Thoughts on the decline of long kayaks

Paddlers' Place
#1

I’ve been paddling my whole life, and for anyone like me who has watched the paddlesports industry change, it’s blatantly obvious: kayaks have become much shorter. And I have no doubt what the cause of this is: portability. What I’m not sure of is…who started it?

SCENARIO A: Kayak manufacturers decided they could sell a lot more boats if they were shorter, lighter, and easier to transport. So they started making and marketing them (“Look at how easy it is!”) and people bought into it.

SCENARIO B: Manufacturers were perfectly happy with longer boats…but they started hearing complaints from consumers about how heavy they are, and how hard they are to transport. (Especially people above 60—who have plenty of money but lacking in the strength to get long boats on top of a vehicle.)

I realize both of these scenarios could have happened (some overlap). But the net result is the same: the market has been flooded with short kayaks. True long sea kayaks (or touring kayaks)—e.g. boats 16 feet and longer—are in steady decline.

Admittedly, there is what some might call a “sweet spot” which is boats 13-14’ long…and there are still plenty of kayaks made in that length, and they’re popular.

A perfect example of this is Eddyline. Setting aside the fact they were recently acquired by Jackson, Eddyline has steadily been getting rid of a fantastic line of long kayaks: the Raven (16’9"), the Fathom (16’), and others they made before those. Replacing them has been a slew of short kayaks like the Sky, Rio, Caribbean, Sandpiper, etc. (Though it’s a fine boat, I don’t consider the Sitka a true “long” boat at 15 feet—it’s a “large short boat.”)

There are still a handful of niche sea kayak builders still making long touring kayaks: for rotomolded boats, Wilderness Systems still offers the big Tsunamis and Tempests (but they always seem to be on life support); European companies like P&H and VCP make long plastic boats as well. And there are plenty of “boutique” builders making long composite touring kayaks (Sterling, Current Designs, etc.) But my interest is more on affordability. (Most people aren’t going to shell out $3-6K for a kayak unless they’re hardcore-serious.)

A quick look at Facebook Marketplace will show you a huge number of older plastic long kayaks no longer made. And it’s fair to ask, who cares? Why am I posting this? Honestly, my reasons are mainly focused around one area that I’ve realized the majority of people just don’t care about: performance. Long touring kayaks are faster (even for paddlers who are not in great shape). Not that speed is the only goal in kayaking. But as their name implies (touring), speed gets you more distance in the same amount of time.

Now I’m sure someone will post about how they can paddle incredibly fast in their 12-foot Sandpiper. All I’ll say is, try paddling as hard in a 16/17-foot kayak and you’ll realize what “fast” means. I could also try to argue that longer boats are safer in rough water; they track better and tend to get blown around less than short boats…and their added speed means you can get to shore or out of trouble faster in some situations.

I could also try to argue that long touring kayaks can carry more gear without affecting the boat’s performance…but someone will tell me how they carried a sofa on their 8-foot Lifetime kayak, LOL.

I could argue that longer touring kayaks are just more beautiful to look at…and someone will invariably trot out the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” chestnut.

So my arguments may fall on deaf ears. But in the end, I guess if you know, you know. Touring kayaks represent the finest kayaking traditions (native Greenlanders don’t paddle 8-foot kayaks), they’re beautiful, highly capable of handling the worst conditions, and can hold two weeks’ worth of gear while still paddling fast.

I wish more manufacturers—and consumers—would understand that touring boats are worth making (and making affordably)…and that not being able to throw one in the back of your pickup isn’t a reason not to enjoy all the benefits they offer. But I guess short boats are here to stay…and as more people get into kayaking (if that’s even possible?) manufacturers will continue putting all their money into making more short boats—and killing off their touring kayaks for not being “top profit drivers.”

As for me, someday you’ll find my touring boat laying on top of my deceased, 90-year-old body from when it fell and crushed me while trying to load it onto my Subaru. LOL But that’s a few decades away, and in the meantime, I’ll happily continue to grunt and strain to get my long boats on top of the car.

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#2

In my experience younger people are more into whitewater, SUPs, and rec boats. Whitewater for the excitement and all for the lower cost, relative ease of transport, and lower expense. If that’s where the demand is, that’s what manufacturers are going to support.

Debt is at record levels, prices are up, and so people are starting to cut back on discretionary spending. A $6K sea kayak is a tough sell when people can get on the water for a few hundred dollars. Many long time manufacturers have gone out of business or sold out being unable to survive with decreased demand, increased labor, materials and shipping costs, supply chain issues, and now dramatically increased tariffs.

#3

I feel part of this is due to the number of used longboats on the market. Much like the small sailboat companies closing down be cause the cost of today’s production is so high they can’t compete with the flooded used boat market. Some of the original composite boats are still on the water.

