Features of Sea/Touring Kayaks

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Nubian Emporer - 7 years ago

does length affect speed?

sherrikayaks - 7 years ago

Nubian Emporer Yes. Longer boats are faster than shorter boats, although there are several other factors that will affect speed in addition to length, and waterline length, not overall length is the important measurement.

Alex Zones - 7 years ago

Great Video! I have the Carolina, the Perception Conduit 13 and also a 16 foot. All great boats for their individual intended purposes.

Iam free - 8 years ago

Very good video and right on all points. I have a 16ft sea kayak and would not trust any of the other type kayaks on the tidal waters I go on. There are many safety items that will minimize risk. I do go through some choppy waters but the sea kayaks will shoot right through them. Pay more money and buy a much safer and more capable sea kayak version if you plan on getting into kayaking.

FogDog68 - 8 years ago

Thank you Sherri. It's nice to hear great advise from a professional. VERY HELPFUL!

PharmGeek Outdoor Fun - 8 years ago

thanks for the video! I started in the past 2 years doing just day trips with rental sit on top kayaks, and a couple overnight camping trips with sit on tops...now kayak camping is a bug I have...I really did not like the sit on tops for the storage issues, some had dry storage, but mostly I was strapping dry bags and such on the deck...but stability was excellent..

For a novice, how does the stability compare here? I am age 32 and am fit, I am thinking I will do fine.

PharmGeek Outdoor Fun - 8 years ago

Thanks! I have a good friend who is a skilled kayaker and I have already begun a search for a class to take

Zero plans for solo kayaking for now -

I'm not sure how I will manage to get on a used boat in the water - maybe sellers on YouTube will agree to meet at a lake - or I would go to a dealer

sherrikayaks - 8 years ago

+Bhamlunker You should be able to find touring kayaks that will feel just fine for you in terms of stability. There are certainly differences among models, so not all touring/sea kayaks will do. Different people have different degrees of balance, but I really haven't found anyone yet that couldn't paddle a sea kayak as long as we found the right boat fit for them. The longer boats will give you more storage capacity for your gear. You will need to get out and do some test paddling. Depending on where you plan to paddle, it would also be advisable for you to take instruction to learn the wet exit and recovery/rescue skills - especially if you plan to paddle alone.

Conor Buckman - 9 years ago

You can empty a whitewater kayak on the water using an X-rescue technique using another paddler as you should never paddle alone anyway

sherrikayaks - 9 years ago

+Conor Buckman Yes, you can empty a whitewater kayak with the help of another paddler, although it is not an easy procedure for those with limited upper body strength or bad backs, and in whitewater paddling, you are correct that you should never paddle alone due to the unique risks associated with the whitewater environment. In sea kayaking, while it is still advisable to paddle with others, the truth is that many sea kayakers do paddle alone at times. While this is certainly riskier than paddling with other paddlers, it is not as risky as paddling whitewater solo because of the many solo re-entry techniques that are available to a paddler in a sea kayak. Assisted rescues in a sea kayak are also easier because a sea kayak takes on much less water than even a whitewater kayak fitted with float bags making it much less difficult to empty the kayak. If the boat still weighs too much for the rescuer, you can always put the swimmer back in his/her kayak and pump the cockpit out afterward - something that can't be done in whitewater kayaks because of the very low volume inside those kayaks (and most WW boaters do not carry bilge pumps).

david reutz - 11 years ago

Excellent & informative video. Thanks!

thewackeddoctors - 11 years ago

Great video. My goal is to spend 45 days circumnavigating Vancouver Island next august. It will be an adventure of a lifetime.

Fred Martin - 7 years ago

I hope you made the trip. It is beautiful..

sherrikayaks - 12 years ago

Thanks and I'm glad it was helpful for you. I put this video out for people like yourself who are just getting started and need to understand the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the various categories of kayaks.

10. comment for Features of Sea/Touring Kayaks

gamermatt71 - 12 years ago

Thank you for the video. I'm just looking into kayaking and have been doing some initial reading online over the past couple of days. You're the first person that's mentioned that the storage areas in the bow and stern of a touring kayak are more than just storage area's but also allow the kayak to stay afloat if it tips over. Found your video to be informative.

sherrikayaks - 13 years ago

The vector 13 would fall under the recreational category, as far as I'm concerned. As a sit-on-top, it is fairly wide at 29" making it slower and less efficient to paddle than a sea/touring kayak . Sit-on-tops do have the advantage of not filling with water in the event of a capsize making them easier to climb back on (although you still need to practice this skill before you find yourself needing to do it). You will get wet when paddling a sit-on-top which is a disadvantage up north.

sherrikayaks - 13 years ago

It all depends on the cockpit size. There are 14 foot kayaks that will fit you just fine and there are 16+ foot kayaks that you will not be able to squeeze into. The kayaks you need to look at will have more volume and depth in the cockpit area. Manufacturers will usually identify the kayaks that are designed for "larger paddlers". If you're on the ocean or Great Lakes, get a longer kayak. For rivers and inland lakes, a 14-footer will be fine.

sherrikayaks - 13 years ago

You are correct that this particular model of kayak is on the recreational end of the sea/touring category. However, kayaks that have separate bow and stern compartments for flotation, are long enough to have enough buoyancy to support the paddler adequately when doing a self-rescue in deep water, and have a cockpit that is fitted with thigh bracing to allow the paddler to roll are the basic requirements needed to put a kayak in the the sea/touring category (in my opinion).