ken whiting with paddle tv and in this video - well this is kind of like 'The Video'.
At least it's the video for me and maybe for you too, because in this video i'm selecting
the top five kayaks of the year.
So what makes a kayak of the year? Well it could be one of a variety of things. It could be
a kayak that's special or unique in some way. It could be a kayak that just has exceptional value
for the price. It could be a kayak that just puts a smile on your face when you paddle it. So how
did I come up with these kayaks? Well this season I tested more than 25 kayaks. When I say tested,
I thoroughly tested and did a review video of each one. I'll leave a link in the description box down
below if you want to see the individual reviews. I chose those kayaks, all 25 of them, with the
idea that they were all part of this conversation of potential kayak of the year. That being said,
before you jump on me about not including a kayak in this list, please know that i didn't test
all the kayaks that i wanted to i tried to but this year this coveted year it was really hard
to get your hands on kayaks and i'm sure a lot of you found the same problems when you tried to buy
a kayak that you really wanted so bottom line is i'm sure there are other kayaks that deserve to
be in this conversation but it doesn't change the fact that these are great kayaks and they deserve
special recognition for their awesomeness so let's get right into it first up pnh seacacks virgo
pnhcax virgo mv is the mid volume virgo they also have an lv and an hv a low volume and a
high volume boat the virgo retails for 18.99 us dollars it's 14 feet 5 inches long it's
23 inches wide it weighs 56 pounds or 25 kilos and it has a capacity of 220 pounds or 100 kilos
if you watched my full in-depth gear review of the virgo then it's not going to come as
a big surprise that this kayak made it into the kayaks of the year the reason being the build
quality first of all it's built very well this kayak is going to last a very long time this
could be a lifetime kayak but more importantly it's the performance of this kayak at 23 inches
wide it's a quick kayak but at the same time it has great primary and secondary stability what
does that mean that's the stability when it's flat and the stability when it's held on edge
on top of that it has a hard shine and a lot of rocker which makes it very maneuverable and
it loves to carve hard turns it's the kind of kayak that gives you a ton of confidence
no matter what type of conditions you're paddling in so who is the virgo for well
the virgo is good for anyone who wants a nimble all-conditioned sea kayak someone who's okay with
giving up stowage capacity for having a higher performance boat and someone who's willing to
spend a bit more on a kayak to get a kayak really a lifetime kayak but high performance is not the
only way to make it into the kayaks of the year selection and this next kayak proves just that
next up the bonafide ex123 the bonafide ex123 is a recreational touring kayak it retails for 1099
us dollars it's 12 feet 3 inches long it's 29.5 inches wide it's 67 pounds or 30 kilograms and it
has a capacity of 375 pounds or 170 kilograms so what makes the bonafide ex-123 one of the kayaks
of the year well there's a few things let's start with insane stability i've never felt stability
from a kayak like i did when i tested this one out but the cool thing is that it maintains
a reasonable performance on top of that and that's a unique combination the other really
interesting thing about the ex123 is that it has some very well thought out features that you don't
often find on sit inside kayaks for example the vinyl cover up front replaces bungees which
i've never been a big fan of it's got these big oversized handles for carrying it which is great
because this kayak is not light it's got a framed and elevated seat which is a really nice feature
in a sit inside kayak so who is the ex123 for well this kayak is great for anybody for whom
stability is of paramount importance it's for people who are going to be sticking to calm
water and that's water that's protected from wind and waves and it's people who want to sit
inside recreational kayak that's also great for fishing but recreational kayaks aren't just about
stability in fact the next kayak is a kayak of the year for a different reason next up the pungo 120.
the wilderness systems pongo 120 is a sit-inside recreational kayak it retails for 999 us dollars
it's 12 feet 2 inches long it's 29 inches wide it weighs 49 pounds 22 kilograms
it has a capacity of 325 pounds or 147 kilos so what makes the pungo 120 one of the kayaks
of the year well the pungo has been one of the world's best selling kayaks for
like 10 years or more and for good reason it does a great job of mixing performance and stability
it's quick it's stable and it's fun to paddle it's the kind of kayak that you can
throw a beginner kayaker or an experienced paddler and everyone will enjoy it for their own reasons
it's also a very comfortable kayak it uses wilderness systems phase 3 air pro seat which has
under leg support and is very nice on the tush at 999 us dollars it's not a cheap kayak but
it is a great value kayak it has really nice features for a recreational kayak
including a locking stern hatch with a bulkhead and a removable dashboard so who is the pungo 124
well the punggol 120 is a kayak for beginner through intermediate paddlers people who are
looking for a calm water boat and are happy to give up a little bit of stability for speed and
fun it's also a boat for people willing to spend a little bit more money to get a kayak that could be
with you for a lifetime now at 49 pounds the pungo is not what you'd call a heavy recreational kayak
but it still can be a real challenge to get this thing to the water and that's exactly the
challenge that this next kayak of the year winner took on next up the uru kayak inlet
the oru kayak inlet is a portable sit-inside kayak it retails for 899 us dollars it's nine feet
six inches long it's 30 inches wide it weighs 20 pounds 9 kilograms it has a capacity of 275 pounds
or 125 kilograms so why is this baby one of the kayaks of the year well for one thing simple
simple simple to assemble and disassemble you can literally be on the water in a couple of minutes
performance wise its hard shell and slicey ends make it perform very close to a nine foot hard
shell kayak and of course its weight at 20 pounds this thing really solves the problem of getting
a kayak around and so who is the inlet for well it's for people who either want or need a portable
kayak and are willing to pay a small premium for it it's for people who are going to be paddling
in calm waters that are protected from wind and waves it's for people who are happy not to have a
fast boat they want a stable boat and it's for people who want a light weight kayak that's simple
to get around now portability is a huge factor for a lot of people and this next kayak
not only is portable but it has another very unique feature last but certainly not least
hobie's eye track nine hobie's itrec 9 is an inflatable pedal kayak or pedal board whatever
you want to call it it retails for 2199 us dollars it's nine feet five inches long it's 40 inches
wide it weighs in total 37 pounds or 17 kilos and it has a capacity of 350 pounds or 159 kilos
so what makes the itrek 9 one of the kayaks of the year well if you're on the market for a portable
and pedal kayak you just can't beat this thing let's start with the hobie's mirage drive pedal
system this thing is a wonderful machine it's smooth it's fast it deals with shallow water
beautifully now beyond that the engineering behind this boat board whatever you want to call it
is wonderful the seating system the rudder system it's tight it performs wonderfully
and you know it's going to last when it comes to performance now the eye trek is 40 inches
wide it's not fast but what it is is incredibly maneuverable so maneuverable in fact it feels
like you're on a waterborne go kart at times so who is this kayak for well that's simple it's for
people who want or need a pedal kayak and it's for people who want or need a portable kayak
it's also for people who want to stick to calm water that's water that's protected from wind
and waves well there you have it my picks for kayaks of the year i hope you've enjoyed this
video and if you have give it a thumbs up now i know a lot of you out there will be saying
where was this guy where was that kayak and i want to hear about those kayaks leave a comment down
below tell me what kayaks you think should have been in this video and even more importantly tell
me what kayaks you think i should be testing next year because this marks the end of gear reviews
for this season but i'm far from done i'm already planning my schedule for next season
and i want to know what you want to see reviewed subscribe to paddle tv if
you haven't already and stay tuned because we got lots more paddling things coming your way
you