I want Advice on Choosing the Right Kayak for Long Distance Touring

Some are really tippy and it depends on your weight. My CD Expedition is tippy good bit rounder bottom than my CD Extremes which people say are tippy. Put someone light in my Expedition and they’ll be very uncomfortable if they’re to light for it. It will feel like log rolling to them.

Get some length for speed and carrying capacity. 15-17 feet or. Make sure you have enough beam to be comfortable. for most people that means 24-25 inches or more.

Large cockpit for easy wet exits and loading. Waterproof entry into your fore and aft compartments. A decent seat. Bright colors so power boats can see you.

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As they run you over. :cry:

A longer kayak does track better (in general) but do you really want it to track? How do you normally paddle? On day paddles I play along the cliffs in the rocks and waves. I also do that on trips, but my kayak is noticably less maneuverable. I don’t tend to paddle trips as straight distances to be covered. I paddle trips as shorelines where I need to explore all the coves. Many people do paddle trips as distances to cover and tracking and speed are important then. How will you paddle? On the other hand, my shorter day trip kayak can’t carry 2 weeks of food and gear. It might be good for a week. And as for stability, a week or so of food and gear adds a lot to the stability of a kayak! My tripping kayak is hard to edge because of its rotational inertia when loaded, therefore feels way more stable (too stable) on a trip than it does empty.

FWIW, I paddle an NDK Explorer on trips of 1.5 to 2 weeks in length on the Great Lakes (so I don’t need to carry much water) and an NDK Romany or Valley Anas Acuta for day paddles.

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Try before you buy. Kayak Stability | Guillemot Kayaks Is a great article explaining how to read a stability curve. When you try the boats you can compare the feel to the curve and getter a better understanding. Tiderace Xceed was my choice for a touring boat. For a paddler my size (6’ 200 lbs), it is a bit more stable when loaded with 150 lbs of gear, but it’s also fun to paddle empty.