Don’t be the boat without a paddle this summer. Enthusiasts and beginners of kayaking have one thing in common: the need for adventure and with that, danger and thrill.

But no matter your skill level, you need the right gear that will fit your kayaking and body needs. Even experienced kayakers who are seeking a new boat may be confused about what will be the best boat to carry them through those long trips, turbulent waves and out of those sticky holes.

Therefore, we’ve put together — with the help of Kelly McDowell, owner of The Complete Paddler — a guide to buying the right kayak for all your water adventures.

Getting started
Kayaks themselves have evolved from their original structure as an Arctic hunting craft to a vast array of styles ranging from stubby rodeo boats used in freestyling to sleek touring boats built for distance paddling on the ocean.

With all the different types of kayaking nowadays, most people are overwhelmed when they try to find a boat. McDowell suggests not going to a general store because they most likely won’t know what types of features are needed for the specific kind of kayaking you want to do. “I highly recommend you go to a speciality store and talk to someone who knows about boats,” he says.

On the market today, there are three main types of kayaks that are sold for whitewater, recreational and touring (or sea). So it is imperative that you decide what type of kayaking interests you most and from there, narrow down the type of boat you want to purchase.

Whitewater
The point is not how fast you get down the river, but in what style. It is all about scoping out the best wave to surf and do tricks on. The main purpose is the thrill you get from manoeuvring through rapids and inventing new moves on a wave.

Whitewater kayaks are the shortest and most manoeuvrable of the three. The shorter the boat, the easier it is to turn, but the slower it moves when it goes in a straight line. Because of this, it is not meant to go long distances, which the touring or sea kayaks are meant for.

If you’re more interested in doing freestyle kayaking, then squirt boats and rodeo boats would be the best style of kayak to fit your water needs. They have a short hull (body) — some of them less than six feet long — and are designed for surfing waves. The thin snouts and tails allow the boat to spin easily and go into dives for vertical moves like cartwheels and “mystery moves” (tricks done underwater). 

The rocker (amount of curvature on the bottom of the boat) is very pronounced in playboating kayaks because it lets the boat turn quickly and have excellent manoeuvrability. The volume (width) is concentrated in the middle, around the cockpit, which makes them hard to control for beginners.

In contrast to freestyle kayaks, river running and downriver boats are longer, ranging from 8½ to 10 feet, but are still short in comparison to other types of kayaks. They are used for going down long rapids with great speed and skill. This is the classic kayaking shape — one with smoother lines and having mild rockers for better speed and tracking.

Creek boats are also designed for running extreme stretches of whitewater but these ones are designed to include waterfalls as well. They have high-volume hulls (bodies) with an evenly distributed volume (width) from front to rear. It has rounded bows and sterns that allow the boat to ride high on the water and it also lets the boat pop up to the surface swiftly after a big drop.

According to McDowell, fit is the key when it comes to whitewater kayaks. “If you are using it aggressively, you need a fit and tight boat,” he says. He likens it to a pair of running shoes. If they fit loosely you can most certainly run in it, but it would not be comfortable or efficient in the long run.

If you don’t have a good-fitting boat, you will move around and be exposed to the water. “It is important to have a tight [fit], especially for you to have control of your boat,” says McDowell.

Recreational
A recreational kayak is a boat that is designed for the casual paddler who is interested in recreational activities on a lake or flatwater stream. These kayaks range in length from 9½ to 14 feet with a wider hull for more stability on the water, which makes them ideal for fishing, sightseeing and taking scenic photographs. However, because of the wide hull, they will not maintain a straight line like a touring boat would, but they are fairly easy to handle in and out of the water compared to other kayaks on the market.

Touring
These boats range from 14 to 17 feet in length and are designed for a serious long-distance paddler. McDowell says that people have misconceptions about this type of kayak because of its name. “‘Sea’ is generally misunderstood because people believe they are only used on the sea. But they should be used for what is necessary for your type of paddle,” he says. 

“If they are touring the Toronto Island, they still need a sea kayak because it may get really windy out there, and this kayak is better because it will float if [it] capsizes and is easy to haul back to shore.”

Touring kayaks have flat bottoms, which increase buoyancy for gathering greater speeds on the open waters of lakes, bays and oceans, as well as narrow hulls, making them the best kayaks for tracking (maintaining a straight line). They are small boats that trade off the manoeuvrability of whitewater kayaks for a covered deck that helps store cargo like camping, foot and water gear. 

Not only is cargo key in a touring kayak, but so is comfort because they are generally used for long journeys that last anywhere from a few hours to many weeks.

At The Complete Paddler they have 400 to 500 boats and knowledgeable sales representatives. “At the store, we teach, repair and sell boats — that’s all we do here.” Visit them at 919 Oxford St. in Toronto.•