WINTER 2021 FISHING & RECREATIONAL KAYAK BUYER’S GUIDE THINGS TO KNOW 10 BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR FIRST KAYAK FEATURING: EDITORIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE 2 BUYING TIPS 3 BUYER’S GUIDE 6 RECREATIONAL KAYAKS 7 TOURING KAYAKS 12 FISHING KAYAKS 13 PEDAL KAYAKS 20 MOTOR KAYAKS 24 ACCESSORIES 26 FEATURED BRANDS 33 KAYAK BUYER’S GUIDE WINTER 2021 1 EDITORIAL EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to our first issue of the Kayak Buyer’s Guide. This guide was designed for both the one who has never touched a paddle to those who are ready to take their competitive fishing game to the next level. Winter is here but there’s no better time to join the wonderful world of recreational kayaking and kayak fishing for various reasons including product availability and giving yourself enough time to rig and fine tune your paddling or pedaling machine for the spring season! This guide offers a no frills easy to read format that utilizes quick read guides and graphs. If you are a beginner, we suggest you start by reading our feature article, “10 Things to Know Before You Buy Your First Kayak” on page 3. Interested in exploring? Check out page 12 for our selection of touring kayaks. And, for our more seasoned paddlers who love kayak fishing and are ready for an upgrade, hop on over to page 16, where we feature some of our more advanced fishing platforms available today. Regardless of what your adventure goals are, we’ve got something for everyone! KAYAK BUYER’S GUIDE WINTER 2021 2 FEATURE THINGS TO KNOW 10 BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR FIRST KAYAK h yes, the excitement of buying your first kayak suddenly comes to a screeching A halt when you realize how complicated it may seem after you Googled “buying my first kayak”. Not to fear, we’ve narrowed some things down to the basics of what you really need to know to get you started. 1. WHAT BUDGET? be as much or more than your kayak. reading, we recommend sit-on-top kay- Be realistic - assuming you already aks if you plan to just enjoy a fun day Sure, you can buy a kayak for $299 but have transportation gear in check, for on the water or if you want to fish. They as with anything else in the magical a brand new quality kayak and all of are easier to get in and out of, are self world of materialism, you get what you your accessories, you can expect to pay draining, offer more accessorizing op- pay for. Set a budget but give it some somewhere between $800 - $1200. tions and accessibility to your gear as wiggle room because you’ll also need long as you don’t mind a bit of splash to consider other expenses such as 2. WHAT TYPE? here and there. Sit-insides do offer some taxes if buying local, shipping if order- advantages over sit-on-tops though, they You may have heard the terms sit-on-top ing on-line, paddle, PFD (life-vest), dry offer better protection from the elements vs sit-inside, simply put, one is a float- bag, safety equipment, fishing accesso- (i.e. paddling in colder waters), typically ing deck that you sit on top of while the ries and something many often forget, perform more efficiently and tend to be other is more like a shoe where you in- transportation gear. If you don’t have lighter than their counterparts. However, sert your legs down to your waist into a truck with a long bed, a car or SUV sit-insides don’t self drain and may feel the cavity of the kayak. We can write an with at least some cross bars or a trail- a bit “closed in” for you claustrophobic entire article on the advantages of one er, you’re going to have to consider the types. See Figure 1. on page 4. over the other but for the sake of short added expense, which can sometimes KAYAK BUYER’S GUIDE WINTER 2021 3 FEATURE THINGS TO KNOW 10 BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR FIRST KAYAK SIT-INSIDE Features an enclosed cockpit SIT-ON-TOP Figure 1. Features an open deck 3. WHAT SIZE? pacity and storage space but are inher- room for gear and wiggle room for un- ently going to be harder to maneuver desirable conditions. A cooler with food, To get sized up, you’ll need to think on the water, transport and store due to drinks and ice combined with your tack- about several things including where their length and may be heavier. le and all of your electronic devices can you typically plan to paddle (lakes, riv- quickly add up. We suggest you take ers, open bays), for how long, what you Width: