Kayak types: Beginner's guide to buy a kayak in Dubai

It’s an amazing experience traveling with a kayak.

It allows people to explore mother nature, discover new territory, have a great workout, relax and escape the daily grind.

If you’re hooked into kayaking and you’re finally ready to choose your own little boat, then read this guide.

Today, you’ll learn the different types of kayaks and we’ll explain to you some of the features that will help you narrow down your choices.

CATEGORIES

There are two main categories - Flatwater kayak and whitewater kayak.

FLAT WATER KAYAKS

There are 5 types of flat water kayaks. They are the following:

• Sit-on-top kayak
• Recreational kayak
• Inflatable kayak
• Pedaling kayak
• Touring kayak

SIT-ON-TOP KAYAK

The sit-on-top kayaks are very easy to get into as well as when you want to get out. That’s because they have an open cockpit. They’re generally wider than the others so the stability is good. You can easily access all your gears with this type of kayak so it is good to use for fishing. Our kayak shop in Dubai holds plenty of the different kayak models both single kayaks and double seated kayaks.

RECREATIONAL KAYAK

The recreational kayaks have closed cockpits with a significantly large opening, enough for a child to fit inside with you. They are about 10 feet or less in length, which is shorter than a touring kayak. And because these kayaks are a bit shorter, you’ll definitely won’t have any problem storing and transporting them to another location. There’s a disadvantage though when you use recreational kayaks. They don’t track well so basically they are not as fast as the touring kayaks. A kayak that doesn’t track efficiently will turn to the left when you paddle on the right and will turn right when you paddle to the left. In general, the longer the kayak is, the better for it to track in the water. Some kayakers use skeg or rudder to get better tracking with their recreational kayaks.

INFLATABLE KAYAK

The inflatable kayaks are light, easy to transport, buoyant and can be easily maneuvered. However, most experienced kayakers don’t prefer this type of kayak because they are slower, very uncomfortable to use, and are not rugged enough like the traditional kayaks. You’ll worry about popping them and they track horribly on the water.

PEDALING KAYAKS

Pedaling kayak is a good choice for those people who have shoulder or back problems. With this kayak, you don’t need to use your arms and the only time you’ll use it is probably when you’re pulling into shore. There are two pedaling kayaks that you can buy in the market. One uses a propeller, and you have to pedal it like a bicycle. The other one has flippers just like a fish. This type of kayak is a bit more expensive though compared to the other kayaks. Those kayaks are mostly used for fishing, and we hold many different models of fishing kayaks available at our kayak shop in Nassnass beach and at our kayak Wearhouse in Dubai.

TOURING KAYAK

Touring kayaks are generally 12 feet in length. Some are even longer. They are ideal for long trips across different large bodies of water. Their cockpit is smaller and the width is narrower compared to other kayaks. These kayaks are expensive and can go as high as 7000 Aed or more. They travel fast because they are long and narrow. Most of the touring kayaks being sold in the market use a rudder to help them turn easily. The smaller cockpit has thigh braces inside. This will help the paddler to use his hips and thigh to roll himself back to the right position in case the kayak rolls over.

WHITE WATER KAYAKS

There are four types of white water kayaks. They are the following:

• River Runners
• Creekboats
• Playboats
• Old School

RIVER RUNNERS

These kayaks have enough room to store your gears for several days. If you’re aiming for a comfortable ride, then river runners should be one of your options. Length is about 7-8 feet, enough to give a little bit of tracking along the flat areas of the river. It’s also just short enough to maneuver through the tight turns on the water. Perfect for exploring the river.

CREEKBOATS

Creekboats are heavily built to be able to take a hit when it travels across the wild river. Their length is usually around 8 feet or longer with a lot of volumes so that it will allow you to resurface on the water. There are creekboats that have a displacement hull which is designed to help the boat withstand the drops.

PLAYBOATS

These kayaks are a bit shorter than the others. Usually about 6 feet in length. There are two types of playboats - the freestyle kayaks and the play runners. The freestyle kayaks are specifically designed for surfing waves or performing tricks. On the other hand, the play runners are usually longer than the freestyle kayaks and they are designed for traveling downstream. They are also more stable.

OLD SCHOOL KAYAKS

The old school kayaks or sometimes called “longboats” are quite longer than the modern boats (about 10-12 feet in length). The long body makes it easy to run rivers that have a lot of flat water. Don’t get this kayak if the water that you’re going through has a lot of tight turns. These kayaks have a very small cockpit so it’s not as comfortable as the modern kayaks in the market. They are very affordable and are usually priced at $200.

Kayak shop in Dubai

Here in Dubai, Kite N Surf Shop maintain a huge stock of different models of single and double seat kayaks with many different models that are available. Our kayak shop is in Jumeirah at Nassnass beach and our wearhouse is located in Al Quoaz area.