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Kayaks come in many different sizes and shapes made different ways with many different materials. This is what makes buying one so hard. It makes selling them even harder. Our goal is to get you in the right one so you like boating and will want another boat from us in the future. Remember no one boat does everything, so choose what you want to do the most first. The first thing to look at is what the kayak will be used for. Will you be taking long touring rides or go on long trips. These kayaks are known as touring kayaks and or tripping kayaks. These typically are larger/longer kayaks vs short kayaks. Maneuverability is not as important as length that is able to take on waves. There are rudders that are optional to help track or steer the touring kayaks. These are optional because each paddler is capable of turning the kayaks but wind conditions can make it easier to use a rudder. Ocean use and or large lakes are ideal for touring canoes. These are typically faster than any other type of kayaks and track the best. But keep in mind, longer is faster but also the least stable. The most popular type of kayak is a recreational kayak. These kayaks have wider bottoms and or designed to hold a medium duty load with maximum stability for novice paddlers. These kayak hull designs make great rental kayaks. Stability with decent maneuverability is the goal. Hull materials vary but that will be discussed below. Sit on Top vs. Sit in Sit on top kayaks are generally self bailing meaning the water splashed on top goes through it. This of course is a great advantage but it raises your center of gravity so wider is better but slower. Also sit on tops are warm weather kayaks, if you have on those then your season can be cut shorter due to getting wet. A sit in on the other hand has a lower center of gravity, usually are narrower and if rowed properly drier. This causes them to be faster and warmer generally speaking of course. Fishing kayaks well... are for fishing out of. These cost a little more but add tremendous stability, just what is needed when reaching over to pick up a fish. Any kayak can be fished out of but when you want to make sure you don't take a dip while doing it a wider bottom kayak is the ticket. Another popular kayak is a whitewater kayak. These have a specific hull design and are made out of material that can take impacts against large rocks best. |
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