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#4

Long kayaks? Gotta love um!

Years ago I had a Raven, then a 17’ 6" Fathom. Sold them when I blew out my shoulder doing many many rolls in my Fathom one day using terrible technique. I just muscled my way up, over and over. Years later shoulder surgery got me back into kayaks. I picked up a used Eddyline Equinox. Cute little boat. Didn’t work for me. I just picked a mint condition Fathom, my second one…I’m back in love.

I see lots of folks out on paddle boards and in short boats. More and more individuals are getting active outside. I think it is just individuals enjoying a recreational sport in a more casual and relaxed way. In some ways I envy them. I get much more obsessive about my sports. I always have to delve deeply into any sport I’m doing, learning everything about it and trying to get as good as I can. I’m silly that way.

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#5

I don’t think there is a decline in long boats, but people buy what they need. Around here - RI, southern New England - sea kayakers have long boats, although a long boat for someone surfing might be 14’. Rec paddlers on rivers/small lakes are in rec boats. WW paddlers in WW boats. Long boats are great for covering distance and handling wind and waves, but that is not what everyone does.

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#6

Indeed that is a result of a saturated market. Might be about the same number of paddlers but many already have the boats they want and need. How many times have we posted buy a used boat to a new paddler. Also I think a lot of young people are interested in paddle boards. Rec kayaks are convenient and have that appeal. However I love what my sea kayak can do for me and the places it can take me.

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#7

Thanks for the replies so far! So if I can try to sum up what’s been said…

  • There’s little market for new long boats because all the old ones are still around.
  • Young people aren’t as interested in longer-distance kayak touring.
  • Few people want to spend thousands on a new touring kayak due to rising debt, etc.

All good points. I agree there are a ton of nice older touring kayaks on the market. And this tends to cancel out the “touring boats are too expensive” idea, because I recently bought a 17-foot Wilderness Systems Tempest for $400 (in excellent condition).

As someone whose career is in marketing, I can say that marketing is a VERY powerful tool for convincing people they need something they either don’t need, or didn’t know they needed. And there has been virtually no marketing done anywhere for kayak touring in a long time. (Remember Sea Kayaker magazine? Gone.)

Meanwhile, there are a zillion television and magazine ads showing kayakers jumping over waterfalls, smiling people drifting in short recreational boats, and male/female models smiling on inflatable SUPs. But when was the last time you saw a photo of a smiling sea kayaker riding big ocean swell on a beautiful day?

My point is…something doesn’t add up. Take SUPs for example: within just a few years of SUPs bursting onto the paddling scene, SUP racing on loooong boards took off, and now it’s huge!

Look at vehicles: the average size of cars and trucks in the U.S. has been steadily going UP. People aren’t downsizing at all—they’re upsizing. (Even when they don’t need to.)

Even something “fringe” like bikepacking now has lots of participants (probably more than those who sea kayak). To me, there’s a lot in common between pedaling a bike a hundred miles for days in the backcountry with several days’ worth of gear strapped to the bike…and multi-day kayak touring.

Long-distance backpacking on trails like the PCT and the AT is more popular now than ever…yet no more than several dozen people have ever done the paddling equivalent—kayaking the Inside Passage.

Everywhere we look, there are lots of people who are really into things that are no different than sea kayaking: long-distance, demanding, and higher-performance gear.

There is plenty of research that people like to do things they see themselves doing—and the best way for people to see themselves paddling touring kayaks is for companies to ramp up the kayaking touring marketing: articles, cool photos in ads, etc. But it’s not happening, and I wonder why?

#8

Advertising is very expensive and how do they target the ads to the tiny minority that they might be able to interest in sea kayaking?

Now, if Taylor Swift were to take up sea kayaking…

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#9

I recently purchased a kevlar Boreal Design Ellesmere, 17’ long. So I am happy that long kayaks are not in style, allowing me to find this nearly pristine kayak at a good price.

I have been unable to sell a kevlar (or maybe carbide) Current Designs Squamish, 15’ 8" long. So I am sad that long kayaks are not in style, preventing me from selling this semi-pristine kayak at a good price.

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#10

I find that many people who like the outdoors and do outdoor activities find the ocean to be scary. The potential pool of individuals willing to make an ocean passage in a kayak has to be very small compared to individuals willing to go on a leisurely paddle in a kayak or a stand up paddle board.

