To make it easier for you, we've organized our complete line of kayak models into distinct categories based on how they function on the water and their intended use, but if you have any trouble locating what you are looking for, please contact us directly and speak to one of our experienced staff members so we can discuss the ideal craft for your requirements.

The first consideration in choosing your kayak is to determine what type of kayaker you are. It's getting very common for paddlers to own several types of boats to accommodate a variety of paddling environments. But for now, let's get you started on choosing your first boat.

First you need to determine what type of paddling you will be doing. Some like to spend an entire week kayak touring, while others like the lazy rivers; others like to hit the faster rivers or surf, or you might prefer estuary and bay exploration and fishing. Most recreational kayaks are versatile enough to efficiently move through a variety of types of conditions efficiently (by efficiency we mean a boat that paddles easily with your power and skills). You also need to determine how many passengers are going to be in your boat. Are you paddling solo or with a partner? Do you have small children you want to take along? These are all considerations when shopping for the right craft and you will need to consider kayak designs and features to accommodate your specific situation.

Okay, let’s get started. Ask yourself the following questions to decide what type of kayaker you are and determine what type of kayak to purchase.

• Will you paddle rivers, lakes or estuaries?
• Would you prefer bay paddling and sheltered costal exploration?
• Would you prefer open sea and exposed coastal paddling?
• Are you into competition, or multisport racing?
• Would you prefer whitewater of surf fun?
• Will you paddle short day trips or do you prefer extended kayak touring?
• Who will be your paddling partners?
  

There are many kayak models to choose from and they all offer their own advantages for different types of paddling.

Suitable for all waters including open water and exposed crossings.

Modern sea kayaks come in a wide array of materials, designs, and sizes to suit a variety of intended uses. Don’t let this term fool you, owning one of these designs doesn’t mean that each trip has to be weeks in the wilderness or in rough seas. Although if you have the skills and you’re wishing to be more adventurous, these are certainly the kayaks up to the task.

Sea kayaks as a class are distinct from other boats offering a bias towards straight tracking and efficient hull form that is very useful if you want to undertake long distance days or more exposed open crossings. These properties are achieved through a relatively longer waterline length and reduced rocker. The compromise is slightly reduced maneuverability when the kayak is held flat but this is compensated for by good edging characteristics that will be appreciated by the more experienced kayaker. Sea kayaks may also have rudders or skegs (also for enhanced straight-line tracking), and such features as upturned bow or stern profiles for wave shedding.

Modern sea kayaks often have two or more internal bulkheads to provide watertight internal below-deck storage sections for flotation in rescue situations and waterproof storage for longer expeditions. The specifications and provisions of the deck fitout are also geared towards the enthusiast, who may need additional safety features for use in adverse conditions.

The sea kayak, though descended directly from traditional designs and types, is implemented in a wide variety of materials, and with many distinct design choices. The areas to consider are length, width, tracking, stability, cargo capacity, size of the cockpit, hull design, intended use.

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The most obvious difference with the recreational/touring kayaks are that they are shorter than those in the other categories, making them easier to handle, both on and off the water, the emphasis of design being comfort and ease of use.

Most recreational/touring kayaks are relatively short generally less than 4.5m in length (singles), have larger cockpits for easy entry and exit with integrated thigh braces for enhanced bracing and control. They have wider cross-section shapes and are optimized to maximize initial stability with strong stern profiles ensure positive tracking. These features make recreational/touring kayaks the most popular category for new kayakers. Recreational/touring kayaks are also preferred by many people who will use their kayak as a platform for other activities such as fishing, exploration or bird watching.

Comfort is boosted by a backrest that is higher and more supportive than in the sea kayak ranges, providing comfort over long periods of time in the more relaxed, fun and less dynamic environment of recreational / touring paddling. Many recreational/touring kayaks have a foot operated rudder to assist with straight tracking in high wind or choppy conditions.

Many of the larger recreational/touring kayaks have a dry storage compartment in the rear of the kayak making them suitable for packing enough gear for an overnight or day trip. This sealed dry storage compartment also gives an extra measure of safety in case of capsize making the boats better suited to larger bodies of calm water or sheltered coastal or bay paddling.

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Sit-on-top kayaks are particularly popular for fishing, surfing, touring and diving, since participants need to easily enter and exit the water, change seating positions, and access hatches and storage wells.

