How Kayak Design Affects Performance - How to Choose the Right Kayak
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- In this video, we talk about how a kayak's design impacts its performance, which will help you choose the right kayak.
The First 'How to Choose a Kayak' video I mention: • Sit-On-Top Kayak Versu...
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Ken, thanks for the great info. And for the laugh at the end. You delivered it with such a straight face and such authority that you had me thinking about the characteristics of my boats.
Thanks!
Ha! Thanks Mark.
I was going to give up on kayaking for fishing,was not enjoying myself. Today I applied what I have learned from your videos and enjoyed myself tremendously,fishing was good as well. Thank you for these videos informative to say the least.
That's awesome to hear Charles! Tight lines!
Love this channel, always informative and interesting. Had me thinking that I chose the wrong kayak color at the end, though!
Great episode Ken!
Perhaps another will be about edging with kayak?
Awesome! 🤠
Video suggestion: Talk about draft depth and how it changes for different kayaks. Both the surface area and shape of the bottom the boat will significantly affect this. I was on a trip with a Wilderness Tsunami 125 (largish bottom and v/flat shape). My friend was in a Piranha whitewater boat (small bottom and big curve). He was hitting rocks and grounding out right and left...while I was gliding over them no problem. If a paddler is planning on doing small rivers/creeks that have a lot of shallow areas, they should consider a boat that drafts well.
I ordered a Tsunami 125 online but had to refuse the shipment because the boat had an apparent crack. Now I'm considering the Tsunami 140 because it's only $200 more and I'm afraid if I purchase the 125 , I'll wish I chose the 140. Curious if you've paddled the 140? I'll be padding lake 99% of the time.
@@whiteknucklestormchasing I'm not a fan of the 140...too long and narrow for my type of rivers. For something similar to the Tsunami 125, consider the Jackson Tupelo 12.5 or Old Town Loon 125 or the Wilderness Pungo 125.
@@AaronSmith-sx4ez I have checked out the Pungo 125, Loon and Tupelo. I like the design of the Tupelo except for the recent change to hard molded plastic seat. I just don't know how noticeable (if any) 2 more feet will have on glide and efficiency. If it is noticeable, is it worth a couple hundred more $$$.
@@whiteknucklestormchasing
You mentioned that you will be paddling on lakes most of the time. However, it ultimately depends on what type of paddling experience that you are looking for.
Longer kayaks generally will have better tracking, more paddling efficiency, and have more speed. But, are you looking to paddle for extended periods or short trips?
Are you looking more for speed or stability?
Are you going to be camping or fishing?
Before you make a purchase, I would recommend going out on a demo day and paddle several kayaks at your local outfitter. Or, you could rent a kayak as well. Keep a notebook with you and write down the kayak model and specifications of each that you tested. Also, write down what you likes and dislikes as well.
This will take a bit more time, but you will appreciate Kayaking more when you find the right vessel that matches your needs and so will your wallet!
In closing, buying a kayak is similar to buying a pair of shoes. Things like height, weight, comfort, performance, and features are very important and will help or hinder depending on how you use them. You wouldn't wear rock climbing shoes to go hiking in the mountains. Unless you are a masochist! Take care and happy paddling!
@@robertcarpenter5681 Great advice Robert! Thank you!
Great information, and as always, great presentation. "Kayak color curve ball" yep, ya got me there for a minute.
Ha! Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome, you totally got me with the kayak colour! 😆 I love these design and performance lessons - soooo helpful, thank you.
Yes!!! Glad I had you going :)
@@PaddleTV Yes, totally loved this video and the humour at the end, you made my day!
I just got back from helping with a small race. I got my hands on a Necky kyook 15ft that I used for it today. It sure challenge me, let me tell you. I was upstream paddling in a canal. I did fine until I got to a really strong current and sharp turns. It sure tested me and I had to push myself off away from the bank at one point because the current pushed me into. I can definitely feel the difference between that hull design and my 12ft rec kayak. Love videos and thank you for keeping us informed, it has helped me a lot. 😁
You know what i just realized, Ken. This channel has been around for how long, like ten years maybe? I wonder why you only have a little over 100k subs. You put on some of the best quality and most relevant paddling content on RUclips. I don't think kayaking is exactly a niche sport either, so. That's actually baffling to me.
The online course from the ACA is a great course I've been paddling now for over 5 years and still learned something I didn't know I highly recommend it for everyone
i like the color curve statement thanks very informative
Perfect again. Thanks for your help.
