Interesting that you bring this up now bc just yesterday I had discussion with my old kayak buddy, lamenting that new and used kayaks are sold out! I’ve got a 17’8” Current Design Caribou but was looking for a lighter, shorter kayak! I’m sick now but was thinking September. WOW! None.
Speaking for only one kayak specialty store, Not Sold Out, a little low but kayaks are on hand. Depends greatly on what category you’re looking at. Fishing kayaks and 10’ rec boats = all gone and not coming in anytime soon. Day touring 13’-15’ = some availability. Sea kayaks = adequate supply, even a choice of colors in some models.
Any other Store owners here with insights?
See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection
Instagram: www.instagram.com/marshall.seddon
Have you tried expanding your search area on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace? Try different cities around your area. I have done that on a few occasions and have asked friends/family to look at the item on my behalf. But you are correct on the low inventory. I just checked my local market and it’s pretty slim pickings. There are a smattering of decent kayaks available here in the Denver area but not as much as there usually is. Also, you can go to a local/distant rental shop and ask them if they would be willing to sell you a rental unit that’s within your specification. Good luck with your search.
LOL, lots of impulse buying, me-tooing, and resolutions to get in shape after pandemic poundage piled on.
SUPers here mostly sit on the boards and arm-paddle them. But hey, “everybody else is doing it.”
And a few of us are upgrading…putting our old boats on the market and buying new(er) or different ones… 
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I am trying to make room after buying a different boat. But the kayak I’m selling is not the type that people are clamoring to buy. I agree with Marshall that the big hole in supply is in short, wide, rec kayaks.
Will be a flood of those short, wide, rec kayaks on the used market in about a year.
Sort of obvious, but have people checked out the classifieds on this site https://paddling.com/classifieds/ .There seem to be quite a few boats of all types available. Used is always a good choice for a first boat. If after paddling it a while, if you are less than happy with it or just want to move up you can always resell it for about what you paid for it if you have cared for it well. Find a deal, and you might even make a few dollars.
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I took delivery of a canoe from KAS transport a few days ago, and they said they are very busy transporting both new and used boats.
Try Pathfinder in Morgantown WV. Not sure if they ship or do a road trip Saw 11’dagger zydeco in the store today - lime green.
I actually put a deposit down on a zydeco 11 at Annapolis kayaks. About a 2 hour drive from my house but that’s ok.
I just purchased two Eddyline sitkas from REI , no problems.
From what I’m seeing, a person should be able to pick up one of those box store 10 foot plastic things for real cheap, or just pick them out of the garbage. I’ve seen more of these being hauled around on cars and in pickup beds daily as if they are some kind of accessory. The ones on car tops are strapped down so tight that they are warped already and the ones in pickups are probably melted somewhat from the hot sun.
You can also go to any Walmart and get one pre-melted from being stored outside in the hot sun. They don’t seem to have any trouble getting them either.
I’m also seeing more and more vehicles with kayak racks of all types. I think the virus thing must have been a bonanza for water sports retailers and manufacturers.
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I’ve noticed an uptick in both used canoes and kayaks in the areas in which I tend to track sales listings (paddling sites, FB market and CL in western PA, SW Michigan and upstate NY). My sense is that a lot of people are on work furlough due to the pandemic restrictions and there is a whole lot of garage and basement clearing going on. I am definitely seeing a lot of boats that were evidently not much used.
As to dealer stocks being low, I did used to work in the wilderness sports industry so I am a little familiar with some of the product stream challenges. Besides domestic slow downs in production due to the pandemic, a lot of cheap boats came from China and there were production shut downs there for several months due to Covid. International trade is not back to normal and won’t be for a while.
People need to accept that “business as usual” is not going to be what it used to be. The stuff we crave to own doesn’t magical appear just because we demand it – raw materials have be made, then gotten to manufacturers and workers have to be able to safely labor to produce the stuff and then transport it again. Our parents and grandparents knew what it was like to live with rationing and shortages due to world wide disasters. We’ve all been spoiled for a long time. I remember having to deal with tantrums from customers back in the mid 1970’s when we could not get skis they wanted due to Eastern seaboard dockworker strikes or could not get certain down filled products they desired because of scandals involving substandard “couchet” down being foisted by Chinese vendors onto domestic manufacturers of higher end sleeping bags and garments. Like the Rolling Stones said “you can’t always get what you want.”
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“But if you try sometimes you just might find that you get what you need”.
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Since sea kayaks seem to still be in relatively good supply, maybe the shortage will push some people into buying better boats.
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i stocked up like toilet paper … ive got 20 kayaks now… but seriously just gonna have to wait to find a good kayak. or join several kayak groups like mine where people are always buying and selling thier kayaks. garden state kayakers , south jersey kayakers and others
Paddle Shack in Gravenhurst, Ontario had some excellent deals on demo Riot Kevlar Edge 13s. Nice boat. Cosmetic issues. My wife got a new one, 38 lbs. She loves it. Also had some very nice Thermo Boreals. Call first to make sure they are still there.
But Canada won’t let us in! For good reason…
