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I am trying to decide which one I want to buy. Can anyone give some pro's and con's each one? I want something that is safe and easy to paddle. I don't want anything over 12 foot long.

When reading your subject line, I was gonna awnser pirouge for sure without a doubt. However wanting 12' or less, you will only get a "tippy" pirouge. Smallest I use on a regular basis is 14' they are very stable and I like them a lot (have 5 14'). I have a 10', but it is definetly a 1 man boat, and is not stable at all, have to know what you are doing in it.

If it were me I would look into a 14' pirouge, they are lightweight and will prolly do what you want.

easy to paddle = pirogue and will go in just a couple of inches of water

If going with a kayak,you need to consider your wieght plus weight of gear,dekes,etc.Some yaks may be too small for you + gear. I have owned both,if you are wanting to travel a long way,kayak is the way to go. A pirouge will give you more room for gear,but move slower ,so that would be a consideration if you are going very far.

Poke boats are great. They weigh 28 lbs and very stable. A little pricey though. My 2 cts.

Tips above right on the money. 12 feet is gonna be too short for the pirogue to have decent stability. You can get way more gear/dog in the pirogue than the kayak, but the kayak will get you there faster and with less effort. I use a kayak paddle when I'm making longer trips in my 12' 10" pirogue, works fine and speeds me up. You might want to reconsider your desired length of 12 feet unless you have a hard requirement for that length. My next pirogue is going to be a bit longer.

12' Otter Stealth!!Best damn boat you will ever use!

I have a 14-15ft alum canoe painted camo if your interested

I met someone at a truck stop here in Tupelo who was on his way to Arkansas and he had something called a creek boat. I thought it was a pretty neat looking deal.

http://www.creekboats.com/

I have a couple of native watercraft. They are a cross between a canoe and a kayak, really stable and you can put them on a vehicle by yourself without to much difficulty. A good design overall with an extremely comfortable seat. They hold 300 lbs. They come in a few types and lengths. Check them out.

http://www.nativewatercraft.com/

I realize that u have asked about a kayak or pirogue but u should might want to look at the stealth otter 2000 I love mine it is very stable ,tough, and foam filled [it will not sink] 2 comfortable seats and three dry storage compartments.kayak paddle will scoot you right along.if traveling a long ways the crawdad motors are very impressive for the stealth.with the economy the way it is ,keeps your eyes and ears open you might find 1 real cheap.I did.

You ought to try the 11' Four Rivers. I have a 11 & a 14 and love the 11' model.

I use an 11 foot sit on top kayak and I weigh about 245 lbs. There is plenty of room and storage for me and my stuff on there I have not tried it yet but I think my dog could even get on there with me. It glides through the water with ease and has a very low profile. You can get them at academy for like 400 bucks. Its a Pelican Castaway DLX 114. It is alot more stable than my buddies 10' pirogue and manuevers with much less effort. So my vote is definitely for the kayak.

I have a 10ft pirogue and if you are not careful you will get wet. But I can load it myself and ease around these sloughs and brakes.