Selecting a Sea Kayak - by John Winters

1. What is your current kayaking skill level? One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten (1 beginner, 10 expert)

2. What do you expect your kayaking skill level to be two years from now?  One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

The sexiest kayaks are long, slender, responsive and demanding. If you lack confidence in your abilities, a more stable user friendly kayak is best. By "user friendly," I mean one that does not require the ability to do ten different Eskimo rolls or instinctive braces. Remember, this is your "first" boat. Your skills will improve in direct proportion to your enjoyment. When you are ready for something more challenging you can get it. If you are a paddling "one" the last thing you need is a boat for a "ten".

Yes, some gurus of the sport insist that everyone learn to paddle in a high performance boat. "How else will you develop proper skills?" This is valid up to a point but assumes that everyone wants to be an expert when most people are content with some good safe fun. Fast learners or the already skilled can move right into a high performance kayak. The point is to fit the boat to your abilities not vice versa.

3. Where will you paddle your kayak? Ocean & Great Lakes Large lakes Around the cottage Warm water only Rivers

This is qualitative and quantitative. It is possible to paddle extensively in the ocean and never ever meet anything more than a gentle rolling swell. On the other hand, there are small lakes that can rattle your fillings. Nevertheless, large bodies of water carry large risks. Tidal currents, breaking surf, rapidly changing weather are only the most obvious of what can make a pleasant paddle a nightmare. Your boat should handle the worst you are likely to experience but remember that no boat can save you from bad judgment.

4. What is the typical weight you expect your kayak to carry?

Do not be misled by "Volume" figures. What you want is the "designed" displacement. In other words, how much weight did the designer intend the boat to carry? Just because there is abundant room under the deck doesn't mean the boat will handle well when it is stuffed like a Christmas goose. If the designed displacement is not available, your only recourse is to load it up and try it out. If it feels sluggish with you and your gear, it is too small even if there is room for twice as much gear.

5. Rank the following from most to least importance to you: (10 most, 1 least)

Kayak Aesthetics: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

There is no law that says a kayak must be ugly to be inexpensive, durable, safe, or perform well. Sea kayaking is an aesthetic experience and you should never have to explain that the kayak on your BMW is not a bathroom fixture. On the other hand, if it stirs your soul, that's all that matters.

Kayak Controllability: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

This includes both tracking and maneuverability. The balance between the two depends upon how and where you paddle. Exceptional maneuverability is less important in open than in confined waters. This is also a good time to talk about rudders.

A rudder can make an abominable kayak handle reasonably well but it should not be necessary. Well-designed kayaks track straight yet turn readily using just paddle strokes. Nevertheless, even the best hulls can profit from a rudder. Quartering waves and wind make any boat difficult to hold on course and a rudder can provide just the right amount of course correction to ease the drudgery. Maybe "trim tab" is a more accurate name than "rudder" for that is closer to their function. The presence of a rudder does not suggest a poor design or a poor paddler - it is just a convenience.

Kayak Price: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

Set a range but be flexible. Adhering slavishly to a price limit is often false economy and a few extra dollars might buy a significantly better kayak. Since dollars are directly relative to how many of them one may have, what, if any, have you set for your budget for a kayak purchase?

Kayak Seaworthiness: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

This is not a trivial matter. By definition a sea kayak should be seaworthy but don't let the deck and spray skirt fool you. Seaworthiness is more than just keeping the water out. The boat must be controllable in confused and large seas, fast enough to get you past dangerous shoals even when you have to paddle into the wind, and stable enough to keep you upright even when you are tired. Here is a good time to talk about the Eskimo roll.

Experts differ as to the importance of the roll and whether a boat should be easy to roll or difficult to capsize. Nevertheless, thousands of miles of trouble free paddling have been logged in kayaks that roll poorly and the ability to roll is academic if one is right side up. Since kayaks that are easy to roll are also easy to capsize, that may be a good hint regarding the kind of boat you will want.

Kayak Efficiency: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

Do not confuse efficiency with speed. Racing canoes are fast but are efficient only when paddled hard. Don't expect to cruise at 8 mph unless you have the muscles and skills. Your search is for the fastest kayak at your normal stroke rate. Increasing length (it is important to note that the important "length" is the waterline and not the overall length) increases the top speed potential but, because of the increased wetted surface, length decreases efficiency at lower speeds.

Kayak Stability: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

Stability is a highly subjective and personal matter. Kayak "X" may be "stable" for the salesperson but like sitting on a basketball for you. Mind you, it doesn't take long to become accustomed to a boat but that doesn't mean you should have to. There are those who sneer derisively at stable kayaks but don't let them influence you. There are plenty of stable boats that are just as responsive as the tippy super boats.

Kayak Weight: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

Portaging is a minor issue for kayakers but you still have to lift the thing onto your car. The more important aspect is that lighter kayaks handle better in rough water, turn more easily, and are generally easier to paddle.

Other Requirements for Your Kayak

- If it's important to you, then put it down, enter it in the comments box below.

I have deliberately left "Comfort" out of the priority list. Your safety and enjoyment are a function of your mood and your mood is a function of how happy your body is after several hours of paddling. Why a particular seat or cockpit suits one and not the other eludes me but the importance of the proper cockpit environment does not. For instance, small cockpits and hard molded seats get no raves from me. Any kayak that I cannot enter and exit with ease or seat that doesn't coddle my butt gets an immediate negative response. Your comfort is non-negotiable. No matter how appealing a boat is, if it feels like a tight pair of shoes, look elsewhere.

Looking At Kayaks

- The first rule is to stick to your priorities and stick to your list. Ask the salesperson how each kayak fits your criteria not his or someone else's. What the rest of the world paddles is only important to the rest of the world. To what skill level is it best suited? What load is it designed to carry? Accept no compromise on what is important to you. You will always regret giving up something you value for a passing whim. For items of middling importance, some compromise is acceptable. Those items at the bottom of the list can be ignored if all other requirements are met.

Hopefully as you read through this article you ranked your kayak priorities. The next step is to provide your physical attributes as this plays an important role in determining the kayak that will perform best for you. In addition, if you will provide your contact information we will be happy to discuss what we would recommend as the kayak that is best for you.