What are Sea and Touring Kayaks?
A sea/touring kayak is a special kayak designed for paddling in open waters, e.g., bays, lakes, and oceans. These kayaks are seaworthy small crafts incorporating a covered deck with the ability to include a spray deck.
They sacrifice maneuverability (a feature of whitewater kayaks) for higher cruise speed, storage room, easy tracking, paddling, and greater comfort on more extended trips.
Touring kayaks have been used worldwide for marine trips ranging from just a few hours to several weeks since they can hold up to three paddlers together, besides having room for food, water, gear, and other provisions.
As far as length is concerned, solo sea kayaks lie between 10 and 18 feet, whereas tandem craft may be 26 feet. The width usually lies in between the 21 to 36 feet range.
Contents
Origins
Sea kayaks trace their origins to the native inhabitants of the Arctic Circle, who developed kayaks for touring expeditions centuries before touring kayaks became a recreational pastime.
Their primitive versions of sea kayaks were handmade and already incorporated the fundamental design of the modern craft, except that they had no kayak seat, hatches, or rudder – features that came to light only after the advent of modern-day kayaking.
Some of these native kayaks were slender and meant for effortless rolling in the event they turned over. In contrast, others had enough width to provide stability for the native kayaker.
The differences between a modern-day touring kayak and the primitive ones stem from the difference in circumference, weight, and skills between today’s average North American and the primitives of old – this disparity had a crucial impact on the design of modern kayaks from the perspective of speed, tracking, recovery, comfort, and maneuvering, etc.
If any of the following water-based activities interest you, touring / sea kayaks might be worth looking at:
- Expeditions: These last for several days and cover many miles of water. They are highly demanding, both for the kayakers and the kayak. The craft must possess a solid build and plenty of cargo space for provisions and gear. In addition, the touring kayak’s weight should make it stable enough to reduce any rolling requirement.
- Sea kayaking: Kayaking in groups on expansive water bodies such as an ocean or Great Lakes. Generally, these excursions don’t last for more than a day. The sea kayak has to be swift enough to keep pace with the rest of the kayakers and seaworthy.
- Tripping: A long excursion, primarily on lakes and rivers. The vessel must be sufficiently sturdy to survive the harsh conditions in rapids, rocky shore beaching, and so on. The kayak must also have cargo space aplenty for provisions and gear.
- Touring: This term encompasses all forms of recreational padding for extended distances, generally in groups and occasionally lasting over a day. Touring is usually done with other activities like photography, camping, bird watching, etc. The vessels used for touring have several designs that are generally swifter than surfing, recreational, and whitewater kayaks and slower than racing kayaks.
- Day touring: Kayaking at leisure for trips that aren’t more than a day long.
- Recreational touring: Paddling done at leisure and only for a short distance and a small amount of time.
The following section will review some of the best sea kayaks available to help you as a beginner.
Top Rated Touring Kayaks Reviews
1. Perception Sport Conduit 13 Kayak
If you’re looking for a mid-range, lightweight kayak made for speed and used in smaller rivers and lakes; this kayak is an excellent choice.
At a highly affordable price, in the range of $550 to $600, this vessel even suits taller users thanks to its considerable length, something popular shorter vessels such as the Ocean Kayak Frenzy have trouble managing.
Features
- Conduit 13 has a length of 13 feet and a weight of around 51 pounds. With a weight carrying limit of 295 pounds, it can easily hold a single kayaker plus plenty of gear. The cockpit is roomy enough to allow you to take your dog out on a kayaking trip.
- Made for comfort – this kayak features an adjustable Zone seat along with a Zone thigh/kneepad, which guarantees a comfortable kayaking adventure.
- Plenty of dry storage can be found on this kayak with its two hatches at the bow and stern and a bungee deck rigging to store gear for quick and easy access.
- This kayak is a straight tracker and handles well in most conditions except heavy winds. Several users have complimented it for its speed.
Issues: - It isn’t inherently ready to tackle windy conditions, although a perception rudder can be incorporated for better performance in such weather.
2. Riot Kayaks Edge 13 LV Flatwater Day Touring Kayak
The Edge 13, costing $849 and weight 44 pounds, has an aesthetically appealing low deck profile, which keeps you from getting lost while sitting in the cockpit, and it packs plenty of features that would make it the envy of your fellow kayakers.
