Last Updated on July 2, 2022 by Ecorf
It is not surprising to see that kayaking is a sport that is quickly gaining popularity today as it is a really exciting sport in and of itself. The sport is not just entertaining, it also gives room for just anyone to be able to enjoy it; there are kayaks for big, small, tall, short or any other category of people. What’s more, there are also different options of water bodies, such as the challenging whitewater and the calm oceans.
With these many options to satisfy everyone and with endless places to kayak, I really don’t see the sport getting old anytime soon.
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Top Many Options Could Confuse You
As I mentioned earlier, there are two main categories of water bodies where you could kayak; the whitewater and the ocean or seawater. Because there are countless kayaks that are specifically designed to suit these two water bodies, it would be great to know which of these kayaks to choose from, wouldn’t it? So, if you are looking to enjoy your kayaking experience on the sea, I have taken the liberty of compiling for you my 5 best Sea kayaks in 2020, along with a short guide to choosing them.
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Choosing the Best Sea Kayak for Yourself
Sea kayaks are best for peaceful and relaxing experience on the calm waters surrounding you, and all you need is to get yourself a seafaring kayak. However, there are some things you would need to consider before getting one for yourself.
- Sit-in or Sit-on: Kayaks often come in these two categories. Sit-in kayaks have front coverings where you can hide your feet in while sit-on kayaks don’t have such.
- Budget: The first thing you really have to consider is your budget. You could do a rough search of kayak prices on the internet so that you would have an idea of how much money you should prepare the kayak. You definitely do not want to go to the store and return home empty-handed because you didn’t budget enough money for the kayak of your choice.
- Other preferences: There are also other things to consider, such as the storage capacity, width and length, and some others.
How to Tell Sea Kayaks Apart
Like all other kinds of kayaks, sea kayaks have their specific characteristics that tell them apart from the other kinds of kayaks. Some of these characteristics include:
- Length: For very good sea kayaks, they often come in the length range of 12 feet and longer. The longer the length of the Kayak, the better the tracking of the kayak. Also, long kayaks are often faster than short kayaks.
- Width and Depth: The width of a kayak determines how stable it would be on water. The wider, the more stable, and the same goes for the depth of the kayak. For sea kayaks, their widths should never fall below 20 inches.
- Storage and Weight Capacities: Because sea kayaks are best used for relaxation and gentle recreational purposes, they often come with big storage spaces to hold the stuff that would make your experience better. Consequently, they often have large weight capacities too.
- Materials: Polyethylene is the best material for sea kayaks because of its ability to withstand many weather conditions. Some low budget kayaks may use some other materials but polyethylene would be my first pick.
- Hull shape: Kayaks hulls come in two kinds; v-shaped hulls and rounded hulls. Because sea kayaking may require that you go through slightly turbulent waters, you would need a v-shaped hull to help to cut through the water and make your ride smooth.
- Cockpit opening size: Sea kayaks often have a small cockpit opening size so that you are kept dry when paddling on the sea.
Pro Tips for Sea Kayaking
I’m feeling generous today, so, I want to give you some pro tips that would most definitely help you when you are kayaking.
- This might sound quite a cliche but never go sea kayaking without wearing a life jacket. You would be facing quite unpredictable conditions out there on the sea and you want to be prepared for anything that comes your way.
- Small anchors are good because they don’t require extremely large spaces to be kept in.
Best Sea Kayaks in 2020
Alright, I’ve kept you waiting for long enough. Here are a 5 of my best Sea Kayaks:
Wilderness Systems Tsunami 1|40 Pungo, 14′
This kayak is really great for large persons and it has a lot going for it in terms of speed. The kayak is really stable on seawater and has nice trackability. Because it was designed for large people, it is a sit on kayak, making an easy job of getting in and out of the kayak.
The Pungo 140 also has a large storage space to hold your stuff.
Pros
- Really durable
- Comfortable and adjustable seats
- Large storage capacity
- Large cockpit
Cons
- Quite uncomfortable footpegs
Riot Kayaks Brittany 16.5 Kayak
Two of the greatest advantages of this kayak are its trackability and its speed. It is also not lacking in stability as it has a retractable skeg that helps to keep it stable in turbulent waters.
The Brittany 16.5 has a width and depth of 21.75 and 12.5 inches respectively, while weighing just about 50 pounds.
Pros
- Retractable skeg
- Has a pilot rudder system
- V-shaped hull help bolster its speed
Cons
- Quite heavy
Oru Kayak BayST Folding Portable Lightweight Kayak
This kayak has a number of interesting features which make it rank among my best five. Firstly, it is can be easily assembled and dissembled without stress. Secondly, it doesn’t even need a rudder to turn very responsively. Its seats are really comfortable and adjustable while its lightweight makes it easy for one person to carry.
Pros
- Easily assembled and dissembled
- Lightweight
- Durable
Cons
- Not enough leg room
- Funny foot brace
Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 Kayak
This kayak is not just perfect for sea kayaking, it also works well for fishing, and on ponds, rivers and lakes. Its massive size makes it suitable for large persons.
Stability is one thing this kayak has going for it is stability as it really wide and deep. The cockpit size of this kayak is also really spacious, while the seats are really comfortable and adjustable too.
Pros
- Quite light
- Durable
- Adjustable and comfortable seats
Cons
- Rear storage compartment isn’t waterproof
Sun Dolphin Aruba SS 12-Foot Sit-in Kayak
This kayak is really popular because it isn’t as expensive as many other kayaks. However, it is not ridiculously cheap too. The trackability, maneuverability, and stability of this kayak are up there at the top of the charts while its large storage compartment holds almost anything.
Another great feature is its P.A.C storage compartment which could be used to keep clothes, phones and other things you would not want to get wet.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Watertight P.A.C storage compartment
Cons
- Quite slow
- Cockpit is not large enough to conveniently contain large persons.
My Pick
I’m positive that these kayaks are the best kayaks that could be used for sea kayaking. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but they are still generally great. However, my pick would be the Pungo 140 kayak.
The Pungo 140 kayak may not be as light as the Oru foldable kayak but it is still relatively light. The Pungo 140 kayak has a very nice trackability and speed that makes it suitable for suckers for speed like me. Also, large persons can also have a great and convenient time in this kayak without worrying about legroom and all.
Finally, the storage compartment of the Pungo 140 is large enough to hold almost anything. However, any of the other mentioned kayaks are really good enough to get the job done.
