What type of kayak to buy?
Buying a kayak today is not as simple as it use to be and that is because their popularity has exploded in recent years. With popularity and demand comes a lot more kayak manufacturers as well as kayak accessories and options. While it can be confusing at first, it still really comes down to 3-4 very basic kayak designs
Sit-In Kayaks
Sit-in kayaks are probably the first type that comes to mind for most when thinking of a kayak. They are very much like a canoe in that the paddler sits inside the boat and therefore level with the water’s surface. They tend to glide through the water much easier than other types which makes them ideal for long distance paddling and for those who lack a lot of upper body strength. Their curved bottoms due tend to make them less stable in the water.
Whitewater Kayaks
Whitewater kayaks are designed for rough waters and easy maneuvering. They share the same traditional sit inside design as the sit-in kayaks but are much shorter. The fast flowing rivers and wild rapids found in whitewater kayaking require the paddler to make extreme turns and also right-side themselves easily during a rollover. If you have ever want to up the adrenaline levels and move to extreme kayaking, the whitewater kayaks are your design. On open lake waters the features that make them great for whitewater make them less ideal. They will much harder to balance for beginner and their shorter length.
Sit-On-Top (SOT) Kayaks
Sit-On-Top kayaks have become the industry standard for most current kayak manufacturing. Originally they were developed for ocean kayaking which required them to have two key design features to handle the constant waves found in the ocean. First they needed to be able to handle breaking waves without sinking or flooding. Second they need to be a lot less prone to roll-overs. To achieve these features the kayaks became more like a float that the paddler sitting on top. SOT kayaks have a much flatter bottom which is a lot more stable. They also have self-bailing scupper holes that allow excess water to drain off as needed. These two key features made them wildly popular with fishing enthusiasts who need the stability to stand up and fish from the kayak. As kayak fishing grew in popularity the SOT design quickly became the standard for new designs
Stand-Up Paddle Boards (SUP)
Why sit when you can stand? That is the theory behind stand-up paddle boards and kayaking’s new distant relative. As the sport of kayaking has grown based on the SOT design it became obvious that people wanted something stable enough to stand-up on and the SUP was born. In fact they are so stable you can now find them in the ocean and with yoga being performed on them. The SUP is appropriate for most ages which really brings the sport to more people then ever before. They use a single blade paddle much like an oversize oar. As this sport continues to grow, the SUP variations also grow. You can now find them outfitted for fishing and other specific activities.