The Pescador Pilot 12.0 sit-on-top kayak uses a pedal drive for hands-free propulsion.
Kayaking is one of the simplest and safest outdoor recreational activities. Just about anyone can jump aboard, grab a double-bladed paddle, and start exploring. A few years ago, most kayaks were general-purpose boats. Today, there are a variety of specialized designs for different applications. We’ll walk you through what to consider and help you make the right choice.
What to Consider When Shopping for a Kayak
- What Type of Paddling You Do
- Will You Kayak Alone or With a Partner?
- Rigid or Inflatable?
- Sit-Inside or Sit-On-Top?
- FAQs
What Type of Paddling Do You Do?
- Where will you kayak — calm ponds, lakes, rivers, or open water with wind and waves?
- What distance will you travel — short outings, long day trips, or multi-day touring with camping gear?
- What is your experience level and skill?
Here are the main kayak styles and their applications:
General Recreation
Recreational kayaks are made for all-around casual use on calm lakes, slow-moving rivers, and flat-water bays. Most are 10’–12’ in length — shorter, beamier, and flat-bottomed compared to touring kayaks. They turn easily and have high initial stability, but don’t hold a straight course as effortlessly as longer boats. Large cockpits provide easy entry and exit. Most recreational kayaks do not include a skeg or rudder. For new paddlers, a recreational kayak is almost always the right starting point.
Touring and Cruising
Longer, narrower kayaks go faster once up to speed and track in a straight line much more effectively. Touring kayaks are designed for weekend trips and extended voyages, with smaller cockpits, internal storage compartments, and waterproof bulkheads with hatches. High-end touring kayaks are made from fiberglass — sometimes with aramid or carbon fiber reinforcement — and run 17’ for a single up to 22’ for a tandem. Multi-week voyages in near-offshore conditions are possible with top-end touring kayaks, sometimes called sea kayaks. Many have a rudder connected to foot pedals to improve steering.
A fishing sit-on-top loaded with rod holders, fishfinder, and tackle storage (accessories sold separately).
Fishing or Diving
Purpose-built fishing kayaks include baitwells, fishfinder mounts, transducer scuppers, tackle storage, and rod holders. Pelican’s Catch series and the Pescador Pro are well-known examples. The large number of kayak fishing accessories from companies like Scotty make it easy to customize almost any sit-on-top for angling.
Pedal Drive Kayaks
Pedal drive kayaks use foot-powered fins or propellers to move through the water, freeing both hands for fishing, photography, or simply resting. They are significantly faster than paddle kayaks over distance and require less upper body effort — a meaningful advantage on longer outings or for paddlers with shoulder or arm limitations. Pedal drives add weight and cost compared to paddle-only kayaks, and the drive mechanism requires clearance depth to operate, making some shallow-water areas inaccessible. Major pedal drive manufacturers include Pelican, Old Town, and Hobie.
Whitewater and Surf
Whitewater kayaks are short with planing hulls and significant rocker (raised bow and stern) for maneuverability and wave handling. Waveskis are a short sit-on-top style specifically designed for surf use — easy to reboard after a wipeout. These are specialized boats for specific environments and are not suitable as general recreational or touring kayaks.
Will You Kayak Alone or With a Partner?
A tandem kayak is fun to paddle with a partner and less expensive than two singles, but is difficult to paddle solo — it requires sitting in the rear cockpit and ballasting the bow. Tandems are faster than singles because two paddlers power one hull. They work well for paddlers of different strengths who might not keep the same pace in separate boats.
Keep weight capacity in mind when selecting a tandem. Overloading causes the kayak to sit lower in the water, reducing stability and increasing capsize risk. Your combined weight of paddlers and gear should not exceed 70–75% of the rated capacity.
Do You Want a Rigid Kayak or an Inflatable?
Storage and Transportation
The main trade-off is between performance and portability. A rigid 13’ kayak requires that much storage space wherever it lives. Wall-mounted cradles, ceiling hoist systems (the Attwood Kayak Hoist and Harken Hoister are popular options), and yard storage all work for rigid kayaks. Transport is typically on a cartop kayak rack — either factory roof crossbars, aftermarket systems from Yakima and others, or soft foam pad carriers that work on any car. Always secure the kayak with bow and stern lines tied to the vehicle’s bumpers in addition to the rack straps.
Rigid kayak hull materials:
- Rotationally-molded polyethylene: Most popular. Least expensive, very durable, heavier than other materials.
- Thermoformed ABS plastic: Lighter and stiffer than polyethylene at a higher price point.
