How to Choose the Right Kayak | Everything you need to know

[@PaddleTV]

Check out my new KZbin channel! www.youtube.com/@KenWhitingAdventures is now the place to find all my paddling adventure videos, while PaddleTV will focus on Instruction and Gear Reviews.

[@pointblankokc]

after choosing the wrong kayak twice, I finally got it right. 17' aluminum boat with a Mercury. Best kayak ever ! LOL

[@chickenliquor]

Great video! You missed the consideration my wife & daughter give for preferring sit on top over sit inside. “Do you have to put your feet where there may be spiders?” Thats a driving consideration for our family purchases

[@PaddleTV]

Ha! Good call.

[@yarning4asmile]

lol always spray it out or grab the leaf blower before heading out. That’s what I do. 😊

[@tkbass01]

Living in the South where Brown Recluse and Black Widows are a common ococcurrence. Are there any covers to put over the cockpit or a touring/sea kayak similar to a skirt? This is a concern as I research purchasing my first kayak.

[@livingdreadgurl8252]

Man i just got a kayak and this is my biggest fear 😧

[@Dutcharmytent]

Just picked up a Kayak full of spiders, I have the photographs, as it was ion a rack in a garage for years.

[@escapewithed3995]

My favorite YT Paddle dude dropping a metric ton of knowledge. The only thing he didn't touch on is how buying your first boat is the best knowledge for what you want for your SECOND boat! Because of Ken I now have 3 different boats for 3 different activities (and I'm planning on 3 more!) and I've brought in so many friends with his advice! Great video! I sent it to all my friends on the fence!

[@PaddleTV]

Thanks Ed! And so true about the knowledge you gain for your 2nd kayak! Ha! Cheers, and good luck with shopping for your next boats. :). What are you thinking of getting?

[@escapewithed3995]

@@PaddleTV want to graduate from a rec touring kayak to an actual touring kayak and (when I lose enough weight) get a whitewater kayak. Been looking into classes to learn the skills. Some things, I find , are easier to learn in person than just watching.

[@chrislavigne1212]

Like you most people have several kayaks for different paddling preferences. Different trip ranges and different enjoyment. Great video as always. Most of the time your kayak will reflect the part of area you live in.

[@slighwentwalking2025]

Lots of good information 👍 I live in Florida so I've seen all kinds of kayaks...here you need to consider how quickly the weather changes. A sit inside is how I roll...super hot and sunny or raining the sit inside behaves well. It pays to learn to carry a kayak properly. Improper lifting can cause injury. I have learned so much from viewing Paddle TV videos...thank you.👍

[@PaddleTV]

Glad to hear it! Thanks!

[@WillN2Go1]

