Best Kayak for Beginners: Top Reviews and Quick Guide for 2018
Kayaking can be truly one of the more exciting water activities out there today. But for rookies, that fun is wholly determined if they’re armed with the right information on how to get and gain access on the best kayak for beginners.
As colorful and zestful this equipment may look to the buyers’ eyes, they are also bound to pose some serious challenges for beginners when choosing for the rightful one for their needs. These challenges that are placed on knowing these factors alone are intimidating for starters.
This post is dedicated to make this decision easy for you. I’ve also been in that place when I this kind of search was tasked on me and let me tell, it was one heck of a ride that was! S
o, sit back, relax, and strap on your seatbelt as I now reveal the five best kayak for beginners on the market now and the only buying guide you only need to have in this adventure.
Product Name | Length | Width | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
12 ft | 34 ft | 95 | ||
10 ft | 9 ft | 93/100 | ||
12 ft | 29 in | 97/100 | ||
12 ft | 32.5 in | 97 | ||
10 ft | 36 in | 99/100 |
Best Kayak for Beginners on the Market
Via Amazon.com
Specially developed to accommodate users who don’t kayak alone, the Ocean Kayak 12-Feet. Malibu Sit-On-Top Recreational Kayak will convenience those who are very particular with the vessel’s weight.
It only weighs 57 pounds and comes with carrying handles situated at the kayak’s stern and bow. Also, it is equipped with two well-suited seats carefully crafted for each paddler; a molded seat is also provided to cater to a child or even your pet.
The 12-foot long recreational kayak with a capacity of 375-425 lbs also comes with two Comfort Plus seats along with three molded-in seat wells and gear straps. Users are likewise treated with the proprietary overlapping foot wells, skid plate, and molded-in handles.
Your many hulls can be stacked easily with the product’s hull and deck design.
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Via Amazon.com
Take your buddy to experience redefined durability with Sevylor Colorado 2-Person Fishing Kayak.
This distinctive robustness is all present with the product’s tough nylon cover and thickened tarpaulin bottom – features that will surely drag you to your preferred fishing hole, even if it’s out-of-the-way.
Meanwhile, the product’s multiple air chambers should aid its users to get back to their shores accordingly. Paddling with convenience is something that all beginning kayakers strive to experience.
This can all be attained with this fishing kayak’s much-needed adjustable seats; should users require a swifter movement, they can opt to add the Sevylor trolling motor and get their paddles stored comfortably right in these comfy holders.
Now, if users would usually go for adjusting their poles’ angle, its Berkeley Quick Set Rod Holders should accommodate this hands-free fishing experience.
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Via Amazon.com
Are you and your buddy particularly after for some wild rides? Let the Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 Kayak delight you with its multi-chin hull design. This system should provide you stronger second stability.
Meanwhile, its Phase 3 Air Pro Seating System is specially developed to bring back stability sans limiting stroke. With the kayak’s famed stability also comes extreme comfort with its SlideLock XL foot brace system which allows swift and convenient adjustment for its users’ leg length.
Smaller gears won’t be that hard to reach as this kayak comes with bungee deck rigging and Kayak console.
If you’re gunning for a kayak that mainly provides a great fusion of stability, manageability, comfort, and speed, this is the one for you! Plus, its generous storage capacity is something that is more than an extra over its competitions.
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Via Amazon.com
Easy movement and exiting, you say? The Perception Pescador Pro 12.0 Kayak is the one to beat when it comes to these offerings. This sit-on-top, 12-foot long vessel comes with carry handles that are situated right at the stern and bow.
Its fishing craft is also made of durable plastic and is equipped with a generous storage for all your personal and fishing gears. The stable vessel from Perception Kayak also boasts of all-day comfort and pain-free perks with its two-level seat adjustment and breathable mesh.
Safety is more pronounced and experienced with the product’s leak-proof, one-piece construction along with a built-in buoyancy. The same can be said with its comfortable offerings, from its seat that can be lowered and its ample front and rear open storage.
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Via Amazon.com
Built ideally to cater to those who prefer casual paddling, the Lifetime 10 Foot Manta Tandem Kayak is ultimately both compact and safe. This recreational yak comes with a hull that is specially developed to veer away from capsizing while allowing users to paddle in a straight route more accessibly.
The plastic-made, sit-on-top, 36-inches-wide kayak comes with two seats which are also armed with comfortable backrests. A much-drier ride and greater visibility are expected as its seats are situated slightly elevated on its deck.
Your gears shouldn’t be misplaced as the product is armed with cup holders and bungee cord storage. This vessel is best recommended for those who take on picnics or simply getting out there to enjoy some shores along lakes or waterways.
