Local kayaks making waves

KAYAKS FOR COURSES: CHOOSE YOURS

Choosing a kayak can be a confusing business. There are more than 10 local companies in South Africa alone, each producing a range of different models. There are kayaks for white-water, touring, sea recreation, fishing and racing; they come as sit-insides or sit-on-tops, in plastic or fibreglass or composites, with or without a rudder, as solos or tandems. Beyond kayaks there are canoes, surfskis, K1s and K2s – all paddle craft but essentially quite different. It’s enough to make you feel at sea before you even begin. Kayaks have emerged as the most popular recreational choice in recent years. There are three reasons for this:

They’re robust and virtually unsinkable.