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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. This is the most popular type of kayak category. Fishing kayaks well... are for fishing out of. Many manufacturers just add a rod holder and say it's a fishing kayak. Not always the case, what is needed is comfort sitting for long periods of time, stability 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. Some are even stable enough to stand on for a while. They are kind of difficult to get up and down on especially if there are waves or wakes around. We would recommend buying a separate small fishing boat if you really want to fish comfortably, but that is totally up to you. Whitewater kayaks have specific hull designs and are made out of material that can take impacts against large rocks best. If you want to use a recreational kayak on rivers with rocks you may want to give a call to see which ones are best to do this with. Don't destroy your boat in a couple of weeks then post something negative online about a kayak, it wasn't its fault, it just wasn't designed for that use. Sit on Top vs. Sit in Kayaks 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. We would say if you want a safer, wetter, wider, slower kayak purchase a sit on top. If you are at the beach or have waves around combined with inexperience, we highly recommend sit on top kayaks. Longer vs shorter kayaks Longer kayaks are great for tracking and going fast, but they are also become more unstable as you add more weight. Shorter kayaks are great for storage and portage, but are generally slower and don't track or paddle strait very well. If you are on a creek and need more maneuverability a shorter kayak is the way to go. If you are on a flat water lake, a longer kayak tracks better and is faster. Construction methods of kayaks: Generally Construction has to do with quality and shape rigidity and weight has to do with performance. That being said some construction issues do effect performance, for example a flexible plastic if made without the proper reinforcement may cause the kayak to be very slow, compared to another out of the same material designed not to flex, much like an inflatable kayak that is the slowest of the kayaks, because of the flexing. Another common construction flaw is the material surface may not be smooth, therefore causing a lot of friction on the water which in turn slows down the kayak. Most kayaks these days are some sort of plastic, but not all. Different construction methods have advantages and disadvantages, for example blow molding is the most inexpensive form of production, but has the poorest performance properties. It makes for great low prices but beware the finish and thickness of material may be thin where you really need it thick, in the corners on the bottom of the boat. The other problem with blow molding is that manufacturers will put in recycled plastics causing other problems. An example of this type of production method is a milk jug. If you hold one up to the light, you may see the inconsistencies of the different material thicknesses. This is another reason the surface is a rough finish to help hide that look. Unfortunately the rough surface really slows down the speed on the water and keeps the kayak looking poor when dirty and hard to clean. Another plastic construction method is what we call heat stamping. That means the deck and hull and made in two parts then heat stamped or melted together at a seam. The seams can be a tricky thing for a manufacturer to learn, and you only see this kind of construction in kayaks, not boats for this reason. If the factory knows what they are doing the method is fine, leaving a permanent heat sealed bond. Some people will notice a lip or flange on these types of kayaks. They are generally less expensive, because lesser cost material can be used in the creation of the kayak. If recycled plastics are used, a not so smooth surface is usually what you see, but that has a lot to do with the smoothness of the mold and how fast they are being produced. Again if the surface is not smooth, the kayak will be slower and harder to clean. There are some areas of a kayak that do not need to be smooth, for instance where your feet go, or where you may sit. If smooth, you will go crazy trying to sit in one spot, especially wet. One material that is heat stamped, gives a rigid smooth great look is ABS material. It's negatives are the UV protection is usually on the surface so store them out of the sun and cost of construction. But the advantages are extreme light weight rigidity without breaking, and beautiful gloss finishes, making them fast and easy to clean. Roto molded kayaks are the most popular plastic construction method used. With the ability to make corners thicker, molds mostly smooth and rough in needed spots(for nonskid), no secondary seams to worry with(one piece), it is the most most sense for most manufacturers. It is usually the middle priced of kayaks, and possibly a bit heavier, but the kayak usually lasts much longer. The boats are usually smooth finished meaning easy to clean and faster performance. Wood kayaks are beautiful but require maintenance and are pricey. They do have good insulation properties and with epoxy can get a smooth finish. Fiberglass kayaks are most rigid and can get a smooth finish. You will usually see racing kayaks made of this material. If made with Kevlar and vacuum bagged they are extremely lightweight, smooth, tough and rigid, allowing for the longest and fastest kayaks in the world. |
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