For quiet mornings on a lake, a river mouth or a sheltered bay. The price of outdoor gear across Australia over ten years, and what to look for and ask at every shop you visit.
The price, ten years on
Equipment for sports, camping and open-air recreation, across Australia, from the ABS Consumer Price Index. The class holds sports, camping and open-air gear, from balls, rackets and golf clubs to fishing rods, boats and caravans.
June 2016$100
June 2026$114
$136Everything a household buys, over the same years
Up over ten years, by less than everything a household buys.
$90$100$110$120$130$140$114$136
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Equipment for sports, camping and open-air recreationAll groups CPI, everything a household buys
Buying a kayak for fishing. The first half is what to look for yourself. Put the second half to each place you try.
Look for
Its weight off the waterLift one end in the shop and picture getting it onto your roof or trailer alone.
The seatSit in it on the floor for a while; you will spend whole mornings there.
Rod holders and railsWhere they sit, and whether you can reach them without twisting.
Room for your gearHatches and a rear well big enough for a tackle crate and a cool box.
Paddle or pedalsPedals leave your hands free to fish; a paddle keeps the kayak lighter and simpler.
Ask
01What comes with it, and what is sold separately?Paddle, seat, rod holders, a rudder, a cart for wheeling it to the water.
02Can I take it out on the water before I decide?Ask whether a try on the water can be arranged.
03What does it weigh with the seat and drive fitted?The bare hull weight on the label can be well short of what you carry.
04Which mounts fit the rails, and do you stock them?Think of a fish finder, a camera or an extra rod holder later on.
05How would I fit it to my car's roof racks?Ask them to show you the straps and where they go.
06How should I store it between trips?Out of the sun, on its side or hung, and how to keep the hull in shape.
From fishingkayak.com.au, a concept page.
Choosing a kayak for the way you fish
Start with the water you fish most. A long, narrow hull holds a straight line across open water; a shorter, wider one turns easily among snags and creek bends.
Then be honest about carrying it. A kayak that is a struggle to load stays in the garage, so weigh the features you want against the weight you can lift.
Putting the same questions to each shop
Take the questions with you and ask them at every shop in the same order. Write the answers in a column for each kayak, and what comes in the box soon tells them apart.
Ask for anything that is promised, such as a demo or fitted mounts, to be written on the receipt.
Shows whether a business's ABN is active or cancelled, its business type and its GST status, and the Register says the public can use it to check a business before buying.