Buying a used kayak can be complex.
It’s easy to buy a new one. Do a little research, pay a visit to your local outfitter, test-paddle a couple of boats, put down your money and pick up your new kayak.
Candidly, it’s pretty easy to rent one, too.
Buying a used kayak requires more knowledge and effort. Used kayaks have lived life and have the scars to prove it. But they’re cheaper.
In order to make a smart decision, you need to learn what to look for and how to look for it, so that you can spend your money wisely.
In this article, I’ll discuss all that I have learned about sourcing, inspecting and purchasing used kayaks.
When buying a used kayak, be clear about where you want to kayak, your level of paddling expertise and what style of boat is a good fit. Perform interior and exterior inspections to assess the quality of construction and condition of the boat. Finally, offer to purchase the kayak at a fair price.
Table of Contents
What kind of kayak do you want to buy?
Kayaks are likely not the most expensive toys that you will ever purchase. At the same time, their price tags can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, so they’re not cheap, either.
Kayaks cost about as much as televisions. (Clearly, one of these is better for your health.)
To effectively buy a used kayak, answer these important questions:
1. What kind of kayaking do you plan to do?
2. How much kayaking experience do you have?
3. What is your budget?
What kind of kayaking do you plan to do?
The activity that you plan to undertake in your kayak informs the type of kayak that you ought to consider buying.
If your idea of a good time is to lazily drift not more than 20’ from the dock of your cottage, then a recreational sit-in or sit-on-top kayak will work. So will an inflatable flamingo or water noodle.
If, however, your plan is to embark on a 5-day, 100-mile expedition, your needs are different. You’ll require a quality high volume, sit-in sea kayak with lots of room for camping gear.
Now, tt would be ludicrous to use this sea kayak, if your paddling adventures take you to volatile river runs. You would hang your boat up on a rock or break it in two before you down your first snack.
Also, the scratches you would sustain on the hull of a fiberglass boat would be heartbreaking.
If your plan is to hit rivers and rapids, a short river-runner is by far your best choice
All of this to say, you need to match the kayak to the adventure.
How much kayaking experience do you have?
Are you a beginning kayaker? If so, are you looking for a way to break into the kayaking game without dropping big bucks on a shiny new boat?
That’s great.
The best advice I could give you is to take a few kayaking lessons before setting out to buy a boat.
Make sure you really want to take your kayaking relationship to the next level. Also, a few lessons will provide clarity with respect to your boating skill. This will help you choose the right kayak for your abilities.
Once you have taken a few kayak lessons, if you love it and want to do more; by all means, go and buy a kayak.
A used kayak is a great way to get into your first boat. Be sure to think of this boat in terms of a first boat.
Your first boat is the one in which you learn beginning kayak skills. It shouldn’t be your forever boat. It won’t be your one true love. In fact, it will be natural to break up and move on, eventually.
Your first boat should have good primary and secondary stability. You won’t develop the paddling skills you need if your first boat is too tippy. A wobbly boat will slow down your progress.
So, I suggest that you not search for a kayak that is both fast and stable. Rather, seek one out that is stable, tracks well at low-to-moderate touring speeds and can be maneuvered easily.
Buy a kayak that is comfortable and fits your body. The kayak should be one that you can easily keep stable in calm water conditions.
In my opinion, it is best for beginners to buy a well-constructed used kayak, rather than a poorly-constructed new one.
Regardless of your expertise, you need a kayak with enough buoyancy (front and rear bulkheads) to keep you from sinking if you roll.
You also need perimeter safety lines that you can grab to keep your boat from floating away from you.
You can purchase some beginner kayaks new that are well-constructed and as safe as they need to be. However, they can be expensive.
If you are stretching your budget to purchase your first boat, rather than buy a crappy new one, buy a well-constructed, older one.
Are you an experienced kayaker? If so, buying a used kayak can still be an attractive proposition.
As your skill level improves, you will undoubtedly grow out of your beginning kayak. You’ll likely seek after longer, narrower boats that are faster, though less stable.
After a couple of years of skill-building in your first kayak, the best thing you can do is not procrastinate the purchase of your next one.
