How to Shop for Your First Kayak
The Test Drive
There is no substitute for actually paddling any boat you are considering. You can eliminate some choices quickly, but beware of buying a boat you haven't paddled over the course of hours in a range of conditions. A fifteen-minute test drive can tell you a lot about a car but very little about a sea kayak. A road is a road. But the same body of water can change drastically depending on wind direction and strength, wave formation and currents. Different conditions will bring out different facets of a boat's paddling characteristics. Most outfitters keep a variety of boats in their fleets and some retailers offer day and half-day rentals. Spending a half day each in different types of kayaks is a wise investment.
Once you find a type of boat you like, ask experienced paddlers what other makes and models are similar, and paddle those. Relatively small differences - including price - may make the difference between a good choice and the perfect sea kayak for you.