A recreational kayak is for those casual paddlers who like to experience recreational activities on any flat water stream. These types of kayak house a larger cockpit for easy entry as well as exit and a wider beam for more stability as compared to touring or pedaling kayaks.
It is made of polyethylene or any composite material and a great option to enjoy and spend some time with your friends and near ones. You can use these kayaks for camping as well as fishing.
A recreational kayak is cheap and performs well in flat water. You will find a wide range of options in terms of a recreational kayak, but all are not up to mark and can provide you the best experience.
Therefore if you are looking for the best recreational kayak then go through this guide. The main objective of making this guide is to provide you necessary and useful tips on finding the best recreational kayaks according to your budget.
5 Best Recreational Kayaks Review
It provides a comprehensive guide on the best kayaks available on the market. Check this guide for the top five best recreational guides and choose the best one for yourself.
Here is the review on the top five best recreational kayaks.
1. Wilderness Systems Pungo 120
The Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 comes with a perfect balance and stability. It offers good comfort as well to the riders. With a length of 12 foot and narrower hull design, it goes through the water efficiently. For cold water paddling, you can also use a spray skirt.
Pungo 120 houses honeycomb-ventilation feature in its seat and quite comfortable. It comes with several adjustable points to fit your body type. If you are looking for a kayak that offers good comfort to your lower back and want to be on the water for long hours then this is the best option for you.
Its track-adjustable footrests and padded knee braces are perfect for enhancing the comfort of the user. The rear storage hatch and front storage console are suitable to store your essentials on the go.
You can keep your necessities for overnight camping in between the storage hatch and deck bungees. This is a versatile recreational kayak and suits a variety of paddling conditions.
It is suitable for beginners as well as for intermediates. It can grow with you and provide you a good fun on the water. This is perfect for casual as well as longer outings. The adjustable seats, storage hatch, and deck bungees make it one of the best recreational kayak available on the market.
It houses an exceptional tracking, stability, and speed as well. The three AirPro seating system provides much-needed comfort.
2. Ocean Kayak Frenzy Sit-On-Top Recreational Kayak
The Ocean Kayak is a compact one but looks really attractive. It is also portable with a length of nine feet. The weight of this sit-on-top kayak is around 43 lbs. it houses handles at the bow and stern, so it is good for carrying your kayak single-handedly. On the other hand, the paddles at the sides of the kayak help in taking the kayak into the water by two people.
You can also take your kayak to the water by just dragging it through the skid plate in the rear. You can replace this skid plate as and when required. This recreational kayak is quite stable in terms of its design. It is quite suitable for calm water.
The kayak houses Tri-Form hull design makes it steady on flat water provides you the excitement and fun, makes the kayak stable and direct and controls the kayak easily.
This is a single-user kayak and the seat houses enough cushion to guard your sitting as well for the backrest which can be adjusted in four ways.
It can handle a weight if 275 lbs to 325 lbs. the kayak also furnishes a cup holder to allow you having water as per your requirement.
Due to the Tri-form hull design children can also use this recreational kayak. It houses lots of legroom so that any taller user can use this and use the space for stretching legs. Riding will be fun and exciting for sure.
The Ocean frenzy kayak is made of high-quality material and looks cute. You will fall in love with this for sure.
3. Lifetime 10 Foot Manta Tandem Kayak
You can use Lifetime 10 Foot Manta Tandem recreational kayak as a single as well as a tandem kayak. It comes with a sit-on-top design and houses a higher seat and perfect for keeping you dry and comfortable. It also furnishes two soft backrests and two double-sided paddles.
This recreational kayak weighs around 60 lbs and provides a tunnel hull design. The rear front carry handles are just appropriate for transport. It offers a five-year warranty. It is a high-quality kayak with an affordable price.
Lifetime 10 Foot Manta Tandem kayak is useful for solo and tandem use and comes with a length of 10 feet. The weight capacity of this kayak is 500 lbs. this is a versatile kayak which allows you paddle single-handedly. For shorter trips, this is the most suitable kayak. Couples can enjoy the kayaking with this recreational kayak on lake water.
