Is a Sit on Top Kayak Right For You?

Choosing the right kayak is vital to an enjoyable experience and it can be very confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for. With so many brands and types to choose from, it really does come down to one question … How do you want to use your kayak?

Do you want to do short day trips or escape for a few days at a time? Do you want calm and protected waters or rivers, lakes or calm coastal waters or do you prefer a faster pace and want to take your kayaks into the ocean and surf. Do you want short day trips or an extended touring experience?

Another important element to consider is how many passengers will be travelling in your boat. Are you a solo paddler or paddling with a partner? Will you have small children you want to take exploring?

These are critical questions to answer when making your decision. To help you decide, we have categorised our kayaks based upon your paddling preference.

Sit on Top Kayaks – Sit on Top (SOT) kayaks are designed for those who need to easily enter and exit the water. SOTs are popular with paddlers who use their kayak for fishing, surfing touring and diving. Similar in design to traditional kayaks, however instead of sitting inside the kayak, the seating is a moulded depression on top.

Due to the centre of gravity being slightly above the water line, as opposed to below with sit in kayaks, these boats are wider than those of the same length of sit in kayaks and this does make them a little slower.

These kayaks are unsinkable making them perfect for leisure use, sea kayaking and surf conditions; any water that enters the kayak escapes through scupper holes that run from the cockpit through the bottom of the hull.

There are a number of advantages to SOTs. For paddlers with a larger body type, long legs or limited flexibility, SOTs are less confined than the traditional sit in kayaks. Another advantage is that should the vessel tip, because of the open deck (rather than an enclosed one) there is less chance of being trapped – making it great for beginner paddlers. You can add a backrest to the kayak for comfort and thigh braces for stability and increased power for longer distance paddling. SOTs coming in singles and doubles and a few can accommodation three paddlers.