Choosing WhiteWater Kayaks, Touring Kayaks, & Recreational Kayaks.

           Photos Courtesy of David Butler

  Photos Courtesy of David Butler

Choosing a White Water Kayak

When you are choosing a white water kayak you will have to decide if you want a Creek Boat, a River Runner, a River/Play Boat, or a Play Boat.  You will also have to figure out what the best size for your height, weight, and body type. 

Creek Boat -  Creeks boat are usually the longest type of white water kayak along with river Runners, have rounded (displaced) hulls (bottoms) and have a lot more round bow (front).  This is normally not where beginner paddlers start.  Usually a Beginner will look to the River Runners and River/Play Boats as the best starter option.

Photo Courtesy of Adam Goshorn       

River Runners -  A River Runner, like a creek boat, is usually Longer & more forgiving.  River Runners can be recognized by a flat (plaining) hull and a much lower volume bow & Stern than a creek boat.  There is still a great deal of volume in the Bow of a River Runner compared to river/play & play boats.  A more compact hull will assist you in punching through holes (hydraulics) as it will not stay on the surface of the water as easy as creek boats. 

You can do some of the entry level play moves like front surfing and carving, but if you see yourself wanting to move into the play boating or freestyle side of the sport, it is suggested that you get into a River/Play boat.

   Photo Courtesy of Bryon Dorr www.justfluid.com 

                                                                          Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Adkins

River/Play Boats - River/Play Boats are not as forgiving as true river runners are, but they are not as grabby or edgy as a full play boat.  You can start doing a lot of the entry level play moves such as cartwheels, blunts, spins, and squirts and this style of boat is suitable for beginner/intermediate paddlers.  If you are really want to go more into play boating or you don't ever see yourself paddling many creeks, this is a great style for you.

Photo Courtesy of Tony Dilaberto

Play Boats - Play boats are the smallest style of kayak.  This style of kayak is made to advance freestyle kayak move on waves & in Holes. 

Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Adkins

Photo Courtesy of Rob Beckman

           Photo Courtesy of Gray Russell                                            Photo Courtesy of David Butler

Choosing a Touring Kayak

When you are choosing a touring kayak you will need to think about the length, features, materials, and style of touring kayak that will best suit your needs.  You will also need to make sure that you find a boat that fits you as every person is different. 

Length - The longer the boat is, the faster it will go, the better it will track, and the more load capacity it will have.  Now, when you think about length, think about what you are going to be doing with the boat in the most extreme case.  If you are planning on only paddling on protected waterways for day trips you may want to consider something in the 14-16 foot range otherwise known as a day touring kayak.  On the other hand, if you think that you may get into rough seas or if you plan on taking multi-day expeditions, you will want to consider a boat that is 16-18 feet.

Features - Some features you will want to consider are rudders or skegs & sealed front, back, and day hatches.  Both a rudder & a skeg are used for the same reason.  If you are getting weather cocked, you can drop one of these features in order to help you track.  Rudders are much more difficult to use due to the fact that they are foot peg controlled and can move more easily when set, but they can be set at an angle to help you set your angle.  A skeg is fixed and resists any weather cocking that way.

Sealed hatches are a must.  It is just a matter of how many you want.  Touring kayaks come equipped with one, two, or three hatches.  These do tend to add to the price of a boat, but if you can afford it, you should always get at least 2 hatches as they also serve as floatation in the case of a capsize.  The third hatch is called a day hatch and it is a really nice feature as you can access it on the fly from the cockpit of you kayak.  These are usually located inches behind the back of your cockpit on the right had side of the boat.

Materials - Touring kayaks are made of several different materials.  Rotomolded Polyethylene kayaks are the least expensive and the most common for our part of the country.  In addition to polyethylene, kayaks are also made out of fiberglass, Kevlar, wood, graphite, and other hybrid composites.  Usually when you buy a composite, you are decreasing the weight and friction and you are increasing your cost.

Style -  Besides deciding whether or not you want a day touring or a touring kayak, you will also consider the different styles.  There are three different styles of touring kayaks; Greenland, British, & North American.

Greenland style kayaks have very low profile decks both bow and stern, they are quite narrow for the length, and have a little more flat hull than other styles.  They re usually not good for larger paddlers and carry the least amount of gear, but the are the fastest and least effected by wind.

British style kayaks are similar to Greenland style kayaks only a little more roomy.  They are a little wider and tend to have a V shaped hull as opposed to the more flat Greenland hull.  They are still very sleek and have very good speed.  It is good for medium size paddlers, moderate gear, and with the V shaped hull could feel a little tippy to beginner/intermediate paddlers.

North American style kayaks have additional height in the deck.  They are wider in relation to their length and typically  carry more weight and are more forgiving.  They are more effected by weather and are not as fast as the other styles.  New paddlers or paddlers that carry more gear will usually find this to be a great boat for them.

               Photos Courtesy of David Butler

               Photos Courtesy of David Butler

          Choosing a Recreational Kayak

When choosing a recreational kayak, you should think about what water ways you are going to be on most of the time, how much speed, how much load capacity, how much tracking, and how much storage you will need.

Length - A good general rule is that the longer the boat is the more speed, tracking, and load capacity.  If you are interested in kayaking more on lakes or easy rivers and you need leg room, load capacity, or you want more speed to make it more easily across big water crossings, you should consider something between 13 & 15 feet.  Most recreational kayaks that are sold are in the 10-13 foot range and people with an interest in longer trips end up looking in the day touring category.  There are recreational kayaks that are under 10 feet, but they are the most basic and usually do not paddle very efficiently.

Width -  Most recreational kayaks are between 24 & 30 inches wide.  Width will determine how much primary stability the boat will have.  It is 27-30 inches wide, it will have very high primary stability, but when you get it past the primary stability it hit a point of no return.  A boat that is between 24 & inches will usually have more secondary stability and will be much easier to brace.  A more narrow recreational kayak will also tend to react better in waves.

Storage hatches - Semi-dry hatches are also an option for recreational kayaks.  You have an option to get 1 or 2 sealed hatches or just access hatches with no sealed bulkhead.  This will not only keep most of the water out allowing you to use cheaper drybags, but it will also serve as floatation in the case of a capsize. 

Rocker - rocker is basically to bowing of the bottom of the boat from front to back.  If you have very little rocker, your boat will track better, so most people use boats with less rocker of more big, slow river and lakes.  A boat that has more rocker is going to maneuver a lot more, so if you are on class I-II rivers, you may want a boat with a little more rocker.

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