Paddling for fun can mean a lot of different things. You might find fun in a sunset cruise with your bestie, a harrowing whitewater run, exploring new areas, or using your kayak to get a bit of exercise.
If those last two piqued your interest, then you would definitely benefit from having a touring or fitness oriented kayak. These boats are designed to move efficiently for long distances while carrying everything you need for a day or a week.
Our list of the best touring and fitness kayaks has options for everyone at different price levels and of course inflatable options for those without the storage or transportation setup required for a hard shell kayak.
Best Touring and Fitness Kayaks Comparison Chart
| section-hd | Top-Rated Kayaks for Touring and Fitness |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOARD | DIMENSIONS | CAPACITY | WARRANTY | PRICE | |
| Oru Kayak Coast XT | Oru Kayak Coast XT
| BEST Portable Kayak for Touring 16'0" x 25 32 pounds | 400 lbs | 3 year, 30-Day Return Period | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
| Old Town Castine 140 | Old Town Castine 140
| BEST Hard Shell Touring Kayak 14’0" x 24.75" 59 pounds | 375 lbs | Lifetime, 30-Day Return Period | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
| Sea Eagle 393RL | Sea Eagle 393RL
| BEST Touring IK 12'10" x 28 35 pounds | 500 lbs | 3 years, 120-Day Return Period | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
| Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame | Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame
| BEST Tandem Touring IK 15’0" x 32" 52 pounds | 550 lbs | 3 years, 90-Day Return Period | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
| Nixy Tahoe | Nixy Tahoe
| BEST Crossover Touring/Rec IK 12'6" x 39" 33 pounds | 600 lbs | 2 years, 30-Day Return Period | Read Full ReviewCheck Best Price |
| Old Town Loon 126 Angler | Old Town Loon 126 Angler
| BEST Crossover Touring/Fishing Kayak 12’6" x 31" 59 pounds | 450 lbs | Lifetime, 30-Day Return Period | Review Coming SoonCheck Best Price |
Oru Kayak Coast XT – BEST Portable Kayak for Touring
16’0” x 25” | 32 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
Oru Kayak Coast XT –
For touring and fitness you can’t beat the performance gains of a hard shell kayak, but we don’t all have the ability to store and transport a 14-16’, 60-pound boat. Enter the Oru Kayak Coast XT.
This 16’ x 25” sea kayak is built for speed and efficiency. The sleek Greenland-style design and high cargo capacity make it great for paddling long distances. Narrower designs like this also make it easier to paddle for longer amounts of time to maximize the fitness potential of your paddle session.
But what really brings the Coast XT to the top of our list is its ability to fold into a compact box for easy transportation and storage. Especially since it only weighs 32 pounds!
Bottom Line: The Oru Kayak Coast XT offers hard shell kayak performance for touring and fitness paddling with the storage and transportation ability of an inflatable.
Old Town Castine 140 – BEST Hard Shell Touring Kayak
14’0” x 24.75” | 59 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
For those paddlers seeking far-off destinations over multiple days, the Old Town Castine 140 blends speed and capacity for the ultimate touring hard shell kayak.
Made with a single-layer polyethylene hull, this 14’ kayak has two dry hatch storage areas, deck rigging, ample seating area with a fully-adjustable padded seat, back and foot braces, and a slide-away day hatch inside the cockpit for quick-grab essentials. That makes it easy to keep your expedition gear (or just a cooler with some drinks) in the sealed hatches while still keeping your phone and other small accessories stored securely, but within easy reach.
At just 59 pounds, this hard shell boat rides right in the middle weight for its size class and is still manageable for most paddlers to car top on their own.
Bottom Line: The Old Town Castine 140 is a fantastic kayak for day touring and multi-day expedition paddling.
Sea Eagle Razor Lite 393RL – BEST Touring IK
12’10” x 28” | 35 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
It’s almost impossible to beat the convenience of a quality, lightweight inflatable kayak. Sea Eagle has been making IK’s for decades, and their Razor Lite series blends newer drop-stitch materials with that history of boat design.
The result is the Razor LIte 393RL. This sleek inflatable features a triple-chamber design with the floor and sidewalls made with rigid 6” thick drop stitch construction. That rigidity along with Sea Eagle’s hull shaping and hard nose element make the 393RL incredibly fast and efficient on the water while providing the comfort and capacity of an inflatable kayak.
Bottom Line: The Sea Eagle Razor Lite 393RL is one of the most efficient and best paddling flatwater inflatable kayaks.
