We begrudgingly use the term "women's kayaks", but it is a common question. The models above are just a few popular boats with women or smaller paddlers. There are many women who love to paddle their Arctic Tern 17, Coho, Murrelet 4PD. The kayaks above are smaller, lighter, and lower volume. Often it is hard to find a boat that fits a smaller frame so these are a few recommendations.

Video: Commuting By Kayak in the Arctic Tern 14

Please note that some kayaks are available with two cockpit sizes. The sizes listed are the default sizes. To read more about each kayak, click on the actual boat or boat name. Cockpit sizes are listed on each kayak page.

KAYAK KIT Includes: Precision pre-cut BS-1088 Okoume plywood panels(4mm), cockpit coamings, System Three epoxy, measuring pumps, 38" wide fiberglass cloth (6 oz., specially treated for use with epoxy resin) for inside and outside of hull, 1.5" fiberglass tape, wire, squeegee, dental syringes, vinyl gloves, wood flour, stirring sticks, steel push pins, 2-part slung-back rest with a Therm-a-Rest seat pad, Keepers adjustable footbraces, pre-cut temporary frames to aid and ease construction, fully illustrated construction manual.

*The transverse Metacenter, in inches, is a measure of a kayak's initial stability. A higher number is more stable. All single kayaks computed with same weight person.

**Efficient cruising is a function of low frictional drag and low wetted surface (WS). Lower WS means a faster (less effort) cruising speed, here expressed in sq. ft. For example, the shorter Arctic Tern 14 cruises with less effort than the longer AT-17 until the AT-14 reaches 4.91mph.

***Top Cruising Speed (TCS) is determined by loaded waterline length (LWL). A longer LWL gives a faster TCS. At approximately 90% of its hull speed (when a kayak starts to produce a bow wake longer than its LWL) the effort required to continue accelerating radically increases. In general longer kayaks have higher top speeds and short kayaks have more efficient cruising speeds.