As you might imagine, moving from a beginner to intermediate kayak necessitates moving from a beginner to intermediate price tag.
If you can’t sell your beginner boat or want to keep it for children or play, there is still an active used market for intermediate and advanced kayaks.
This used market gives you access to intermediate and advanced-level kayaks at a price that is more manageable than what you would find if bought new.
What is your budget?
The amount of money you are willing/able to spend also impacts the type of kayak you can buy.
The least expensive kayak you can purchase is typically a short, low-quality inflatable model.
Conversely, the most expensive kayaks are typically long, shiny fiberglass or composite boats.
(The cost of a one-off, custom wood kayak can run higher than that of production fiberglass kayaks.)
The point is that there is a kayak pricing spectrum. You don’t need to pay $3,000 for a nine foot inflatable kayak. Similarly, you can’t buy a seaworthy 18’ fiberglass boat for $300.
Like everything else in life, your budget dictates the quality and condition of kayak that you’ll be able to purchase.
The fun thing about buying used, however, is that the market is inefficient. (Now we’re getting into finance-speak, which is my professional world.)
An inefficient market means that sometimes kayaks are sold for well-above, or well-below, what might be considered their fair value.
In other words, if the stars align, sometimes you can get a really good deal on a used kayak.
If you’re interested, check out the article I wrote about buying a kayak cheaper, paying for it later and even getting it for free.
How to inspect a used kayak
Once you have ‘swiped right’ on a particular kayak, you’ll schedule a meeting with its owner. At this point, you’ll be tasked with inspecting the kayak to determine the quality of its construction as well as its condition.
To effectively inspect a kayak, you’ll need to break up the job into two parts: external and internal inspection. Let’s discuss both.
Inspecting the exterior of the kayak
Handles
Start at the bow of the kayak. Most kayaks have a handle used to drag the boat into and out of the water.
Handles are usually plastic or rubber and are connected to a webbing strap. The strap is typically affixed to the kayak with waterproof screws.
Is the handle in reasonable condition? Are the screw holes still waterproof? Pour water on them to see.
Handles are inexpensive and easily replaced. However, they give you a first look into how the owner maintained her boat.
Top Deck
The top deck has the most exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Over time, these rays degrade the integrity of rubber, plastic and even fiberglass.
Is there significant discoloring of the deck? If you lift up the bungee lines, do you find ‘reverse tan lines’?
Are there significant scratches on the deck? Are there other deformities caused by impact, storage or transport?
Consider whether the damage that you see, if any, is consistent with the age of the kayak and repairable (if necessary).
Bungee lines.
How taut are the bungee lines? Is there significant fraying anywhere?
Bungee cords are obviously inexpensive to replace. However, they can tell a lot about how the owner maintained the boat.
A 10-year old boat with loose, super-frayed bungees suggests that the owner might not have done much to maintain his kayak.
At the same time, a 10-year old boat with reasonably tight, modestly-used bungees suggests an owner that performed at least some maintenance over the life of the boat.
Now, a 10-year old kayak with brand-spanking new bungees could point to an owner trying to put lipstick on a pig. Not always, but sometimes.
Cockpit coaming
This is the lip of the cockpit. If you use a spray skirt, the rand/bungee of the skirt attaches tightly to the cockpit coaming.
Are there any significant imperfections in the cockpit coaming that would result in your spray skirt not sealing properly? If so, the fix is not an easy one.
Hatch Covers
What is the condition of the hatch covers?
As silly as it sounds, is there a hatch cover for every hatch?
Because hatch covers sit on top of the kayak, they too are exposed to the effects of UV light. Furthermore, they are constructed out of rubber. This means that over time, they lose their tautness and elasticity.
Do the hatch covers fit tightly, or are they loose? You can take a garden hose and spray them to see whether any water leaks through the seal.
Alternatively, shine a flashlight inside the dry hatch and see if any light makes its way out via holes in the rubber seal.
Depending on the boat, hatch covers can cost a pretty penny to replace. Before inspecting the boat, it is advisable to have an idea of what aftermarket parts are available and at what price points – including hatch covers.
