Choosing the right kayak

If you read this page, you are possibly a beginner paddler with no idea of what you want. That is OK; this page was written specifically for you to help you make a good choice. The choice of boats from Fluid’s range alone can be overwhelming, without even considering all the different boats available from other manufacturers. The good news is that there is a good chance that Fluid will have the right boat for you.

First of all, before looking at any specific model, you need to decide between various groups of boats. Whether you are a family guy who wants a boat that you and your family can play around in without having to learn any complicated skills or buying a bunch of equipment, or whether you’re planning to paddle some distance on mostly flat water but want a safe and easy boat that won’t sink if you should capsize, or if you want to paddle around on the ocean and surf some ocean waves, or whether you want to go fishing, you will surely find the right boat in our recreational kayaks range.

But, if you want to explore rivers and visit places where people otherwise can’t go, or if you are excited by the idea of surfing river waves and playing in rapids, or if you simply crave some adrenaline and you don’t mind to take some time to learn all the necessary skills, welcome to our range of whitewater kayaks.

If you are looking for an open canoe, a racing kayak, a dragon boat, a composite touring kayak, a squirt boat, a yacht or an ocean liner, you are browsing the wrong website.

Remember that it is advisable to always test a boat before you buy, just to make sure.

Recreational kayaks

All models in our current range of recreational kayaks are of the sit-on-top variety. This means that they are sealed units that won’t fill up with water if you should capsize. In fact, you can just climb right back onto the boat and continue paddling again. Secondly, there are fewer components that can break. This doesn’t mean that sit-inside kayaks are no good; we will introduce some sit-inside kayaks to our range too in the near future. But a sit-on-top has some distinct advantages, especially in warmer climates. All our sit-on-tops are really stable too, you need no experience and no good balance to enjoy these boats.

Kids

The Vaya – this one is a no-brainer. There is no better boat on the market for small kids up to about 40kg/90lbs. It is super safe, super easy to paddle, and very affordable. If you want your kids to start paddling early without getting a fright, this is the boat to have.

Single sit-on-top

The choice between the Buddy, Locomotion and Chumani is a bit more complicated. All three these sit-on-tops are so called singles and have more or less the same carrying capacity. If you plan to cover some distance and therefore need some speed, the Chumani will work best for you. If ease of handling on and off the water is more important than speed, look at the Buddy and Locomotion. The Buddy is more maneuverable, surfs really well on ocean waves and is slightly lighter than the Locomotion. The Locomotion on the other hand has the big advantage that you can link two or three boats together, making them very versatile for families and also resorts.

Double sit-on-top

The Synergy carries more speed than the singles mentioned above, and has the advantage that it can be paddled as a single or a double. It is no coincidence that the Synergy has been our best selling model for a few years running now. Its all-round capabilities are much loved by numbers of happy Synergy owners.

Fishing

If you are a serious fisherman, look no further than our Bamba, a dedicated fishing kayak. It has all the features you will need plus some more. If you want a boat to fish from but also share the same boat with some family members, you can order any of our recreational kayaks except for the Vaya with rod holders.

Touring

If you fancy yourself an explorer of some sort and need speed and packing space, the Bamba will do the trick. The enormous fishing compartment between the legs doubles up as a huge gear compartment, and there is ample room on the boat to carry a lot more. If you don’t really need that much boat for your extended trip, the Synergy has been used on various multiday trips too with great success. If you prefer a sit-inside touring kayak, look at the models of some other manufacturers, or wait until we release our own touring kayak.

Whitewater kayaks

We have a very complete range of whitewater kayaks, you can be sure that we will have the right boat for you. Our kayaks are on the cutting edge of the sport as far as design and quality goes.

Beginner kayakers are often not sure which kayak to buy first. It’s a difficult decision, as you not only have to decide between models and size, you have to make up your mind as to what type of kayaking you actually want to do. If you can join a club, it will make it easier to ease into the sport, trying different kayaks while you learn, until you have a better idea of what you want to do and what type of kayak you prefer. Another option is to buy second-hand first, there is a healthy second-hand market in most countries where whitewater kayaking is popular.

