Children are not just small adults. Kayak manufacturers have now grasped this fact and have started making kayaks specifically designed for children. BADCC has a selection of children's kayaks.
The Jackson Fun is a serious river running and playboating kayak. Now there are two smaller versions designed specifically for children:
- Our smallest kayak is the Jackson Fun 1.0, which designed for paddlers weighing between 30 and 80lbs (14 to 36 kg), possibly ages 3 to 8, with a maximum shoe size 3.
- The next size up is the Jackson Fun 1.5, which designed for paddlers weighing between 60 and 120lbs (27 to 54 kg), possibly ages 5 to 11, with a maximum shoe size 7.
Kids need to have a great learning experience to really really enjoy anything. The Fun 1 and Fun 1.5 kayaks assure that they have lightweight, high performance, comfortable, easy to paddle boats. The result is steep learning curves and the feeling that their boat is not a "detuned, dummied down boat" but instead it is a high performance machine is the key.
The Dagger Dynamo is classic young person's river boat. Balanced volume distribution, smooth lines, and comfortable outfitting make this a great platform for learning. It is designed for a paddler weight of 20 to 60 kg (44 to 132lbs), possibly ages 4 to 13.
For young people and smaller adults we have both sea kayaks and white water kayaks in smaller sizes:
- Dagger GT and GS - smaller white water kayaks
- Easky 15LV - a low volume sea kayak
What about paddles etc?
It is no good giving children kayaks specifically designed for them but then relying on adult paddles, buoyancy aids etc. So BADCC has ancillary kit that is also specifically designed for children. Look out for the following:
- Paddles - kidstix, amigo and sprite
- Buoyancy aids - Yak kallista or similar
- Spray decks - dynamo