Sidekick

Sidekick Description

The Sidekick is a kayak brought to you by Ocean Kayak. Read Sidekick reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

Ocean Kayak
Sidekick Reviews

Read reviews for the Sidekick by Ocean Kayak as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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4

I used the Sidekick on a…

Submitted by: jbessman on 8/25/2015
I used the Sidekick on a protected lake with my 9 year-old son and a bit of gear in the back. Total weight of us and our gear was probably close to 250 lbs. The kayak felt like it could have held quite a bit more! The ride was dry, comfortable, but yes, it did paddle like a small barge pushing all kinds of water vs. cutting through it, and it tracked poor to moderate at best owing to the style and shape.

Not bad at all for getting kids out on the water safely, nice dry gear storage compartment, ample room in the back, but where it counts most (handling) it definitely handled more like a water toy. It was well balanced for carrying it with the center handle and much lighter than most full-size tandems though, so if your interest is simply summer recreation on calm water this is not a bad choice. It wasn't bad paddling it solo either, so the versatility was nice.

5

Bought the Sidekick a year…

Submitted by: paddler235081 on 7/8/2013
Bought the Sidekick a year and a half ago and have no complaints. I like to take fishing trips down the river and I have no problem putting all my fishing and camping gear on the kayak. I took it to the beach with my daughter and nephews to test how much weight it could hold and easy it would roll. I had myself (185 lbs.) one nephew on the front and one on the back (combined 215 lbs.) in foot and a half waves. The only way the kayak finally rolled is when we tried to roll it.
4

This kayak was perfect to…

Submitted by: jjotz on 3/21/2013
This kayak was perfect to take my 7 year-old son on trips because it has a removable seat in the front that could accommodate kids. Without the front seat installed, this kayak can also hold plenty of gear.

I've taken this kayak across the Hudson River to Manhattan and on some pretty busy waterways in the NY/NJ area, as well as the Atlantic Ocean and quiet streams. I've also fished with my son in this kayak and taken it on overnight camping trips.

The draft of this kayak is shallow as I've paddled in water less than a foot deep with ease. It is incredibly stable on the water and I've never tipped it. Due to its height, I've battled the wind at times while my friends' sit-in kayaks sliced through the water with greater ease. It's also difficult to turn, especially in narrow waterways.
Of course, at 53 lbs, it's heavy.

PROS:
Holds lots of gear, versatile, stable, durable & rugged

CONS:
Slow, large turning radius, heavy, hatch isn't watertight

4

Just purchased an Ocean Kayak…

Submitted by: paddler232647 on 6/11/2008
Just purchased an Ocean Kayak Sidekick earlier this year. This is my first kayak, and I've been using it to take my dog (75lb German Shepherd/Husky) out on the lake, and the river. It is a really stable boat.

I added a bunch of non-skid to the front so she can ride easier. The only two things I didn't like were the rear well, as it was awkward to find a cooler that fit it really well, but once I did it's been great. The bow seat area doesn't drain as well as I would like either. Doesn't affect me or the dog much, but has made me change my mind about installing a second hatch there for additional storage.

I would highly recommend this boat to anyone looking to kayak with a child or pet!

4

We purchased two Ocean Kayak…

Submitted by: paddler232240 on 8/8/2007
We purchased two Ocean Kayak Sidekicks two years ago and have loved them. These were our very first kayaks and we wanted something very stable. My husband and I each paddle with a child (3 and 6 at the time of purchase) on a medium-sized lake (3 miles long).

Two years later, we still easily paddle with them (5 and 8) up front. The boat is very stable and works wonderfully for adult and a small child. Our children will occasionally paddle, but it is easy enough for one adult to paddle with a child on board. It also can be paddled solo, though it's too large and slow if you plan to kayak solo often (single rider sits a little further back than the middle of the boat). Our 8 year old is able to paddle it by herself as well, though it is a bit large for her to maneuver easily. The boat has reasonably comfortable (and easy to adjust) seats, easy footholds to use, and convenient cup holder and bungee ties on the sides for securing paddles.

