Is kayaking an expensive hobby?

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asked Jul 5, 2022 in Water Sports by Sugothedog (1,570 points)
Is kayaking an expensive hobby?

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answered Jul 7, 2022 by Wendell (41,840 points)
Kayaking can be an expensive hobby but you can start out kayaking with a cheap kayak and you don't have to spend a lot of money to go Kayaking.

Kayaking can be a very affordable, fun hobby that gives you exercise as well.

A 10 foot kayak is better than a 12 foot kayak in terms of stability.

Generally, the shorter the kayak, the more easy it is to maneuver on the water.

An 8 or 9 foot kayak could be a good choice for kids or beginners for recreational use.

If you're tall or large you may find you're not comfortable.

Canoes are better than Kayaks as canoe are easier for beginners and are more stable than Kayaks.

However for people who go alone Kayaks are sometimes easier to control and keep straighter than a canoe.

People who like to go alone find that a kayak is easier to paddle and control than a canoe.

It takes some skill to paddle a canoe in a straight line, especially if you don't have a partner.

A sea kayak costs on average of $1,000.00 to as much as $3,000.00

The difference between a sea kayak and a river kayak is the river kayak has a flatter and shorter hull than a sea kayak.

A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean.

Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck.

Sit inside Kayaks are safe in the ocean if you're experienced although sit on top kayaks are not considered safe for taking in the ocean.

Not just any kayak can or should go into the Ocean.

Only sit inside Kayaks should go into the ocean and you should be a very experienced Kayaker before taking your sit inside Kayak out into the Ocean.

Kayaks do sometimes go on sale during the fall and winter months.

When stores want to deplete some of their inventory they will sometimes discount the Kayaks and other outdoor gear to get rid of them for the season.

Hobie Kayaks are made in Oceanside California although some of the parts are sourced from China.

Hobie Kayaks are worth the money as they are of high quality and have more features than cheaper kayaks and Hobie Kayaks are made to last a long time.

A Hobie or Hobie Kayak cost between $1,649.00 to as much as $4,000.00 depending on which Hobie Kayak you buy.

Hobie kayaks are available at a wide variety of price points to suit the needs of different anglers.

The cheapest Hobie kayak starts at around $1,649.00 to $2,000.00; the premium models can command $5,000.00 or more.

The amount you should spend on a kayak depends on the quality of the Kayak you want.

For a cheaper Kayak you can get by with spending only $200.00 or less and for a higher quality Kayak you can spend as much as $500.00 to $1,500.00

If you want a pedal powered Kayak those can cost as much as $3,000.00 to $3,500.00

There are many things to consider when buying a kayak: speed, comfort, stability, tracking, fishability, weight, budget, and how often you will be using it.

The price spread is very wide for kayaks, $179.00 for the big box special or $3,500.00 plus for the fully loaded pedal/motor drive fishing machine.

A kayak weighs between 20 lbs to 120 lbs depending on the size of the Kayak.

The average kayak weight is around 35 lbs for a single Kayak and for a tandem Kayak they can weigh around 60 to 65 lbs.

The fishing kayaks can weigh around 100 lbs to 120 lbs.

If you're a beginner with Kayaks the sit on top Kayak is better and for more experienced Kayakers the sit in is better especially if you're in cold or rough water and don't want to get wet.

The sit-in kayaks perform better than sit-on-tops.

There are several reasons for this: Your center of gravity is lower, which allows the kayak to be narrower and still maintain stability.

A narrower kayak moves through the water more efficiently than the wider sit-on-top.

Sit on Kayaks have holes for 2 reasons which are to act as a drain and to also add structural integrity to the Kayak.

These holes on Kayaks are known as scupper holes.

Scupper holes are intentional holes in sit-on-top kayaks, like fishing kayaks.

It seems counter-intuitive to have holes in a boat, however they serve a couple important design purposes: They help give structural integrity to the kayak…

They operate as a drain hole when you get water in your boat.

Scupper plugs are only applicable for kayaks that have scupper holes.

Without scupper holes, there is simply no need for scupper plugs.

It's important to remember that scupper holes are included in sit on top kayaks for a reason.

They are an important safety feature and highly recommended for beginner kayakers.

A sit-on kayak is basically an air-filled plastic float and the scupper holes allow water to pass in and out of the kayak without allowing it to sink.

With this design the paddler sits up off the water as well.

For all safe kayaks, the standard number of scuppers is four holes.

The holes are designed to ensure that water drains off the deck every time the kayak is at a standstill.

Many kayaks are crafted with innovative hulls to ensure that safe-bailing can happen without the need for forward movement.

Sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks are nearly unsinkable under normal circumstances.

The most common way to cause your sit-on-top kayak to sink is to ignore the weight limit of the vessel.

Even then your kayak will stay mostly afloat, but will not allow you to ride it.

A sit-on-top kayak should never truly sink.

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