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#11

Whitewater boats have definitely gotten shorter since I started paddling. The boats have changed in many other ways as well. They still make long plastic boats and that is what I frequently use (12r and vanguard). The waterline only lengthens when they are being paddled aggressively. The boats have a lot of rocker but are heavy to carry and load. They are advertised as being “superfast” but they aren’t with them weighing around 60 pounds a piece. Because of the rocker they require some effort to paddle straight. I like them because they are narrower than most other ww boats and I like to boat with my legs more straight out in front of me after having had hip replacements. Their length helps to keep them stable and both are reasonable to roll due to their shape.

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#12

Unlike sea kayaking, bikepacking is based on bike riding which most people do from a young age. How many kids have the same exposure to kayaking? My guess very few because even in coastal areas kids are more likely to be exposed and develop skills with other ways to enjoy the sea. Also, this lack of exposure contributes to the greater learning curve to safely undertake long distance kayaking versus long distance bikepacking and especially backpacking.

Additionally, the danger (perceived or real) in long distance kayaking, e.g. Inside Passage, is much greater than the environments involved in long distance bikepacking or backpacking

#13

I bought a 1999 Old Town Heron roto molded 16’ Kayak. This is comparable to the new Castine. The new Heron is about 11’. It’s heavy compared to my shorter roto molded kayaks but it’s fast and straight. I kayak in rivers and lakes that are left in their natural state. Lightweight kayaks won’t stand up to submerged boulders and trees. I’ve added a rudder, but my Heron still does not turn well. A bigger blade may help but shorter kayaks in the 12’ to 14’ length are popular in my neck of the woods. They don’t fishtail and turn reasonably well. That’s the reason they’re popular. The 16’ Heron is for the bigger rivers and lakes in my area.

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#14

Ten years ago I downsized from a 15.5’ Eddyline journey to a 13.5 Hurricane Sojourn. I did lose some speed, but I don’t care at all about speed. I do care about glide, though (distance covered per easy stroke). I gained a tremendous amount of stability and a lot more hatch capacity for camping. Lost about 5 lbs in weight. Much easier to load the shorter, lighter kayak on my vehicle; therefore I use it more often. I saved $1000. For me this was a no-brainer. Very glad I downsized to a better, safer hull design that serves very well for camping.

If a long kayak gets its speed from a hull that is safe only in the hands of an expert in challenging conditions, that is a partial answer to your question. It’s what made me let go of the Journey. I didn’t consider a shorter Eddyline because the philosophy behind the Journey hull was carried throughout the lineup. So it’s not only a question of length, but a company’s general philosophy about what makes a good hull.

#15

Don’t get me going about whitewater boats! LOL I’ve been disgusted for years by the evolution from “kayaks” to “clorox bottles.” Most whitewater paddlers have absolutely zero concept of what the terms “glide” and “hull speed” mean, because 90% of whitewater playboats have zero hull speed—they’re designed to do one thing: spin fast. That’s it. (And to fit in the trunk of even a small sedan.) This evolution to clorox bottle boats paralled the evolution from actually running rivers to the “park and play” mentality.

I was a whitewater slalom racer for years…and there was nothing more fun than paddling UP class 3 rapids (totally possible with some practice and a long, fast boat!) and surfing fast, flat waves that eject every clorox bottle that attempts to get onto it. :smile:

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#16

I agree with the part about most people being more comfortable on bikes. I don’t agree with the danger part—IMO paddling the Inside Passage is no more dangerous than hiking the PCT. Every year people get seriously injured or killed on the PCT—or they just disappear and are never heard from again—we might not hear about it but it happens.

#17

This all makes perfect sense! I do think, though, that there are touring kayaks out there people would find every bit as safe as your Hurrcane Sojourn. The Wilderness Systems Tsunami 165 is a full-on touring/sea kayak capable of the roughest conditions and hauling a ton of gear…and it’s as stable as a jon boat. Super-confidence-inspiring. (But yes, there are some extremely narrow, tippy touring kayaks too.)

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#18

I don’t really know which is statistically more dangerous which is why I said, “perceived or real”. I doubt there is sufficient data to say one way or the other. However, I would be willing to bet most people would believe/perceive that paddling the Inside Passage is more dangerous simply because the environment of the PCT is much more familiar than the environment of the Inside Passage.

#19

The Tsunami line is s great transition boat between recreation boats like the Pungo and the Tempest, and thr Tempest is a great boat to transition from touring to sea kayaking. You and Craig_S describes the difference between the boats under various conditions. Everybody doesn’t need a tippy boat, and experienced kayakers sometimes make kayaking sound too technical and demanding.

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#20

What’s wrong with park and play - do it all the time. Those “clorox bottles” do things you could never do in your long boat.

The section of river that this play hole is on (Tville) about 2.-miles long. You could do a downstream run in around 10-minutes if you wanted to. We usually spend a couple of hours. Sea kayakakers do the same thing playing in rocks. Both are fun, but take different kinds of boats - whats wrong with that.

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