Hulluva nice video! I suspected orange kayaks got the most juice while green ones are efficient and blue ones, due to depression, tend to sink 🤪
yeah you got me on the red/yellow/ colours hope you have a great new year hello =from Australia
well done. I would only add that the design of the deck and cockpit combing also determines how you use the kayak. Some sea kayaks have low side and rear decks close to the shear line. You should always wear a full watertight skirt when paddling these style boats in any rough water. They are designed for them and without a skirt waves will breech over the sides and rear deck and flood the cockpit. I see recreational paddlers that buy or rent these boats and then when the first wave douses them from the back it is a big surprise.
I took that online course, very helpful!
Great to hear!
Lol Ken loved the color commentary 😉 great video and thank you again for your excellent review of the wilderness system tsunami I have had mine for over 6 months love it so much and was incredible for great up the Fox River trips!
I haven't found his review of the Tsunami .
Excellent presentation, I learned a lot, thank you. You didn’t mention the effects of wind, particularly on the bow. I found adding any gear to the foredeck makes big difference in the wind. While smooth rounded foredeck allows better tracking in rough conditions. Also stern design wasn’t mentioned. Obviously a rudder or skeg is a game changer but I think the stern shape thats underwater can provide some directional stability without those additions. I’m just starting off with my first kayak. A wide sit-in design. I find it’s very stable because it’s wide, however that makes it more challenging to paddle. Perhaps my paddle isn’t long enough or bad technique !
I’m getting an Orange kayak because of this informative video
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for another great video Ken!!!
My pleasure!
❤️ the color curveball… too funny! Thank you Ken!
Ha! My pleasure.
Great video Ken! And yes, you had me going for a moment there……😂
I've often thought that a flat-bottomed sit-on-top kayak should actually be called a sit-down paddleboard. I realize there are some crossover products, but this classification just makes more sense in my head.
Great video, thank you 🙂
You’re welcome!
Good video. Ken, When you reviewing new kayak for us in the future, would you consider to flip the kayak and talk the hull design with us like this video.
Green and Black, Baby!
And rocker ? - quite important one you forgot to mention.....
Thanks for posting
You should really do your next video on kayaks that are perfect for shallow rocky rivers I really am looking for the perfect kayak that can deal with very shallow water and a lot of rocks to go over stuff like that
Dammit, Ken...you had me going there at the end! 😄
love it!
That was a pretty good effort at covering a pretty broad subject.
It's really hard to lump it into one package.
The reality is that a newcomer more than likely won't be able to envision what they'll be doing in terms of paddling two years from the beginning.
It took me several years of learning how boats respond before developing an ideas of about what hull characteristics I actually wanted in a boat. Then I started reading several books on hull design and boat building. Now I build what I want knowing every choice is a compromise.
One item of note. Longer boats are not "faster" so much as a longer boat has a greater potential for speed than a shorter boat. Shorter and lighter boats tend to be quicker with less top speed. For those not trying to cruise above 4 mph, a 14 foot boat of similar design can cruise just as well as a 17 foot boat in the 3-4 mph range except it takes less effort to do so. The added speed of a long boat doesn't come for free. Longer boats require more energy at lower speeds than shorter versions of the same boat due to the added weight and wetted surface areas.
Cheers!
I disagree in general, longer boats are not always heavier and do not necessarily have a larger wetted surface. My 17 foot sea kayak is half the weight and has lower wetted surface than my wife's 13 foot rec kayak. Both of my greenland style sea kayaks takes less effort to cruise at any speed than most any other kayak. If you are comparing two same style and construction boats (ex: two touring kayaks from the same manufacturer in a large size vs medium size), then yes of course the larger boat is heavier and has a larger wetted surface. Remember, hull width, buoyancy, and wetted surface are not proportional to length, it all depends on the design and materials. However hull cruising speed IS directly proportional to hull length because the wake is longer. The length of a boat's wake has a direct effect on the cruising speed.
@@PappaMike-vc1qv Note I mentioned a shorter version of the same design, not a shorter and wider boat. There's weight and the surface area exposed to water. More whetted surface area equals more resistance.
Longer boats have higher hull speeds due to their bow wakes remaining shorter than the LWL at higher speeds than a shorter boat. It's just physics and hydrodynamics. A shorter boat of equal width requires less energy to accelerate than a longer boat of the same width due to the resistance of water.
excellent video, very informative, thanks!
For a follow up, you may explain the impact of a Kayak's rocker on another video. They say it's to shorten the waterline for easier turns, but in my eyes the part in the water either stays the same or even gets longer when edging a boat, doesn't it?
Good point Ronny! I forgot to talk about rocker...
Info as always really appreciated, thanks Ken. Plus your Canadian accent cracks us up down here in New Zealand. Colour density joke had me going for too long. Dang it! On a more serious note, not sure you have covered this point:- Which colour/ combination/s do you believe to be safest colour on the water?
