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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for all the great info! This will help us decide what we need to buy. But you should post some more pics!
Sierra, thanks for the note. I’m glad you found Kayak Review to be helpful, and thanks for pointing out that the site needs more pictures. You’re absolutely right and I’ll get on that ASAP!
I’m trying to find a touring kayak in the 16-17′ range, but due to a physical issue, I need a cockpit that is larger – 40 – 45″ long due to a back injury I need to be able to move my legs around or they cramp up. I’m also a larger paddler in the 6’2″ 260lb range and need a total capacity in the 400lb range to tote enough for a 10 day paddle on Georgian Bay.
I’ve tried a Eddyline 17.5′ nighthawk that I liked, but after an hour my legs were cramping up and I was forced to abandon the tour.
Any help finding a kayak with my requirements would be appreciated.
David, as you’ve already discovered, that is indeed a tough set of criteria to meet. Most of the kayaks that have longer cockpits tend to be more in the recreational or day touring categories so they tend to run a little shorter in length than you’re looking for. One thing you might consider is a long sit-on-top kayak such as the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160. At 16′ long, a capacity of 375 pounds, and infinite freedom to avoid leg cramping, it might be a good choice. However, I will continue to do a little research, check with a few contacts I have, and will let you know if I find any sit-in kayaks that satisfy all of your criteria. Best, Keith
Hi,
You’ve got a lot of great kayaks listed here. But I don’t see any Innova Kayaks. We’ve won Reader’s Choice in Sea Kayaker magazine for several years. Please consider looking at our kayaks and reviewing them…thanks!
Best,
Mandy*
Mandy, thanks for visiting and getting in touch. I agree that Innova makes some quality kayaks, and I recently added the Helios II EX Tandem to my table of recommended inflatable kayaks. I’ll add other popular Innova kayaks soon. Best, Keith
I am trying to purchase an inexpensive tandem inflatable kayak. We rented an inflatable tandem from a local store without a skeg or keel. We had a terrible experience with it. The kayak did not go straight and it turned by itself several times when we almost had not wind blowing at us. I believe this bad experience was due to no skeg and keel.
Q1 Is a kayak with skeg and keel easier to paddle?
Q2 I saw Sea Eagle Fast Track in a lake the other day, but you guys did not mention any of their products. Why?
Q3 Amoung all tandem you guys recommend which one is the easiest to paddle and least expensive?
Q4 Do you know any places we can purchase used inflatable ones?
Thanks for visiting! Here are some answers to your questions:
1) Few kayaks have a true keel, but some kayaks do have V-shaped hulls which acts as a keel to a certain extent. Shorter kayaks will tend to turn more easily than longer kayaks but the flip side of that coin is that they won’t track as well (i.e., it will be harder to go straight). Skegs do help with tracking but not many inflatable kayaks have skegs.
2) We only list kayaks that are carried by online outdoor retailers that we strongly recommend. At this time, our recommended retailers do not carry Sea Eagle kayaks.
3) If by easiest to paddle you mean tracks well (i.e., goes straight), then that will probably translate to a longer kayak. Price depends on several factors including type of construction so there isn’t necessarily a direct correlation between price and performance. However, higher price will sometimes get you a longer warranty. One tandem inflatable kayak that we do recommend, the Innova Helios II EX, is available at our #1 recommended retailer, REI.
4) Unfortunately, I don’t know of any places that sell used inflatable kayaks.
HELP! I am trying to purchase a kayak for my girlfriend for her birthday. Unfortunately, I know NOTHING about kayaks! All I know is that she prefers a touring kayak. I thought it would be easy to just go online and pick one, but it’s incredibly confusing. She drives a truck so space isn’t an issue, and I would like to keep the cost as close to $500 as possible. Any suggestions?
Hi Tasha! My apologies for the delayed reply but your comment was temporarily lost in a sea of spam comments. It can indeed be little difficult to know where to start when you’re shopping for a kayak, and if your girlfriend is an experienced kayaker then she may already have her own likes and dislikes. However, if she’s relatively new to kayaking then you probably have more latitude in your choice. I’m going to make an assumption, while you said she prefers touring kayaks, that she is probably looking for a recreational touring kayak rather than an expedition-capable sea kayak. Unfortunately, even lower-end touring kayaks are generally going to cost more than your budget of $500. One thing to consider is purchasing a kayak from a store like REI that offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That way if you need to return it or exchange it you won’t have any problem. REI also offers a 10% dividend to all members and free shipping to any of their stores. You might even consider just getting her a $500 REI gift card that should could then put toward the kayak of her choice!
All of the kayaks on our Touring Kayaks and Sea Kayaks page are great boats but even the least expensive of those cost about $800. If you’re willing to consider a kayak that is more geared toward recreational kayaking, but still potentially capable of some touring, that would open up your options considerably. I hope that helps and please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can be of additional assistance.
I’m trying to decide between 2 kayaks, both of which I believe REI represents. The first is the Wildnerness Pungo 120 and the other is Old Town Camden 120. They both seem to fit the intended use, some lake, poss. river and in the San Quans sheltered coves, some open water etc.. water that isn’t too choppy but if it did come up the kayak could handle. Mostly for day trips poss. overnite. I am 6’5” and weigh 180. I def. would like comfortable seat and room for legs and getting in and out of. I am athletic and do alot of cycling. I don’t know if any of this helps or if I have left out something imp. but any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks
Hi Michael. Between the Old Town and the Wilderness Systems kayaks, I would probably lean toward the Wilderness Systems. I find that the Wilderness Systems boats are very high quality (my wife and I paddle Wilderness Systems Tempests and are very happy with them) and I think they often provide slightly better performance than many comparably-priced recreational kayaks.
