Our Kayaks

It's time to talk about kayaking. The hiking trails in Arkansas is great, but during the hot summers, the trails can be less fun or even dangerous. They get overgrown, buggy with ticks and mosquitos, and water can be scarce on the trails.

Before last year, I had done a bit of kayaking and canoeing in my life at various times. I always enjoyed it. Some friends invited me to go kayaking last year, and after that, I decided I wanted to invest in a pair of boats for myself and my wife so we could get out and enjoy the water ourselves whenever we wanted.

I researched kayak options. What I settled on was Liquid Logic, Kiawah kayaks. There are two lengths, 10.5 foot and 12 foot boats. I got 12 foot boats for us. Mrs. Gavagai thinks the 10.5 foot version would have been better, at least for her because they are lighter weight. However, all the experts and experienced kayakers recommended opting for the longer of those two options because of the way they handle in the water. The longer boat makes it easier to paddle straight. They hold a line better than a shorter kayak. With a shorter kayak, when you paddle on the left, they swing to the right and vise versa more than a longer kayak. I typically do most of the loading and unloading of the kayaks on the cars, so performance in the water is more important in my opinion.

The longer boats also have a bit more storage space. In the Kiawahs, there is a storage tank well in the stern, behind the seat and one on the bow. I hope to one day soon take these boats on a kayak camping trip, and having that extra space to load gear will be helpful.

Here are the features I wanted and why I opted for them.

Reputable Brand

Liquid Logic is a well known brand in the kayak market, though they are more widely known for their whitewater kayaks than their recreational kayaks. The Kiawah model kayaks were new on the market, but because of the Liquid Logic brand, I figured they were going to put out a solid product. Liquid Logic is also made in the US, which was not a must for me, but a definite selling point. I was willing to pay a more premium price because of the Made in the USA factor.

Sit On Top

I have used sit inside kayaks. They are more difficult to get in and out of. They can also fill with water. You are sitting lower in the water, and your legs don't have much room to shift and adjust.

The sit on top style kayaks don't fill with water because they are sealed with air inside. They have "scupper holes" so that any water that splashes onto the deck just drains out, back into the river or lake. I have tipped a sit in kayak on a river. It filled with water. It was in a shallow river and the water wasn't moving fast, but it was still a pain in the butt to drag over to the bank, then tip and finally turn upside-down to drain all the water out.

These also feel safer in deep waters because, even if you were unable to climb back on top, you could hang on and it would keep you afloat no matter what.

Kiawah 12' kayaks have 8 scupper holes

Another big advantage of the sit on top kayaks with scupper holes is that you can use a dolly that pops into the holes and allows you to wheel your kayak to transport it.

The prongs on the dolly shown above, just slide into the scupper holes. You roll the kayak on its side to slide them in, then roll the kayak onto the wheels. Pick up the opposite end, and you wheel it to wherever you need to go.

Our blue Kiawah on the dolly

Removable Seat

The Kiawah also has a removable seat. This means you can pop it out if you want to have a picnic on the river bank or island or wherever. The framed seat is also more comfortable and supportive than molded seats or seats with a partial back.

Adjustable Foot Pedals

Adjustable foot pedals (rather than just molded foot placement) means more open space down where my feet are, it's more comfortable because I don't have molded plastic foot positions sticking out behind my feet, and they feel and look better (in my opinion).

Solid Handles for Carrying

Many recreational kayaks have handles made of rope or nylon webbing. Having solid handles that are made of plastic or molded into the body of the kayak itself means you can use them to lash your kayak onto a trailer or in the back of a pickup truck. They also make gripping easier for longer carries. 

Taco Clip Paddle Holder

This wasn't a must have feature, but I think it's nice. Many kayaks come with a bungee cord paddle holder. The taco clip style is a solid plastic clip that your paddle snaps into. If it breaks you can replace it, but I expect this clip will last longer than a paddle holder made of elastic cord. 

Taco clip

Regardless of the style, paddle holders are located on the side of the kayak and hold the paddle parallel to the length of the boat.

Enjoying Our Kayaks

Having these kayaks have opened a whole new means of exploring the Natural State.

I'm in the orange Kayak in the middle

I have used my kayak with my wife, with both of our sons, with friends, and by myself. I recently used a shuttle service, Saline River Canoe. They loaded my kayak on their trailer, drove me to a drop-off point, then I floated back 4.5 miles to where I started. It was a great experience. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I hope to do it again next spring, but with their 9 mile shuttle.

Oldest son paddling with me on the Little Maumelle

In the future, I am hoping to combine kayaking and camping. Lake Ouachita, here in Arkansas is a very large lake with dozens of islands. You can camp on the islands. I am excited about trying that sometime soon. I also find it relaxing and exciting just to explore new places. Every bend of a river has something new to see. And it's also interesting seeing how different things are when you're in a location on the water, as opposed to being on a trail near the water. Both experiences are great in their own way.

There are many rivers and lakes to explore here in Arkansas. I've only just begun to explore. Here is a brief list of places I hope to kayak.

• Ouachita River
• Lake Catherine
• Caddo River
• Cadron River
• Buffalo River
• Lake Ouachita (more exploration ...it's a huge lake)

There are also places on the Little Maumelle and Saline River I have yet to explore. I'm also excited to try kayak camping sometime soon.

In future articles, I may share some of the other equipment we have purchased to use with our kayaks, but I think this is enough for now.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by,

Gavagai