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Elite – BEST Tandem Touring IK
15’0” x 32” | 52 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
Tandem kayaks are longer, and often a bit wider, making them difficult to store and transport. Advanced Elements has solved that problem with their AdvancedFrame model tandem touring kayak.
The name comes from Advanced Elements’ unique construction that incorporates rigid aluminum ribs in the bow and stern to give the kayak a more efficient shape and keep the boat more rigid. The Advanced Frame is also available with a drop stitch floor for those wanting ultimate performance.
The AdvancedFrame kayak starts as an open-deck design, but comes with detachable deck covers to seal the kayak around you and your paddling partner for paddling in tough conditions.
Bottom Line: The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame blends inflatable and rigid components to create a user-friendly tandem touring kayak.
Nixy Tahoe – Crossover Touring/Rec IK
12’6” x 39” | 33 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
Nixy’s Tahoe inflatable kayak offers an extremely high value for new kayakers looking for versatility while still being able to comfortably explore longer distances and paddle on overnight trips.
The hybrid drop-stitch/air bladder design keeps the Tahoe light and affordable while maintaining excellent paddling performance. The 12’6 boat can be set up as a tandem or solo kayak – which makes it great for loading up for longer trips.
In addition to the boat, Nixy also includes two hybrid inflatable seats, two carbon fiber/nylon kayak paddles, and a rolling bag to keep everything organized and protected during transportation and storage.
Bottom Line: The Nixy Tahoe IK blends recreational comfort with improved performance for longer touring trips.
Old Town Loon 126 Angler – Crossover Touring/Fishing Kayak
12’6” x 31” | 59 lbs
Full Review Coming Soon
Old Town is one of the best-known kayak brands among anglers and recreational paddlers. However, they have more than just fishing and cruising boats. The Loon 126 is a performance oriented kayak designed for quick and efficient paddling while still holding on to their well-known functionality.
The Loon 126 is available as the Loon 126 Angler that incorporates the touring-design hull with additional fishing features like Old Town’s removable dashboard to keep your small tackle and other accessories organized and accessible while on the water.
Bottom Line: The Old Town Loon 126 Angler is a fantastic combination of efficiency and functionality for the angler who likes to go the distance.
Best Touring and Fitness Kayaks FAQs
What Makes a Kayak Good for Touring or Fitness?
Touring and Fitness kayaks are designed to be paddled far and fast. That means longer hull lengths, narrower beam (width), and shaping that helps the boat slice through the water with minimal effort. There is still quite a bit of design variability within these groups for flatwater vs river vs open water, and they can be hard shell or inflatable boats as well. Touring kayaks will feature more capacity and storage options for securely holding your equipment while kayaks built just for fitness (or racing) will be smaller and not have as many features.
Inflatable Kayaks vs Hard Shell Kayaks?
Hard shell kayaks offer more versatility in hull design and often perform much better on open water or in windy conditions. Inflatable kayaks are far more convenient to store and transport, and generally cost significantly less as well. There are inflatable kayaks designed for touring and fitness as well as folding kayaks that straddle the line between hard shell performance and inflatable portability. Which type of kayak suits you better mostly comes down to your budget and storage/transportation requirements.
Recommended Gear for Kayaking
Most kayaks come with very few additional accessories. A few (Nixy, Thurso and Bote) include kits with paddles and more, but otherwise you’ll be left to figure out what other items you need to safely get paddling on the water.
- Paddle – Choosing a paddle can be just as personal as choosing the kayak. For most users in a traditional Inflatable Kayak you’ll want a paddle that is between 240-260cm long with narrower “low-angle” blades. For kayakers in narrower boats (30-34”) you’ll want a paddle between 220-240cm long. One of our top recommendations for compact and travel kayak paddles are the Oru Fiberglass 4-piece for flatwater paddling and the Aquabound Shred 4-piece for rivers and whitewater.
- PFD – A PFD (Personal Flotation Device), sometimes called a life jacket or buoyancy aid, is a critical piece of safety equipment while paddling your kayak and may be required by local law. There are thousands of options for PFDs, and it is important to choose one that not only fits you well but is designed for paddling. A quality, well-fit PFD is not noticeable when being worn. See our Best PFD reviews here.
- Dry Bag – Not everything we bring with us in our kayak should get wet. Soggy sandwiches and waterlogged phones can ruin a good day out on the water. Dry bags come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs. See our Best Dry Bag reviews here.
- Electric Pumps – If you choose an inflatable kayak, using the hand pump that comes with your boat is a great way to warm up for your day paddling. But every now and then, it’s nice to relax while getting ready, too. Electric pumps are easy to use and let you focus on other things while inflating your kayak. See our Best Electric Pump reviews here.
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