The Family Boat Shop™
bringing families together on the water

Kayaks

Kayaks (now referred to as sit-in kayaks) are closed and the paddlers sit in cockpits, usually with a waterproof skirt around their waist joining to the edge of the cockpit. These enables them to role upside down and right themselves without leaving the boat or shipping any water. They originate from the skin kayaks used by the Inuit Eskimos.  The paddler(s) sits with their legs straight out in front. Kayaks have one or two seats and are paddled with a double-ended paddle.  The paddle blades may be symmetrical or asymmetrical to maximise water penetration whilst reducing impacts with the side of the kayak. They may also be flat but are more usually curved to give greater forward power at the loss of some backward power.  The blades may be in parallel but are usually offset at an angle so there will be different paddles for left and right handed people.   The paddle is also a defence stick for pushing away from objects and over shallows.  Light-weight and strong are features of the better paddles.

Safety Note: If you capsize your kayak and lose your paddle you will most probably not be able to right it and must exit or seek assistance from another kayaker.  If you keep your paddle but are not wearing a skirt or the skirt has been dislodged by a breaking wave (for example), it will be very hard to right the boat and you will probably have to climb out or fall out.  If you exit a kayak it will fill with water and become unstable making it very hard to climb back in.  If kayaking any distance from dry land, such as at sea, it is therefore essential to be accompanied by at least two other kayaks or a safety boat and to wear an appropriate buoyancy jacket. Kayaking is an "Assumed Risk - Water Contact Sport". You must take all reasonable steps to ensure your safety and the safety of others before getting on the water. For more information please contact the BCU.

The more recent innovation of sit-on-top Kayaks have an open cockpit.  You can fall off them and climb back-on as often as you like.  This together with not having a skirt to hold (trap) you into the boat makes them much safer but not really suitable for white water.  They are great for touring in the sunshine and playing on the beach.

As with most things, kayak designs are a compromise.  The right kayak for any individual will depend on their build and the things they want to do with their boat.  If you get bitten by the kayaking bug it is likely you will end up with a small collection of boats and have particularly fond memories with each.  A good place to start is with a recreational kayak but other types are described below.  Some boats that look exactly like a kayak are called a C1 (1-person closed canoe).  They are  a closed boat with a cockpit in the middle. The difference is that the paddler kneels rather than sits, and uses a single bladed paddle rather than a double. A C1 paddler often uses straps that stretch over the thighs to help hold them in the boat. A C1 paddler also uses a skirt to keep water out of the boat. A C1 paddler can also roll their boat when it flips.

As a general rule, short boats are easier to turn and long boats are easier to keep in a straight line and are also faster because they can be narrower for the same volume.  The tracking of short boats is improved by the addition of a skeg (a fin at the back) and long boats are easier to turn if they have a rudder fitted.  Wider boats are more stable. Narrow boats are less stable but become more stable when they are moving.

Recreational Kayaks

As the name implies these type of boats are usually found at centre’s and club’s, they are an ideal beginners boat and are great fun to learn in, they can be used on flat and moving water up to Grade 3. Examples are Dag Strim Junior & Senior, the Dag Squall and Pelican Pursuit 100 or 116.

Creek Boat Kayaks

A creek boat is a kayak designed for descending steep, narrow, obstruction-ridden creeks. Creek boats are shorter to reduce the chances of pinning. They also have rounded ends to avoid spearing the end of the boat into something that will hold the boat, because in a steep creek it can be very hard to avoid obstacles. They are usually "high volume" boats which keeps them above the water so they can stand the rough water (volume is the amount of space a boat takes up if submerged; the more volume, the more buoyant.  Obviously heavier paddlers also need more volume to stay afloat!). Examples are the Prijon Cross and Creeker, Liquid Logic Little Joe & Hoss or the Dag Alpy.