A few points. I paddled sit in sea kayaks for 15 years. Three that I made, one a production fiberglass yak that I patched up. The patched up one is the 'best' it tracks straight. None of the other three tracked straight. When you use a rudder to correct a 'turning' you increase resistance. The fastest was a strip built Guillemot Great Auk. 23.5" beam 17.5" long. I think the bottom was more like a canoe than a kayak. Great yak. I then made two very narrow yaks that I hoped would be faster. A 18.5' x 17" strip built, and a Skin on Frame based on the 1803 'Baidarka' deisign 19' x 16" These were not fast. I also added outriggers... which might seem like the reason they were slow, but actually a good set of outriggers barely touches the surfaces. Most of the stability comes from the poles and small mass at the ends (like a tight rope walker's pole). The skin on frame was fun to make. First I would suggest learning a proper kayak stroke. Kayaks aren't that fast, Polynesian style outrigger canoes are much faster. But a proper kayak stroke will get you in great shape fairly quickly. (I slouched around for four years, Covid, sailing, laziness. But then I got a Compact Pro Kayak trainer. In a month doing every other day my abs were almost back, my cored muscles were good.) You can do a proper kayak stroke in any of the yaks in the video. If you get a sit in kayak, you have to learn a lot of safety rules and develop skills for self recovery, Eskimo roll (easiest thing you'll ever do if you do it correctly. Wrong? You will never get back up.) Most sit on tops you can scramble back on. I flipped an SOT first time I was on one and quickly figured out how to get back on. And SitIns? Even if you get back up, a very small amount of water in the cockpit is incredibly destabilizing. So now you're trying to brace, put your skirt back on and pump out. Don't go solo unless you really know what you're doing. I'm planning to turn one of my 10'6" x 30" paddle boards into a 'kayak' I need a pad for my butt, and a footbrace with padded straps (like kite surfers have on their boards). What should be doing when you paddle a kayak is basically reaching forward, planting the paddle blade, then twisting your body to move it. At the same time you are pressing into the foot brace on that same side.When the paddle is about to pass your body, lift it up and repeat on the other side. It's essentially standing on alternate feet while twisting your body. You can actually learn this by paddling without bending your elbows. "Frankensteining" Once you have this down, then bend your elbows. If the only thing that is moving is your arms and shoulders... you'll quickly become bored. (99.8% of paddlers I see in marinas and near shore, including two instructors, do not have even a bad paddle stroke.) And if you're just going out a couple hundred yards to fish? Don't worry about it. You don't need a back brace once you've developed your abs, but some back support is good to have. A chair? No. Most sit in kayaks come with pegs. These are awful. If you have a proper stroke you'll probably do what I did. Always have numb feet and you'll snap off a peg at least once a year. There are no good pegs, or pads for sit in kayaks. What I did was to fiberglass a piece of 1/2" baltic birch plywood, add some toe peddles (Just webbing to the brace) and just use self tapping drywall type screws to connect them to Yakima pad/peddles (for rudder). I pad them out with 1/2" yoga mat. 22 to 30 degrees off vertical. These will last forever and your feet won't be numb. The super cheap inflatables can be fun, but watch out for any wind. They're light and high so they catch the wind. Fall out and you'll probably have to swim back. If you're serious about kayaking read Deep Trouble, there are two volumes. These are all the ways you can die in a kayak. I read them and did everything they said which is why I'm still alive after 15 years of solo sea kayaking. A friend would've been in book three. Sorry to go on.... I do think that except for, just paddling around the marina on a couple week ends a year, or kayak fishing, or river running, (I've done none of these) really learning how to paddle and going out to sea is amazing and will make you fitter than almost anything else you can do. I can hammer on my kayak trainer for 70 minutes in my backyard mostly because of the sense memory of being on the ocean. Whales will come up to see you.

[@kattotonic3143]

I started with a rec kayak 12ft. I scored a 15 foot ocean one for a good price. There was a real difference, transporting, weight and paddling wise. But I do love it. I will never go in the ocean with it, but I like how it moves through the water. I do have an Isle switch I have yet to try, can't wait to take it out this summer. Thanks again for a wonderful video! You have helped me so much with this wonderful hobby that I do not regret getting into!

[@PaddleTV]

Awesome to hear it! I've got a trip planned for the Switch in a few weeks too! Looking forward to it.

[@thekimmonia]

Excellent educational video - great suggestions at the end. Another consideration is families with young kids. Got a tandem and an open cockpit stable to paddle together. Youngest can go in or hop in/out of the tandem.

[@truthbtold6118]

You have earned a big like from me ! This was so informative with very little fluff. And no distracting background background music either. :):)

[@PaddleTV]

Thank you so much!

[@georgewilliamssr5230]

Well Ken you already know my boat preferences. But for your viewers, I like white water boats. I can pretty much take them anywhere I’m interested in paddling. River, lake, ocean. And depending on what I’m doing, I can multi day camp with them. However, if you choose a White Water boat for much of these same reasons. Please get some fundamental training with these style of boats. They do have an important learning curve. That can make your experience a positive one. Or if you choose to self teach, ? It might take you longer with many frustrating moments. Happy paddling everyone.

[@jakebrakebill]

Also, a little out of the genre, canoes, outrigger canoes and surf skis. I tried an outrigger canoe thinking I wasn't going to like it being a kayaker, but really loved it. "During the warm weather only" Yep, you'd like to get it right on your first purchase, rent, borrow, talk to people on the shore and most of all, watch Ken's videos.

[@PaddleTV]

Thanks Jake!

[@swanbaby62]

I love my rogue aqua glide inflatable. I am a lake person. I don't care to be challenged at all. I once kayaked the San Francisco Bay and that was definitely a misadventure☺️ onward intrepid paddlers

[@Billcameratech]

I thought that was all extremely useful stuff to think about buying a new boat. And hopefully we all get to that point. I personally found it extremely useful to buy several used boats on Marketplace and paddle around in them and figure out what I like in a boat. I was able to buy four very different boats for around $1,100 and paddle the heck out of them and develop a much better idea of what I would like in a new boat.

