How long is a single person kayak?

Table of Contents:

1. How long is a single person kayak?
2. What length of kayak do I need?
3. Should I get a 10 or 12 foot kayak?
4. How do you size yourself for a kayak?
5. Which is better sit on or sit in kayak?

How long is a single person kayak?

Recreational class kayaks are less than 12 feet in length and are greater than 24 inches in width. They typically weigh less than 50 pounds and provide excellent stability. Light-touring class kayaks will range in length between 12 and 16 feet long.

What length of kayak do I need?

Length: Longer boats cruise more efficiently and offer lots of storage space for overnight touring gear, while shorter hulls turn more quickly. A few inches in length won't matter much, but two feet or more will be noticeable. Depth: Deeper hulls offer more room for long-legged kayakers, plus a little more storage.

Should I get a 10 or 12 foot kayak?

Many 12-foot kayaks can achieve higher top-end speeds than their 10-foot counterparts. As kayaks get longer they tend to be able to achieve higher top speeds because of their larger length-to-width ratio. This gives you, the paddler, more ability to cover more ground in shorter amounts of time.

How do you size yourself for a kayak?

Ideally, you'll want to slip down into your kayak without having to push your hips past the width of the opening. If you have a wider waist and/or wider hips you'll need a kayak cockpit with probably a 20 inch wide opening or more. Narrower hips will allow you to slip past a kayak cockpits less than 20 inches wide.

Which is better sit on or sit in kayak?

All these features make the sit-on-top kayak a great choice for nervous paddlers, for warm environments and for paddling with kids who love to swim. The downside to sit-on-top kayaks is that you're guaranteed to get wet while paddling, while sit-inside kayaks allow you to stay dry.