If you’ve found this article, then you’ve already overcome the first hurdle in choosing your first kayak.
In the UK we’ve traditionally called any sort of paddlesport where you face forward in a boat and use a paddle “canoeing”. In more recent times we’ve increasingly sought to clear up the confusion between canoeing (using a single bladed paddle and either sitting or kneeling in your boat), kayaking (using a paddle with a blade at both ends from a seated position), and stand-up paddling (typically using a long single bladed paddle while stood up, kneeling, or sitting on a paddleboard).
Kayaking is the most popular part of our sport and there are a huge range of different sizes and shapes of boats, each offering a specific type of performance:
- Narrower, more streamlined shapes and longer kayaks tend to go faster and straighter. They often have a ‘v’-shaped carving hull to help the kayak cut through the water efficiently and hold its line with a minimum of corrective strokes.
- Shorter kayaks tend to be more manoeuvrable.
- Modern whitewater kayaks come with lots of ‘rocker’ (a pronounced curve in the hull shape, from front to back) to help lift the boat above the waves and turn more quickly.
- Wider kayaks generally offer greater stability for the first time user.
Don’t forget:
- Comfort is key. If you’re sitting in a kayak, make sure your back is well supported.
- Volume - matching the boat’s volume to paddler weight makes a huge difference to performance and a paddler’s enjoyment of the boat.
We’re going to look at some of the different types of kayaks most commonly bought by people coming into the sport. Hopefully, it will help your understanding of the key differences between the different types and what makes them work. So, what should you look for, and how can you avoid the common purchasing mistakes often made by new paddlers?
Sit on Top Kayaks
Originally designed to make kayaking more accessible to the new paddler, these kayaks generally combine a wide hull and length under 3 metres. The lack of a deck immediately removes the need to practise capsize drills (you just fall off) and with it any nervousness about ‘getting trapped’.
The wide hull helps make sit on top kayaks feel very stable. This is a great benefit if you’re new to the sport or sharing your paddling focus with something else like fishing, wildlife spotting, or small family members on their first waterborne adventure.
If you’ve decided a sit on top is the boat for you, think carefully about where and how you expect to use it most. If it’s at the beach, where small waves can provide some exciting challenges or close to shore where quick changes of direction can help keep friends and family close and safe, then look for the wide gently curved hull of kayaks like the Wave Sport Scooter-X or Islander Koa.
If you’re looking to spend longer on the water, then the carving hull of models like the Islander Calypso or Perception Triumph will help you cover distance more quickly and efficiently.
Inflatable Kayaks
While the same rules apply to overall design in both the rigid and the inflatable world, it’s fair to say that as much design effort has gone into creating a convenient package that you can roll up and pop into the boot of your car or motorhome as has gone into helping the craft move through the water efficiently.
We’ll consider inflatable kayaks in more detail in later posts, but if you are looking for one, we strongly recommend trying before you buy. One of the key ways of getting inflatables to perform well on the water is to float them high enough on the water to reduce displacement resistance, but low enough to minimise the impact of a stiff breeze.
Different boats suit different paddlers and it’s well worth taking the time to compare the feel of each kayak on the water.
Recreational Tourers
These are the first group of kayaks we’ve discussed with a closed deck. Sitting inside, rather than on top, can feel intimidating to the inexperienced paddler, but the chance to grip the boat with feet, knees and bottom can help new paddlers feel more secure. It’s also less likely to wobble and paddlers are better able to apply the forces generated by the paddle into making the craft move more efficiently.
Curiously, they’re often easier to get in and out of than sit on top kayaks. If the bank of a river or canal is above the boat, then having a cockpit rim in front of you can provide an easy grab handle to pull yourself up and out of it.
These boats look like short touring kayaks. They share the same basic layout - a long waterline with a sharp leading edge to the hull that helps the kayak cut through the water quietly and efficiently. They have a skeg that can be lowered from the back of the hull to improve directional stability and bulkheads and deck hatches to store your picnic in.
Unlike their larger cousins, recreational tourers like the Dagger Axis and Perception Expression 11 are generally slightly shorter, come with larger, roomier cockpits and a wider hull to improve paddler security and minimise the chances of an unexpected wobble.
Inland and Estuary Tourers
These kayaks are a little more specialised and performance is now a key component of boat design. You need to have some paddling experience to get the best out of this group of kayaks.
Optimised for an efficient transfer of power into forward momentum, their longer and narrower carving hulls (typically 3.6m – 4.5m) keep the boat on track and enable the paddler to cover distances quickly and efficiently. Cockpits are smaller, and backrests are more supportive to help improve connectivity and promote an efficient seating position.
Kayaks such as the Dagger Stratos and Wave Sport Hydra come in both short and long versions. While the 12.5 offers lightness and easy off the water handling, the 14’s push performance to the maximum. They also offer at least two volumes to make sure every paddler, whatever their size and weight, gets a great experience.
Cross-Over Kayaks
If you apply the same design principles common to recreational tourers to a whitewater craft, it’s likely you’d have invented the cross-over kayak. Bulkheads, hatches, skegs and a roomier, albeit cosy, cockpit applied to a shorter (typically 2.7 to 3m) more manoeuvrable design helps to create a class of kayak capable of taking on almost any type of challenge.
The Dagger Katana, Pyranha Fusion and the Wave Sport Ethos are equally suited to longer paddles, general paddling in a group environment and whitewater fun on simple rapids like Symonds Yat in the Wye valley.
A planning hull and moderate rocker mean these kayaks can change direction quickly and safely without any unexpected wobbles. Confidence and understanding of the moving water environment are given time to develop thanks to the nuances of a very sophisticated design.
On flat water and longer paddles, dropping the in-built skeg will help with tracking and allow the paddler to use a longer more efficient paddle stroke.
Do’s and Don'ts
If you’re choosing a new kayak…
- Do think about where you’re going to paddle most.
- Do think about what sort of paddling you’d like to do in future.
- Do make sure you buy the right sized boat for you (and your child). There’s no faster way of putting someone off than putting them into a boat they can grow into!
- Do take advice. Ask friends, paddlers at your club, your coach, or your local retailer. Remember other opinions are available!
- Don’t worry – there are very few wrong decisions – just better ones.
If you can, try before you buy. Go to a Paddling festival, ask your mates for a go in their boat, or contact us today to arrange a demo.