So which is the best choice in a kayak? You can choose between rudder, skeg or sleek minimalism. There plastic, polymer 'glass and kevlar. Even long and short hulls and hard or soft chine. The debate goes on with fish and swede forms, but what about simple fun as a factor?
Performance can be a slippery mistress when the powerplant is the human body. I have been passed by folks in heavier, wider, boats and cheaper, clunkier, bikes. Often, in fact. I paid more but they are going faster and perhaps having just as much fun.
Take my own experiment as an example. On a Monday I paddled my local 5.2M loop in a narrow-long performance oriented Eddyline Falcon s-18. Smooth, no wind, warm. It was a 1 hour paddle, typical for that loop in faster sea kayaks.
On Wednesday I take the same loop in similar conditions at a similar time of day at a similar effort. This time I use a 14' plastic Prijon Calabria. Nice boat, but shorter and wider and heavier and more stable. The difference? About 3 minutes. I recognize this is not a perfect experiment, but it does show that equipment-based performance is nominal for the recreational paddler once you reach a minimum standard of equipment performance. That is to say that the performance difference between good equipment and great equipment isn't as big as the talk-time we give it.
Now don't get me wrong, 4 minutes an hour is HUGE if you are racing or trying out for the olympics. Even if you are touring that could add up, but for the common man the Prijon would be as much or more fun than the Eddyline. It costs less, is more stable and really comfy.
To be honest, the Eddyline WAS more fun for me. I just like the feel of a narrower, longer boat, but my point is that it's more about FUN and what you like than arguments about miniscule performance differences because the differences are generally miniscule.
If you are looking to buy a kayak he definitive best choice for a kayak is the one that gets you outside and that you have FUN in. Don't overthink it. Nothing is perfect and making a good choice will rarely be much different than making a great choice. Just have fun.
Performance can be a slippery mistress when the powerplant is the human body. I have been passed by folks in heavier, wider, boats and cheaper, clunkier, bikes. Often, in fact. I paid more but they are going faster and perhaps having just as much fun.
Take my own experiment as an example. On a Monday I paddled my local 5.2M loop in a narrow-long performance oriented Eddyline Falcon s-18. Smooth, no wind, warm. It was a 1 hour paddle, typical for that loop in faster sea kayaks.
On Wednesday I take the same loop in similar conditions at a similar time of day at a similar effort. This time I use a 14' plastic Prijon Calabria. Nice boat, but shorter and wider and heavier and more stable. The difference? About 3 minutes. I recognize this is not a perfect experiment, but it does show that equipment-based performance is nominal for the recreational paddler once you reach a minimum standard of equipment performance. That is to say that the performance difference between good equipment and great equipment isn't as big as the talk-time we give it.
Now don't get me wrong, 4 minutes an hour is HUGE if you are racing or trying out for the olympics. Even if you are touring that could add up, but for the common man the Prijon would be as much or more fun than the Eddyline. It costs less, is more stable and really comfy.
To be honest, the Eddyline WAS more fun for me. I just like the feel of a narrower, longer boat, but my point is that it's more about FUN and what you like than arguments about miniscule performance differences because the differences are generally miniscule.
If you are looking to buy a kayak he definitive best choice for a kayak is the one that gets you outside and that you have FUN in. Don't overthink it. Nothing is perfect and making a good choice will rarely be much different than making a great choice. Just have fun.