Bayou II

by  Dagger

This Product Has Been Discontinued

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Bayou II Description

The Bayou II is a kayak brought to you by Dagger. Read Bayou II 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!

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Bayou II Reviews

Read reviews for the Bayou II by Dagger 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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5

Have had it since 2001.

Submitted by: paddler281105 on 1/24/2017

I've had mine since 2001. I've had it on rivers, lakes, Chesapeake bay, Assawoman bay. Love it. But after a decade of heavy use the skirt bead is separating. Wish I could find another one.  I could stand up on it jump off and climb back on no problem. Great solo. Put gear and cooler in front seat.

5

The Bayou 2 is a great…

Submitted by: paddler236743 on 5/4/2016
The Bayou 2 is a great all-round recreational kayak. One of the lightest polyethylene double kayaks available. Easy for 2 people to put on roof racks. Good for 2 adults on day trips or one adult and a couple kids. Very stable and with comfortable seats. Doesn't track perfectly, but not a problem if the person in the back has a little bit of paddling experience. Plenty of room for extra gear behind the back seat.

All round a basic, simple kayak ideal for any flat water where you don't need speed but appreciate stability and comfortable seats. also good to paddle by one person with a heap of camping gear - very versatile.

4

I bought this boat used a…

Submitted by: KSandersen on 10/30/2014
I bought this boat used a long time ago but just recently took it down the Green River in Utah for a 12 day expedition. If you know the Green River, one must carry your water which in our case was an additional 88 pounds over an above our gear. I removed the rear seat (two screws) which provided considerable storage for what must have been 140 pounds of gear and water. It was great for hauling gear and I will continue to use it as the "barge" on overnight river and lake trips.

One negative is the total failure to track on the river.... it was nearly impossible to drop the paddle and take a picture without spinning 30 to 60 degrees of track. I was jealous of my fellow traveler's rudder which he used to track a straight line. btw, I added an assortment of deck hooks, tie downs and mounts for gear and camera.

Basically good if you need a "barge" to transport a lot of gear by kayak.

5

I purchased the bayou II…

Submitted by: paddler230678 on 7/12/2004
I purchased the bayou II Because My canoe was too Heavy and my son is 9 and he is all the help that I have. I use it to cruise the Rivers quite a bit. IT's Light has good Tracking and does a fine job on the river with Light Rapids. My son and I really enjoy the Yak and it has enough room for Day trip Provisions and then some. IT's a great Family yak and I really enjoy the Bonding time with my son.
4

I've had two Bayou IIs for a…

Submitted by: paddler230054 on 2/17/2003
I've had two Bayou IIs for a little over a year now. I bought two so I could take my wife and two sons, or my dogs. I am overall pleased with the performance of the kayaks, yet it would be nice if the gunwales were a little higher so I could get my knees comfortably underneath them. This would also eliminate unneccessary water from the front paddler (although I think the kids do that on purpose). They aren't very fast, but they aren't really meant to be. Very relaxing kayaks. Tracking is good if skills are adequate. If you get tired and lazy, they don't always go exactly where you want them. Overall, they are excellent family boats, but if you are looking for choppy water and small rapids, it would be advised to look elsewhere.
4

I have owned a Dagger Bayou…

Submitted by: paddler229980 on 11/9/2002
I have owned a Dagger Bayou II for 3 years now and have taken it out on 40 trips or more, primarily with my son and daughter. I always looked upon it as a tandem boat for the express purpose of being able to share safe water experiences with my children. The wide beam provides the stability necessary to provide confidence in the boat by young paddlers. I have only taken it out once as a single paddler and found it more difficult to control due to the bow riding higher out of the water. With two paddlers we have paddled flatwater, rivers out of their banks, and up to some class II water. I would not recommend anything over class II without a spray skirt. The boat does not have a rudder or skeg but I have found it tracks well with two paddlers working together. We have taken trips up to 6 hours long and 14 miles and found the seats to be comfortable. The space available behind the rear seat and underneat the front cowl has been adequate for day trips, but would be inadequate for overnight trips. The poly construction of the boat, yes a bit heavy for one person to carry, has been shown it be rugged. Its relatively short length at under 14 feet has made it easy enough to store in my garage. All in all this kayak has been perfect for providing what I hoped in a first boat to use with children. For sole paddling I have another boat.
5

What a boat! I prefer sitting…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 3/21/2002
What a boat! I prefer sitting in the back when soloing and traking seems better from there. I bought the tandem for myself really and the reason is because after alot of research this boat has proven to carry what I need. All the essential(spare paddle etc) a sleeping bag, a tent, a cooler and in my case a dog. That's it in a nutshell. It tracks very well and it's fast enough for me. If speed is your main concern, this may not be the yak for ewe! what a great camping vessel.
2

