White Water Kayaks
| Playboat Kayaks |
| River Runners |
| Creek Boats |
| Classic & Specialty |
White water kayaks are generally broken down into six categories from largest to smallest: Creek, River-Creek, River, River-Play, Play and Squirt. Getting the right white water kayak for the places you want to paddle and the type of kayaking you want to do will help ensure you have a good time out on the water.
Creek Boats are white water kayaks designed for pushing their way through big white water and protecting the paddler when landing at the bottom of waterfalls. They have blunt bows so they have less chance of getting stuck between rocks; round hulls so landings (boofing) is softer and safer on backs, rounded decks so they resurface quickly when submerged, and soft edges along the sides to make them less affected by water features around them so they may continue downstream easily even in big, pushy water. These features also make them easy to roll and forgiving on eddylines and thus are sometimes used in beginner courses.
River-Creek boats look very similar to creek kayaks with their large volume and rounded decks. The difference can be seen by looking at the hull - it is flat (or nearly so) with an edge along the sides. This makes them easier for paddlers of other types of kayaks to paddle, as the general techniques are the same due to the flat bottom. Also, they give the paddler more control and increased speed. These kayaks are now in the Creek Boats section
River Runners, also known as all-rounders, are the most common choice for those new to the sport of white water kayaking. They are the midline between all the other types of kayaks. Mid-length, mid-volume, and middle of the range in overall performance between Creek and Play. They are faster and more responsive than creek boats, often with a flat, planing hull. They are longer, faster, easier to roll and more forgiving than a playboat. Great fun in the surf for beginner/intermediate paddlers, the all-rounder is just that - good at all things and only perfect at being able to do a wide variety of water types. It is the perfect kayak for those wanting a kayak that will do a little bit of everything.
River-Play Kayaks are slightly longer and faster than playboats, making them more versatile on the river. With slightly less sharp edges, they are generally more forgiving than a playboat and make a good kayak for the playful beginner or the advanced playboater looking for the speed to be able to paddle back up to a favorite river feature. Higher performance than a river runner kayak, they are for those wanting a playful, yet generally forgiving kayak. River-Play kayaks are now in the River Runners section.
Play Boats are the smallest kayaks you'll see at kayak shops these days. They are the BMX of kayaking - small, sharp and all performance, the winners of freestyle championships. Small enough to throw around, and designed to provide intermediate to advanced paddlers the performance they desire, they are designed to allow you to do exactly what their name implies - play!. The Playboat Kayaks section now includes Surf kayaks.
Squirt boats are extremely small volume kayaks that sit 80-90% under the surface of the water, taking advantage of the currents that move just under the surface. When a shoot of water hits the top on back, the kayak shoots forward like a pinched bar of soap, hence the name "squirt". This sort of river-kayaking is so rare in New Zealand that there are no new dedicated squirt boats available in our shops.
