Paddlesports gear and know-how
Clear kayak guidance for your next decision
You can compare published specifications and practical guidance without testing claims or inflated promises.
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Latest guides
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Kayak Cockpit Sizes and How to Judge the Fit
Published cockpit dimensions by kayak type, why rim and opening figures differ, and what the numbers mean for legroom, entry and a spray skirt.
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How to Choose a Kayak: Type, Fit and Weight Capacity
The type families makers actually sell, how a kayak is sized to your body, and what a published weight capacity does and does not cover.
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The Main Kayak Types and What Each One Is Built For
Sit-inside, sit-on-top, inflatable, folding, pedal, tandem, touring, whitewater and fishing kayaks, with the use each maker states for it.
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Primary and Secondary Stability in a Kayak, Explained
What paddlers mean by initial and secondary stability, how beam and chines are said to drive each, and the disagreement sources have not settled.
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Kayak Hull Shapes: Flat, Rounded, V, Pontoon and Cathedral
The six hull cross-sections makers and retailers describe, what each is said to do for stability, speed and tracking, and where sources disagree.
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What a Kayak's Weight Capacity Really Covers
No federal rule sets a kayak's capacity. Here is how Old Town, Hobie, NuCanoe and others define theirs, and what the repeated 70 percent rule rests on.