How to Choose a Kayak

asAshley: Pretty much everyone wants similar things in kayak, the lightest possible kayak with a superior performance and lots of room for storage. Hi! Welcome to watchmojo.com. I'm your host Ashley and today the privilege is meet Paul, an expert kayaker who's going to touch on each one of those subjects. So, can you tell us a little bit about what kind of different kayak styles you have here today? Paul Gorodko: Basically, when you're looking at kayaks, you can look at three different styles. You have whitewater kayaks which tend to be short and very maneuverable, you have the sea kayak which tends to be very long and have very good tracking, paddling in a straight line, and you have recreational kayaks which are in between. Ashley: When an average person wants to purchase a kayak, should they go more for a wider kayak? Paul Gorodko: Stability is much more reassuring. So, when you get caught in difficult situations, having a kayak that basically stabilizes itself is a very reassuring thing. Ashley: And is it true that people look for lightweight kayaks and why is that? Paul Gorodko: A lightweight kayak has better acceleration. Otherwise, once you're moving, it doesn't make a big difference. But where it does make a difference is when you have to carry it. So, for a lot of people trying to take a kayak, put it over a roof rack at the end of their arms can be quite difficult if your kayak weighs 50, 60, 70 pounds. Ashley: What about the kayaker that wants to kayak carrying a lot of gear? Paul Gorodko: The volume of the kayak depends on its length and its width and also the characteristics of how its hull is shaped. But generally a longer wider kayak will be able to carry more material. Another important factor is how easy is it to load that equipment inside a kayak? Often what you find are small openings that are maybe 12-14 inches long, maybe 10 inches wide and trying to feed a backpack into there can be tedious. Ashley: What's the difference between sitting inside a kayak and sitting on top of the kayak? Paul Gorodko: What you call sit on top kayaks are basically kayaks that have an open cockpit. So, rather than having an enclosed cockpit where you're more constrained, a sit-on-top kayak is open, a little bit like a canoe. So, that feels less claustrophobic for a lot of people, it's easier to get into. Sometimes the coaming on a sit-in kayak is a bit tight. You feel more constraint if you ever capsize. So, if you're stuck inside the cockpit of the kayak that could be unnerving. A sit-on-top, you basically just swim out of it and get back in. The disadvantage of a sit-on-top though is that if you're in colder water, you're not as protected as if you have the completely enclosed deck.