Sea Kayak vs. Recreational Kayak

I bought our first kayak for my daughter for her 15th birthday. I wasn't sure we'd have enough time to use it, but she wanted one. Between us, we now have six kayaks, including recreational, sea kayak, high pressure inflatable, and folding. And they all get used. It can be mash kayaking, some place we have to portage, mild whitewater, fishing, or off the boat visiting beaches. 

Inflatables generally don't paddle that well; they may be light and firm, but they tend to be blunt. That said, Walker Bay Sport packs easily (10 minutes set-up) and is credible for descending easy whitewater if you use the thigh straps. It's built solidly, like a good inflatable dinghy using the same materials and valves, but even stiffer and sturdier because of the small size. It could be a good choice for a small sailboat with no deck space.

 Folding kayaks (Oru Bay) take a little more space and a few more minutes to set up, but they paddle much better. They are light and streamlined. The seat isn't much, so I wouldn't be out for more than a few hours. Banging rocks doesn't seem like a good idea, but it's smooth and fast on still waters.

 

Sit-On Recreational kayaks are not my thing. They are too heavy, too slow, and too sluggish to be any fun IMO. They are popular for rentals, because they are easier to reboard and hard to tip. They are popular for fishing kayaks, which are often overloaded 100-pound cows that barely paddle. I really don't understand most fishing kayaks, but that is another topic (I fish from my recreational kayak and like it better).

Sit-In Recreational kayaks. should be (IMO) the bread and butter o most sailors. They are a compromise, but that is what you need in a do-all boat. They are stable enough to be nearly impossible to tip. You can reboard from the water with a little practice. They are stable enough for fishing and for boarding from the main boat. They paddle well enough and can handle waves better than the typical flat-nosed, flat-bottomed sit-on kayak. About 10 feet long is good. Longer is hard to store and shorter paddles like a barrel.

Sea Kayaks typically run about 14-18 feet and 3-5 inches narrow than recreational kayaks, making them fast, fast into waves, and tippier. Boarding a sea kayak in waves from the main boat, even in calm conditions, is somewhere between tricky and impossible for the less experienced, and a challenge even for masters when it's rough. If you don't know from experience that you can do this, the answer is probably no. They don't turn for spit, unless you roll them right on the rail, which is a more advanced method. If there are any waves you need a spray skirt, because they are lower to the water. 

I'm not really a fan of rudders for steering. You should be able to do that unconsciously with the paddle, and stability through the foot rests is obviously reduced (if you push on one for balance the boat turns). I am a fan of hip pads and getting a good fit. You sit-in a recreational kayak and you "wear" a sea kayak. 

I am a big fan of Greenland paddles for sea kayaks. Much easier on old shoulders. But not good in shallow water or around rocks.

15-foot Necky sea kayak.

 

 

Bottom line: I use the sit-in recreational and the inflatable more on the boat. I use the sea kayak more from home. But they are all in the rotation and I swap according to what I'm doing. For example, the sit-in is best for fishing, the sea kayak for covering distance, and the folding kayak for guests and when we need more than what the rack will hold.