Family Kayaks make Outings Easy - Best Family Kayak

Looking for a kayak the whole family can share? 

Recreational Family Kayaks are for gathering family and friend groups of different ages and skill levels who will be sharing kayaks for a day of water fun.  
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A kayak you and your kids can share for a fun day at the lake DOES exist! 

​I'll show you what's worked for our family and what I would recommend to you to make your outings easy and fun with a growing family.  

What makes a perfect family kayak?  

A kayak that is easy for anyone (beginners included) to paddle make great family kayaks, like the 6 ft Wave or 6.6 ft Dash for kids under age 12, the youth-sized 8 Ft Lotus Kayak for those tweens and young teens over age 12, in addition to a 9.5 or 10 ft kayak that can be shared by older teens and adults, and lastly an inflatable tandem  make outings to the lake possible for any family and are easy to use and transport.

What kayak can young teens use?

Younger tween/smaller teens can use an 8 foot kayak such as the Lifetime Lotus which may fit some small petite adults.      

What size kayak can a teen share with an adult?

A 9.5 ft or 10 ft. kayak will fit both an older teen, young adult, and an adult and makes a great recreational family kayak.  

What else do I need for a family kayak trip to the lake?

Whether for a family reunion, birthday party, or just a new adventure, here is a checklist of great options to consider for an epic family kayak trip to the lake:

(normally I would only suggest my #1 top recommendation but with a nation-wide shortage of recreational items it's harder to find things in stock so I'm giving my top three recommendations to help you have a better chance of finding something available at the time you are looking)

FAMILY KAYAKS
Check list of what your family may need FOR A FAMILY KAYAK OUTING AT THE LAKE

• One or two kid-sized youth kayaks such as Lifetime's  6 ft Wave (I recommend for kids 4-8) or 6 ft 6 inches Lifetime Dash (I recommend for kids age 7-12).  
• One or two 8 ft. small kayak for teens and small adults.  I highly recommend the Lifetime Lotus...the absolutely perfect youth kayak for tweens and young teens and comes with a paddle.  This size is hard to find but makes the perfect kayak for transitioning from child-sized to adult.  
• One or two recreational 9.5 ft or 10 ft kayaks for older teens and adults to share: 10 Ft Recreational Lifetime Tioga, or  9.5 ft Perception Tribe xxx for sit-on-tops (sit-on-tops are always a perfect start if you are 100% new to water sports), and I recommend the 10 ft Perception Joyride or 9.5 ft Perception Flash or 10 ft Pelican Maxim for recreational family sit-inside kayaks.
• One inflatable tandem for taking tiny or hesitant little ones out with parents, or for sweethearts and friends who want to explore the lake and shoreline together.  The Intex Explorer is the best all-around for entry-level and most affordable, while the 2-person Recreational Driftsun Voyager is the next step up, and the Rover is amazing but higher-priced.   
• Paddles in a few different sizes, : 190-210 cm for the little kids under 12, 220 cm for the youth/tweens and teens, 230 cm for most adults, or 240 if your family is taller than 6 ft.  Here's my easy paddle sizing guide.
• One or two life jackets in each size depending on your group: infant life jackets, child life jackets, youth life jackets and adult life jackets. See my Life Jacket's 101.  
• Snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and bug spray and you are ready.   

HAPPY PADDLING!

-MJ