While this can vary depending your weight, add 10lbs for clothes, hat, will be doing (exploring, fishing, etc.), on a kayak’s hull design, in general, the glasses and shoes and another 50lbs weight requirements, transportation and narrower the kayak the faster it will be for all your gear, especially if you are storage. We broke this into 3 sections: as it will have an easier time “slicing” fishing, and leave an absolute minimum through the water but may be less sta- of 50lbs of wiggle room. Example for Length: In summary, shorter kayaks (9- ble. 32”+ width kayaks may be a tad a person that weighs 200lbs: Capacity 10’) are great for kids, teens and lighter more sluggish also depending on the 350lbs less your weight of 200lbs + 60lbs adults, easier to haul around and store hull design but will provide the best sta- leaves you with about 90lbs of wiggle and offer the best maneuverability for bility. Some kayaks are designed with room. smaller waters and streams but may not fancy pontoon style hulls which provide track as well as longer kayaks. Tracking better stability but may be a bit harder 4. WHAT MATERIAL? is a kayak’s ability to stay in a straight to maneuver. For general recreational line while paddling. Shorter kayaks may and fishing purposes, stick to the 30-32” Most kayaks are made of plastic be- also be limited in capacity and stor- range but if you need additional capac- cause it is durable, somewhat easier to age. Mid-range kayaks (11-12 foot) are ity, have a desire to stand often to pad- repair (if you know what you are doing), the best option for the average adult dle or cast your fishing line, push it to and is the most cost effective. Some kay- paddler providing a good balance of 32”-34”. aks are made of composite materials maneuverability, tracking, capacity and such as fiberglass which has some ad- storage and best suited for most waters. Capacity: Keep in mind advertised ca- vantages but tends to be more expen- Kayaks longer than 12 feet are great for pacity includes you and all your gear sive, may damage easier and can be long distance paddling on bigger open on calm waters with mild weather. If a bit more difficult to repair. If general waters providing the best tracking, ef- the capacity of a kayak is 350lbs and recreation and fishing is your thing, just ficient straight line paddling, more ca- you weigh 250lbs, you don’t have much stick to plastic. KAYAK BUYER’S GUIDE WINTER 2021 4 FEATURE THINGS TO KNOW 10 BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR FIRST KAYAK 5. WHAT SEAT? mount on or into your kayak that keeps for your fishing tackle, cooler and other your rod securely in place. Many kayaks items you may need to access quickly In years past, almost all kayaks came these days already come with a couple and often. Regardless of how you store with a black foam padded seat that lay of flush mounted rod holders but a few your gear, we recommend you utilize dry in the cockpit area. These days you’ll other things to consider are a cooler bags to keep your valuables dry and a find that more kayaks are coming stan- to keep your fish fresh (if you plan to crate bag for organization if you plan dard with suspended “lawn chair” style keep them), a set of fish grips, an an- to fish. seats that are adjustable with high back chor to keep your kayak positioned in support, which are more comfortable windy conditions and a storage crate for and will keep you dry. Try to stretch your your tackle. Hundreds of kayak fishing budget for a kayak that offers this type accessories exist but take it easy your of seat even if this is your first one, you’ll first time out, keep it simple with a few appreciate it in the long run. essential items and eventually, you can customize your rig based on your needs 6. WHAT PADDLE? and fishing style. This is a question that comes up often 8. WHAT ABOUT SAFETY? and can get pretty technical based on your height, arm length, kayak width This should have been number one. and sitting position. We always recom- Kayaking is one of the safest sports out mend you visit your local dealer to size there but it’s up to you to keep it that 10. WHAT ABOUT CARE? you up correctly but if you are ordering way. In most states, it is law for you to on-line, a good rule of thumb is if you have a PFD and whistle with you at all Kayaks are highly durable and with are between 5’-6’ tall and your kayak is times but it only helps if you actually proper care will last for decades.