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A Quick Buying Guide to Choosing the Best Kayak For Beginners
Okay. So, just let me rip this Band-Aid off: this list, like our equipment in discussion, is going to be extensive. But trust me when I also say that these are ultimately for your benefits.
Kayaks are generally on the expensive side so you just don’t to be wasting any money, and more importantly, any time (or even space!) in this journey. Right below are the crucial factors to consider:
1. Stability
Perhaps the most vital offering you have to look for when buying your first kayak is its stability. Capsizing on your first outing along with some of your friends is the last thing you’d like to experience when kayaking.
As such, make certain that your chosen vessel is more than stable enough to carry all the passengers in it and that it should withstand the occasional struggles.
Stability is also related to users’ age and number during its usage. Your age along with the passengers’ age should be determined right before barging inside the kayak. A teenage or a child should be using different kinds of kayak for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, you should also be asking yourself about the number of people who will be in the kayak. If you’d be venturing the lake alone, a kayak with a single seat should suffice. Now, if you intend to use the kayak with someone else more than once, a kayak with multiple seats is ideally preferred.
Generally, if you’d want to have a more stable kayak, go for those which feature both wider and shorter dimensions. Wider kayaks are much easier to navigate especially when it comes to keeping them uprightly. Also, ensure that you consider the hull’s shape when considering this factor.
Two types of stability should be looked into in this respect. First is the primary stability which refers to how stable the kayak is expected to perform when water is flat and calm. Meanwhile, the secondary stability refers to the kayak’s performance when the going on the water gets rough literally and figuratively
2. Durability
When it comes to the kayak’s durableness, you should consider on determining which material is it that is more preferred depending on your needs and the water condition. Today, there are seven known materials from which these vessels can be crafted from.
These include a “framed” fabric, Kevlar, wood, fiberglass, an inflatable plastic, carbon fiber, and hard plastic. Most retailers today sell kayaks that are made of fiberglass or hard plastic. For plastic-made kayaks, expect a heavy offering and a damage-resistant feature.
On the other hand, fiberglass is touted to be the lighter and pricier between the two. If you want to go more expensive and much lighter, kayaks with Kevlar and carbon fiber offerings are the way to go.
More on the expensive side are the “framed” fabric kayaks; they can also be collapsed and are generally light. Now, if your water condition is rapid, it’s suggested that you go for inflatable kayaks. These kayaks allow water to guide you.
3. Other equally paramount considerations
It’s important that you know the general water condition you’re going to tread on when you go kayaking. Is it a calm lake? Are you battling an ocean? Or perhaps a river with a rapid current? Whatever it is, ensure that this water condition is deemed by the locals as “usual” and “natural.”
Are you the type who enjoys sitting inside the kayak’s hull in a lower post? Or do you prefer being seated on top of it? The former preference is known as the “sit in” type; it allows users to store a number of gears while being much drier in its entire run. Also, this kayak type has more control as it has this lowered center of gravity.
Meanwhile, the “sit on” kayaks are for those who prefer to fish while kayaking and for users who intend to get more sun. In a nutshell, go for “sit in” kayaks if your primary purpose is to kayak; “sit on” kayaks, on the other hand, are recommended for those who’d just like to relax with them.
If your route is to simply to go straight to a path, a “tracking” kayak is suggested. Meanwhile, ‘turning” kayaks are preferred if the path you’re going to be treading on comes with varying points. Either way, you have to make certain that you which type of water route and condition you’d be dealing with.
As we’re at tracking and turning, ascertaining how you’re going to use your kayak is vital as well. Do you plan to just relax on a lake while angling? Do you or your friends plan to engage into some wilder activities like Class 4 rapids? As beginners, knowing these is important before finally choosing your very first kayak.
Your kayak’s weight will eventually impress upon you literally. This rings especially true for those who just don’t have the upper strength to carry or drag around kayaks. Also, you’ll also find that hefty kayaks will take time when they’re placed or removed from water.
The Verdict
The Standout: Lifetime 90118 Manta Tandem Kayak
The reasonably-priced, feature-strong, tandem kayak from Lifetime has all what it takes to impress and even wow all the beginners out there.
Easily its most hallmark offering comes from its convenient design across all aspects – from its convenient floating, durability, ergonomics, down to its generous cargo capacity, this one has definitely pulled out all the stops.
Did you like this post? Do you think Lifetime’s entry is worthy of its post? If you have anything to add, share, or ask, please feel free to sound them off in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you soon!
