Touring Kayaks

Closed Cockpit Inland Touring and Sea Kayaks

Kayak touring probably represents the largest proportion of what paddlers in the UK do on a regular basis.  Designed to be used on most UK waterways, including on lakes, canals and coastal waters. Below are links to our best selling closed cockpit (sit inside) kayaks. Some people prefer to tour using Sit On Top Kayaks Click here to view this style of kayak. The advantage of closed cockpit kayaks over sit-on-tops is that the paddler has a drier, warmer ride as they are less exposed to the elements, and more control can be had over the kayak as the paddler is more connected when seated inside the kayak.

Touring and sea kayaks share similar hull shapes, but the short beginner kayaks are wider making them more stable and have large, open cockpits. The longer the kayak the faster and more efficient it will be over distance, but less nimble and manoeuvrable. There is nothing to stop the shorter kayaks being used on sheltered coastal waters providing the conditions are calm, and there is nothing to stop the full-size sea kayaks being used on inland waters if speed and covering longer distances is your aim. At water level, kayakers have a whole new perspective which may reveal views and wildlife you'd never see whilst walking or cycling. Discovering and exploring new places and visiting little known areas is an excellent way to enjoy a touring kayak, with the added bonus of keeping fit and healthy. For those paddlers wanting to tour on flat water and also progress onto easy grade white-water then a Crossover or General Purpose kayak would be more suitable.

Overnight trips and multi-day journeys using touring kayaks are another way of spending time on the water. With the availability of modern lightweight camping kit and the vast development in modern kayaking equipment, these 2 activities can be combined effortlessly. Touring kayaks provide plenty of storage within the watertight hatches to pack for an overnight trip, with some of the larger boats allowing the ability to pack for multi day trips.