Kids kayak buying guide
Once children are ready to start paddling their own kayak, your first question will likely be, “What should I look for in a kids kayak?” Read on for tips on choosing the right kids kayak to meet the needs of your paddling family.
Return on investment
Kayak companies know it’s good for the paddlesports industry to encourage parents to get their whole family out on the water, but the cost of producing good small kayaks isn’t much less than building bigger boats. One way around this challenge is to simplify the features in the kayaks. Children’s designs frequently have simple layouts and lack the bulkheads and hatches common in adult kayaks. Fewer options keep both cost and weight down, which makes it easier for kids to carry and control their own boats.
Of course, there are some kids kayaks nearly as full-featured as their grown-up equivalents. Children’s touring kayaks are built with all the safety features of full-sized boats, and this means you should expect the price of these kayaks to be higher. The bottom line is the closer a youth kayak is to a full-sized kayak, the closer the price will be to an adult kayak.
Performance matters
The other big challenge with children’s kayaks is performance. If you want your children to have a good time out on the water with you, they need to be in boats matched to their size and strength. It might be tempting to put kids in cheap recreational kayaks, but most of these boats are way too big for small paddlers to handle.
Small recreational boats may be short, but they are also wide. A nine-foot rec kayak will float a full-sized adult weighing 200 pounds or more. Kayaks like this are often 30 inches wide. Put a 60-pound child into this same kayak and she’ll hardly be able to reach the water with her paddle. When it comes to kids’ fun on the water, big person rec kayaks are out.
Children’s kayaks need to be matched to the paddler’s size every bit as much as adult kayaks do. This typically means being narrower than 25 inches, sometimes as narrow as 20 inches. Children under 100 pounds find such kayaks plenty stable and much easier to control.
Width is a significant factor in kayak performance, but length comes into play too. Longer kayaks are faster, but they have more drag in the water. Children don’t have the strength to power a big boat effectively. This means kid kayaks are typically much shorter than similar models geared toward adults. Almost all children’s kayaks are under 12 feet long, and many are shorter than 10 feet. The shorter length of children’s kayaks combined with less powerful paddlers means adults will need to back off a bit during a family day on the water. No kayak designed for children will keep pace with longer adult boats.
Pick the best fit
Recreational kayaks for children come in both sit-on-top and sit-inside models. These kayaks are narrower versions of adult recreational kayaks that are easier for kids to control. The benefits of sit-on-top designs are they can’t be swamped and are easy to climb back onto if you’re playing in the water. Sit-inside kayaks will keep children drier and warmer if the water or air temps are a little cooler. Recreational kayaks are ideal for splashing around at the beach or cottage and exploring small lakes and gentle rivers.
Kids touring kayaks are longer and narrower than recreational kayaks. They are sit-in designs with smaller cockpits. Some designs have bulkheads (interior walls within the kayak hull that ensure flotation) and storage hatches like adult kayaks. Others skip these features to keep weight and cost down. The narrower width and increased length of these boats help children to develop paddling skills and keep pace with full-sized kayaks on longer tours.
Whitewater kayaks for kids can be either sit-on-top or sit-in style. Sit-on-top designs are the best choice for casual river paddles combining small rapids and swimming breaks. For kids who are stoked on whitewater and want to learn the more technical aspects of whitewater paddling, a child-sized sit-inside whitewater kayak is the way to go.
Once children hit about 100 pounds, you’ll have a few more options. Kayaks aimed at smaller adults are a good choice for bigger kids. These kayaks don’t come at a child’s price but they are scaled to fit a growing youngster. Small adult kayaks are a great choice as an upgrade from a child’s touring or whitewater kayak, especially if your family is getting more ambitious about spending time together on the water.
The little things
Kid-sized accessories are every bit as important as finding the right kayak. Avoid the temptation to buy inexpensive adult paddles for your children to use. These paddles are much too heavy and will almost guarantee a frustrating experience. Instead, find paddles that are lightweight and sized just for kids.
Likewise, look for child or youth PFDs or life jackets that fit well and are comfortable enough your children won’t complain about wearing them. All quality life jacket manufacturers produce good kid vests. Avoid the temptation to size up so your child can grow into it. Proper PFD fit is critical to safe and comfortable paddling.
Finally, make sure you have a tow system so you can give kids a power assist if they start to get tired and fall behind.
Where to buy kids kayaks
Many major kayak manufacturers produce at least one model aimed at children. River play whitewater designs from Jackson Kayak and Pyranha should be easy to find. Perception makes an affordable touring kayak and Current Designs produces a premium composite kayak for small paddlers. Old Town makes a scaled-down sit-inside recreational kayak.
Basic sit-on-top recreational kayaks for kids are also widely available at sporting goods and discount box stores; check out Pelican, Perception, Lifetime and Sun Dolphin. This list is by no means exhaustive. New models are introduced every few years and used boats and discontinued models are widely available.
The best place to track down youth kayaks is at your nearest specialty paddlesports store. Shops like these may have kids kayaks in stock, and if they don’t, they’ll know where to get them. If you’re lucky, you can arrange a test paddle so your children can try on the boats for size.