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The AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite is a fifteen foot kayak that can do it all and makes easy work of any flat water you can find. This kayak is versatile, portable and ready for adventure.
A kayak that is great for beginners and experienced paddlers alike. With a lightweight design and hull shape, the Sport Kayaks are swift paddling boats that are easy to handle for young or old.
Hit the water in as little as five minutes with the Sevylor Quikpak K1 1-Person Kayak, where getting to your next trek is as easy as backpack - unpack - kayak.
The Intex Explorer K2 Kayak is sporty and fun with a design for easy paddling. Great for experiencing lakes and mild rivers with a friend, this kayak is perfect for two adults.
The Sun Dolphin Aruba 10' Sit In Kayak, is great for any water enthusiast. It is crafted of a UV-stabilized Fortiflex High Density Polyethylene hull and features a deluxe adjustable seat.
Kayaks Overview
Kayaks are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and have an adventure with friends and family. They are also a great means of exercise and recreation. They can range from traditional sit-inside kayaks to the more modern sit-on-top kayak. There are kayaks for every type of situation, whether you are looking to use it for fishing, white water, rivers, the sea or ocean, touring, or just general recreation, there is a kayak out there for you.
Kayaking is a fun pasttime regardless of your skill level. It can be as relaxing or challenging as you want. Use them to build up some fitness and core strength or just to paddle around at your leisure. Generally built for one, two and sometimes three persons, they are also designed to be controlled using a double bladed paddle. To decide which is best for you, considering what you want to use it for will allow you to narrow down your options.
Sit-on-Top kayaks are primarily used in lakes, rivers, and any calm coastal waters. They are also good for fishing as they often have rod holders. They can be an excellent choice for both novices and experts alike.
Sit-in kayaks can handle the rougher waters more than it's counterpart but can also be used for recreation. They also move faster and track straighter with covered cargo compartments and are good for getting to a destination.
Bottom line is that Kayaks come in all shapes, sizes and budgets. They can be solid or inflatable. Heavy or portable. Affordable or Expensive. How you determine the best one for you can be difficult. This comparison will help make that decision easier.
Sit-on-top Kayaks vs. Sit-inside Kayaks
So you've decided that Kayaking is for you and now it's time to pick the right kayak to fit your needs. We mentioned the 2 different types of kayaks available in the market, Sit-on-top kayaks (SOT) and Sit-inside kayaks (SIS). Each have their advantages and disadvantages and your decision should be based mostly on how you intend on using your kayak. This article will help determine which works for you.
The first step is defining what a sit-on-top kayak is versus a sit-in kayak. The names are pretty self-explanatory where a Sit-on-top kayak has no cockpit, just a seat or chair fixed on top of the kayak while a Sit-inside has a cockpit where your legs are surrounded inside the kayak. Now that we've established that, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
A Sit-on-top kayak is probably the easiest type for learning basic kayaking skills and come as singles or doubles, as well as hard shells or inflatables. Since they have no cockpit and have no holes, they are nearly unsinkable. They're very stable, easy to get in and out of and there is no feeling of confinement in the event of capsizing. They're also self-bailing meaning they have small holes allowing for water drainage. They are great for fishing as they allow for greater range of motion and usually provide built-in rod holders. Finally, for those on a budget, they are usually the cheaper option as well which makes them great for kids and beginners. Some of the downsides of the Sit-on-top Kayaks are related to their limitations. They are more stable due to their size but this comes at the expense of speed and ease of maneuverability. They are not ideal for long excursions as they take more effort to paddle and you cannot get them going as fast as their counterpart. They are also not ideal in windy or choppy conditions and because they are quite heavy, they can be difficult to transport out of the water. The open cockpit means less room for dry storage and also makes it a guarantee that you will be getting wet. The Sit-in kayak is typically of higher quality and, consequently, more expensive than the SOT. However, they also perform much better. Their low center of gravity gives them a higher degree of secondary stability allowing them to make sharper turns and make them easier to control at higher speeds. Being lower on the water also makes them less affected by wind and waves. They are also lighter in weight, which not only makes them easier to transport, but also requires less effort to propel forward. This makes them the ideal Kayak for long rides and camping expeditions. The enclosed cockpit provides the paddler with some protection from the Sun and, more importantly, from breaking waves and general spray from the water. They usually come with a Spray skirt that attaches to it providing further protection on long trips. The other beneifit to the cockpit is that it provides for much more room for dry storage compartments, another benefit for longer trips.The biggest disadvantage to the Sit-in is the feeling of confinement in the event of a flip. The open cockpit makes it more difficult to get out of in those situations but also far more difficult to get back into. They are hard enough to get into from the beach but rentry from the water is very challenging to say the least. The cockpit also makes the kayak easier to sink since once water enters it, there is no way to empty the water without some sort of pump mechanism. Beyond that, these kayaks are not equipped with fishing rod holders making fishing difficult and there are not a lot of tandem options to kayak with friends or family. .
In conclusion, Sit-on-tops are generally preferred by beginners and fishermen who are looking for a more stable, short-range paddle where Sit-insides are used by more advanced paddlers looking for a faster kayak to be used on longer trips or extended camping trips. Regardless of which style you choose, you are sure to enjoy your kayaking experience. Both are safe and equally enjoyable and there is the perfect kayak out there for you.