entry- level tandems are made by virtually every manufacturer, and found in almost every market. solos are more rare and have fewer companies making them, it's really just simple math- there being more tandems made, and there also being more competition in the market means lower prices and more availability
Plus there's the matter of versatility- younger buyers are often looking for a "do everything" boat that can be used solo, still works when they start into a relationship, and continues to function when a family comes their way. I find it's mostly older, more experienced paddlers who are in the market for a solo because they have grown kids who no longer trip with them, and they already have that original tandem for tripping with friends or spouses. I honestly only know of one younger paddler that bought a solo first, and he's a confirmed bachelor who never intends on settling down ...
I get that. But without other considerations it doesn't make sense to me that this doesn't also apply to recreational kayaks. Tandem kayaks exist, yet I see whole families, each in their own kayak. I know not everyone can afford to buy even a Next for every kid, but we aren't all that limited. In fact, I would guess that there are plenty of families that could afford at least one solo canoe and rec kayaks for spouse and kids instead.
I still think it's more about assumptions. When I got into canoeing, it was specifically to have an activity I could share with my wife. I assumed a tandem canoe was what I needed. We still have a very nice Malecite, but we rarely use it. It wasn't long before she wanted something to paddle on her own, so we found what most of us here would call a lightweight decked solo canoe. That boat is now a family favorite, and it freed me up to get into my own solos - which was almost a necessity for me to be able to keep up with her, especially in wind.
I will admit that had I not started in tandems, I might not have ever got into poling, but that's a diversion into another topic.
Had I been more informed, I think I would have gone for solo boats right from the start. In fact - here's a quote from a post I made years ago on another forum, shortly after I acquired my first solo canoe (a Dagger Sojourn)...
...had I known how much more I would enjoy paddling a solo canoe (as opposed to soloing a tandem with a paddle), I might have been more willing to pay the price on some canoes I passed on earlier.
BTW, it was reading posts on here and Pnet that convinced me to try a solo canoe. Never once did I see any mainstream media suggestion, manufacturer advertising, or hear anything from the local paddle shops that would have pointed me in that direction.
I can tell you that my skill with a paddle did not bloom until I began actively paddling solo (which the poling practice delayed very much), and it didn't really take off until I got into a decent solo canoe. That might have been different if I had gotten formal training, but that's another thing that has been non-existent in my area for a long time. If not for the Internet, I doubt that I would have ever progressed beyond flailing away in a tandem canoe. So much helpful information now exists, but I have seen no attempt by the industry to bring it to the public's attention. I see this as another industry failure.
But I'm willing to admit that I am completely out of the mainstream, and not at all representative of any potential market, so....
