So, I want to answer a question in this article, and that question is, are pedal kayaks worth it? Are these kayaks worth the money? People that are familiar with the kayak fishing industry know what a pedal drive kayak is, and they know that it’s worth the money.
However, these kayaks have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, I want to cover this as a general term. If you are here, that means this is your first time learning about pedal drive kayaks.
Maybe you have never seen a pedal kayak before and asking yourself whether you should buy one for yourself. Now, to a lot of you, a kayak is just one of those sit-in type small kayaks that you can buy for under 200 bucks. But that’s not all.
The kayak industry is huge, and you have all types of kayaks like a sit-in, sit-on, hybrid, little boat that are like little kayaks and all that. You have a lot of options. However, the topic for today’s discussion is pedal kayaks; how do they are, and are they worth the money?
I will cover whether spending an extra, a little bit of money, or in a lot of cases, a lot more money is worth it to get a pedal drive kayak.
What Is A Pedal Drive Kayak?
Before I tell you that, I need to describe what a pedal kayak is. Now, a lot of you guys know that already and that’s why you are here. However, if not, continue reading. Trust me; I know that there is a lot of people out there that don’t know what these are.
First of all, there are two categories of pedal drive kayaks. The first one is the Hobie style kayaks that have a fin and are driver like you push forward and back, and that creates propulsion. With this type, you can go really fast and really shallow.
And then you have the regular bike-style ones that use a propeller just like your trolling motor. With these, you can go really fast too because of the propeller and circular motion. These kayaks can even go instantly in reverse.
Are Pedal Kayaks Worth It?
However, are these kayaks worth the money? Because many times manufacturers will charge a lot more just for the pedal drive system. Sometimes, it’s over a thousand dollars for the same kayak just because it has the drive system.
When you think of kayaking, you probably just think about one of those kayaks that you can get cheap; you sit inside with your paddle and go. It will only move if you move your hands. However, pedal drive kayaks are different. They are hands-free because you need to use your legs to propel yourself.
General Kayaking
No doubt that buying a kayak is worth for fishing, but let’s talk about general kayaking. Let’s say you want to enjoy the day on the water, and you want your hand free, maybe to drink, to watch the scenery, take a picture, check your phone, and do all sorts of stuff.
It’s really worth it to be able to just keep going and easily control your boat with one hand or no hands at all. If you want to keep your hands free, pedal kayaks are definitely worth it.
For Anglers
Also, if you are an angler, having your hands available to cast at any time is amazing. Being able to keep going to that fishing spot that you marked while holding your rod is just another advantage this type of kayak will give you. That alone, the ability to go hands-free is worth the extra money in my book.
Maybe you need more convincing. So, let’s go and have a look at what other benefits you can get from a pedal drive system kayak.
Boat Positioning
When it comes to kayaking, kayak fishing, nature watching on a kayak, whatever you do, it doesn’t matter; what really matters is boat positioning. A lot of the time, you would want to stay in one little spot because you are looking at a bird taking off or you are looking at that fish; most of the time, you just want to stay in one spot.
However, on a normal kayak, you can’t because you will need to use that paddle, and you need to keep using your hand to stay in that position, and it feels really horrible. On the other hand, if you have a propeller-style system, you can stay in the same place easier.
You can easily control the boat and go in reverse quickly if you have to. You can go forward and reverse and maintain the boat position, and you can stay pretty much in the same spot.
Obviously, you will need to be active, but you couldn’t maintain your boat like this if it were a regular kayak. Having your hands free because of the drive system is a huge plus point.
Speed
Something that a lot of you guys don’t pay attention to is speed. When you are using your legs and thighs, those are your strongest muscles. You can go faster and longer by using your legs as opposed to using your arms.
Now, if you are on a fishing paddle and you are a professional paddler, of course, you can go super-fast and go for hours and hours, but those are techniques most of us don’t even know. However, I can certainly use my legs for a long time.
Safety
In addition to speed, you are also going to be safer. If you think about safety, a pedal drive kayak is definitely worth the money.
Final Words
People generally ask – is it worth buying a kayak for fishing? I hope now you know that a pedal kayak is worth for fishing.
There is nothing more relaxing, at least for me, than just being on a little kayak on the water, just smelling nature and looking at nature. And having a drive system on a kayak makes it a lot more enjoyable and a lot safer.
Also, the biggest selling point of this type of kayak is how good the system is for new people. That’s a topic for another day, though. Till then, happy kayaking.
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