[@tranquility9325]

You could have tested boats for free depending on the area you live in. Some stores have boat demos. Alpine is a shop near me and in the summer, they offer free boat demos on the local lake. You can even call and ask about a specific boat to see if they can have it available to test out.

[@carolemartin6892]

Great pointers! I started with a sit upon kayak. It was OK, but I got wet all the time. I now have a sit in Delta 12.10 which I love! 41 lb. Tracks very well & I use it for birding on lakes & marshes.

[@mikewalker8956]

Excellent video that will help me choose our next kayaks. We’re enjoyed our Carolinas for 30 years but we no longer kayak camp and they are becoming difficult to load and unload off the racks for both my wife and myself. We need old people boats now and watching this video was extremely helpful.

[@PaddleTV]

Great to hear it! You should look into thermoformed kayaks like those from Hurricane and Delta Kayaks, or even composite kayaks like Swift Canoe and Kayak makes. All much lighter than Carolinas. Cheers!

[@bradleyking4313]

Just now looking to get into Kayaking, this is a great intro video. Thank you much.

[@robertdewalt8711]

I went with Pakayak Blufin 142, I wanted touring kayak that was portable as I don’t have garage. I paddle on small bodies of water and I will be doing lake and some river padding but not rivers with rapids.

[@PaddleTV]

Nice choice! One of my favorite.

[@tranquility9325]

Welcome to the pack. I have one also

[@bryancline8893]

Just bought my first one. The AdvancedFrame DS-XLC from Advanced Elements. Was the most well rounded inflatable I could find in my budget. Will hopefully handle some easy class 3s, but will spend most of it's time in slow water and smallish lakes.

[@saskatchewan1913]

I want to get into kayaking and this was really helpful, thank you. Subscribed.

[@PaddleTV]

Cheers! Happy I could help.

[@ashvanes484]

I got one of the first thermal molded plastic yaks on the market, a Perception Airalite Sonoma 13.5. 2003 purchase. I don't go as often as I used to (kids) but I have used it kayak (weekend) camping, in bays, estuaries, harbors, lakes, and rivers. have a skirt, paddle jacket, carbon paddle (got a few years later) and still rocking this set up now 21 years later. It has handled everything just fine. Still looks great. I don't bash it but it has its share of scratches from rock scrapes. We did have to re-foam-and-glue the thigh braces as the original foam deteriorated. But an easy enough fix. ETA: last use, yesterday on a large lake near us :)

[@PaddleTV]

That's awesome that it has lasted so long! I'm guessing you store it out of the sun? Sun is the biggest killer of all boats...

[@ashvanes484]

@@PaddleTV correct. in season it may stay in the roof rack or beach when we are planning to go soon again, but anytime we won't be going for more than a week or so, it's tucked away in indoor j-bars bolted to cement in our garage.

[@calabrais]

Great video! I'm going to check out the App

[@morad5119]

Awesome information. Thanks from Norway.

[@yru435]

If you intend to travel in a sit-IN kayak with gear and food, the boat gains a great amount of added stability from having gear and water secured low on the bottom (internally, of course) of the boat. This means that you might opt for the longer faster boat with the knowledge that you will be gaining the stability of your gear. You can use inflatable bags, full of lightweight gear or just air, to hold your ballast low in the boat.

[@Fishaholicboy]

Haha loved the intro

[@tgchism]

Thank you for packing so much information into this video!

[@PaddleTV]

You are so welcome!

[@2testtest2]

Great video, and lots of good information. I think you missed a few of the finer points though. For instance, length and rocker mostly impacts top-speed. If you are just going to mosey along at less than about 5kph, which I think is the case for a lot of padelers, you will not see any speed benifit beyond about a 14ft. Kayak with lits of rocker. In fact a 17ft+ kayak will have more drag at such slow speeds, because wetted surface dominate drag at slow speed. You might not be familiar with this kayak, as it's European, but the Seabird Expedition Åfjord is a great example, which is very popular here. At about 13ftx23" and all the rocker, and very rounded hull, it has minimized the wetted surface, and padles effortlessly up to about 5kph. Then at about 6kph you hit a nearly insurmountable brick wall. Compare that to my 20ftx18" Surfski, it actually feels heavier to padle at 5kph than the Seabird, but ofcourse, there is no brick wall to hit, and cruising at 7-8kph is not a big issue. You also state that length does not impact stability, but thats just almost true. Width is the number one factor indeed, but a longer kayak has a small stability benifit. Mathematically the righting moment is proportional to the length, and proportional to the width cubed IIRC. On top of that a wider kayak also tends to have more of its volume closer to the outside of the crossection, which further compounds the difference. Also if you walk into a kayak shop here and ask for a flat-water kayak, they will show you the K1- style racing kayaks. Might have been prudent to mention those 😂.