It is possible that there may not be a replacement hatch cover available for the kayak you’re considering.
Stern Handle
If there is a handle, is it the same as the one at the bow? Are the screw holes still waterproof? Is the handle in reasonable condition?
Again, you can replace it easily. This is simply another data point in the inspection.
Hull
Flip the boat over on sawhorses to inspect its underside.
Start at the bow. This is an area that often sustains damage as paddlers plow into underwater hazards.
Expect scratches. Are they modest or significant? Do you see any actual holes?
Is the hull pockmarked with a million repaired holes – like a minefield of exploded ordinances?
Has the plastic or fiberglass degraded to the point where a hole is imminent?
You can repair modest holes without too much hassle on fiberglass and inflatable boats.
Fiberglass boats are beautiful, but fussy. It’s only a matter of time before the gelcoat at the bow starts to scratch away and the laminate peels apart.
I wrote an article about how to protect kayak hulls and perform repairs here.
Rotomolded polyethylene boat repair is more challenging because nothing sticks to the material. These boats require melted polyethylene to patch existing holes. Such repairs are intensive and rarely pretty.
Look for signs of damage as you move towards the bottom and sides of the hull. Expect some nicks from roof racks, buried branches and bumped bottoms.
Are there any existing or imminent holes?
Moving to the stern, are there any existing or imminent holes?
Is there a skid plate? If so, how much life is left in it? You can replace these inexpensively.
Alternatively, has dragging the kayak in the absence of a skip plate taken a significant toll on the hull?
Finally, are there any significant deformations from impact, transport or storage? Deformations such as excessive rocker, flat keels or gunwhales keep kayaks from tracking straight.
Kayaks with hull deformation can be a nightmare to paddle.
Rudder and/or Skeg
A rudder is a blade located at the back of the boat that assists the paddler in tracking straight and sometimes turning, as well.
A skeg is a blade that drops from the bottom of the boat and helps the paddler track straight.
Are all of the external mechanisms operating?
Does the rudder slide smoothly from side-to-side? Does the skeg drop smoothly from its box? Are all of the external lines and handles that move the rudder and skeg operating without major issue?
Sometimes the sleeves that house rudder lines can get bunged up with salt or tiny debris. Intentionally direct warm water into the sleeves to see if the lines loosen up.
If the kayak has lived on the saltwater, then consider applying some CLR (Calcium, Lime, Rust Remover) to clear the sleeves.
Also, check the rudder blade and skeg for damage from impact. If there is damage, do you require a replacement blade? If so, can you source new parts (or well-conditioned used ones) economically?
Finally, test the skeg box for leakage. With the kayak upside down on saw horses, pour water into the skeg box. If there is a leak, then water will dribble/run into the kayak and potentially out of the cockpit.
Skeg box leaks can be repaired, but the repair is not an easy one.
Connection bolts
Are the bolts connecting the fittings to the kayak significantly corroded and requiring replacement?
Rust-free bolts on an old kayak can be a sign that the owner took pride in her boat and maintained it well.
This concludes the external portion of the inspection. Remember that a lot of the things that might not be perfectly operational can be fixed.
Simply remember that these fixes cost time and money, both of which should be considered if you choose to extend an offer on a kayak.
Inspecting the interior of the kayak
Kayak seat.
How worn down is the seat? Are there rips or tears?
Seats usually have moving parts that allow for fit adjustment. Do all of the moving parts function well?
When you sit down, is the seat comfortable?
Alternatively, can you replace the seat with a new one without too much cost or headache?
Thigh pads.
Thigh pads allow the paddler to better control the kayak by keeping a connection between legs and the upper deck. This is particularly important for bracing and edging maneuvers.
Does the kayak you’re inspecting even have thigh pads? Can you add them?
Are the thigh pads, if they are there, worn out or otherwise mis-shapen from use?
If the pads are significantly worn, you’ll likely want to replace them with new ones that are comfortable and effective. This will be another expense.
Foot Peg Rail
Does the kayak have a foot peg rail and are there foot pegs attached to it?
