I want Help Selecting My First Touring Kayak

Advice
#1

Hello everyone,

I am looking to purchase my first touring kayak & I want get some advice from experienced paddlers here. I have done some research but I am still a bit unsure about what features to prioritize and what might suit my needs best.

I plan to use the kayak for day trips and occasional weekend outings on lakes and calm rivers. I am not looking for something too specialized or extreme at this point.

I am around 6 feet tall and weigh about 200 pounds. I am considering a kayak with a length of around 12 to 15 feet. I would like to know if this size is suitable and if it will offer enough space for comfortable paddling.

I have seen kayaks made from various materials like polyethylene, fiberglass & composites. What are the pros and cons of each, especially in terms of durability & weight?

Also, I have gone through this resorse/artical; https://forums.paddling.com/t/first-kayak-helpsalesforce-cpq which definitely helped me out a lot. if you have any rescores please share with me.

My budget is between $800 and $1,200. What are some brands or models that you would suggest for this range of money?

Thank you in advance for your help…:slight_smile:

#2

What conditions, distances, loads, bodies of water. What are your skills? Are you interested in a playful boat, speed, load capacity, comfort, primary stability?

#3

I highly recommend this book. It will help answer your questions.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Kayaking-Everything-About-Paddling/dp/1493025708

#4

You’ll probably get lots of good advice here. I’ll offer three suggestions, all unrelated to specific boat selection:

  1. Look at the used market. Depending on your location, you should find a decent variety of quality boats in very good shape in your price range.
  2. Try before you buy if at all possible, or at least sit in those you’re interested in. No two people experience the same boat in exactly the same way.
  3. How will you get your boat to the launch site? Unless you’re in excellent shape, you won’t get out as often if getting the boat on your car or carrying it to the water is a struggle.
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#5

Agree with all but especially emphasize #3.
Unless you store the boat at the water, ensuring it is as easy as possible to get to the water is of paramount importance. Everything else is secondary. If there is an obstacle to getting it in the water, then you will likely do it less and less over time. So if you are not storing at the water’s edge, then consider cartop or trailer, then you can decide on how to weigh your decision for boat weight considerations.

#6

I have really enjoyed my old 14 foot Dagger Alchemy. Check out Dagger’s 14 footers:

Folks on here have said nice things about their newer models.

#7

Good advice above. More generic suggestions:

  1. 14 foot is a good length.
  2. Hatches and bulkheads are a plus, especially a day hatch.
  3. A cockpit that is long enough for you to sit butt first and then straighten your legs is a huge plus. It’s a lot harder when you have to slide your legs in first.
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#8

I’m not going to go into Layup, vs Rotomolded, etc. The first thing you want to do is Paddle one, find an outfitter who will let you demo a kayak even if you have to rent one.

then paddle for a few hours, and see if the seat is comfortable, if you can’t be in the boat for 3+ hours straight or need to modify the seat or add padding then it’s not going to be the right boat for you.

I’ve been paddling for 40+ years and pretty much can tell within the first 15 minutes if the seat might be a problem for me. that’s the first hurdle you need to account for because touring you’re going to be in the drivers seat for a bit.

After that you need to look at where you are going to be paddling. if there’s alot of rocks that you could bang off of then you might not want a Layup boat, damage that gelcoat and you’ll be crying.

If you struggle with boat weight then you might want a layup boat.

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#9

I’d like to clarify what I hope was being said.

The main hatches and bulkheads in front and back of the boat should be requirements. Kayak company marketing may call these storage, but you want them even if you never se them as storage, as the are inherent flotation. Without this flotation, were you to capsize in deep water, you would not be able to get back in and drain the boat out. To safely use boat without flotation means staying close enough to shore than you can swim back should you flip. If you plan to do other than this, you want flotation fore and aft.

An extra/separate hatch either right behind the cockpit (day hatch) or between your legs on front deck is a nice to have.

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#10

Plenty of people, myself included, have toured with boats with no bulkheads using float bags and dry bags, but they are a pita compared to hatches. I don’t recall seeing boats with hatches until the late eighties, tho I’m sure they were available before then. Pics here bring back memories; I might have one of the boats in this shop pic in my garage: https://paddlingmag.com/stories/features/history-of-sea-kayaking/

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