- Fiberglass composite (sometimes with aramid or carbon fiber): Very light, extremely stiff, lively feel. More fragile and expensive than plastic — treat with care.
Advanced Elements’ Scout tandem inflatable kayak.
Inflatable Kayaks
Portability is the primary advantage. Most inflatables fall into the basic recreational category, but the Advanced Frame models like the Advanced Elements Scout offer higher performance. The Scout’s design is a hybrid of folding and inflatable kayak, with aluminum frames that add rigidity to the bow and stern. Due to their length and construction quality, these kayaks offer performance approaching hardshells while being easy to set up and compact to stow — the deflated boat fits in a backpack. Portability makes inflatables an excellent choice for boaters who want a kayak aboard a larger vessel, apartment dwellers without garage storage, and travelers.
Do You Want a Sit-Inside or Sit-On-Top Kayak?
Sit-Inside Kayaks
Best for colder conditions. A spray skirt seals your lower body inside the cockpit, keeping you drier and warmer. Your center of gravity is lower — sitting below the waterline provides greater secondary stability, better lower-body bracing, and a more connected feel in rough water. Sit-inside kayaks are a better choice when you want a capable travel vehicle rather than a casual platform.
The trade-off is capsize recovery. You must know how to perform an Eskimo roll to right the kayak underwater, and how to disengage from the spray skirt if you need to wet-exit. You’ll also need to bail or pump out a flooded cockpit after a capsize. These skills take practice and are essential before paddling in challenging conditions.
Sit-On-Top Kayaks
The most popular style for warm-weather paddling, fishing, swimming, and diving. The floor is above the waterline and fitted with scuppers — holes that drain water from the deck automatically. Sit-on-tops are hard to capsize and, if you do flip, self-rescue is straightforward: climb back on as you would a surfboard. No spray skirt, no bailing, no roll required.
The trade-offs are width, weight (typically 45–75 lbs.), and speed. The higher center of gravity makes them feel tippier than sit-inside kayaks, though the tri-form hull found on most sit-on-tops — a center keel for tracking flanked by two wider “shoulders” for secondary stability — compensates well. Expect to get wet. Wear a swimsuit or wetsuit depending on water and air temperature, since you are fully exposed to wind and spray.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a sit-inside and a sit-on-top kayak?
A sit-inside kayak has an enclosed cockpit where your lower body is inside the hull, providing more protection in cold or rough conditions and a lower center of gravity for better secondary stability. A sit-on-top has an open deck you sit on top of, with self-draining scuppers in the floor. Sit-on-tops are easier to get on and off, require no recovery skills after a capsize, and are better for warm-weather fishing and recreational use. Sit-inside kayaks are better for cold water, rough conditions, and touring.
How long of a kayak do I need?
For casual recreational use on calm water, 10’–12’ is the right range — easier to maneuver, store, and transport. For day trips and open water where you want to cover distance efficiently, 12’–14’ provides better tracking and speed. For touring and multi-day expeditions, 15’–18’ is typical for singles. Longer kayaks track better and are faster but harder to turn, store, and transport. Match length to your most common use, not your most ambitious trip.
What is the advantage of a pedal drive kayak?
A pedal drive frees both hands for fishing, photography, or simply resting, and is significantly faster over distance than paddle propulsion with less upper body effort. The trade-offs are added weight and cost, and the drive mechanism requires minimum water depth to operate — typically 18”–24” depending on the system. For serious kayak fishing or longer distance paddling, the hands-free advantage of a pedal drive is well worth the trade-offs for most users.
Can I transport a kayak without a roof rack?
Yes. Foam block carriers and soft-pad kayak carriers sit between the kayak and your car’s roof without requiring a rack. They work on most vehicles and are significantly less expensive than a full rack system. Always use bow and stern tie-down lines in addition to the straps — cam straps alone are not sufficient at highway speeds. If you plan to transport a kayak regularly, a proper roof rack system from Yakima, Thule, or similar provides better security and is easier to use over time.
Is a tandem kayak a good idea for solo paddling?
Generally no. Tandem kayaks are difficult to paddle solo because the weight is unbalanced — solo paddling from the rear cockpit leaves the bow light and the kayak wants to weathervane into the wind. You can add ballast to the front to compensate, but it’s awkward. If you want to paddle alone most of the time but occasionally with a partner, two single kayaks are more practical than one tandem. If you paddle with a partner most of the time, a tandem is faster and often more enjoyable than two singles.