It's that time of year. New kayaks are hitting the showroom floors. This is also the season when people start thinking about getting one or two new kayaks, and many of them will be first-time owners. To simplify some potential heartache, I submit to you my First-Time Kayak Buyer's Guide.
Kayak fishing Facebook pages are lighting up with requests about which boats to look at, which one is right for me, and myriad other questions.
So which boat should you get? It's not that simple. You may as well ask which one main dish your town would like to eat every day for the next year.
One kayak buyer's expectations vary greatly from another's. We are all unique individuals with very specific things we're looking for, and kayak fishing is no different.
So what do you do? Here are a few steps to help you make the right-for-you decision.
1. Make a List
Make a list of everything you're going to do in the kayak and how it will be used.
- Are you fishing in big lakes, the ocean, rivers, bays, or all of the above?
- Do you want to troll, drift, sit, stand, paddle, pedal, or use an electric motor of some sort?
- Are you fishing for bass, crappie, cats, specks, reds, flounder, anything you can catch, or all of the above?
- Who will be using the kayak? Will it be just you, or will others be sharing it?
- How will you transport it? Do you have a truck, trailer, car, or van? How about a roof rack? Do you have cross bars on the roof rack?
- How much storage do you want the kayak to have?
- Do you fish in the cold much?
- Do you fish in the wind much?
- Where will this kayak be stored? How much room is in that place (size limits)?
- Do you have any health issues that will play into your decision (bad back, bad heart, arthritis, etc.)?
- How much weight can you lift above your head? How much can you raise to your waist?
- Of the people who will be using the kayak, how much does the heaviest person weigh?
- How tall is the tallest person who will use the kayak?
- What weight capacity (gear and people) will the kayak need?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will get you in the right frame of mind to discover what you need. Write down your answers and take them to a dealer or with you to a demo day.
2. Set a Price Range
This one is tough. Most people decide they want to get into kayak fishing with a max budget of around $500. Some have even less than that. The problem is that number will usually only get you a kayak.
Say you go to a big box store and buy the entry-level model. It'll cost you about $500 in most cases, and after tax you're already over budget. Now you need a paddle, a lifejacket (PFD), and a whistle just to be legal and able to go to the lake in most states. That adds another $60 if you buy the absolute cheapest gear that's made. Throw in tax and your $500 budget is now $670.
This is when most people start to look at used kayaks and settle on one in their price range from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Usually the kayak doesn't fit the list of things you wanted, and more often than not, the $450 you spent on a used kayak turns into a loss. After the first couple of trips, you're selling the kayak and gear on Craigslist for $350 because kayak fishing just isn't for you.
You can find details on all of our Jackson Kayak models and pricing on our store.
2.5 Some Hard-to-Hear Advice
Don't blame the kayak. If you take a date to McDonald's and tell her to order only off the Dollar Menu, do you think you'll get a second date? Rarely. When you buy a cheap used kayak that you've done little research on and that doesn't meet your needs, your time in kayak fishing is usually (not always, but usually) short-lived.
Make a realistic budget for what you can do and stick to it, but make sure it meets your list. If it doesn't, save up more money to expand your budget or keep waiting. Trust me here. A kayak that meets all (or most) of your needs, rather than just the desire to get on the water, will make you much happier in the long run.
3. Demo, Demo, Demo
Before you make a purchase, if at all possible, demo lots of kayaks. Technically speaking, there are demo days almost every day of the year. Lots of dealers will meet you at the lake with a few kayaks you want to try. Meet up with folks who already own the kayak and give it a try.
Please don't buy a kayak without trying it first. It usually ends in heartbreak. Take your list and check off how many of your desires each one meets. If it's out of your budget, look for a used one or save some more money and get the one you really want.
4. Research
Talk to people who own the kayak you've narrowed it down to. Do some web research and look at the manufacturer's website. Join the Facebook group for that particular company or model. There are lots of questions and answers flying around in the Jackson Fishing Kayak Owners Group on Facebook. What would they change? How did they rig their kayak for fishing? Would they buy that kayak again? Make an informed decision.
5. Final Thoughts: No Regrets
Even if you follow all of these steps, there's no guarantee of a perfect kayak. There's always a chance you'll change boats a few times in your life, and that's good too. As your preferences change, so might the type of kayak you need. But the chances of buying the right kayak the first time without any of the steps above are not very good.