Play Boat Kayaks

Play Boating is fun but can also be a competition sport where points are awarded for the number of rotations, somersaults and other tricks completed.  There are many play boats on the market. Some are designed to surf well, some to spin on waves, some to make repeated rotations in a hole easier. This variety makes it hard to describe them easily -- the hull shape, the bow and stern volume, everything can be modified to change the capabilities with surfing in mind. The only common denominator is that they are generally designed for serious fun and enjoyment. Examples are the Dag Ska, Scandal and Squall. For those hardened playboater’s the Ska & Scandal is available with a C1 option, so you can have fun with one blade as well as two!

Squirt Boat Kayaks

A squirt boat is a kayak or a C1 that has low volume and is generally very thin from top to bottom. The low volume allows the paddler to force one end or the other under water, which allows the water to spin the boat or cause other neat vertical effects. A squirt kayak is often recognized by the leg-shaped bulges that stick out of the front deck! Squirt boats can also do "mystery moves," which refers to a move done with the boat fully submerged. The most common construction for these is Carbon/Kevlar because it is light and extremely strong. Definitely not recommended for novices!

Polo Kayaks

These are normally specialist kayaks and are not readily available "off the shelf" as each one is custom made to suit the paddler.  Normally made out of Carbon/Kevlar but there are a few plastic versions which can be bought readily such as the Eskimo Gecko, Pyranha RX300 or P&H Revenge.

Slalom Kayaks

Again this is a specialist market and most boats are made to order, there are three different types, K1, C1 & C2 which are used in the UK and for international competitions. Our advise is not to buy a plastic version of a slalom boat.  If you want to compete, save up and buy a Carbon/Kevlar one.

Tandem Kayaks

Almost all whitewater kayaks hold only one person. There is one whitewater kayaks designed for two paddlers, the Topo-Duo from Eskimo. Double the challenge, double the fun! Much harder to roll upright than a single kayak, because the two paddlers need to roll in unison, but great fun. There is a range of touring kayaks on the market such as the Dag Freeland and Pelican Pursuit 140T which is ideal on water up to Grade 1.

Sea Kayaks

As the name implies these are used on the sea and estuaries. These are normally longer in length than a whitewater kayak to cope with the waves and to make the boats more stable cutting through them. For estuaries and calm sheltered beach areas a Pelican Pursuit 100, 116 or 140 with extra buoyancy bags fitted is adequate, but for rougher sea’s and trips a much longer craft is needed in the region of 14’ 6" and above such as the Dag Tiwok, Miwok and for those who want to share the experience a Dag Biwok a tandem 17’ 5" kayak with plenty of storage space in the twin hatches for all your food and gear. All of these boats are equally at home on the lakes and make ideal touring boats.

Inflatable Kayaks

Two long pontoons forming a banana shape with a seat in the middle for the paddler. The paddler is not enclosed, but may be strapped in to some extent, and must use a longer paddle to reach the water. Less threatening to people who feel they will get stuck inside a kayak, more buoyant, and more stable.

Sit-on-Top Kayaks

A sit-on-top is a kayak without a cockpit, having instead an indentation along the top where the paddler sits and puts his legs. Also straps can be used to hold the paddler on. They also requires a longer paddle because the paddler is higher up off the bottom of the boat. Pretty much the same advantages as an inflatable but be prepared to get wet as most are self-draining and have holes in the hull to let the water out.

Uniquely from DAG, comes the the SX range of Cross Kayaks.  These are deep seated sit-in-tops with a central thigh brace.  They are self draining and don't have sprayskirt but if you do fall out they are harder to climb back into. See DAG Kayaks.

Kayak Construction Materials

Originally made of animal skins stretched over a wooden frame, more typical western models were made of canvas over wood. As modern materials and constructions techniques became available, fibreglass and plastics have become common place. The key is to produce a craft that is both light enough to be carried yet rigid enough to hold its shape and strong enough to survive abrasion and impacts with submerged rocks.  It should also resist freezing and UV sunlight.  Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic typically as thermoformed Ram-X (Pelican), Roto-Moulded (Dag) or Blow Moulded HTP.  The polyethylene boats are very good but the high end of the market is currently dominated by composite boats made of resin and fibre such as Glass, Carbon and/or Kevlar.  There are also some very good quality inflatable kayaks discussed separately.