Tandem kayaks are a great idea if you want to go kayaking and have the fun of someone with you on your adventure. Just make sure the person you’re in there with is a friend or someone you trust or the experience can end in a fist fight! tandem kayaks usually weigh between 75 and 100 pounds and are between 18 feet and 23 feet long this added size gives you both a benefit and a negative. The benefit being that it is harder to capsize and the negative being carry size and the portability of the kayak. Okay! So you have read on and you have decided that you absolutely need a tandem kayak well then you’ve come to the right place. please read on and continue through our guided tandem kayak info and guidance page.
–>> Click Here To See The Top Rated Tandem Kayaks on Sale Now!
Top 5 Tandem Kayak Rankings
The following is a comparison table of the top five best rankings for a Tandem Kayak. This comparison table was made using the most important specs for kayaks and customer reviews.
Best Tandem Kayak | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Sea Eagle SE370 Inflatable | Lifetime 10 Foot Manta Tandem | Lifetime 10 Foot Sport Fisher | AE1007-R Adv.Frame Inflatable | Hobie Mirage Oasis |
| Rating | ***** | ***** | **** | **** | **** |
| User Reviews | 39 | 49 | 49 | 52 | 3 |
| Price | $ | $$ | $$ | $$$ | $$$$ |
| Weight | 32lbs | 70lbs | 60lbs | 56lbs | 100lbs |
| Size | 12' | 10' | 10' | 15' | 14.5' |
The Details are updated from Amazon.com on July 2, 2014.
Want to See Even More Kayaks?
- Click here to see our Comparison Chart of 30 Best-Sellers on Amazon (Coming Soon)
- Click here for our Best Fishing Kayak Rankings
- Check out More Detailed Reviews
How to Choose a Tandem Kayak
A Tandem Kayak can come in two basic types. They come as sit on top kayaks and sit inside kayaks and both 
are available as singles or doubles. They also can have hard shells or be inflatable’s.
Although there are some major difference between sit inside and sit on top kayaks they share many of the same parts. The top of the kayak is called the deck, the bottom is the hull, while the front is the bow and the back is the Stern. On top of the deck you’ll often find deck hinges or bungees. At the start of the kayak you should find black hoops and some kayak rudders move from side to side in the horizontal plane and some are controlled by foot pedals that simply drop straight in the water and help the kayak move straight.
The sit on top and sit inside tandem kayaks have seats and some form of back support. There are foothills which slide on a track to adjust for different size riders which are convenient because you’re going to be spending a full day on the water so using the foothills are a lot more comfortable and give you a lot more support.
The best kayaks also have a built-in backrest which makes sitting in a kayak a lot more comfortable.
The biggest difference between the two types of kayaks is that sit inside kayaks are enclosed, there is a cockpit where you sit. Around the cockpit is a place where you can attach a skirt to keep the water inside the cockpit. Within a tandem kayak you’ll find two seats and sometimes foot pedals which you can adjust according to your legs.
With hundreds of kayak options out there choosing a tandem kayak can be overwhelming but it doesn’t need to be and it’s hard to make the wrong decision.
The best way to narrow out your options is to identify how and where you will be using your tandem kayak. Will you be paddling at a sheltered Laker out on the beach? Will the temperature of the water be warm Are you looking for a kayak that can travel quickly? Are you looking for a kayak that is stable and is difficult to tip over?
Your first and biggest decision is to go for a sit on top tandem kayak or sit inside tandem kayak and there are pros and cons for both.
Sit on top tandem kayaks are the most user-friendly. They are very stable and easy to get in and there’s no feeling of confinement. They are also self-bailing which means they have small holes like stopper holes that allow water to drain through them. Another thing about sit on top tandem kayaks is you can slip in and out of them as you please.
All these features make the sit on top tandem kayak a great choice.
The downside of the sit on top tandem kayak is that you’re guaranteed to get wet while paddling while sit inside kayaks of allow you to stay dry. Sit insides also shelter your lower body from the wind which make them much more beneficial for paddlers that want to be in cooler water and stay dry while paddling. One downside of the sit inside tandem kayak is that you don’t have the same freedom to move inside of the water and if you do flip for some reason recovering is a hard process because you’re kayak will be filled with water. Sit on top recreational kayaks are very stable fun and easy-to-use. They have large cockpits so they are not confined and some even have waterproof compartments that are accessible through hatches in the deck.
You’ll need to decide on a length of your tandem kayak. There is a general rule the longer a narrower a kayak is the faster it will travel and the wider a kayak is, the more stable and slower it will be.
Sit on top tandem kayaks are considered recreational and are ultra-stable. Sit inside kayaks can vary a lot more in shape and size and purpose in fact sit inside kayaks can be broken into two distinct categories there are:
Recreational sit inside tandem kayaks and then there are Sea tandem kayaks. The recreational boats are wider, shorter and have a big cockpit so they do not feel confining. The sea kayaks are longer, and narrower so that they travel faster. They also have a lot more control over the edge of the boat. The cockpits though are a lot smaller so they do tend to feel a lot more confining although it’s very easy to get in and out of these ones as well if speed is in that important to you might as well choose a shorter kayaks. They are lighter and easier to move around. Most tandem kayaks have a hard shell made from a durable plastic that will last forever and it doesn’t require much maintenance.
There are also tandem kayaks that are made from composition materials like fiberglass carving and Kevlar that make them significantly lighter. The downside is they don’t take abuse as well and they also tend to cost a lot more.
You’ll also have inflatable tandem kayaks. They are very comfortable to sit inside and they can be deflated and folded down and actually carried in a backpack. These kayaks are made from fabrics that are surprisingly durable. Inflatable kayaks are incredibly versatile.
Additionally thermal formed tandem kayaks are the new thing to hit the market they are gaining popularity because of their affordability, durability and weight.
–>> Click Here To See The Top Rated Tandem Kayaks on Sale Now!
Want to See Even More Kayaks?
- Click here to see our Comparison Chart of 30 Best-Sellers on Amazon (Coming Soon)
- Click here for our Best Fishing Kayak Rankings
- Check out More Detailed Reviews