Kayak vs Canoe - Your Personal Pros and Cons

My strictly personal 2 cents.
There are enough similarities between the two paddling craft families to please anyone wishing to cross over seeking different experiences on different days. But neither is a gateway drug for the other. You'd really have to try a selection of boats to know what suits you. I have paddled cockpit, rec, and SOT yaks, mostly because they were there and I felt like paddling something, and enjoyed the three differences. I've only paddled tandem flatwater tripper canoes, a fair number of them, and have also (day) soloed them. As much as the yaks were pleasant outings the canoes are/were wholly life transformative. Tripping canoes are the real and only deal for me. Canoe tripping to me is more than a recreational lifestyle choice, it feels more of an alternative immersive outdoor universe. Everything else is just play dabbling.
Which is why I first came to CT and (so far) continue to drop in; a friendly forum of like-minded canoe trippers sharing a fire.
The unfortunate inclusion in this site of candy cane stuff like racing, kayaks, and SUPs is quite frankly a bit of and insult to canoe tripping.
But we might all get along.
NB Although pennies are still legal tender in Canada, they are no longer produced and distributed (since 2012/13).

Odyssey said:

candy cane stuff like racing, kayaks, and SUPs

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Brad, are you having a hyperbole day? There have never been forums here for kayaks or SUPs, and there won't be as long as I own it. We rarely have a thread about kayaks, like this one comparing kayaks to canoes, which many folks have found informational and interesting enough to post in or view.

Canoes-only here... have used kayaks, never "got it"... pack canoe is lighter, faster, easier in/out, greater cargo capacity, can move around more, etc. Full sized canoe is even better because you can stand up and stretch if you need to.

I've tripped with people who kayaked because it's what they had... no shame. just more work.

Seeker said:

Canoes-only here... have used kayaks, never "got it"... pack canoe is lighter, faster, easier in/out, greater cargo capacity, can move around more, etc. Full sized canoe is even better because you can stand up and stretch if you need to.

I've tripped with people who kayaked because it's what they had... no shame. just more work.

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Define more work? Do you mean for moving through portages?

ErktheRed said:

Define more work? Do you mean for moving through portages?

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I'm not the guy you are asking but as an owner of both, they are both more work to paddle and more work to carry.

boy&hisdogs said:

I'm not the guy you are asking but as an owner of both, they are both more work to paddle and more work to carry.

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Also as the owner of both, they are more work to pack and unpack with a lot of gear. And, especially as one ages, they are more work to get into and out of—think: beaver dams—unless they have really big cockpits and no skirts.

Glenn MacGrady said:

Also as the owner of both, they are more work to pack and unpack with a lot of gear. And, especially as one ages, they are more work to get into and out of—think: beaver dams—unless they have really big cockpits and no skirts.

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One group I paddle with is mostly older folks in recreational kayaks. When they get stuck in a shallow spot they'll put an inordinate amount of effort into trying not to get out. They'll jerk themselves front to back to try to get the kayak to slide forward and abuse their paddles trying to pole off the bottom. Anything to avoid crawling out. And as kayaks go they have very large cockpit openings.

One thing they will NOT do under any circumstances is learn to read the water to avoid the rocks and shallow spots in the first place. They happily bounce down the river while chattering loudly enough to ensure that any wildlife has plenty of heads up to disappear. If they didn't make such good bottom prying tools they probably wouldn't waste time bringing paddles along.

As the owner of both, I agree with some of that. If they’re paddling a chain of lakes or going where most canoeists go, yes! Absolutely more work. Packing and unpacking can also be a little more of a challenge as smaller dry bags get wedged in the far tips or between the skeg box. But with rec boats the cockpits are upwards to 30” of an opening, however, I can see how aging joints or injuries making getting in and out more difficult.

I think the word kayak is getting lumped with all forms of kayaking when there’s so many variations and types of people who use them. In my experience and only from my experience, people party more in kayaks and they’re in one they picked up for a steal of a deal. No hate, but i don’t share the same interests. I live in a Very touristy area and see these fools flipping their kayaks on rivers full of strainers or trying to paddle out to an island and don’t understand currents or weather. Everyday. Kayaking is not any harder to paddle if you want to know how. Recreational kayaks are just as wide as canoes but can have more chine lines giving them greater initial/secondary stability than other kayaks. Sea kayaks, yeah ok they’re narrow and have small cockpits but I personally find them comfy once the seat is dialed and skirt goes on. More work to paddle…. Mmm I might disagree with that too. Roto or composite they move effortlessly with each paddle stroke, but can see how they might feel heavy and sluggish in the first three stokes. Once I’m at camp taking my 15 dry bags out isn’t that horrible and I’d be doing something similar in my portage pack anyways.

I guess my point is that I don’t think kayaking is any more work than a canoeing. Portaging my gear up steep rocky hills for a mile isn’t something I’d do with a kayak. Kayaking a week during the gales of November on Superior isn’t something I’d do in a canoe.

To call myself out, there’s a lot of members on here who have been paddling more years than I’ve been alive. My hat goes off to you, and I hope to be that person someday as well but there is a place for kayaking and kayakers

Punkinhead said:

One thing they will NOT do under any circumstances is learn to read the water to avoid the rocks and shallow spots.....

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I know you're talking about a particular group, and I get it. Been around such a crowd myself occasionally. But to be fair - or perhaps to point out another disadvantage to kayaks (and possibly pack canoes) - sitting closer to the water makes reading the river more difficult.... especially for those with little experience.

