Kayak Speed And Safety

**Simon Everett** · 22-05-2008, 11:27

Speed of kayak. People talk about a kayak being fast - what they really mean is it moves through the water with less resistence, which measn you need to put in less effort to go the same speed - and get a bit more actual speed out of the kayak.

Then you get the arguement:
my kayak is a slow old barge, but it is roomy and I arrive at the marks only a few minutes after the guys in their fast kayaks. On flat water with no current this is true - but let me give you some examples of how this minimal difference very quickly translates into a very major difference and will help explain why a reasonable kayak with a newcomer aboard quickly got into trouble:

Yak A is the slow dog and can maintain a steady 3.5 knots (not an unreasonable speed to assume).

Yak B is one of the quick ones and can do 5 knots (again a reasonable speed to choose - some of the very quick ones can maintain a steady 5.5knots - but you won't maintain 6 in any fishing kayak for anything more than a few hundrd yards).

Now, on flat water with no tide we'll have a mark that is 2 miles to paddle from the launch - again a pretty average sort of distance (the W. Wales tope area is about 3 - 3.5 miles.)

At 3.5 knots yak A does it in 35 minutes.
Yak B can do 5 knots and so reaches the mark in 24 minutes. Only 10 minutes between them - as argued.

Now we have a 1 knot current in your face.....
Yak A can now only get 2.5 knots over the ground, because of the 1 knot tide. It now takes him 50 minutes.
Yak B at 4 knots (5 - 1) can still do it in 30 minutes. Only 20 minutes between them - but the difference has DOUBLED - but it is still only 20 minutes comes the arguement. OK, so it is - but 20 minutes towards the hour.

Now lets see what happens when there is a 2 knot current (not unreasonable around Wales coast)
Yak A is down to 1.5 knots speed over the ground and that simple 2 mile paddle is now a 1 hour 20 minute slog. Yak B can still make 3 knots over the ground and so for him the 2 mile paddle is as long as Yak A took with no tide whatever = 40 minutes.

On a spring tide, there is now 3 knots of tide running......

Yak A is barely moving at 0.5 knots and so that 2 mile paddle is now a test of endurance as it takes him 2 hours to do 1 mile, so he is absolutely finished after slogging away for 4 hours.
Yak B with its extra speed can still make 2 knots and so it only takes him an hour - the difference is now FOUR TIMES AS EFFICIENT - but it is still only 1.5 knots difference.

THAT is why a slower kayak will get people into trouble very quickly when there is an appreciable tide flowing - like off any of the big headlands,or into a stiff breeze. Some kayaks are difficult to turn through the wind, they weathercock so heavily that getting them to go downwind is actually very difficult.

I have deliberatly left any names out and just put up the figures. However, we didn't take into account any effect of wind or waves.....add them into the equation and things start to show up even faster.

Stay safe lads.

**transporter boy** · 10-06-2008, 19:43

Thinking about buying my first Yak and was looking at going for a small one untill i saw this post, sounds like I would be better off with a 13 footer???

**Simon Everett** · 10-06-2008, 20:48

It isn't just length - it is also beam.

Wide beam = longer and further to the water, so harder to paddle and you have to move the water further.

Would you be intersted in a kayak course? have a look at Anglers Afloat - the S-O-T kayak course thread (now running at 16 pages)?

**transporter boy** · 10-06-2008, 21:22

Originally Posted by Simon Everett

It isn't just length - it is also beam.

Wide beam = longer and further to the water, so harder to paddle and you have to move the water further.

Would you be intersted in a kayak course? have a look at Anglers Afloat - the S-O-T kayak course thread (now running at 16 pages)?

I will check that out, my mate is doing a course this sun on the south cornwall coast. cheers Simon.

**digit** · 10-06-2008, 22:14

TB,

Where abouts in Cornwall are you? I have an OK P13, possibly the best all rounder, Simon would probably agree, not a racing snake, (see Simon for purchase) but with enough carrying capacity and plenty stable enough.
Let me know if you want a trial paddle and see how you get on.

Cheers,
Chaz