What is recreational paddling? It's casual paddling, in calm water such as ponds, flat water rivers, lakes, protected ocean bays and salt marshes. Many paddlers use recreational kayaks for fishing or photography. It's a perfect way to learn how to kayak.

Recreational kayaks can accommodate from one to three paddlers: single (1), tandem (2) or tri yak (3). They typically:

• have larger cockpit openings to make entry and exiting easier
• are a wider width (or beam) for stability
• usually are less than 12 feet in length making them slower but lighter to lift
• have limited cargo capacity
• are made of rotomolded plastics that keep their cost around $300 - $800 (USD).

Recreational kayaks are the largest segment of the kayak market - why?
Because they're a whole lot of fun!

Click on each type below for more details on each kind ...

Sit-On-Top Kayak  Stable, easy to get in/out of, used for recreational paddling and fishing.

2 Person Kayak - Tandem Kayak  Designed for two paddlers - recreational to sea kayaking.

Inflatable Kayak  Versatile, can be broken down for easy transport or storage.

Folding Kayak  The hull and deck fold in sections for easy transport or storage, very durable.

Light Touring Kayak  Faster, only slightly less stable, ample storage for day trips on protected to more open waters.

Sea Touring Kayak  Versatile, used on exposed coastal waters to protected bays, offers speed and ample storage.

Fishing Kayak  These are outfitted for fishing, anglers can happily reach shallow spots - also see Pedal Kayaks.

Kid Kayak  Sized for kids or smaller paddlers.

Pedal Kayak  Versatile and stable, with a pedal mechanism as an alternate paddling method.

Compare quality and prices of kayaks.

From "Kayak Types", back to Home Page

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