Touring kayaks have over thousand old history—Alaskans, Siberians, and other people from cooler climates have been using skin-on-frame type of kayaks to get the necessary protein from nature to cover their daily diet needs.
The modern skin-on-frame kayaks were starting to develop in the early 19th century, from contributors like Alfred Heirich, Johannes Klepper, and Walter Hon. The most significant contributor to the modern style kayak for commercial use was Frank Goodman, where he launched the Kayak Annas Cuta in 1974, a fiberglass sea kayak vaulted in the front area which quickly rose in popularity among passionate nature explorers.
Over the last few decades, many companies have entered the market of kayak manufacturing and there are thousands of fans worldwide using kayaks for their exploration hobbies.
Now when it comes to choosing appropriate kayaks, there are many different factors that come into play based on:
–The type of a kayak (sit-on-top kayaks vs sit-inside “Greenland” with hard chines or “Northwestern” kayaks with soft chines).
–The level of stability. Some kayaks for example with softer chines are considered to be higher in main stability and lower in secondary stability whereas those with hard chines have lower initial stability and higher secondary stability among the hulk.
–The matter of speed vs flexibility. As a general rule of thumb, lengthier and slimmer kayaks are speedier but less flexible whereas shorter and wider kayaks are slower but more flexible as they are able to maneuver more easily than their more lengthy counterparts.
Now the question is? How do I choose the best for me? It depends on what you are looking for and where or how you are going to use it. For example, for sailing on calm waters, a kayak with higher initial stability is a good option for most kayakers whereas for wavy or wilder waters, a kayak with higher secondary stability is needed.
For padding on short distances during the day, a tour kayak designed for more flexibility would be the best option whereas for longer instances when you’d like to explore deeper areas and not just the shorelines, you will need a kayak that favors speed over flexibility.
Low-to-medium volume kayaks are chosen by most for simple amateur daily explorations whereas higher volume tour kayaks are chosen for competitions or longer expeditions.
Here are some good options:
–Wilderness systems tempest kayak 170. A heavy-duty kayak made from polyethylene, with a “British style” design that shares common characteristics from previous Greenland kayaks like for example a low volume stern and a slightly low rear cockpit rim. The chines are on the soft side and a shallow V-hull which is something in between a hard chined kayak and a kayak with soft chines.
This kayak was awarded as a “Best Day and Weekend Touring Kayak” from Sea Kayakers magazine reader’s choice award, proving its efficiency in most daily touring kayak conditions. The only downside is that for some paddlers, the initial stability for calmer waters shorter distances could be a bit higher.
Price: $1635
–Necky Shatam. A fiberglass touring kayak which stands out from the rest, due to its unique design that borrows some British and Greenland elements. The kayak has a low volume stern and low rear cockpit for most daily explorations and has soft and high chines. The low decks are there to control wind attacks and for this reason, it makes a great option for surf areas and rock gardens where wind may be present.
Price: $ 3299.99—4449.99