Backcountry Beacon

Kayak Basics: What Floats Your Boat

Sure, every kayak floats. (If it doesn’t, that’s going to be a major issue). But there are so many available in every shape, size, and price range, that it can be a bit mind-boggling for the paddling newbie to muddle through the choices. Here we’ve compiled a simple breakdown of kayak types and features to steer you in the right direction—because you wouldn’t want to take a touring kayak through Class IV rapids, nor would you want to take a nimble little recreational boat on a multiday flat-water paddling trip.

Shapes and Dimensions:

• Width- A wide kayak is stable and harder to tip over, but you sacrifice agility, and paddling takes more energy. This is due both to the hull pushing aside more water and your paddle angle being lower, thus minimizing the water-entry angle and amount of effective blade surface area to displace water. A narrower kayak is very easy to maneuver and paddle, and fast on flat water, but the chance that you could get dunked is higher.
• Length- A long, sleek kayak glides quickly and tracks (keeps a straight-ish line) through the water with little effort, but you pay more for that extra material, and once out of the water, the boat will be quite heavy and cumbersome. On the other hand, a short kayak is lighter, less expensive (usually), and highly maneuverable if you need to do a lot of turning. 
• Hull shapes- A hull with a flatter bottom (commonly referred to as hard-chine due to the sharp angle point where bottom and sides meet) will generally be slower, but more stable. A V-shaped bottom’s bow slices through water much faster than a wider, flatter shape, and a V-shaped boat tips to the side easier, but once it’s leaned, feels quite stable. A hull with a rounded bottom and a gradual curve up to the sides (called multi- or soft-chine) will be less stable but more nimble and easier to turn over when (not if) you tip.
• Volume- This one is straightforward: smaller boats have less internal volume, and larger boats have more. This matters if you’re planning a multiday camping trip and need to stuff yourself and your drybag into the boat.
• Symmetry- A boat with the same shape in front and back will turn on a dime (think whitewater and narrow rivers), but it takes more effort to paddle it. Some boats are asymmetrically shaped, often with a wider back half and narrower front. This allows asymmetrical boats to glide more efficiently, but turning is slightly compromised.
• Rockered ends- The upturned tip and tail of a boat are called its rocker. If the tip and tail sit higher up than the center, the boat will turn in a snap (whitewater kayaks are highly rockered). If they sit lower, paddling is more efficient (touring kayaks typically have minimal or no rocker).

Time to Yak: Types of Kayaks

• Recreational- A recreational boat is a jack-of-all-trades. It’s not specialized toward any type of use, but you can tool around on one at the local lake, pond, or river. Non-intimidating rapids are fine, but a whitewater-specific kayak is necessary for burlier rapids (anything above Class II). A recreational boat tends to be short and moderately stable. Some feature a watertight stern or bow hatch, but most offer gear storage in the hull and bungees on the deck.
• Touring- Touring boats are long and stable, and they usually feature a rudder (often an add-on feature) or skeg (a small, rudder-like part built into the hull) and tend to have excellent storage capacity for overnight and multiday trips. They’re sometimes called sea kayaks, but they’re not exclusively for ocean use. In fact, you can go on spectacular multiday trips around lakes and down flat-water river sections. Just about every touring kayak features at least one small and one larger watertight hatch to keep valuables and gear dry during long paddles on choppy seas or windy lakes.
• Inflatable- An inflatable boat can be a superb choice for recreational and mild whitewater use. Since you just inflate the thing with an air pump once you take it out of your car, there’s no need to buy a car rack or beg the burly neighbors to help you load the thing on top of your car (solid shell kayaks can weigh quite a bit). While inflatables are lightweight, they’re still made out of super-strong, durable material, so rips and deflation are quite rare. The only real downside to an inflatable is that it won’t stand up to big, burly rapids—that’s what a whitewater boat is for.
• Tandem- Many boats seat two and sometimes even three people. This is great for families, chatty people, those with furry four-legged tag-alongs (and smart people who want someone else to help them paddle). Like recreational and touring boats, tandems will usually feature at least one watertight compartment.
• Sit-on-Top- A basic, simple recreational boat that usually doesn’t have a full seat set into the boat (some have attachment points for a seat or a backrest), but with most, you just sit on top and paddle away. Some come equipped with bungees to hold items like a PFD, water bottle, and hat.
• Angler- As the name suggests, an angler kayak is a fisher’s best friend. Angler kayaks typically have wide, hard-chine shapes for solid stability but with slightly rockered ends for added maneuverability in tight spots. They can range in design from recreational to sit-on-top and have mounts for features like rod holder(s), GPS, fish-finder, and anchor as well as a sunken stern platform with bungees for cooler, tackle box, or extra gear. Angler kayaks typically feature at least one watertight storage bin to keep small items dry.
• Whitewater- Maneuverability is the name of the game. Whitewater boats have rounded hulls and rockered ends, so they’re extremely agile. This is perfect when you’re paddling through rapids and waves that buck you like a snotty bull named Cletus bucks a bull-rider. Whitewater boats are a bit less stable and easier to tip, so they’re not the right choice if you hope to paddle a long distance in a straight line. Whitewater kayaks don’t feature storage compartments because they’re made for short trips that don’t require extra gear.

Deliberate Before Ponying Up

So, what type of boating is available in your area? Maybe there are a few reservoirs nearby where you can cruise around for a few hours, but you also have your heart set on touring the islands of the Sea of Cortez someday. In that case, a touring kayak would be right up your alley.

If you want to just carry your boat around in the trunk of your car, you need something the kids can paddle around the campground lake, or you want to occasionally port-in on a mellow, local river, an inflatable recreational boat is your best bet. For a family who wants to explore the bays of northern California or the alligator-rich wetlands of Florida on the weekend, a tandem recreational boat is ideal.

Read lots of online reviews, check out photos, think about you and your family’s needs, and budget for accessories you want—the most important is a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) or life jacket fit specifically for each individual who will be either paddling or sitting in the kayak. Depending on what kind of car you have, you’ll likely need a rack to carry your boat. Of course you’ll need a paddle (or more than one, so stay tuned for a paddle breakdown tomorrow). And if you’re planning on multiday adventures, you’ll need waterproof dry bags for your camping gear too. Gear up properly, and choose a boat suited for your needs—armed with the right equipment, you have years of happy paddling ahead.

Lend your paddle thoughts to the comment section below.

Related Posts:

• Paddle Guide – Buy the Right Paddle
• Public Waterways In Utah
• Intro to Standup Paddleboarding

Tags: kayaking, paddling