Sit on tops have similar hull shapes to their traditional counterparts, but instead of sitting inside the kayak, you sit in a molded-in depression on top. Ordinarily the seat of a sit-on-top is slightly above water level, so the center of gravity for the paddler is higher than in a traditional kayak. To compensate for the center of gravity, a sit-on-top is often wider than a traditional kayak of the same length, and is considered marginally slower as a result.

Some sit on top designs are considered specialty boats, but most sit-on-tops are built for multiple purposes and with recreational or beginning paddlers in mind. The sealed-hull, unsinkable nature of these craft makes them ideal for leisure use, sea kayaking, or for surf conditions. Water that enters the cockpit drains out through scupper holes – holes that run from the cockpit through the bottom of the hull.

Sit-on-tops have many advantages over sit-insides, one of which is comfort. Paddlers with large body types, long legs, or limited flexibility feel less confined paddling a sit-on-top. One of the biggest benefits, though, is the self-rescue. Because sit-on-tops have an open deck rather than an enclosed one, there is no risk of being trapped in the boat if it tips over and no need to practice rolls or wet exits. That really appeals to new paddlers, and people who don’t plan to take their kayaks out on expeditions.

Increasingly, manufacturers are building advanced sit-on-tops, often with adjustable foot operated rudder systems for exceptional rough water directional control, increased storage capacity for longer distance touring. Other models include features like molded tank wells or fishing specific outfitting to accommodate the extra equipment required for diving or spear fishing situation including dive gear and tanks or for use as a fishing platform.

Popular additional fittings often include a seat/backrest to provide a comfortable seating position and back support and thigh braces for stability and to allow for use in rougher conditions and surf and to increased power for longer distance paddling situations.

Sit-on-top kayaks usually come in single and double (two paddler) designs, although a few models can accommodate three paddlers.

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Fishing kayaks boldly go where bigger boats can’t: kelp beds, reefs and bombies, mangrove shallows, lakes and rivers, coastal cliff-line with inaccessible shores. All the places the fish are just waiting for you to silently paddle to and land your prizewinner. In recent years sport fishing from kayaks has become popular in both fresh and salt water, especially in warmer regions.

Fishing kayaks are similar in design to recreational sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks, but since fishing requires a higher degree of lateral stability fishing kayaks are usually wider and more supportive than standard kayak designs and obviously have the additional outfitting to allow for comfortable safe and effective fishing in a wide range of conditions.

Modern fishing kayak designs allow for sleek efficient paddling to and from you intended location. Some sit on top models incorporate molded sponson like support set higher in the kayak profile that is there for support when the kayak is leaned in large swell or if you truly land the big one!

Fishermen are notorious for adding and customizing their craft to suit their needs, often outfitting their fishing kayaks with integrated rod holders, GPS, electronic fish finders, trolling motors, fish tanks, electric bait buckets, solar panels and other accessories specific to the intended environment and species they intend to peruse. Most of our kayak models, with a little creativity can be customized to be used for fishing, be we have selected a few of the most popular models that we believe will suit your specific fishing requirements.

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Inflatable kayaks usually can be transported easily by hand using a carry bag. They are made of durable 15 or 20 ounce double ripstop PVC or alternatively nylon and Kevlar knitted fabrics. They can be inflated with foot, hand or electric pumps withing a couple of minutes.

Each model has an exterior heavy duty fabric to allow for the rigors of day to day use and a bladder internally to allow for easy repair if required. Multiple inflation compartments are incorporated in all models ensuring on water safety. They generally use low pressure air, almost always below 3 psi. Until recently, inflatable kayaks have been non-rigid boats, best suited for use on advanced rivers and calm bay conditions. However, recently some manufacturers have combined folding kayak design principles (notably the use of an internal frame) with sit-on-top kayak hull design using multiple inflatable sections externaly to create the deck, reduce weight and for ease of transport producing a seaworthy inflatable sea kayak.

Besides being portable and light weight, inflatable kayaks generally are stable and easy to master, undoubtedly the biggest benefits and the reasons for most inflatable or hybrid purchases are the portability, compact storage size and light weight nature of the designs.

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Racing/multisport kayaks are generally made out of very lightweight materials. They are narrower than all other kayak designs. They require a good level of expertise to paddle well, but are extremely fast in the hands of proficient users.

