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The kayak aisle is forty boats that look alike. The questions that choose between them aren’t on any of the boxes, so here they are.
Three questions
- Where will you paddle? A lake or slow river wants stability and a short, light boat. A bay or beach wants a hull that handles chop and drains itself. Cold water, spring and fall, wants a sit-inside and a pump.
- How will you carry it? One person lifts about 45 pounds onto a roof. Two people lift 80. A closet and a trunk mean an inflatable.
- Who’s coming? Solo, a partner, a child, a dog. A tandem is one boat and two people at the rack; two singles are two purchases and no arguments.
The four kinds
Sit-on-top. You sit above the waterline on a sealed hull with drain holes. Pelican’s own guide says most newcomers feel more secure in one, it’s easier to climb back on after a capsize, and the drawback is the lack of dry storage. You will get wet. The beginner default for lakes, bays, beaches and fishing.
Sit-inside. You sit below the waterline in a cockpit. Pelican again: that makes the boat faster and easier to paddle. It’s drier and warmer, and a swamped cockpit needs a pump and a practised re-entry. The boat for cool weather and longer paddles.
Inflatable. Twenty-five to fifty pounds in a bag. The cheap ones (Intex) are low-pressure PVC that flex and wander in wind; the ribbed ones (Advanced Elements) hold a keel line and track like a hard boat. All of them take time to dry.
Tandem. Twelve to fourteen feet, 75 to 80 pounds, two seats and often a centre position for paddling it alone. Capacity 450 to 550 lb.
Sit-on-top, 9.5 ft, with a real seat
Perception Tribe 9.5
Perception Tribe 9.5
A US-made recreational sit-on-top with a high-back frame seat that reclines, a rear tankwell, and a hull that handles lakes, slow rivers and light surf.
- Length × width
- 113 × 31.5 in
- Weight
- 48.5 lb
- Capacity
- 300 lb
- Seat
- High-back frame seat, reclining
- Storage
- Rear tankwell with tie-downs
- Paddle
- Not included
- Made in
- USA
Suits: Someone who sat in a budget boat and hated the seat; coastal and bay beginners.
Weigh: No hatch, and heavier than the Pelican at 48.5 lb (Amazon says 46; Perception says 48.5). Stock on the listing was thin on the check date.
The numbers on the sticker
Length and width. Longer is faster and tracks straighter; wider is steadier and slower. Pelican puts it plainly: shorter boats are broader to make up the surface area, which makes them a little harder to paddle, and at ten feet the hull can narrow and still float you. Ten feet is the sweet spot for a first boat; eight feet is for small paddlers and small cars.
Weight. The number that decides whether you go paddling on a Tuesday evening. Pelican’s Ram-X boats run 36 to 57 lb; Lifetime and Old Town 50 to 78. Over 50 lb, plan on a cart or a partner.
Capacity. The most the hull will float: you, your gear, and the boat itself. Eddyline, one of the few makers to say so, puts the comfortable load at about 60 to 70 percent of the maximum. A 275 lb boat suits a 190 lb paddler with a bag, not a 250 lb paddler with a cooler. Pelican and Old Town publish only the maximum.
Hull material. Rotomolded or blow-molded polyethylene is what every hard boat here is; Pelican’s Ram-X is a multi-layer thermoformed version with a UV layer that flexes instead of denting. Inflatables are PVC; the better ones add a drop-stitch floor. All of it hates a summer of sun on the lawn; store it in the shade.
Six situations, one boat each
| You | Kind | Boat |
|---|---|---|
| A lake, loading alone | Light sit-on-top | Pelican Sentinel 100X, 44 lb |
| The beach or a bay | Surf sit-on-top | Ocean Kayak Malibu 9.5 |
| Staying dry, cool weather | Sit-inside | Pelican Argo 100X EXO, 36 lb |
| No garage | Inflatable | Intex Excursion Pro, or the AdvancedFrame |
| Fishing | Fishing sit-on-top | Pelican Catch Classic 100 |
| Two plus a kid | Tandem | Perception Rambler 13.5 T |
Sit-inside, 10 ft, 36 lb
Pelican Argo 100X EXO
Pelican Argo 100X EXO
The lightest ten-foot sit-inside here at 36 pounds: a twin-arched hull that feels planted, a padded adjustable backrest, a front hatch, and a 17-litre cooler compartment strapped in the rear well.
- Length × width
- 120 × 28 in
- Weight
- 36 lb
- Capacity
- 275 lb
- Hull
- Ram-X polyethylene, twin-arched multi-chine
- Seat
- Ergobreeze padded, adjustable backrest; molded footrests
- Storage
- Front hatch; ExoChill 17 L compartment
- Paddle
- Not included
Suits: Small and medium paddlers who car-top alone and want to stay dry.
Weigh: 275 lb capacity and molded footrests. The plain Argo 100X ships in one to two months on Amazon; this EXO version ships in days.
What every boat needs
A paddle sized to you and the boat (the chart), a life jacket cut for a kayak seat (and the rule), a whistle, and a way onto the car (the car guide). Then the first launch.
Every boat above is on the kayaks page.