It can offer you great flexibility and you can sit on the top of the kayak with ample comfort. The backrests are quite soft and the paddles are made of aluminum. The seats of this kayak are elevated and suitable for keeping you dry and make you safe from water.
4. Old Town Canoes & Kayaks Vapor 10 Recreational Kayak
The Old Town Canoes is perfect for still water, you can use this on lakes, ponds, and other slow-moving rivers. It is quite robust and strong. It weighs just 44 lbs so you can load and unload it quite easily without any difficulty.
This recreational kayak houses a lightweight polyethylene design and comes with adjustable seat, foot pegs and knee pads for extra comfort. You can use the gear storage compartment just behind the cockpit.
The length of this kayak is 10 ft and furnishes a weight capacity of 275 to 325 lbs. it is mainly a single person kayak and suitable for friendly water. This is a colorful kayak and looks quite appealing.
It is quite easy to use and you will enjoy your time being on the water with this. The Old Town Canoes and kayak is compact and just around 28.5 inches wider and 16.75 inches high. You can handle this kayak on your own. There are handles at the bow and stern.
The sitting arrangement is quite comfortable and the cockpit area is quite spacious. You can get inside and come out easily as and when required. The seats house a Comfort Flex feature which makes it extra comfortable.
There is also a rest handle at the rim of the cockpit by which you can set your paddle whenever you want to take a break. The comfy pads are perfect for your thighs and knees. The Glide Track Foot Brace system provides great control over this recreational kayak.
The old Town kayak is perfect for little ones as well as elders due to its compactness and lightweight feature. You can store your necessary stuff under the bow and the stern.
The Day well is a great option in this kayak which allows you to speedy and easy access to your requirements.
This is the best recreational kayak in terms of stability, storage space, and adjustable seats. It also tracks quite nicely irrespective of its width.
5. Sun Dolphin Aruba 10-Foot Sit-in Kayak
The Sun Dolphin Aruba 10-Foot Sit-in Kayak is actually an entry-level kayak that comes with the basic features and good build quality. It is also a value-for-money recreational kayak.
This 10-foot length kayak provides good control and is full of fun on the water. The shorter hull of this kayak makes it a good option for easy storage and transport. It is suitable for shorter distance kayaking.
The Sun Dolphin Aruba furnishes adjustable footrests and padded knee braces for extra comfort and efficient paddling.
It also houses a rear storage hatch and adjustable backrest. The sitting arrangement does not have any padded feature, it is made of molded plastic.
This is a tiny recreational kayak and comes in various colors. It houses a gear well just behind the cockpit along with webbing straps for extra gear.
You will also find a built-in water bottle holder in front of the cockpit. You can use this during the warm days on the water.
It is made of UV-stabilized polyethylene and comes with five exciting colors to choose from. The adjustable seat makes it a good choice for shorter and recreational kayaking.
On the other hand, the low price tag makes it one of the best and low-priced recreational kayak.
This recreational kayak weighs around 40 lbs and quite durable. Due to its price and features, it features a high rating.
It comes with a weight capacity of 250 lbs. so if you are looking for a cheap recreational kayak to have some fun on the water then this is the best option for you.
Best Recreational Kayak: Buyer’s Guide
Getting a recreational kayak with all the A-line features makes a perfect outing for you on the water. You have to use the best ones with loaded features to have all the fun.
How to Choose The Best Recreational Kayak?
A good kayak only boosts the confidence in you and make you get into the water. There are various factors that play a vital role in picking the best recreational kayak for your outing. Let’s have a look at that.
- Sit-On-Top vs. Sit-In
The Sit-on-Top is quite good for the starters, it enhances the stability on the water. But with a sit-on-top recreational kayak, you do need a wetsuit. There is a chance of water coming onto the kayak many times.
On the other hand, the sit-in kayak provides you a fun and drier experience on the water during your kayaking. It can also offer you a good amount of storage space. So choose the recreational kayak according to your requirement.
- Weight Capacity
Always choose a kayak that can be suitable to hold your weight as well as the gears you like to take with you. A kayak near to its maximum capacity cannot offer you a good experience on the water.
