Shopping for a Used Women’s Kayak?
With patience, attentiveness and a little bit of research, you can find a used women’s kayak that will outperform many new kayaks for a fraction of the price. Used kayaks designed for women are sold both privately and through dealers or outfitters.
Used women’s kayaks will mostly be found in online classifieds like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. If there are particular makes, models or sizes you know you would prefer, setting an email alert is a handy way to be notified as soon as they become available.
One now-discontinued model of particular note is the Necky Eliza. Fifteen or so years ago, the Necky Eliza pioneered women’s specific design. Since Necky ceased production in 2017, the only Elizas you’re likely to find now will be on the used market.
Another avenue for scoring a great deal on a used women’s kayak is through an outfitter. Outfitters often have end-of-season sales of their rental fleets, and some may even take offers on any boats they have. Renting the boat for a day or an overnight trip is a great way to test-paddle the kayak before buying it. The guides and staff at the shop will be familiar with the boat’s best uses and can help you decide if it will suit your personal needs. If your used kayak needs any new parts, they may also be able to order them.
For more tips on what to look for when selecting a used kayak, read our article How To Buy A Used Kayak.
Buying Advice
The first question that needs to be answered when shopping for a women’s kayak is: what is a women’s kayak?
What is a women’s kayak?
The short answer is, it depends who you ask. In the past, sizing a kayak for an average-sized woman or smaller man meant keeping the same hull and simply lowering the deck and fitting a smaller cockpit.
That isn’t to say there’s never been a kayak aimed squarely at women. As mentioned above, 15 or so years ago, the Necky Eliza pioneered women’s specific design with scaled down proportions to suit smaller, lighter paddlers with narrower shoulders and a lower center of gravity. The designers even consulted a female physician paddler to dial in cockpit ergonomics. With their lighter weight and playful handling, both plastic and composite versions of the boat were hugely successful. So what happened?
Perhaps the Eliza was simply ahead of her time. Necky’s notion of “fitting the boat to the paddler” flew in the face of popular wisdom that longer equals faster, period. The Eliza demonstrated the fastest boat for you is one that a) fits properly and b) has the least possible drag at the speed you normally paddle.
Fast-forward to today’s market. Rather than focus on gender-specific marketing and design, the kayaking industry has adopted the approach of different-sized kayaks for different-sized people. The tremendous range of kayak sizes means there’s no need to brand some models as women’s specific, argues Graham Ketcheson, marketing director for Kayak Distribution, which produces Boréal Design kayaks.