[Paddlewise] Inappropriate For Modern Kayaking

This weekend I volunteered to help out at a local kayaking expo.  There were 4  retailers and several manufacturing representatives at the show as well as a few guides and rental businesses.  I was assigned to work at the sign in for the demo area.   From the conversations I had and several that I overheard I learned a lot about "Modern Kayaking".

1.  Fiberglass is an outdated material that is totally inappropriate for modern kayaking.   Polyethylene and the new "Thermoformed Plastics (ABS/MMA composites)  are the "Modern" choice due to their strength and durability.  Polyethylene is probably the best especially when you factor in durability/price ratio.

2.  Any single kayak over 14 ft is really too long to be useful except in very specialized situations.  The 12ft and 13ft sizes being ideal.   I think proper fit in the back of a pickup bed is the major reason for this, but weight and maneuverability were also mentioned.

3.  A kayak should be stable enough that you can easily stand up in it so that you have a better viewing angle for spotting fish.  Primary stability is what keeps a kayak from turning over.   Secondary stability is some added stability you get when the kayak is moving.

4.  One of the newest special features in kayak outfitting is the deep rear deck indentation that has built in grooves that will accept either a milk crate or a 5-gal bucket for holding gear.  Storage versatility is very important.

5.  Sit-inside kayaks especially when used with sprayskirts are death traps.

6.  If you are interested more in touring (covering some distance) than just fishing you should get a kayak that is propelled by pedal driven flippers.  It seems even Euro and wing paddles are not all they are cracked up to be.

7.  There is some interest in Greenland paddles since they are easier to use for polling the kayak while standing than are the Euro paddles.

I soon realized that my inexperience (only 17 years kayaking) had lead me to make a terrible mistake in purchasing my 20.5" x 17 ft  fiberglass sit-inside kayak.   I thought briefly about taking it over to the "For Sale" area, but it quickly became apparent  that  no one would want to pay more than $200 for a used kayak.  

As you might have guessed there was not a single sit-inside kayak (plastic or fiberglass) in the demo area.  Only one vendor even had a single cockpitted kayak and that was a 13.5 ft model that I would describe as being somewhere between a rec boat and a touring kayak.   For the 2 days I was at the event my kayak was the only touring kayak I saw either at a vendor or with an attendee.  

 Modern Kayaking has many branches.   Although I would not have been happy paddling any of the kayaks on display I talked with lots of people who owned those models and were delighted with them.   For in-shore fishing and touring in the warm shallow protected waters in our area the shorter sit-on tops make a lot of sense.  We have great water access so it is almost never necessary to paddle any distance to get to a desirable destination.  Still it is amazing to me that I can be in an area where kayaking is so popular and still feel like I am involved in some strange fringe sport because my choice of equipment is so different from almost everyone else in the area.  Well, to each his own.

Mark J. Arnold
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