My biggest complaint about the Sidekick is its tracking. My husband doesn't have significant problems with it tracking in the wind. But I have had great difficulty keeping it on course in 10-20 mph winds and find myself paddling primarily on one side and still having to rudder. And with all Sit-on-tops (SOTs), plan to be wet from the waist down when you paddle (just from paddle drips). All-in-all, an excellent kayak for what it was designed for (one adult, one child).

4

The ocean Kayak Sidekick.…

Submitted by: paddler231380 on 11/8/2005
The ocean Kayak Sidekick. 2005 - First some background to help readers understand why we might choose the Sidekick.

My sweetie and I are recreational divers and fisherman. We live in Southwest Florida and we fish and dive the near-shore reefs and back-bay areas along the Gulf coast. We've each owned two other kayaks prior to our recent purchase of two new Sidekicks. Our previous kayaks were Walden Paddlers and small, lightweight stitch and glue sit inside yaks. We weigh 160 lbs and 195lbs. We're between 5' 7" and 6' tall. Our paddle excursions are rarely longer than about 4 miles round trip. We've had our Sidekicks out on the water 5 times so far. We also test paddled the Sidekick twice before buying. With the intention to use our sit on top kayaks as a fishing, diving, and spearfishing platform, we were looking for a very stable hull with ample displacement for hauling gear and with luck many pounds of fish. We paddle our Sidekicks as solo boats only.

We've done two dives so far in the Gulf from our Sidekicks. One dive equipped with scuba gear and one dive was a freediving/spearfishing trip. The rear tank well is the perfect size to securely hold an aluminum 80 tank with weight integrated BC. The tank well's factory bungee system keeps the tank and BC secure in the tank well even when the boat gets rolled over and then righted. It's not difficult to lift/ drag the tank and BC into and out of the tank well and over the side while facing backward with both legs over the side. The 6 inch factory cockpit hatch with molded in bucket is a good place to secure your car keys and fishing license but the factory hatches on both our Sidekicks leaked so a plastic ziplock bag is a good idea for things you want to keep dry. The Sidekick comes with 3 paddle keeper bungees along the hull. Two at the cockpit and one forward and next to the child seat. The molded in groove that runs up the side of the hull and under each paddle keeper, traps paddles and spearguns against the hull very securely. The incredible stability of the Sidekick allowed my sweetie to stand up in the cockpit without falling overboard with a 1 foot chop on the Gulf. The boats displacement and stability allows us to crawl up to the front of the boat on our knees and deploy/ retrieve a ten pound anchor. The boats stability also makes it easy to sit sideways in the cockpit with both legs over the side while getting ready to dive. Getting back into the boat in deep water is relatively easy but takes a few practice tries to develop technique. The boats high and dry deck means you have to lift/ launch yourself up into the cockpit rather than sinking the hull to allow you to swim onto it. The extra displacement designed into the turned up bow makes it possible to store about 30 lbs of gear or fish on the front deck area without fear of a wave washing over the deck as you paddle into a wave. Things we added to the stock Sidekick to make it a better dive platform include deck bungee and additional deck loops for more bungee coverage on the front deck. A paddle leash so the paddle doesn't have to be stored on the boat while you get back onto the boat or are preparing to dive, BC/ tank leash so we could leave the scuba tank and BC in the water while getting on or off the boat. The factory hatch does not allow access to the inside of the hull. We installed a round 6 inch after-market deck hatch in the forward seat area so we could have access to secure dry storage within the hull for safety equipment like signal flares and a hand held marine radio.

