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KAYAKS - Most Popular Categories
Recreational • Touring - Sea Kayaks • Whitewater • Folding • Boat Kits
Recreational (aka User-friendly Kayaks) Most recreational kayaks are made of polyethylene plastic which is strong and durable. Recreational Kayaks come in 3 categories: Sit-on-tops, Sport Kayaks and Inflatables (Duckies)
Sit On Tops are the most user-friendly and basic level type of kayaks available. SOTs are available as single and double (family-style) kayaks. The cool thing is...you sit on it, instead of inside it. You don't have to learn the Eskimo Roll; if a wave knocks you off, you just learn to jump right back on! There are Sit On Top Touring Kayaks (campers-on-the-water) Day Trippers (general use), Sit On Top river and ocean-surf kayaks. (Yahoo!) Sots are fun, stable, easy to paddle, easy to transport, track well (go straight) and are great boats for fishermen, divers, kids...and just about anyone interested in trying out a kayak!
If you do your homework on sit-on-top kayaks, you'll buy the one that suits your paddling needs and skill level. Here are several popular SOT kayak manufacturers:
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Sport kayaks are another basic level boat, with large cockpits for easy entry and exit. They were designed and built with the recreational paddler in mind. They are generally shorter and wider than touring kayaks and designed for stability and comfort. They're easy to paddle, track well (go straight), weigh about 35 - 55 lbs., are easy transport, and are great starter boats for just about everyone.
If you do your homework on Sport Kayaks, you'll buy the one that suits your paddling needs and skill level. Here are several popular sport kayak manufactures and Sport Kayak examples:
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Inflatable kayaks are easy to store, transport and paddle (they come in a bag, you inflate them at the water's edge (pump 'em up) and you're ready to paddle! Inflatable kayaks are generally designed to paddle on rivers--but not necessarily wet & wild rivers. Many people don't do their "homework" when buying an inflatable kayak and end up buying a cheap "duckie" for $50...an easy opportunity to try out river kayaking. But without raft support, most cheap "duckie" owners end up ripping the bottoms out of their inflatable kayaks, abandoning them, and finally hiking back to their cars, sans a kayak.
If you do your homework on inflatable kayaks, you'll buy the one that suits your paddling needs and skill level. Here are several popular Inflatable Kayak manufactures to check out:
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More and more people of all ages, flexibilities and lifestyles WANT TO GET INVOLVED with kayaking! There are soooo many possibilities out there...kayak diving (just drop anchor, and dive and snorkel from your kayak platform), kayak fishing, traveling and camping from your kayak (kayak touring is the aquatic version of backpacking), kayaking is a great activity for families with children looking for opportunities to enjoy recreation together, kayaksport offers an opportunity to meet new and interesting people, travel and explore beautiful waterways only accessible by kayak, and have fun keeping fit, healthy and active! Many people think of kayaking as a summer activity...but the truth is, with the right kind of kayak, paddling gear and training, you can boat all year 'round. |
If you love fishing...check out |
Touring and Sea Kayaks are one of the most popular kayak categories. These kayaks are designed to carry the paddler and their camping gear over miles of open water - anything from a day trip, to a weekend getaway to a multi-day kayak adventure. These kayaks are long, sleek "campers on the water", with little to no rocker, generating more glide per stroke. Composite kayaks (fiberglass and Kevlar) tend to dominate this category for the serious paddler, but some recent advances have opened the door for lighter-weight "plastic" kayaks that do not require the same level of high maintenance.
The difference between a Sea Kayak and a Touring Kayak is a sea kayak has 2 sealed storage areas (bulkheads) that give it the highest option for rescue. These 2 sealed storage bulkheads allow the sea kayak to float horizontally on the surface of the water, instead of the bow filling with water as a 1-hatch touring kayak will. A sea kayak is designed to paddle open, unprotected water.
A Touring Kayak has one sealed storage area (bulkhead) This kayak is designed to paddle on protected waterways only, because of its limited rescue potential. The bow area of the boat is open (no sealed bulkhead), and it's designed to be filled with a buoyancy air bag to help displace the water and give flotation to the boat.
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Whoa! Look at this beauty.... |
Here are several popular Sea Kayak manufactures and kayak examples to check out: |
A sea kayak can be a touring kayak, but a touring kayak can not be a sea kayak. If you do your homework on touring and sea kayaks, you'll buy the one that suits your paddling needs and skill level.
Folding Kayaks are another popular kayak category....you can carry them in your trunk or on a plane...easy to transport and convenient to store. To start your education and view different types and styles of folding paddlecraft check out: .
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Here are several popular folding kayak manufactures to check out: |
Home-built Boat Kits is a VERY popular kayak category. They're affordable, beautiful and great works of art too. Here are some boat build manufacturers to check out:
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Howard in his homemade |
Whitewater Kayaks are fun, sexy, durable, maneuverable, short and playful! Different types and styles of river kayaks are river running, creeking, squirt, rodeo playboats, self-contained (high volume for overnight river trips), slaalom, downriver racing...
If you're interested in learning more about whitewater boats, some of the best whitewater kayaks on the market worth paddling (and after you put some paddling time on the river, purchasing) are:
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