Ok, so we have a 4x4, a camper and all of our photo gear and head off to Maine. Sure we could hiike the trails but what about all of those coastal and inland lake shots you could get that most others miss if we were just on the water with our camera? Or what about the landscape of that island in the middle of the lake - how would the view look from there?
Thus, the reason for this post.
What have my fellow obsessed photographers found to get them and their gear on the coast, lakes and streams for that shot that land bound photographers will miss?
Given: One person, expensive digital camera and 3 lenses, light meter, fill flash. Must be able to be put on top of car, in car or on top of pop-up camper by one person - weight limits of unit are about 60 pounds due to being 60 years old and not wanting to bust my back getting a unit on top of the car!
I've been evaluating kayaks -both rigid, sit on, sit in and inflatable, canoes, inflatable fishing "pontoons", etc.
I've ruled out the canoes as their weight is generally an issue, the energy expended to propell them is substantially greater that a kayak and I've found them to be no more stable than a good kayak with initial and secondary stability features. Also close to ruling out inflatable fishing pontoons due to the set up and take down time required - I'm not a patient person and this would drive me bonkers after just a few times. Plus it removes the element of spontanaeity!
The Hobie Kayak model Revolution - called a fishing kayak due to it's high stability.
(
http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/models_revolution.html) is quite interesting but has the limitations of being heavy (58#) and is a sit on top unit exposing you and your gear to the elements. It does have an 8" twist and seal hatch with dry bag that could stow a camera and a couple of lenses out of harms way, but if you get hit by a wave you're gonna get wet, and cold even with your gear protected. Cost of a decent dry suit runs about $800 and the Hobie isn't cheap, but no more than a composite/fiberglass kayak (about $1,600). It has a unique Penguin type of propolsion system that seems very effiecent and interesting, but a paddle is less complicated and less prone to break - KISS logic.
Traditional kayaks like the Current Designs Kestrel 140 in TSC material weighs in at 44#, (
http://user1039303.wx15.registeredsite.com/)has initial and secondary stability (Which I did manage to defeat with very modest effort and found myself upside down in the water! But I'm not an expert kayaker and I expect it's stability would improve as my skill set does.) These have the advantage of being protected from the waist down by the hatch cover you are enclosed in - water proof jacket and the water rolls over you and the kayak if you get hit with an unexpected wave or wake.
Inflatables - look interesting except for the set up and take down time. Have not been able to get on one to test it out.
Ok, there are some of my initial thoughts - now I'd like to hear yours.