If so, do the foot pegs slide back and forth smoothly? Are you able to reposition the foot pegs to get comfortable in the boat?
If the kayak doesn’t have a foot peg rail, are there existing holes where a rail was previously affixed? If necessary, can you install another rail at an economical price?
Missing foot pegs can be considered a minor expense, but necessary to get the kayak seaworthy, again.
Is the boat equipped with a rudder? If so, does the rail slide smoothly along the track? Do the pedals move the blade as expected?
If not, then you’ll need to cost out a new rudder mechanism that fits the particular ‘aged’ kayak in question.
Bulkhead
This is the vertical wall located inside your kayak that runs from the hull up to the deck. It is typically fabricated from minicell foam.
Lower-quality boats usually have one bulkhead towards the bow. Higher-quality boats have one at each end of the kayak.
Are the bulkheads leaking? Tilt the kayak on end and spray water into the dry hatches. If the water does not run under the bulkhead into the cockpit, then the seal is still intact. This is good.
Visually inspect the bulkhead seal on both sides to determine the quality of the seal and how long you’ll be able to wait before removing and resealing the bulkheads.
Resealing the bulkheads is not a difficult process. It’s just a nuisance. The need to reseal bulkheads should not, on its own, be a deal-breaker.
This concludes the key areas of inspection necessary to assess a used kayak.
Again, remember that you can repair, switch out, or otherwise improve many components. Simply consider the time and cost of doing so and work it into the price that you are willing to pay for the boat.
What questions should I ask the seller?
What is the age of the kayak?
The older the boat, the more life it has seen.
However, just because a boat is old doesn’t mean that it isn’t right for you. Many old boats are still far superior to some of the newer ones that are offered by large retailers.
Furthermore, well-maintained kayaks hold their value quite well.
With that said, over time UV rays degrade plastic, storage and transport compromise structure, and use wears down components.
If the kayak hasn’t been maintained, then you might have a lot of work to do to bring it back up to seaworthiness. This should be factored into the price.
How was the kayak maintained?
Did the owner have a seasonal process to bring out and put away the kayak? What cleaning agents did she use? How did she protect against UV ray degradation?
Were any kayak accessories repaired or otherwise modified while under the owner’s stewardship?
A history of consistent maintenance, including use of 303 Aerospace Protectant to guard against UV rays is ideal.
How was the kayak stored?
Did the owner store it in a garage, basement, shed or simply outside? Did the boat experience exposure to extremes in temperature or long periods of sunlight?
Was the kayak suspended from slings, or rested on supports? Did the kayak simply sit on the ground all winter long with families of mice making a comfortable home over the holidays?
Did the owner adjust the position of the kayak during storage to shift stress on the hull?
Inside storage is usually superior to outside.
Furthermore, kayaks should be suspended off the ground by slings or supports.
Slings and supports should be located underneath the bulkheads, to allow the kayak to maintain its shape without warping.
However, too much time in one location can still warp a polyethylene boat. A slight shift midway through the storage season can relieve stress on the hull.
If a hardshell kayak was stored directly on the ground, assume some level of hull deformation.
Can you take it for a test paddle?
If the answer is not YES, then move on to the next used kayak.
During the test paddle, asses the comfort of the seat. Are your legs and hips comfortable or are they falling asleep? You should feel secure and supported, but not claustrophobic.
Does the kayak track in a way that is consistent with its design and quality? If not, it might be warped.
Are the rudder, skeg, cables and handles all operational while on water? Do you like how everything operates?
Does the kayak strike the right balance of stability and speed, given your particular needs?
Most importantly, can you picture yourself spending many hours in it?
Has the kayak ever been repaired?
This is one of those lawyer questions where you know the answer before you ask the question.
It should be abundantly clear by looking at the hull of the boat whether it has been repaired.
However, if the owner is knowledgeable, forthcoming and transparent about the repair, this can give you insight into how well the boat was cared for and also how well the repair was executed.
But, just like a vehicle, a kayak that has been in an accident and repaired is usually valued lower than a similar kayak that has remained accident-free.
Is the kayak still under warranty?
