Best Sit-on-Top Kayak for Beginners

When it comes to water sports, kayaking is one of the most fun things I have ever done. The fact of the matter is that it is relaxing, while also being good exercise. 

You can use kayaks to calmly paddle around on lakes, do some fast-water kayaking, and they can be used for fishing as well. I personally love to use them for everything. However, kayaks alone are not all that easy to use, especially if you are a beginner.

With that being said, there are sit-on-top kayaks. The purpose of these is to make things easier for beginners, as they tend to be easier to enter and exit. At the same time, they are generally more stable in the water, thus allowing for more safety and user friendliness. 

The best sit-on-top kayak for beginners is what we are here to look for today. There are a few key considerations to keep in mind before you make your purchase, which is what we are going to talk about first.

I would suggest to always consider wearing a life jacket when kayaking too. Read my guide on how to choose a life jacket to help you stay safe on the water.

What To Look For In Sit-on Top Kayaks – Guide

Before you go out and buy any sit-on-top kayak, there are a few considerations that you need to keep in mind, so let’s talk about these right now.

Material

One important thing to look for is the material the kayak in question is made of. Generally speaking, your choices are going to come down to fiberglass, molded plastic, and the inflatable variety. 

The inflatable ones are lightweight and easy to maneuver, although not very durable. You can also go for the molded plastic types, which tend to be a bit less comfortable and maneuverable, but more durable. Also, the fiberglass variety tends to be very durable, plus they tend to have the added benefit of being UV resistant, which is an issue when it comes to kayaks.

Length and Width

The next factor to keep in consideration when purchasing a sit-on-top kayak is how long and wide the one in question is. Simply put, the wider the kayak is, the more stable it is going to be, thus making wider kayaks more beginner- and user-friendly. 

On the other hand, the longer the kayak is, the faster it will usually go. This is especially true if the kayak is narrow and long. However, also keep in mind that a short and narrow kayak is going to go fast and be very maneuverable, but the short length and width will make it less stable in the water.

Weight and Transportation

You also want to consider the weight of the sit-on-top kayak you are looking at. The heavier the kayak is, the more stable it will be in the water, which is a benefit. However, on the other hand, if the kayak is heavy, it will be more difficult to carry; it’s a tradeoff that you need to think about. 

On that same note, you also want to make sure that the kayak is built for transportation on a car, which is important unless you live right by your usual kayaking spot.

Comfort

The next thing to keep in mind is how comfortable the sit-on-top kayak in question is. Does it have a nice seat? Is the seat ergonomically friendly? Is the seat and the back padded or made of a hard material?

 How much leg room is there? If you are going to be kayaking for a prolonged period of time, comfort is a big factor to keep in mind.

Safety and Load

A big thing to think about is how safe the kayak is. Does it have features to prevent it from rolling? Is it easy to roll back upright in case you do roll it? 

Does it have some kind of hard bumper or other system to prevent damage and injury in the even that you hit something? On that same note, the load weight of the kayak is also important to keep in mind in terms of safety. What is the maximum load which the sit-on-top kayak in question can handle without sinking?

5 Best Sit-on-Top Kayaks For Beginners – Reviews

Here are 5 of the sit-on-top kayaks which we think are best for beginners, so let’s take a look at them right now.