This kayak is a harmonious blend of looks, construction, and features, and in terms of performance, it can be regarded as one of the best river kayaks.
Pros
- Excellent initial and secondary stability, confirmed by several users who tried rocking the boat deliberately and still couldn’t turn it over
- Great tracking prowess along with plenty of maneuverability in sharp turns
- Retractable skeg offers extra tracking ability in rougher conditions
- The 13 feet length allows it to be operated by taller kayakers
- A customizable seating system, adjustable quick lock foot braces, seal rear, and front compartments with extra dense hatches, security bar, reflective lifelines, foredeck shock cord storage with its safety straps and paddle hook, drainplug, and fluent rod holder are the extra features which make this flatwater kayak such a winner
Cons
- Some users have reported an issue with the quality of its seating, but this could result from a one-time manufacturing error where the seat didn’t match the one described in the adverts.
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3. Perception Essence 17.0 Kayak
The Perception Essence 17, weighing 65 pounds and costing $1055.20, is a 17-foot high-performance sea kayak for serious paddlers who engage in adventures requiring a GPS and a chart for navigation.
Fully equipped for a week-long water trek, it includes dialed-in tracking and an ergonomic design. In addition, the Zone EXP seating system is completely adjustable to match the kayaker’s discretion, enabling long-distance comfort even on the most extensive expeditions.
Pros
- TruTrak Skeg system enables precision tracking
- The hydrofoil shape efficiently cuts through the water and can be retracted into a waterproof housing when unused.
- Plenty of watertight storage thanks to the three easily accessible sealed bulkheads on board, each with its deck hatch
- Bow / stern deck rigging
- It can be augmented with a rudder
- Adjustable Zone EXP seating
- Slidelock foot braces
- Soft-Touch handles
- Padded thigh braces that can be adjusted
- It has more excellent initial stability and smoother, predictable edging because of its extra width (compared to other 17-footers)
Cons
- As you’ll observe in other ocean kayak reviews too, we had little trouble with its design, except that it may be hard to use in surf conditions because of its slim and straight design.
4. TheTahe Marine Wind Composite Sit-In Sea/Touring Kayak
This particular kayak in the Tahe Marine line has been made with a focus on bigger volume. Ideal for medium to large-sized kayakers, its larger cockpit secured by thigh braces allow for easy entry and reliable gripping while in the water.
The two oval hatches are spacious and act as accessible storage compartments – there is also a mini-box on board for more minor provisions. This is the best sea kayak that Tahe Marine offers in terms of speed and does remarkably well in marathons, extended expeditions, and exercise trips.
Pros
- Shallow V-shape results in rapid acceleration, maneuverability, and speed
- 17.5 feet length makes it ideal for taller paddlers and enhances stability
- Extra volume results in plenty of storage space
- Retractable skeg offers additional tracking capability in rough waters
- Holding capacity of 309 pounds ensures that it can carry a person as well as plenty of gear
- Easy re-entry thanks to paddle entry straps on deck
Cons
- None to speak of except the very high cost of $3,049 – it is one of the best ocean kayaks out there.
5. Riot Kayaks Enduro 13 HV Flatwater Day Touring Kayak
This flatwater kayak is a swift touring vessel with streamlined features such as front deck rigging, two waterproof hatches, and a rod holder for the best touring experience.
With a weight of 45 pounds, length of 13 feet, and a cost of $785, it can go head to head with any craft in its range and with much longer vessels.
Pros
- A streamlined, grooved hull ensures excellent speed and remarkable secondary stability and tracking.
- Custom-fit seating system and adjustable quick lock foot braces allow for comfort on longer trips.
- Back and front bulkheads as well as dual-density hatches for storage
- Short cord foredeck storage with paddle hook
- Retractable skeg for better navigation
Cons
- None to mention – the excellent pricing, as well as abundance of features, make it one of the best kayaks for lakes.
Conclusion
Kayak touring is such a diverse sport/pastime that you’ll have to consider your options before making a choice carefully. The foremost thing to keep in mind is where you will be using the kayak and the conditions you will be using it in. (Read Intex Excursion 4 Review)
For example, plenty of touring craft make for excellent lake kayaks in calm conditions, but unless they have options for add-ons such as rudders, they will have trouble handling faster, rougher waters.