[@jayburne6825]

Hey Ken great video just was on the canaidian amazon in Norfolk....thanks for that video too it was amazing....

[@PaddleTV]

Ooooo. I'm jealous! That is a beauty creek.

[@EmpireOfNerds]

I'm a rookie paddler. I got a recreation light touring for portage, sit on top, portable, inflatable, drop stitched, TPU , "Ultra Light" Kayak. The Aquaglide Cirrus 110, so far so good. Think I need a wider paddle though.

[@PaddleTV]

Nice boat! An ideal paddle length will be around 230-240cm I would think.

[@jennydaneeli6037]

Great video well done the other thing about some peddle kayaks the weight seriously heavy for one person to load and unload.

[@PaddleTV]

Very true.

[@imperialwhovian3461]

Yeah for most of the big fishing pedal kayaks it's best to just trailer them and either launch them like a regular boat or at least have a kayak cart to move them from your trailer to the water, for lighter weight kayaks Rhino rack makes a system for roof top loading that really makes it easy to load and unload kayaks up to the 100+ lbs mark with little effort

[@jimtaylor6930]

The one thing no one mentions is if you have knee problems. It makes it harder to get in and out. If you can't bend your knees alot. If I have knell to get something off the floor. I have hold on something to get back up.

[@titusbc]

Divorce boats… funny. For a minute i thought about some kind of tandem but it was only to take my dog! Ultimately my first Kayak was a Delta 10 and it was quite stable and decently maneuverable to learn on

[@PaddleTV]

Haven't tried that one yet. Another one for the list...

[@tranquility9325]

I've been on a tandem kayak with someone who was a control freak. It was my worst nightmare. As a result, I hope to never tandem again with anyone. Oh and he had zero kayak experience, whereas I do have experience. Terrible situation.

[@carbonunit6573]

I have 5 kayaks. If a woman can buy new shoes to go with her purse I can have a kayak for all occasions. And I think I like my sit on top the most. I can use it as a paddle board as well.

[@PaddleTV]

:)

[@canadagoosemanagement8325]

very good summary thanks

[@FIG147]

Great very informative video..!! Thanks Bro..!!😎👍🏻

[@PaddleTV]

My pleasure!

[@serratlantean8662]

Great vid. Thanks !!!

[@gazeral8136]

I'm looking at getting a Kayak to use with my family. We have bought a sit on top for my daughter who is 13. I'm hopping to get one to use with her. I'm thinking about getting a sit on top as well. We will possibly be using them in Streams, Rivers, Lakes and just off the beach. We are complete newbies. My biggest question is I'm 6ft1 tall. Do I need to keep this in mind when buying a kayak. I have found the sitting area seems to be the same, with what I have seen. It just seems the storage space differs in length. Or am I incorrect? Great video I watch all of it.

[@tranquility9325]

Hey Ken! Did you find the pakayak to be fast on the water?

[@TheChroniclesOfCody]

Very helpful video thank you

[@PaddleTV]

Cheers!

[@MarcGaudette-q7g]

Do you have any favorite sit-on-top paddle kayaks for the ocean or very large lakes? Thanks.

[@celticpeasant9753]

lol that was great thank you so much!

[@dabneyoffermein595]

Can snakes get into the sit-inside cockpit kayaks and pose problems (like water moccasins that are venomous?)

[@nancyhainline2517]

Heh. Of course they CAN , but probably won't. Mind's eye is gasping and guffawing at thought of the antics a person would go thru in case they were to share space. Actually, not a funny thought. I live in Missouri where snakes are possibility. Just be cautious about floating under hanging limbs... avoid if possible. Good luck.

[@tranquility9325]

There are cockpit covers you can get.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

@@tranquility9325 Excellent, thanks

[@tkbass01]

I am having difficulty finding a true kayak shop outside of a big box store in the Nashville, TN area. I am looking for a mid - high end touring/sea kayak.

