Pedal kayaks have been developed by companies such as Hobie Cat and Native Watercraft. Pedal kayaks have certain advantages over traditional paddle kayaks, and certain disadvantages as well. Of course, even if you decide you prefer a pedal kayak, you can, and should, take along a paddle. Then you can pedal or paddle, the best of both worlds.
Pedal Kayaks
Pedal kayaks allow you to propel a kayak through the water with less effort than traditional paddle boats. As researched and reported by Treehugger, the effort needed to maintain a specific speed in the water was three to 10 percent less for those who pedaled instead of paddled, according to comparisons of participants' heart rates.
Theory
In order to create forward movement in a kayak, you have to move water backward. You can move a little water quickly or you can move a lot of water more slowly. It's more efficient to move a lot of water more slowly, especially if it is done with as little turbulence as possible.
A pedal boat such as the Hobie Cat creates less turbulence than a paddle kayak, and it moves lots of water slowly when compared to paddle kayaks. The underwater fins on the Hobie Cat, similar to the flippers on a penguin, move 226 square inches of water with every pedal compared to 90 square inches of water moved with every paddle.
Expert Insight
Douglas Gantenbein, "The Gear Guy" on Outside magazine's online website, acknowledges that pedal kayaks offer an easier way to propel yourself through the water since you are using your thigh muscles, the strongest muscles in the body.
Nevertheless, he prefers to paddle. In a pedal kayak, Gantenbein says, you lose the traditional feel of kayaking. He also says that the paddle kayak is more maneuverable than a pedal kayak.
On the Other Hand
Noting that pedal kayaks are "somewhat specialized," Ganterbein writes that people who fish often prefer pedal boats, "as they allow very quiet hands-free propulsion over shoals where fish may be waiting. Nature watchers like them for the same reason." In short, it is hard to hold a fishing rod or a pair of binoculars and paddle a boat at the same time.
Kayaks and Fishing
The debate over pedal versus paddle kayaks is a lively one among people who fish. According to Mike Kogan, a licensed charter captain who hosts the largest kayak fishing tournament in the world in Jacksonville, Florida, a pedal boat offers hands-free operation, except for periodic adjustments of the rudder, so you can fish on the move and snack while traveling between fishing locations. Pedal kayaks are also better in brisk currents and in the wind.
Alternately, pedal kayaks have less storage space and you have to remove the pedal mechanism in very shallow water. Although pedal kayaks are more quiet than motors, they are less quiet than paddles. Additionally, pedal kayaks cost roughly twice as much as paddle kayaks.
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