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On 23-Jun-2004, (Alex Horvath) wrote:

I have a kayak book (I think it's Derek Hutchinson's) which states
that there is really no reason to use a narrow kayak for touring. He
implied that the risk of capsize is too great and self rescue
techniques are only reliable in calm protected waters. I think he
defines narrow as less than 23".

I know one kayak designer who says that the section in DH's books on
kayak design should be torn out and burned. DH is mostly hot air when
it comes to the physics/hydrodynamic of kayaks.

I can design you a 20" wide kayak that is extremely stable and a 24"
wide kayak that you'd barely be able to paddle for its tippyness.
There's a lot more to stability than maximum beam.

Darryl J.'s comment on how a kayak behaves on a wave is correct. However,
he doesn't go far enough. A wide kayak is harder to keep upright on a
wave that is beam on. If that wave is breaking, the wider and more
"stable" the kayak, the more likely the kayak is to upset.

If you watch paddlers in waves, the ones in the narrow kayaks are better
able to keep their kayaks steady, while the wide kayaks tend to rock
back and forth.

DH likes wide kayaks because he's a wide paddler.

Mike