Generally speaking, most beginner kayakers will be well suited with a riverrunner kayak of some sort. Have a look at the riverrunner info below. Some kayakers start paddling in an area where there is really only playboating to be done; for them it will make sense to start with a forgiving playboat. Kayakers who start paddling in the middle of a creeking mecca will obviously be better off with a forgiving creekboat.

Playboat

We have two playboat designs in our range, each available in three different sizes. The Nemesis is a very up-to-date playboat, which will enable you to learn all freestyle moves currently being performed in competition, and with which you can compete at the highest level. It has some sharp rails for more precise handling than most other playboats on the market, making it feel alive and crisp on the water. It is somewhat more edgy than the Flirt, but not as much as you would expect from a boat with such sharp edges. The Flirt on the other hand was designed 5 years ago as a playboat that can run rivers quite well. The performance is less crisp than that of the Nemesis, but it is also more forgiving and therefore a bit more suitable for beginner to intermediate paddlers. The Flirt can do all the moves that the Nemesis can do, but some of the more advanced moves take more effort to do.

The sizing is also slightly different. While the M Nemesis and M Flirt can accommodate the same size paddler, the S Nemesis is smaller than the S Flirt, and the L Flirt is a bit larger than the L Nemesis.

Surfkayak

If you are a whitewater kayaker who wants a kayak than can really surf on ocean or river waves but still throw some playboating moves at the same time, you really have only one choice: the Element. It is available in a plastic and composite version. The plastic version is obviously the tougher one of the two, making it more suitable for paddlers who will hit rocks more often, regardless of river or ocean use. The composite version is light and stiffer, but it is also a bit more susceptible to damage.

Riverrunner

We have two designs in our range that fall in the riverrunner category. The Spice was designed to be the perfect all-rounder. It is quite a unique boat and there are not really any boats currently on the market that is as versatile as the Spice. It is not perfect for anything of course, but it is pretty good at most things. The Detox is closer to a creekboat, and therefore not as much of an all-rounder as the Spice. But for running rivers, it is certainly more forgiving than the Spice due to it’s higher volume and raised split line.

For beginners, it will be a tough choice between the Spice and Detox. The Spice will be better for more aggressive beginners who learn quickly and don’t mind getting spanked every now and then. The Detox will be better for less aggressive beginners, or those beginners who don’t have as much time to practice. Kayak schools would do well with a 50/50 mix of Spices and Detoxes.

For intermediate paddlers, the Detox will be a great creekboat for running easy creeks or technical rivers. It has enough volume to behave like a creekboat, but it has a playboat style hull to make the boat feel more familiar to paddlers who normally paddle playboats. For intermediate paddlers who only wants one boat, the Detox will be great if they only want to run rivers. For intermediate paddlers who only want one boat but still want to play too, the Spice is still a great choice.

For more advanced paddlers, the Detox will be perfect to make creeks more interesting. On more full on stuff, the Detox will be less forgiving than the Solo, which will make for a more exciting ride if you’re capable of handling the boat on the harder stuff. If you really want to paddle at your very limit, the Solo will still be the better boat. Advanced paddlers who want to play their way down bigger volume or technical rivers will find the Spice to be a great companion.

Creekboat

If you are the type of paddler who runs the hardest stuff possible, or who wants to paddle at your personal limit, look no further than the Solo. It has been proven as a no-nonsense, full-on creekboat with a bunch of great safety features that will take care of you in the most treacherous of situations.

If you want to play your way down some easier creeks or if you paddle a playboat most of the time, it will be worthwhile to consider the Detox too. With it’s playboat-like hull but with the length and volume of a creekboat, it provides an exciting ride down technical rapids. It is slightly less forgiving than the Solo, but at the same time, the sharper rails ensure very precise handling.

Lastly, if you consider yourself an expert kayaker, you really don’t need us to tell you what you need.

Fluid Kayaks | Tel: +27 (0)56-817-2951 | Fax: +27 (0)86 550-3018 | office@fluidkayaks.co.za