I have a 9 footer now…
Longer kayaks do tend to be faster than shorter ones, but it’s not the only thing that determines speed. The main factors are:
- Waterline length: that is, the length of the kayak that sits in the water. This will depend on the hull shape, whether it’s straight from front to back or whether the ends are curved up. It will also depend on how much weight is in the kayak.
- Width: Wider kayaks tend to be slower, narrower, faster.
- Hull shape: Rounded and V-shaped hulls will be faster (on flat water at least) than flat-bottomed kayaks.
- Material: A lighter fiberglass kayak will be faster than a plastic version of the same model. Kevlar or carbon will be slightly faster still, but it may not be worth the extra cost unless you’re racing.
So if you’re looking at variations of the same model of kayak, the longer one will almost always be faster. But it may not be true for kayaks of vastly different types– for example, an 11-foot slalom racing kayak is probably going to be faster than a 13-foot recreational kayak.
Longer kayaks do tend to be faster than shorter ones, but it’s not the only thing that determines speed. The main factors are:
- Waterline length: that is, the length of the kayak that sits in the water. This will depend on the hull shape, whether it’s straight from front to back or whether the ends are curved up. It will also depend on how much weight is in the kayak.
- Width: Wider kayaks tend to be slower, narrower, faster.
- Hull shape: Rounded and V-shaped hulls will be faster (on flat water at least) than flat-bottomed kayaks.
- Material: A lighter fiberglass kayak will be faster than a plastic version of the same model. Kevlar or carbon will be slightly faster still, but it may not be worth the extra cost unless you’re racing.
So if you’re looking at variations of the same model of kayak, the longer one will almost always be faster. But it may not be true for kayaks of vastly different types– for example, an 11-foot slalom racing kayak is probably going to be faster than a 13-foot recreational kayak.
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_speed
Yes. Consider these provisoes: Each length kayak is of a similar design, the construction amd materials are the same and the same paddler is operating it. A shorter kayak could be faster than a longer one depending again on the design. The length/width ratio is important as well as the weight. The kayak material will also affect possible speed. Inflateable kayaks are slower than rigid glass/fiber models. Water lines need be compared. The kayak drawing more water will be slower than one drawing less.
References :
Designer