and a long lens. My favorite setup for kayak wildlife shooting is a Canon 7D MKII, 1.4x adaptor, and the 400mm DO. It is ultra light (for big white lenses) and ultra fast focusing with the right custom functions.

Carry a cooler of beer and peddle upstream first. Enjoy the beer and the breeze on the way back. There is no better way to photograph wildlife.

 

[Poindexter]

To answer your question, the paddling of a kayak is where water comes from. Peddling minimizes the water dripping over the top and reduces the amount of care you need to take with sensitive electronics.

Wind and waves will create the same splashes no matter if you sit above or in a boat. The hull of the boat may change how a splash hits.

Sitting above increases movement capabilities when holding a camera. But nothing provides the freedom for photography that peddling does. Your hands are always free to use the camera… or sip a beer

 

[Centralcoastca]

Sit on tops are typically more stable and have more options to easily access gear. Dry bags or pelican type cases would be the way to insure nothing gets wet. 10’ would be on the small side imo, but if you’re smaller and don’t require much weight capacity you could get away with it. I haul occasionally haul my Hobie outback which is a little over 12’ in the back of my tacoma with a 5 1/2’ bed. It’s not ideal but I just hang a flag on it and strap it down. Most of the time I haul it on a rack. I have a friend who got some lights made for putting on a towed car with an extension cord from harbor freight and uses that on the end of his kayak to be legal and not get hassled. I’ve had a few different kayaks and after getting a couple outbacks for my wife and I, I’ll never ho back to paddling. We fish the ocean and lakes and they are so much easier to cover lots of water faster and are way easier to fish without always dealing with a paddle too. We are able to hold steady speeds for trolling and it’s really nice to be able to drink a cup of coffee on the way to the fishing spot! I really like my outback but The Hobie compass would be a great kayak worth checking out. Very similar to the outback but a few less features but is quite a bit cheaper and is lighter. Vibe makes a knock off version of the hobie that looks pretty good for the money but I have never been on one.

 

[username_69]

Thanks for all that good info. I’ll check em out.