HI-
I am looking f to buy two kayaks for myself and my husband. We have always canoed but want to try kayaking on our river and nearby lakes. It looks like we want a recreational one. He likes to fish but I think we should get a sit-in kayak rather than sit on top—just because that seems to be the real kayak experience. How much should we spend for starters. Also, what is a good amount of leg-room and what is too much weight for a kayak?
Hi Mary. Those are all great questions. First, I tend to agree that recreational kayaks sound like the best place to start. I suggest that you review the information on the recreational kayaks page. Fishing from a kayak can be really fun but most kayak fishing is done from sit-on-top kayaks because they have such great stability. When you ask about weight, I assume you’re asking about the weight of the kayak itself and not how much weight it will hold. Most recreational paddlers don’t care much about the weight of their kayak once it’s on the water because they’re focused on fun rather than performance. However, you need to be able to get the kayak on and off your vehicle, which can be especially difficult it it’s heavy and your vehicle is high. There are numerous kayak carts that make the task of hauling your kayak from the car to the water and back pretty easy. As to leg room and price, that’s very subjective. You might try renting a few different kayaks first and, once you find one you like, come back here to see who offers the best price. Happy paddling!
What kayak would you recomend for a touring tandon.
One very popular tandem touring kayak is the Wilderness Systems Northstar.
Not working links to see the kayks at this page:
http://www.kayakreview.org/recreational-kayaks
I was interested in read more about the recreational (hydrid) kayks and price comparison, but page is not taking me to the links.
Thanks,
Pat
Hi Pat,
Thanks for letting me know about the broken links, all of which are now working again.
I am a beginner kayaker and would like to take my 55# lab with me. Do you have suggestions for type of kayak, size, etc?
Any help to get me started would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Hi Shari. For kayaking with a dog, most people prefer a sit-on-top kayak. Check out the sit-on-top kayaks on the recreational kayaks page.
What would be the better of the two touring kayaks;
Point 65 XO14 or XO 16 – or P & H Aeries or Velo?
I am 5’8 and 130lbs and wants something easy to control and fast.
Point65 has the rudder system and P& H has the Skeg system which is easier to maintain?
Hi. As you’re probably already aware, both of those companies make fine boats. If you’re just choosing from those boats, then it may come down to rudder versus skeg, which will probably be a never-ending debate among paddlers. Skegs are, in theory, easier to maintain because they have less moving parts but I’ve had to do some maintenance on my skeg in the past so it wouldn’t be realistic to say that skegs are always maintenance-free. You can read some of the other pros & cons of rudders and skegs on our Touring Kayaks and Sea Kayaks page. REI sells the Point 65 XO 16 and if you consider the 10% REI dividend, free shipping to an REI store, and their 100% satisfaction guarantee that might be a hard deal to beat.
Hi, I have a question? Do you know how I could find out “how many kayaks are sold yearly in the USA and World wide? Thanks for anyone’s help with this question.
Hi Rhonda. That’s an interesting question, but I honestly have no idea. You might check with the American Canoe Association, which is a “member based, national nonprofit organization serving the broader paddling public.” Good luck.
I’m looking for a kayak to use for transporting gear for deer hunting. I won’t be hunting out of the kayak, but using it to get me from point A to B. I’ll be primairly using it on river systems, so I’ll need to be able to row/paddle upstream with hopefully relative ease. I’m also primarily using it by myself; although there may be two people, so light weight is an important factor in addition to cargo or extra person room . Are there specific brands I should look at?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Bob. It sounds like a recreational kayak is probably what you’ll want. They tend to be relatively wide and therefore very stable, and they also tend to have lots of room inside. However, their width makes them not as fast or efficient as narrower touring-style kayaks, but that’s the trade-off. As to another person, the only way to accommodate that would be to buy a tandem kayak. Unfortunately, most tandem kayaks don’t paddle all that well when you only have one person in them because you’re sitting either too far forward or too far back. As to brands, all of the recommended kayaks on our Recreational Kayaks page are fine boats. I hope that helps, and Happy Holidays! (P.S. I see that some of the kayak links on the Recreational Kayaks page are broken, but I’ll have those fixed within an hour or so.)
Please help me find a pink colored kayak for my daughter!!
Ooh, a pink kayak. That’s a tough one. I think I’ve seen one on the water but I honestly don’t know of any manufacturers that are currently producing pink kayaks as a stock color (or even as a custom color for that matter). Of course, when choosing a kayak the first thing to consider is what the kayak will be used for since kayaks are made for all sorts of different activities (whitewater, flat water, sea kayaking, etc.). If your daughter is new to paddling and she’ll be mostly on flat water (lakes and slow moving rivers), then a recreational kayak is probably the best choice. See our Recreational Kayaks page for more information about how to choose a recreational kayak. I hope that helps and best of luck.
My wife and I are looking for a tandem kayak and have been considering the Hobie Odyssey but today we visited with a knowledgeable outfitter and they recommended Liquidlogic instead as being better in the water because of its keel. kayak will be used in generally calm waters including ocean. Any opinions on these two? Thanks. HNY
I assume you’re referring to the Liquidlogic Marvel since, to the best of my knowledge, that is the only tandem that Liquidlogic makes. I’m probably slightly more partial to the Liquidlogic but probably only because my whitewater kayak is a Liquidlogic.
Honestly, they’re both very reputable manufacturers. However, the two boats are very different designs. The Hobie Odyssey is a sit-on-top kayak and the Liquidlogic Marvel is a sit-in kayak. Our Recreational Kayaks page talks a little about the differences between sit-on-top vs. sit-in kayaks. Another boat to consider is the Wilderness Systems Pamlico 135T, which you’ll find in our Best Sit-In Recreational Kayaks table on the Recreational Kayaks page.