The Quest for a Kayak

Last summer there was a fit of kayak purchasing going around. I know at least six people who got into new kayaks in '06. One of the purchases was a needed upgrade, one was a not so needed upgrade, one was to replace a lost friend. One went badly, one is still in process. One was an attempt to find the right fit. I'm sure that there were other purchases and that each had its own rationale.
How does one know when to buy a new kayak? How does one choose the right one from the myriad of choices?
When to buy is the easy question to answer. You'll know when it is time to buy a new kayak. The one you are using will break, stop fitting you the way it should, get to heavy, or get stolen. You may just get tired of the old kayak. Your paddling needs may change. Maybe you've just got the money and your not sure if you will have it later. You'll know when its time to buy.
Knowing what to buy is always the tricky part. There are hundreds of kayak models on the market. Even if you limit your quest to strictly "sea kayaks" there are more choices than you face at the Starbuck's counter. They all look pretty similar. The difference in handling is a matter of feel. Ask 10 kayakers and you'll get twenty opinions about which kayak is the right one.
Before you go shopping you should ask yourself a few questions:

1. How much do you want to spend?
   A new kayak can run anywhere from $1200-$5000 dollars. Knowing your price range can narrow the field. For under $2000 you can get a new plastic kayak or a used fibreglass kayak, so there is no reason to think that you must spend a ton of money.


2. What is your skill level? Realistically?
   The skill levels that manufacturers place on their kayaks are usually crap. However, they do point out a truism. Some kayaks are more forgiving than others. Some feel more stable than others. Typically, more forgiving and more stable mean less maneuverable. Everything about kayak design involves trade offs.


3. What types of kayaking are you planning on using the kayak for?
   Kayaks are specialty vehicles. While you can camp out of a kayak that is built for dancing around rock gardens for a day tour, it is not always fun. Expedition kayaks can be dragged through rock gardens, but would you enjoy trying to race a Winnebago on a Grand Prix track? Everything about kayak design involves trade offs. Long kayaks go fast in a straight line, but are hard to turn. Short kayaks turn nicely, but are slower and don't always track well.


4. How much can you lift over your head comfortably?
   At some point you will need to get the kayak on or off the roof of your car. Kayaks can be as light as 3 pounds. There are also systems out there that make the chore of getting the kayak on the car easier, but they cost money that should be factored into the price of the new kayak.

H tried out kayaks for months. The kayaks she tried were a little too big, a little too tippy, a little too slow, a little too stable.... Until she settled on the Capella 161 which is near to perfect for her.
I too tried out a number of kayaks before getting the Q. I tried a Nordkapp, a Greenlander Pro, an Explorer, a Bayiha, the Q, and several others. I wanted something more "high-performance" than the Endeavor. The new kayak needed to be a platform for me to "go to the next level." These are not the criteria to take into a kayak store. They are wispy slogans with the illumination of wet match. I needed to figure out what I really wanted before I could even begin to evaluate.
As it turned out, I wanted something that could maneuver nimbly in both calm and rough water. I didn't, however, want to sacrifice too much speed. Armed with real criteria I was ready to really shop.
Each kayak I tried out was a champ at certain things and in many cases the differences were negligible.

• The Explorer is the most sought after kayak for a reason. It was more nimble than the Endeavor, had plenty of speed, and is good in rough water.
• The Nordkapp has many of the same characteristics, but is a little less stable and a little less nimble.
• The Greenlander Pro was a rocket ship and I could get it too play around with ease in flat water.
• The Q was incredibly nimble even in less than perfect conditions, had decent speed, but tended to weather cock. It also has limited space for expeditioning.
• The Bahiya was, for me, not even a real contender. It had no stability for someone of my build and skills. In a straight line, on calmish water, it was a rocket. Turning it required a decent amount of lean and I usually ended up eating sea weed.

Using my criteria as a guide, the Q was the best choice. It did what I wanted it to do, with aplomb, was appropriate for my skills, fit my price range, and I could lift it onto the car.
Even knowing what I wanted, getting the right kayak involved a touch of luck. The mill pond you try the kayak out in is not the ocean you will paddle it in....