TYPES OF BOATS

It's easy to feel a little overwhelmed when faced with all of the different boat choices available. When you start your search for a new boat, it's a good idea to have a basic knowledge of the standard types of boat you are looking for. Here is a brief explaination of the different styles ...

PEDAL KAYAKS -From the moment the first Hobie Mirage Pedal kayak hit the water, it was hard to keep up with the demand for these innovative boats. Everything you've heard is true! The Hobie pedal kayaks are easy to use, unbeatably fast, incredibly manueverable, and some of the most fun you can have on the water! Anyone can pedal a Hobie, even kids! And they LOVE them! It's easy for them to control (hand controlled rudder) and they can move faster than all the traditional rec kayaks. It's a kid's dream come true! The revolutionary pedal-driven propulsion system is simple and easy to use, and it creates the fastest kayaks on the water! Your feet rest naturally on the pedals and you pedal effortlessly -- similar to a bicycle, leaving your hands free for fishing, photography, birdwatching, eating, baby-holding ... just about anything you want! The larger muscles in your legs produce more powerful propulsion versus your arms using a paddle. You also stay drier as pedaling eliminates drips that you get from using a paddle. The MirageDrive is quiet and creates no splash.

RECREATIONAL SIT ON TOP KAYAKS - Another comfortable recreational option is the ever popular sit-on-top models which provide ease and versatility. This category has grown from a few kayaks designed particularly for scuba-diving, to the most popular kayaks around. Everybody loves these boats! Sit-on-tops cannot "take on" water as they have no cockpit. Water that splashes onto the boat, drains right out through self-bailing holes in the hull. They are super easy to get on and off of in the water -- that's an added relief for parents watching their kids jump off boats for a swim. Sit-on-tops come in all shapes and sizes. The most popular are in the 11-13 foot long range (great for day tripping), with some topping 16 foot for paddling expeditions.

RECREATIONAL SIT INSIDE KAYAKS - A fairly modern invention, the recreational kayak category has opened the sport to virtually everyone! Available in single and double models, sit-inside recreational boats are defined by large, roomy cockpits and adjustable seats. Most singles offer a rear hatch, and in high-feature boats, a bulkhead to keep water out of the storage compartment. Rudders are often an option on tandem (two person) models as it helps with manuvering the boats, but most singles are not available with a rudder option. Stout on stability and light on expeditionary features, all recreational boats are perfect for daytrippers, and some even offer enough cargo room for camping!

CANOES - To start with, lets just say that canoes are GREAT family boats! When we go out in a canoe, we bring it all. The cooler, the camp chairs, the dog ... we've even been known to pack tiki torches and the kitchen sink. The biggest advantage a canoe offers is that their weight limit is higher than kayaks and it's unbelievably easy to load gear. Ideal boats for lake camping with ALL the ammenities! Most canoes are designed with two seats and range in length from 14 ft to 17 ft or more. If you plan on camping out of the boat, you should be looking in the 16 ft + lengths. Daytrippers, under 15 ft is fine.

Note: Dogs love canoes!!

Other types of kayaks not available at SNAC ...

TOURING / SEA KAYAKS - Sleek is the first word that pops into mind when trying to describe a touring kayak. Designed primarily for open ocean paddling, their long, thin design gets you from point a to point b with less effort than their recreational cousins. Most popular touring kayaks start in the 16ft range, offer watertight hatches, and rudders. High on expeditionary features and generally ranging in price from $1000 to $3000 depending on the model.

WHITEWATER KAYAKS - As the name implies, whitewater kayaks are designed specifically for moving water. The added rocker and short profile allows you to manuever quickly around rocks, obstacles, and through moving current -- even to roll if need be. Those are the same design features that make it very difficult to paddle on flat water. Whitewater boats offer no tracking and are very slow when there is no current to push them along.