Are longer kayaks slower?

Of course, the construction material and total weight of the kayak and paddler come into play, but longer, narrower, lighter kayaks are faster unless they are of some very odd, unusual design.

You will run into drag issues somewhere at or above 22′ in length in modern racing designs. That’s why very few manufacturers build boats that long because they know they will hit the point of diminishing returns and actually build a kayak so long that it is actually slower due to the drag created by the wetted surface area.

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