I am a beginning kayaker…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/12/2001
I am a beginning kayaker though I have white water rafted (class III) for over 10 yrs. I recently did a no no, bought a Dagger BayouII without trying it first. (I know,I know) I bought what the local dealer had left at this late date. On our first trip, went less than 1/2 mile when grazed an upstream snag and broached, kayak ended up uoside down pinned under the snag. Freed the boat after 40 min. struggle. Continuing, we had to cross about 1 1/2mi. of lake with a following sea, swells about 10-12" with 6" chop on top. Boat did not track well and each time a swell passed, at about 20 degrees off the stern, it put a quart or so of water over the gunwales. I thoought we were going to sink in sight of our take out. Needless to say, the boat went back to the dealer the next day, and I am now looking seriously at a Keowee III. If it is anything like a Keowee II we borrowed to try, it will be a much better boat. That Bayou II is a DANGEROUS BOAT in anything but calm water.
5

I am new to kayaking. My…

Submitted by: paddler229210 on 5/1/2001
I am new to kayaking. My family and I really enjoy our new kayak. We put in on a class 1 river. It is very easy to manuver and easily to maintain speed. It doesn't track perfect but I thought it was fine. My child, wife, and I all floated once (310 lbs.). My child is 85 lbs.It was still easy to control but a bit cramped. Very comfortable with two adults. Get one!!
5

I have owned this kayak for…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 4/16/2001
I have owned this kayak for two years and I have yet to find a kayak of this size that I like better. I have used it both in tandem and solo. Unlike some, I prefer sitting in the back seat when I paddle solo. I seems to me to track without the fish tailing that I get otherwise. I recently purchased a Dagger Zydeco for single use as I don't like the huffing and puffing that go with carrying the Bayou II too far(it is 65 lbs.), but I did so only due to the ease of use when used singly. We have had the Bayou II on rivers at flood stage, on low water rivers (shallow draft makes this possible) and on lakes in all kinds of weather with VERY rough water. All without the slightest difficulty except for the use of the spray skirt. Would I buy this kayak again? Absolutely! Buy it and you will like it unless you are into Class III rapids or greater.
4

Great boat for lakes and slow…

Submitted by: paddler229055 on 1/8/2001
Great boat for lakes and slow rapids. It also doubles as a great fishing boat because the fish swim right up to you! Easy to paddle both tandem or solo. This was our first kayak and we will miss it as we have to sell it because we're moving.
4

I did a lot of research…

Submitted by: paddler228899 on 9/11/2000
I did a lot of research before selecting the Bayou II, and it paid off: I love this boat. It may be wide and a bit slow, but it is stable and tracks well. Getting used to paddling in tandem has been the most trying part, but after the forth time in the boat, we had it down. Great for day trips, but difficult to pack for an overnight camp, you can do it, but you gotta pack wisely. Buy it, you'll love it.
4

My wife has always had a fear…

Submitted by: paddler228940 on 7/30/2000
My wife has always had a fear of small boats, so when I mentioned buying a kayak... well at first she said "no way", but after some talking she agreed to try. We have a 2 year old, so it had to be tandem for future paddling with him, not to long, and very stable. We decided on the bayou 11. Well we just got back from a weeks vacation up in northern ontario,and we took the bayou 11. She loved the boat and paddled it everyday. She couldn`t get over how stable the boat was. The seats are comfortable and it tracks very well. If your looking for a solid, stable boat for short tours, or just paddling around, then I would recommend the bayou 11. Its not fast, but it does what its built for.
5

A terrific boat. I've spent…

Submitted by: paddler228556 on 4/21/2000
A terrific boat. I've spent countless enjoyable hours on lakes and rivers since purchasing this kayak last spring. I would agree with the other reviewers that while the 30" beam makes the Bayou II very stable, it does also make the boat slower than less beamier kayaks. But, speaking as a Dad with three small kids, the Bayou II has proved to be a superb vehicle to introduce them (one at a time, of course) to adventures on the water. For paddling with kids, the stability of this large-beamed kayak compensates the lack of speed.
4

This is a very good…

Submitted by: paddler228444 on 2/8/2000
This is a very good recreational sit-in kayak for beginner and intermediate paddlers. It’s fairly stable and tracks well. The width at the front prevents it from going very fast though. There’s a decent amount of space for day trips. I have taken my wife or one of the kid’s saltwater bay fishing in it and it provided a fun, comfortable and useful platform. This yak is fairly light for it’s size, yet built for durability. The double spray skirt from Dagger is highly recommended for rougher seas.

I like how the front seat adjusts back to mid-cockpit for solo paddling. In this position you will be lacking the foot rests and may opt to install an extra set later. There’s still plenty of room in the back seat for smaller kids or a dog to ride in. Most tandems don’t work as well as this one when soloed.

As a tandem, it’s only as good as the paddlers who are using it (like most tandems). Sitting closely requires synchronization between paddlers to prevent excess paddle collisions (the rear paddler must follow the front’s lead). If the front paddler is short, you can move the seat forward to prevent this. The only problem with that is that the back of the front seat has the integrated foot rests for the rear paddler, which may become out of reach.

4

A tandem, open cockpit kayak…

Submitted by: paddler228221 on 8/5/1999
A tandem, open cockpit kayak with an adjustable front seat for solo paddling. Excellent boat for flat or running water up to class III. Good size for for one paddler and lots of gear. Great for two people on day trips. Not quite large enough for two paddlers and their camping gear. Handles extremely well in the water. Light enough for one person to portage (65 lbs). I highly recommend this boat for couples.