Very good read…There is a 13.5-foot yellow “banana” on the top of my Toyota 4Runner. Veteran Miami charter skipper Bouncer Smith would blanch at the thought of a yellow boat, especially one resembling a banana, which in Bouncer’s world portends bad, bad luck for anglers. But this is a brave new world. And with deference to Bouncer, when it comes to kayaks, brighter is better, yellow included, because it means you’re more easily seen, which is a big plus in terms of safety.
The yellow rotomolded “plastic fantastic” is the kids’ beach boat — a big, wide, stable double kayak built by Perception. Forty years ago, it would have been a leaky lapstrake skiff or rowboat, which is how many of us got our start.
The world is changing, but the pull and attraction of the water is timeless, which is truly our ace in the hole. Not only do small boats like kayaks and paddleboards get new people out on the water, but they also get the young (and not so young) comfortable being “in” the water. Comfortable with the concept of “tippy,” and getting wet and having a ton of fun. Read more..