- A tandem kayak differs from a regular kayak in that it is designed to accommodate two people. One person sits in the back, while one person sits in the front. Some tandem kayaks even have a space in the middle for a small child or pet. Both people paddle the kayak together, in unison.
- A tandem kayak offers a few advantages over a regular solo kayak. Primarily, it allows you to kayak with someone else. If you have never kayaked before, a tandem kayak allows you to go along with a more experienced kayaker. You also can kayak alone in a tandem kayak. Bear in mind, however, that the performance will not be nearly as good as if you were paddling a solo kayak due to the tandem kayak's length.
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Paddling a tandem kayak requires working as a team. Typically, the more experienced kayaker sits in the back and steers the kayak in addition to paddling. If both paddlers are equally experienced, however, the heavier person usually sits in the back because extra weight at the bow can cause the kayak to capsize.
The back paddler must time his strokes precisely with those of the person up front. The paddler up front will see obstacles before the paddler seated at the stern can, so the two paddlers must communicate with each other. - Tandem kayaks are considerably bigger and heavier than solo kayaks. This also means means more space for storing extra items like dive gear or fishing supplies. Tandem kayaks are wider than solo kayaks, too. This usually gives them great initial stability--meaning that they wobble very little when paddlers first board the kayak. Initial stability is important for new paddlers, for whom instability can be very unnerving.
- People tend to purchase tandem kayaks because they'd like to have somebody along to talk to when kayaking; however, you should understand that paddlers do not face each other. Instead, they sit one in front of the other, facing the bow of the kayak--making conversation more difficult than you may expect. Also, while tandem kayaks usually have great initial stability, they don't usually have the good final stability that makes them good for taking on white water. Smaller, solo kayaks are usually better for final stability.