[@PaddleTV]

If you have a specific kayak in mind, go to the manufacturer's website. Most have a 'find a dealer near me' button. P&H Sea kayaks is based just outside of Asheville, NC. They have some GREAT touring/sea kayak options. I would highly recommend them. Send them a note, and they'll be able to tell you where you can buy one.

[@JairusHarvey]

In the thumbnail for this video there's been a spirit moved on to your forehead on the left I would suggest the symbol of the cross maid horizontally with the long side pointed right.

[@Dutcharmytent]

I live adjacent to a tidal river plus I wanted the Kayak to fit inside a small car, so I brought a Dagger Infrared. 2.5 mars long. I previously owned over the years three long sea kayaks, but now the weight and bulky size is just too much for me.

[@PaddleTV]

I hear you! Shorter boats are a lot more manageable off the water!

[@gatorbyte5254]

I chose a LL Remix XP9.

[@nickhtk6285]

Wow... had no idea some of those options even existed.

[@KamilJan95s]

What would be an ideal kayak for someone who intends on taking a medium sized dog with them?

[@PaddleTV]

I tested the Hurricane Osprey this summer, which has a spot specifically for pets on the front. If you're looking for a sit-inside kayak, look for a recreational kayak with an oversized cockpit. A medium sized dog can sit in the cockpit with you, without cramming you. Something like the Wilderness Systems Pungo 125

[@KamilJan95s]

@ thank you. Much appreciated

[@chrismcduffie4888]

Enjoyed your video as I do all of them! Let's go do a paddle together!

[@Oldwiseguy-59]

One that is $500 less than the most you want to spend. Then use the $500 saved to get accessories and such.

[@jacktyler7599]

Wonderfully helpful overview of kayak products and even 'near kin' products. Am I correct that you have not done a specific review of pack(able) rafts yet? Perhaps too much 'channel drift' from the main focus here, it they may in fact be our solution for a small boat tender, something I'm still researching. Great job, Ken. Thank you so much.

[@PaddleTV]

Stay tuned for my first Packraft test and review! :). I'm looking forward to it.

[@jacktyler7599]

@@PaddleTV Timing is everything. 👍

[@giuseppemarquez1689]

What’s the best brands?

[@beckynankivell8639]

Explore the rest of the channel for plenty of reviews!

[@kristingoettlicher3503]

Pelican Argo or Sundolphin Aruba?

[@PaddleTV]

Big difference is comfort. Pelican Argo will be MUCH more comfortable. It has a framed, elevated seat. Performance and stability will be similar. I would spend the extra money for the comfort, but that's me. :)

[@ChyubowTransparentKayak]

Good🎉

[@gadgetman_nz4092]

I just don't understand the initial question you created this video to answer. "Which kayak should you buy?" You speak as if you have to weigh up the options to come to the best fit for you. I've found it is really necessary to but multiple kayakS for different uses. The upside is I get to share my experiences with others. Yes, I'm up to 11, but still looking for the next one which should be a surf ski.

[@imperialwhovian3461]

Moat people can't get more than one right away so it's all about maximizing what you can do with the one you get.

[@nancyhainline2517]

I thought I was excessive with three...

[@gadgetman_nz4092]

@@nancyhainline2517 Certainly not excessive, and yes the surfski has been added. Looking for the next one.

[@angrybeavers1775]

When in doubt, get a half-slice

[@AriePharmD]

Crescent Kayaks Crew, LT-2, or Shoalie.

[@PaddleTV]

Haven't tried any Crescent kayak yet. Hopefully soon!

[@Pete_R63]

I keep hearing "kaack".

[@christoforospilitsis541]

“And if Your holding a carbon fiber paddle,that doesn’t help either”…what does he mean?

[@stephengrimmer35]

The moment you mentioned divorce boats I knew you were a bona fide kayaker, not some KZbinr wannabe😂

[@tranquility9325]

Tandem is awful

[@BangarrangTV]

Kahhhk!

[@pbkayakyer]

I really really really dislike the flat stern kayaks. Why on earth would you ruin a good kayak like that!!!

[@CheekyMonkey888]

easier to lay back, less windage, less weathercocking, less stern volume less likely to rise and broach in a following sea...

[@danareed1656]

ya only a few lol

[@emmanuelnkiriyumwami1225]

PaddleWays is not entirely free

[@LeeKnight-q8o]

O'Hara Walk

[@nickthorne5872]

Lol you say "kayak" like Ka'ak