It will sit very low in the water and the control will also not that much good. It can also affect your paddling efficiency. So inspect the weight capacity of the recreational kayak first and then only choose the best one.
- Kayak Size
While looking for the best recreational kayak, keep this in your mind that a longer kayak can sail efficiently on the water as well as provide you a good amount of storage space. On the other hand, a shorter one is easier for turning on the water.
In addition to that if you have longer legs then go for a deeper hull kayak, similarly, for those shorter legs, a shallow hull will work fine. For more stability, you can go for a wider hull but for speed, you can choose a narrow hull.
- Comfort
This is the prime factor while buying a recreational kayak for yourself. A comfortable seat only can make your kayaking fun and enjoyable irrespective of advanced features.
Therefore every time watch out for an adjustable seat with sufficient padding.
- Seats
Like we said, sitting is the crucial feature during your kayaking. With that only, you can enjoy your time being on the water. For shorter trips seats does not play any vital role, but for longer trips, you have to choose a kayak that comes with a comfortable seat. It will provide a good relaxation and fun to your body.
You can spend some extra bucks for the comfort of your body, so choose a kayak comes with an adjustable and padded seat.
- Cockpit size
The cockpit of a recreational kayak has to be large so that you can get in and get out without affecting your body. You can keep your essentials and move your feet around it. It will be good to stretch your legs and can come out of it in case of an emergency.
On the other hand, a smaller cockpit provides you more protection and control in case of rough condition.
- Storage space
The recreational kayaks come with usual storage space to help you keep all your essentials. There are some kayaks provide space to keep your camping gears as well.
Some of the recreational kayaks come with deck bungees which are within reach of the cockpit. With the availability of deck bungees, you can access your stuff quickly.
- Budget
The best recreational kayak costs anywhere from $200 to $ 1000. so always choose a kayak comes in the range of $500 or more. It is not appropriate to choose a cheaper one at all.
Remember that for the longer kayak you have to pay more and the same for the compartments and comfort. If you are a beginner then choose the kayak that furnishes your basic needs. On the other hand, if you are an experienced one then go for a longer one and that comes with more storage and comfort.
The lighter kayaks can cost you more, but always choose the best one that comes with good handling and comfort. Do not compromise on the budget as it can bounce badly while being on the water.
Safety Tips When Using the Recreational Kayaks
Here we have listed some of the safety tips that are highly essential to know before having fun on the water with your recreational kayak. Do follow the safety guidelines.
Say No to drink while paddling
Kayaking is not different than driving on the road. So it is advisable to be alert every time and be ready to take quick actions in case of an emergency. Therefore do not ever drink and go for kayaking. It will be a great loss.
A life jacket is a must
A life jacket is the most essential stuff being on the water, although you are a good swimmer. A life jacket can save your life in case of any mishap. Go for a life jacket that is intended for kayaking.
Dress Appropriately
The water where you are going to kayak can cause hypothermia if your body is unable to resist. It can leads to death as well. Therefore dress appropriately with all the essential gears and try to kayak in the calm conditions only. Do not try to experiment and take any sort of risks.
Choose the location as per your skill
Go for kayaking on the water which is free of wind and tides. And choose the location that is quite easy for landing and starting. Therefore a calm river or quiet lake is suitable for kayaking and having fun. If you are a beginner then stick to these locations only.
On the other hand, if you are experienced, then also access the waves and wind then only enter into the water.
Have the skills to enter your kayak
You should practice the ways to enter the kayak on the water. You have to learn the much-needed skills. In case you fail in that aspect then it will be hard for you for kayaking.
In that case, you should paddle nearer to the shore as it will be easy for you to get into the kayak by swimming once you end up in water.
Conclusion
It is true that you will fall in love with kayaking, but for that, you have to own the best recreational kayak. With this, you can discover unlimited ways of fun and adventure on the water.
A recreational kayak is for peaceful water for having some relaxation and fun with your near ones. Therefore go through the review and find the best kayak that matches your requirement and budget. It will be great fun and excitement with the best recreational kayak.