Fishing: The boats excellent stability and high, dry ride makes for a comfortable fishing platform. I wouldn't say that the boat is designed to be rigged for fishing but creating rigging solutions wasn't difficult. I built a simple, removable rocket launcher style fishing rod holder from schedule 40 PVC pipe and fittings that plugs into the two scupper holes in the tank well and holds up to 4 rods. The extra deck loops and bungee we added to the front deck area makes storing extra gear easy. The tank well isn't wide enough for the standard milk crate storage container and I've not found a really stable way to add a standard plastic milk crate behind the seat. I use a small 9 quart plastic cooler, strapped down in front of the rod holder but behind my seat for tackle storage. The 6 inch after-market hatch I installed in the front seat/deck area allows me to store a small 12 volt power supply below deck for a fishfinder. The molded in cup holder between your legs is a useful feature. I made a removable mount for my hand held GPS unit from "pool noodle" foam. The mount securely plugs into the molded in cup holder. My GPS and fishfinder are both waterproof so paddle drips are not a problem. I also added deck loops near the bow and stern for an anchor trolley system for use while fishing.

This boat is not a speed demon. It's a bit barge like as kayaks go. The boats natural hull speed (low paddle effort) under our typical load seemed to be about 3.2 miles per hour on flat water (measured by GPS). We were able to maintain 3.8 miles per hour over a distance when we "dug in" a little. It comes standard with a second removable seat for your "sidekick". The hull design has a lot of hull slap (noise) in choppy water and gurgles a bit when paddling flat water. Loaded it floats in about 6 inches of water. The boat turns well. It may not track well for you until you learn a good paddle stroke. Taller paddlers will probably find a comfortable position for the seat. People with wide butts will probably find the cockpit fairly comfortable compared to some of the older Ocean Kayak cockpits. In choppy water we feel very safe in the Sidekick. It seems to be a very seaworthy "sit on top" kayak.

5

I have a three year old…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/19/2005
I have a three year old daughter that I was taking kayaking in a single person SOT. She was moving all over the boat and dumped us a few times. It did not go over well with us and I decided to search for a tandem kayak. The Sidekick turned out to be a excellent choice. My girl sits in the front, walks to the back to standup behind me with her hands on my shoulders. She enjoys dragging her feet and hands in the water. She and I love the Sidekick. It is a very stable boat, and paddles easy. I would very highly recommend this kayak to anyone with a child. I can't be more pleased with the boat. It is more that I expected.
5

I have a three year old…

Submitted by: paddler231201 on 7/18/2005
I have a three year old daughter that I was taking kayaking in a single person SOT. She was moving all over the boat and dumped us a few times. It did not go over well with her and I decided to search for a tandem kayak. The sidekick turned out to be a excellent choice. My girl sits in the front, walks to the back to standup behind me with her hands on my shoulders. She drags her feet and hands in the water. It is a very stable boat, and paddels easy. I would very highly recommend this kayak to anyone with a child. I can't be more pleased with the boat. It is more that I expected.
4

Tandem Hybrid. It has small…

Submitted by: souhami on 2/10/2005
Tandem Hybrid. It has small seat for child up 90lbs up front. This my 4th sit-on-top purchase. My first Ocean Kayak. I was considering the WS Tarpon 130T. Then I saw this new kayak at the local shop here in Austin. It was perfect for my needs and about $120.00 less than the Tarpon 130T. It also comes with 2 seats. On the water paddling solo, tracks well easy to turn very responsive. Comfortable very dry seating, the first SOT I came out of with out a wet butt. I am 6' 240lbs. Next with passenger, my wife 114 lbs (a bit more than suggested). Still tracked well a bit more effort turning. Still very dry for both of us. I bought it in order to take my grandson about 50lbs now. I love this kayak. I think they have got a winner. I gave it a 9 because there is a bit of hull slap in a moderate chop. I was told this is common for Ocean Kayaks with tri-hull design. Also, it has some nice extra features. Large well with Bungee cords in back small hatch for main paddler. The small seat can be position facing either way. I am sure my grandson will like that. Also great fishing platform for solo paddler lots of room for gear front and back.

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