Will we ever go back?

[Mark]

I was thinking about this thread yesterday when I was shopping for a shorter kayak to supplement my Manta Ray 14 (which is only 28.5" wide). Pretty much every new boat I researched was 32" - 36" wide. Hell, the Bona Fide model I sat in didn't even rock when sitting on a concrete floor. I'm super happy with the Native Falcon I bought but would loved to have had the option of an 11-12 foot kayak that was 30 inches or less in width.

Congrats on your new boat.

Again, the market drives selection. Kayak makers know that new kayak anglers in particular are extremely concerned with stability. So they produce wider beamed kayaks to appeal to that segment of the market. They sell more kayaks that way.

Interestingly, I just read an article about Inuits who are credited with inventing kayaks. As some have addressed here, their kayaks were personalized to fit their bodies. In fact, their kayaks were so personalized that when when of their members disappeared or drowned on a hunting expedition it was assumed that they were paddling a borrowed kayak.

[scorchy]

Again, the market drives selection. Kayak makers know that new kayak anglers in particular are extremely concerned with stability. So they produce wider beamed kayaks to appeal to that segment of the market. They sell more kayaks that way.

Oh, I definitely get it. Same reason that Toyota has discontinued my beloved Land Cruiser for the US market after 60 years. Selling just 3,000 per year for more than a decade means that they probably should have done it sooner...