Sea Kayaks

Browse the range of kayaks rated to open ocean paddling.

Sea Kayaks

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90-day "Try-it-on-the-Water" Returns
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3 Year Warranty
90-day "Try-it-on-the-Water" Returns
Free Shipping*
3 Year Warranty

How to Choose a Sea Kayak​

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Can an inflatable kayak go in the open ocean?

Yes! In fact, there are many options, both inflatable and folding kayaks, when it comes to open ocean paddling.

The most important factor is how a kayak handles getting swamped by waves. There are two ways that a kayak can effectively handle that, and they’ll give you a completely different paddling experience.

Self-Bailing Kayaks

A self bailing kayak has bail ports. This means that any water that comes over the sides into the kayak will drain out through ports either side of the floor.

So you can never really be swamped in a sit-on-top self-bailing kayak. The downside of sit-on-top kayaks is that they are nowhere near as fast nor track as well as sit-in kayaks.

Plus, you WILL get wet…

Self-Bailing Kayaks

A self bailing kayak has bail ports. This means that any water that comes over the sides into the kayak will drain out through ports either side of the floor.

So you can never really be swamped in a sit-on-top self-bailing kayak. The downside of sit-on-top kayaks is that they are nowhere near as fast nor track as well as sit-in kayaks.

Plus, you WILL get wet…

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Cockpit and Spray Skirt

The second way is through a sit-in kayak that can attach a spray skirt. This is a different approach, this is saying “I’m going to keep water out of my kayak and stay warm and dry inside.”

Our sit-in inflatable and folding sea kayaks are pretty amazing to paddle – they have wonderful hull shapes that cut through chop and zoom through the water.

Wind Affect

When you’re out in open ocean, the wind affect gets real. To minimise the wind affect, you want to look for a sit-in kayak rather than a sit-on-top.

You also want to look for a kayak with a long waterline, like the kayaks in our AdvancedFrame range.

Wind Affect

When you’re out in open ocean, the wind affect gets real. To minimise the wind affect, you want to look for a sit-in kayak rather than a sit-on-top.

You also want to look for a kayak with a long waterline, like the kayaks in our AdvancedFrame range.

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Are You Sure You Want an Open Water Kayak?

Time to pause. We get a lot of customers that say they want an open-water kayak because they think “I might want to go out on an open beach one day, if the conditions are right.”

But if you know you’re going to be out in open water, cold weather, rough conditions, or going for long distances, you definitely want a kayak rated to open ocean.

If the above doesnt sound like you wont need to go for something that is rated to open ocean kayaking and there will be lighter options available to you. If in doubt, reach out to our team to chat through your options.