Ha! Glad to hear I had you going. :) In terms of safety, I think anything that's bright and contrasts from the color of the water is ideal. Red, orange, or yellow boats are hard to miss on the water.
Thanks for the fantastic video! The funny thing is, I play disc golf and the quality/type of plastic makes a significant difference in durability in many plastic types. Adding reds tends to make our plastics stiffer and more durable, so I was perfectly ready to believe that hulls made from a red mixture were stronger! You absolutely had me! (and I still am wondering if there might be some truth to it...)
Ha! You are right... pigments in the plastic do have a small impact on its characteristics, but not enough to have a noticeable effect on kayak performance.
@@PaddleTV I suppose kayaks aren't hitting tree trunks at 50 mph nearly as often as disc golf discs 🤣. (unless they are being used very wrong!)
red and yellow pigments either fade quicker or are more expensive due to the additives needed to make them UV resistant. other colours are less effected.
Wake up honey, New Ken Whiting video just dropped
One thing I know for sure... bass are way more attracted to my yellow kayak 😉🎣
Can you make a vid on first aid? After dropping my kayak on my big toe this week.... again. I'm in the market for steal toe cap paddling shoes/boots !!!
Ha. Steel toe paddling shoes... hmmm.
It’s interesting the way you classify the boats. My first boat was a 13’ plywood boat which I considered a rec boat. My new boat is a touring kayak, but it’s 17’9” sea kayak.
Thanks for the info- do you have any thoughts re the itiwit kyaks from decathlon?
Good question... and yes! I actually just tested my first one. I tested the cheapest version, which is available at Walmart for $250.
Use metrics units too
:))))))))) the color bit was crazy, I could not understand why... How... Whaaaaa.... You almost got me 🤣
A pedal kayak generally won't have trackability issues due to thrust being centered and hopefully (not always) enough rudder authority
Well Pete Beck is always saying yellow is the fastest color so I was starting to get excited about sharing this with him. Great video, fun joke
Orange is DEFINITELY faster than yellow. I don't know what Pete is talking about :)
Haha got me!
When someone asks me what kayak is "best"...
I say whatever one you own... And gets you happily on the water...
Everything else is embellishment...
😎👍
You’re all wrong! A red stripe makes everything faster.
Canadians, sheesh.
Color choice had me say’n WHAT?? Ha ha thanks
you forgot seat design!!!! THAT is the most important part.
Holy moly I’m just sitting here like watching all these videos of this guy and this is not just the only video but how many kayaks and canoes in votes does this guy on honestly on this is ridiculous I thought I had a hobby if certain things in my life this guy is gone way too far I feel like how many panels DAZN just from like a rubber boat do you know
I want a crossover I don't need a crazy ww boat nor do I need a 15f kayak the market loves them as they are always sold out but we're just pushed these boats from having more than we need from both ends of the spectrum. Many of the crossovers are now a decade old where are the 10f /12f duel bulkhead crossovers, upgrades to outfitting improving flaws? Why is good enough good enough?
I have the last gen tsunami 125 and it's truly terrible on rivers the price was right buying my brothers boat back from a friend for $575. But its still not what I'm looking for hoping to find an dagger katana or at the very least a dagger axis though I didn't much care for the 12f. Central Ab Canada if anyone wants to trade😅.
Sounds like the Dagger Stratos would be a good fit. They have a 12' size with noth front and rear hatches
@@joshinfwtx4506 The stratos 12L was on the top of my list but I have never seen one and they're never in stock at aquabstics here in Alberta. Never seen one used though I have been actively searching for one for the last 3 years or more. Funny everyone always recommends hard to find or discontinued boats maybe the manufacturers are putting to much development time on the wrong products 🤷♂️. Got to get that dollar from every price range but that takes to much production time away from the boats that sell or could sell if they were available.
@@Rockerrobin I've seen a few at our local stores but it is frustrating how hard kayaking manufacturers have been hit by production issues. It seems like the manufacturers are focusing harder on the entry level models. I also noticed brands/models available vary by region. It's quite frustrating.
@@joshinfwtx4506 even though I like the stratos it's still probably not what I'm after I basically want like a piranha 12r with a skeg and bulkhead storage. Something that you can play in on lower class rivers but will run fast enough in the long flat sections in between or small lakes. Even a skeg on some of the half slice boat designs would be something I'm interested in I'm not opposed to stuffing drybags into the haul though bulkhead storage are more convenient.
Im feeling a lot less dense lol.
I knew he was lying, because red and yellow ones are definitely faster
You left out surf ski. Seems like all paddling clubs ever use as a "pro" choice is surf ski. Not sure why...
I can't believe you're spreading such misinformation. Everybody knows that red is the fastest colour.
The truth is that if your kayak is purple you drink bud light.
You got me. 😁🛶
YES!