What's up with all these new designs?
Competition between the manufacturing companies is heating up, the state of the art freestyle kayak is evolving rapidly, and the paddlers are reaping the rewards with kayaks that perform freestyle moves more easily than ever before.
So how do you decide which freestyle kayak is the best one for you? In choosing a new design, weigh the following criteria:
Effort Needed to Tilt the Kayak on Edge
Can you easily tilt the kayak on edge in the water? When you're setting up for cartwheels or carving turns, your kayak needs to be held on edge with a steady tilt.
In general, the wider and flatter the hull of a kayak, the more difficult it will be to hold a steady boat tilt. The conventional, round-hulled kayaks are somewhat easier to control (boat tilts will be steadier and easier, while your transitions between tilts will be smoother); but they are a bit more limiting in their play potential.
A lighter paddler will have more difficulty tilting a flat-hulled kayak on its edge. A lighter paddler also displaces less water when sitting on his or her kayak, meaning that the kayak will plane more easily than if a heavier paddler were using it. If a kayak requires too much effort for a lighter person to tilt, a narrower kayak, with a hull that may not be quite as flat, will make tilting easier without necessarily losing the planing capabilities. Inversely, a heavier paddler will have less trouble tilting a flat-hulled kayak on edge, and will need a wider, flatter surface area on the hull to help the kayak plane more easily. A kayak with some type of beveled edge on the hull will plane easily and allows you to tilt the kayak on edge.
Comfort
Don't skimp here. Finding a kayak that best fits your body should
be one of your main goals. Are you comfortable? Does it enhance your
ability to maintain an aggressive body position? Good posture is critical
for getting the most out of the power in your upper body (your torso
rotation). Bad posture can inhibit your ability to perform the moves,
while contributing to the stresses that lead to back pain. Are your
legs high enough so that you can really crank your knees sideways
when trying to swing your ends into those cartwheels? Does the sitting
position strain your ankles?
When trying out different kayaks, the position of your knees in the thigh hooks tends to make the biggest difference in comfort. What is a comfortable position for one person may be agonizing for another. This is dependent on both your leg size, and your flexibility. A kayak with a lower front deck will usually be more comfortable for a shorter, or more flexible paddler: A taller, less flexible person may find that sitting up straight in this kayak is a constant strain, while leaning the body all the way forward is downright impossible. Inversely, a kayak with a higher front deck may leave shorter paddlers struggling for control over the kayak's great bulk.
The position of your feet will also have a large bearing on comfort. Many of the newer kayaks have had large amounts of volume removed from the ends, allowing them to slice thought the water with less resistance. This works great to facilitate cartwheels, but puts taller kayakers into an unnatural position (not keeping in line with the rest of the leg). Your knees and ankles will usually pay the price.
The key to choosing a kayak that you will be happy with, is finding one that provides a favorable fun-to-pain ratio.
Flat Spinning
Does the kayak plane easily on a good wave? Does it spin just as easily
from bow to stern as from stern to bow?
In general, the wider, and longer the flat area on a hull, the more apt the kayak will be to plane and to spin. The reason for this is that the body's weight is distributed over a greater area. With this in mind, it is safe to say that a lighter paddler will be able to get away with a slightly smaller planning surface, while still having great spinning potential.
Cartwheeling
Can you engage both ends with ease in a hole or a pourover? One test for this is your ability to get the ends underwater in flatwater. Getting the bow several inches underwater on flatwater is about the same as initiating the bow when in a hole.
The thinner the ends of a kayak, the more easily they will slice through the water. Bigger paddlers may need more foot room, hence, a kayak with bigger volume ends. Though these kayaks will be less apt to slice through the water, the larger paddler's added weight will usually compensate for this. A smaller paddler's feet lie closer to the center of the kayak where there is ample foot room. Added volume in the ends of the kayak might be helpful when running rivers, but won't help for most playboating maneuvers. Without a doubt, the kayak is your biggest whitewater investment. With so many new models now available, and so many more on the way, it's worth taking the time to test a number of them and to quiz other paddlers. I've found that all recent designs perform incredibly well. Of course, each kayak has its strengths and weaknesses, but as long as you choose your kayak with the clear understanding of what is most important to you, you won't be disappointed
Author Ken Whiting, from The
Playboater's Handbook. Ken has an instructional video called SOAR
that is geared toward intermediate/advanced paddlers and features
advanced river running, creeking, big water, and safety issues.
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