Short Touring Kayaks
Day Touring, Recreational Kayaks
Offering more performance than the beginner open cockpit kayaks, these closed cockpit kayaks can be looked at as scaled down sea kayaks. With a similar hull shape but much shorter in length, making them lighter and more manoeuvrable both on and off the water. Being shorter they are also easier to store and transport on or in a vehicle. The disadvantage is that they are slower in a straight line, with a slower top-end cruising speed and take longer to get to your destination than in a longer touring or sea kayak. They also have a lower carrying capacity and less storage space, so if you are packing for an overnight trip you might have to leave out a few luxuries!
However, speed isn't always everything and these boats are designed to paddle along nicely on flat or sheltered waters and as they are closed cockpit kayaks, the paddler can adjust the outfitting to ensure a snug fit (compared to open cockpit and sit-on-top kayaks). This enables the paddler to engage the boat, utilise their core muscles and edge/lean the boat to aid turning and also allow for more progressive skills such as eskimo rolling or high-bracing.