I grew up canoeing and the canoe remains my craft of choice. We live on Lake Erie though and use our sea kayaks heavily to beat the heat of the summer. It’s wonderful to head out onto the Great Lake about 4 or 5 miles on a 90 degree day to hop out and swim and enjoy the peace and quiet. Our experiences with our 18’ sea kayaks have provided us with the skills to take larger sea kayaking trips to apostle islands and desolation sound, among other shorter trips. Our sea kayaks easily handle a week’s worth of gear.

It’s just the best tool for the job that day.

I own a Yak, mostly for guests, and in case I don’t want to beat my canoe to death on a low stream. If I lived near the ocean or closer to Superior, I might own an ocean kayak.

Black_Fly said:

I own a Yak, mostly for guests, and in case I don’t want to beat my canoe to death on a low stream. If I lived near the ocean or closer to Superior, I might own an ocean kayak.

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i have a couple kayaks that I likely now own. Not sure of status though. They were given to me years ago (40+?) by a couple friends to store a boat out here for when they might want to paddle when visiting. Both of those friends have since died and I still have their boats. I've never gotten either of them wet (and don't plan to, though can't positively rule it out). I also don't have contact info for any family so I could get them back to them, if in fact any family remembers I have that boat, or if anyone paddles and might want it. One of the boats is an older fiberglass model. The other I don't even remember what it is.

I had a strip built 20' tandem sea kayak one time. I bought it on a Friday, flipped it on Saturday and returned it on Sunday. To be fair, I think the foam I used for the seats was too thick, making for a high center of gravity. My wife, who was with me at the time swore to never get into it again. Being that out intended use was tripping on large glacial lakes and the cold salt water I didn't blame her. I often wonder if we hadn't had that experience if me tripping would have gone in a different direction.

Kayaks have their place. Icy Bay, Alaska with Mt. St. Elias (18,008) in background. Kayaks were tandem collapsible Feathercrafts, which fit nicely in a Cessna 185.

I’ve sold sea kayaks to a couple of people who flipped the same or next day. Returned them because they flipped, it scared them. We never took the paddle back, only the boat as long as it was sellable. There’s no margin on kayaks or canoes so we’d always lose out on having to sell it cheaper. A lot of people in narrower boats scare themselves before they’re comfortable… or before they learn. There’s a lot of hybrid or wider longer kayaks that make life at ease. It’s not for everybody, neither is a canoe, but there is a leaning curve to both. Once I Wanted to paddle I was taught in a CI-CII river and lake and learned how to read the water. Which I don’t think is anymore difficult than a canoe. I flipped A LOT! But with flipping comes not wanting to and learn to brace. It helped me understand what to expect in both canoe and kayak. I’m not entirely comfortable all of the time but I wouldn’t want to be. Personally

ErktheRed said:

Define more work? Do you mean for moving through portages?

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Both portaging and paddling.

The buddy I was referring to had a roughly 18' (may have been longer) "ultralight" carbon fiber lake kayak that he apparently used for kayaking on the Great Lakes... It weighed in excess of 50lbs, probably closer to 75, and possibly more. So it took two of us to portage it, one at each end. He couldn't do it alone. Regarding his baggage, he couldn't fit a normal pack in the storage compartments, so had to use specially shaped bags; long and tapered. There was a front and back compartment bag, as well as a couple smaller ones. They didn't have any sort of straps or slings, so he had to carry them awkwardly as best he could, taking at least two more trips over any portage to move them all... so that was 3 trips across a portage, and back. While he was doing the second trip, I single portaged my 22lb carbon fiber Nessmuk XL and 35lb pack, and took a break during his third trip.

The other half of "more work" was simply the effort of pulling that 50-75lbs of boat weight with his paddle, where I was only moving 22lbs (both of us obviously pulling our packs and personal fat as well). So at the end of the day, he was pretty tired.

I was less so, and felt bad for his having to triple portage all of it... Fortunately, it was in the St Regis Canoe area, Hoel to Long Pond and down to Floodwood the first day, so only 2 actual portages plus putting in at Hoel (again, I move it all in one load from car to shore). We were joined by other friends the next day, who helped on each of the other portages over the next couple days. We had a GREAT time. As I said, no judgement; he used what he had, and has purchased a far lighter canoe or two since then. But it was more work all around.

I think there’s a misconception of a composite kayaks being lighter, when they’re not that much different than a rotomolded kayak. Both of mine are probably close to 60lbs, fiberglass. Compared to canoes, plastics are heavy while composites are half the weight. Kayaks have so much more going on in regards of to design aesthetics like paddle grooves, recessed deck hardware, cockpit combing, the side seam paint. There’s just so much more material. Us kayakers love to add “flare” to our boats, a heavy oil filled compass, an extra paddle that’s usually not as light, bungee/rope, deck bags… we love things!

I wouldn’t ever want to portage a kayak though, maybe if I could drag it over something for five feet. Usually stick to the shoreline or open water. All of the stuff that comes out of the boat goes into ikea bags and up to camp, or back to the car. If it can’t fit in one or two half filled ikea bags, it doesn’t come. It can be annoying! There’s a learning curve on packing a kayak, and it definitively involves a number of dry bags. Other than breaking your back reaching through the hatches and having rocks jam into your knees, it’s the same thing as a portage pack

I’m glad you guys had a great time, and awesome fun to meet up with other friends. I always like hearing people getting out and enjoying time on the water, no matter the boat they’re in. It should always be an adventure

Kayaks made in Trylon or Carbonlite are a much lighter abs plastic that perform like a composite. Worth a look for who want to know

…. Cripes, I stop responding to this thread…