These models are designed for competition racing but can be utilized for recreational training and fitness pursuits. The racing/multisport kayak is typically very long and narrow to reduce overall wetted surface area and therefore drag which equates to an increase in speed through the water. Due to their length racing kayaks maintain excellent tracking but do come equipped with a rudder to help with turning and to allow for small corrections whilst underway. The rudder is controlled by the feet of the paddler.

Multisport kayak models are a highly specialized variant of flat water racing kayak these designs incorporate an enclosed cockpit and similar design features to the sea kayak range yet are much narrower with a longer waterline length and therefore a significant increase in speed. These models require some balance and paddling skill to opperate effectively in open water situation but in the hands of a proficient paddler are typically race winners.

Multisport kayaks were originally created for multisport racing events such as the Hawkesbury Classic various adventure racing competions and other specific events. They have become very popular in Australia for both ocean races, lake races, downriver races and even for high end recreational training and fitness pursuits.

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If you want to take on fast moving rivers with large rapids, you are going to need a whitewater kayak.
Whitewater kayaks are generally made out of rigid, high impact plastic; usually polyethylene. They are shorter than other types of kayaks. Modern design has moved toward shorter boats, which make them very maneuverable (playful) but slower over long distances, however, whitewater boats do not need inherent speed, because they move downriver with current.

Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, and can range from a fun, carefree, float trip to a challenging, adrenaline-filled sport. Rivers are classified due to difficulty into an International Scale of River Difficulty, with Class/Grade I, being a flat slightly moving river, too Class/Grade VI considered the limit of possibility.

The kayak (or just ’boat’) used in whitewater kayaking are typically made of a tough plastic that is slightly flexible and very durable. Boats can range in size from barely long enough to hold the paddler to longer high volume models applicable to river running or creeking.

There are four ’sub-categories’ in whitewater kayaking: river-running, creeking (hucking), playboating (freestyle) and surfing:

River Running can be thought of as a tour down a river, to enjoy the scenery as well as experiencing challenging whitewater. River running includes short day trips as well as longer multi-day trips. Multi-day kayak trips often entail the use of gear-toting rafts to allow a more comfortable experience without a heavily-laden kayak.

Creeking (Hucking) is perhaps best thought of as a subcategory of River Running, involving very technical and difficult rapids, typically in the class IV to VI range. While people will differ on the definition, creeking generally involves higher gradient, and is likely to include running ledges, slides, and waterfalls on relatively small and tight rivers, though some will allow for very large and big volume rivers in their definition. Kayaks used for creeking usually have higher volume (more gallons of displacement) and more rounded bow and stern, as these features provide an extra margin of safety against the likelihood of pinning, and will resurface more quickly and controlled when coming off larger drops.

Playboating (Freestyle) is perhaps more a gymnastic and artistic kind of kayaking. While the other varieties of kayaking generally involve going from Point A to Point B, playboaters often stay in one spot in the river (usually in a hole, pourover or on a wave) where they work with and against the dynamic forces of the river to perform a variety of maneuvers. These can include surfing, spinning, and various vertical moves (cartwheels, loops, blunts, and many others), spinning the boat on all possible axes of rotation. More recently, aerial moves have become accessible, where paddlers perform tricks having gained air from using the speed and bounce of the wave. Kayaks used for playboating generally have relatively low volume in the bow and stern, allowing the paddler to submerge the ends of the kayak with relative ease. Competitions for playboating or freestyle are sometimes called whitewater rodeo, but more frequently just referred to as freestyle in Europe.

Surf Kayaking uses kayaks that are similar in design to whitewater kayaks, except they have a plaining hull (flat side to side) and incorperate sharper rails or edges to carve into a wave face and allow for quick changes in direction. The planing hull described allowes the paddler to increase both plaining speed while on a wave and to provide faster takeoff speed for catching waves. Combining these features creates performance similar to that of a surfboard. These models are lighter weight and are tipically constructefd from fibreglass or Kevlar. 

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Now you know the basic kayak designs to consider during your first kayak purchase. You have to remember that the kayak designs mentioned are only a general outline of kayak designs. You now need to select a size and design to suit you specific needs.

Most first kayak purchase decisions are based on price. Please consider the design aspect in this choice as well, as this craft will be with you for an extended period and its crucial that it suits your paddling needs both now and into the future. When shopping for your boat contact our knowledgeable staff, ask questions and if you are unsure try before you buy. We highly recommend testing relevant models because you'll be amazed at the differences in ease of paddling, tracking, maneuvering, and stability between the different models.

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