If the kayak you’re considering is less than five years old, it may still be under warranty.
If a warranty exists, is it transferrable?
Modifications made by the previous owner might jeopardize the validity of the warranty.
While a warranty isn’t a requirement, it could still be a ‘nice-to-have’.
Where can I find used kayaks for sale?
Online
These days, Kijiji and Craigslist are go-to marketplaces for kayak sales (not to mention sales of everything else.)
Listings are local and there is usually ample supply and plenty of turnover.
Look for signs that the seller is legitimate. Usually, the more information provided about the seller as well as the product, the more likely that the situation is a good one.
If the price seems remarkably low, then approach with caution. Kayaks come with a Hull Identification Number. If this number has been scratched off, then you may be dealing with a stolen boat.
Other online forums to source used kayaks include: Mountainbuzz.com, Kayaktrader.com and Geartrade.com.
Facebook/Reddit
Many local paddling groups maintain a Facebook page. Inserting yourself in the local paddling community can help you stay in touch with opportunities to purchase used kayaks.
Local Outfitters
In my view, the best place to purchase a kayak, bar none, is through a local kayak outfitter.
These are the folks that teach lessons, lead excursions and sell quality equipment.
Here’s the thing, their businesses are as much service as they are transactional. They are in the business of providing experiences.
These companies are developing meaningful relationships with kayakers. When you have an important relationship with someone, you don’t turn around and sell them crap!
They are typically approachable, thoughtful and knowledgeable. More than anything, they are experts.
Many of them sell used boats as well as new ones. You’ll probably pay more for these boats than you would on Craigslist or Kijiji. However, they will be vetted, inspected, tuned and sold in a way that matches the right paddler with the right boat.
Pricing the transaction
Spending an hour scouring online kayaks for sale should give you a good indication of the fair value for any given kayak, in good condition, located in a particular region of the country.
If you find a kayak that piques your interest, spend another hour online determining the cost and availability of aftermarket parts.
Then, visit the seller and inspect the kayak. Don’t be afraid to take pictures and notes (if the seller agrees).
After inspection, consider the repairs and modifications required to bring the kayak back to an acceptable, seaworthy level.
Now, remember your initial estimate of the kayak’s fair value, then reduce that estimate to account for the cost of the required improvements.
Alternatively, if the kayak is in great shape, you may need to increase your view of the craft’s fair value.
If you like the kayak enough to make an offer, decide on a price range that is in your budget and that you are willing to pay.
If your offer is lower than the ‘sticker’ price, don’t be afraid to explain why. Sometimes a well-reasoned explanation is all that is required to move the price lower.
Now comes the art. Here’s how I approach negotiation.
Personally, I don’t want to rip anybody off or play games. I don’t see negotiation as a zero-sum game, nor do I feel the need to ‘win’ the negotiation.
That’s just me. Others are different.
1. I offer a price to the seller that is slightly below fair value and lower than the highest price I am willing to pay (that falls inside what I consider the fair value range.)
2. Sometimes a seller accepts your offer. Other times he counters at a price point that is higher than what you want to pay, but lower than the initial listed price.
3. If the seller’s counter price falls anywhere within what I have determined to be the fair value range, I accept the price and shake hands.
4. If however, the seller’s counter price is higher than the top of the fair value range, then I will increase my offer to the highest price that I consider fair. This will be my last and final offer. I will not increase my offer again and will walk away if there is no deal to be had.
5. Now, if the seller is willing to transact at my highest price level, great. I pull out the cash, pay the seller and load the kayak onto my roof rack. (Don’t show up to purchase a kayak without a roof rack and straps!)
6. If the seller won’t come down to my fair value range, I move on. Every time.
This is a peek into my negotiating process. Yours might be different.
Parting thoughts
Used kayaks are a great way to enter the boating game. They are also an economical way to move up the food chain of kayak performance.
Be honest with yourself about your kayaking skill level and the type of kayak you really need. Perform a comprehensive inspection by using our checklist. Negotiate the deal in a manner that is comfortable to you. Pay a price that fair and consistent with the quality and condition of the kayak.
Good luck!