New to inflatable kayaks - i12s

I am new to this forum, so hello.

My name is Adam. Until recently I owned a too big for what I needed fiberglass canoe. It was a great way to get back into the water, but I've now sold it.

Tomorrow I will take on a new i12s. I live near two rivers, a slough, some lakes, and I live less than an hour and a half drive from the Pacific Ocean. I intend to use this kayak for after-work paddling, for doing some exploring, and for fishing. I'd like to paddle the surf a bit.

I'm looking forward to it. I'm not new to paddling or fishing or water activities, but I am new to kayaking.

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2017 i12s

It's here! I just assembled the seat and I'll be assembling the drive and taking it for a test spin nearby this evening.

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2017 i12s

I took it to a nearby park tonight and took it for a test drive. At first I thought I'd have some difficulty with the distance between the chair and the pedals but then I found that there was one more notch I hadn't seen on both of them.

Probably not news to anyone here, but I was really impressed with how well thought out and implemented the controls were. The pedal drive is powerful and since I am a cyclist as well I have a lot of practice pushing pedals. The rudder works seamlessly and the reverse after a short small learning curve is responsive and handy for maneuvering. I found myself picking floating bits of wood and then practicing maneuvering around them to see if I could.

I am a large person and found the i12s more than capable of handling my big, tall self.

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2017 i12s

awesome to hear you are happy with the i12!

i, too, am a largeish person and i was very pleased with how my i11s fit me. also, much like yourself, i was very impressed with the performance of the boat.

i will say i recently purchased the cart that plugs in the scupper holes and it really made moving the boat around much much easier.

anyhow, congrats!

I went paddling a bunch more this weekend. I find that even as a cyclist I must be using a few slightly different muscle groups that I don't use as much cycling. I feel it today, but it's a good kind of sore.

I am getting the hang of pulling the drive and tipping up the rudder as I beach it back on the sand at the edge of the river. I know I can push a pedal forward and clear the fins that way, but if I intend to pull the drive out anyway and pull the thing out of the water, how do I get the drive out if I have the whole thing sitting on the fins?

I am glad I went with the squishy tire Trax cart. Even at my nearby park, having that sort of more all-terrain characteristic is really nice.

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2017 i12s