Kayaks

• Buy on-line, then Pick-up at our store -we do not normally ship Kayaks to your home, but it occasionally may be arranged.  We can easily ship accessories to you, OR Pick-up at our store.
• Try-Before-You-Buy -we have water right here at the store where you can try out one kayak, or several brands and models, to be sure you make an excellent choice.
• Box Stores only answer is cheap, ...they can't match our service, quality or longevity.
• Real Value is achieved when you appreciate what you bought, more than what you could have bought elsewhere.

Take advantage of our 50+ years in the Kayak business when you need helpful advice on how to store, transport, or how to best outfit your new kayak with the huge variety of accessories we have in stock-we sell and install Yakima racks, plus trailers, paddles, pfds, Scotty and YakAttack fishing gear, and much more...

If you have never been to our store you really owe it to yourself to see our amazing selection of new and used canoes and kayaks. Please take advantage of our knowledge and inventory so that you may buy the right kayak, not just the first one you find. Not sure what would be the best value for your needs?? Check out our "Try before you buy" program and experiment on the water with a few different models. If you just can't make it to our store then give us a call and we'll give you our best advice.

Warranty

New canoes, kayaks -warranty starts from your date of purchase. We can assist your warranty process if you purchased new from our store.
We don't have a lot of trouble with the brands we choose to sell new but we also like to have brands that actually help us out when there is an issue. We think of Warranties like a seat belt... good to have one, just in case.
Used canoes, kayaks -no warranty. Canoe and Kayak warranties are never transferrable, so the only warranty is to the original, new owner. All used items are sold as is.

Planning on a Motor?

New -an MSO is available only to the original new owner. We can help if you purchased it new from our store (within the past few years). The only reason we need an MSO is to register the craft for use with a Motor. We recommend you buy a new model if you'll need an MSO.
Used -do not have an MSO. We can't supply an MSO for used canoes or kayaks. All used items are sold as is.

ALL the Reviews say THIS is the ONE to BUY !!

Our best advice is to look at reviews and then come in with an open mind. You can do your own review right at our store... sit in it, paddle it, give it a really good look over.
THEN, look around and COMPARE to all the other top selling brands and models we have in stock. You may confirm what you already thought, or you may not.

What does the "Condition" mean??

"used" --- all USED items are sold AS IS. No warranty. No brand has a warranty for used items.
"poor"--- used, this is something that's really beat and likely needs some work. No warranty.
"fair"--- used, this is something that looks pretty rough and might be questionable structurally. No warranty.
"good" --- used, this would have a lot of scratches, perhaps some dents but is OK structurally. No warranty.
"very good" --- used, scratches and maybe small dents, typical use and wear. No warranty.
"excellent" --- used, very limited scratching and wear, almost new condition. No warranty.
"demo" --- used, generally very good to near new condition. No warranty. No brand has a warranty for used items.
"clearance" -- Not used. -- Warranty is in effect from date of purchase. May be scuffed or a previous year model.
"special" --Not used. -- Warranty is in effect from date of purchase. May be new or clearance. Specials will have a "special" price, feature or color.
"new" --Not used. -- Warranty is in effect from date of purchase.
Some brands may have a longer warranty for new items vs. clearance items. 

Clearance models? Factory overstock, discontinued colors or features, Scratch-&-Dent SALE* on select Canoes, Kayaks and Paddle Boards. Because of this we show a reduced, scratch-n-dent, or "clearance" sale price. Imperfections, blemishes and Scuff marks are very common in shipping certain models from factory to our store. However, in our humble opinion, some brands never make it very close to "perfect" even on their best day. Finish quality varies a lot from one brand to another! 

• Selection is very limited on clearance items. 
• Not all of our inventory for a particular model is "clearance". 
• NOTE: We often have New and clearance and used versions of a particular model.

What's in a Name?

Some fancy kayak brands may sound swift, but are merely posers and hucksters that can only talk a good game, while others are just made too cheaply to actually function well or last.Oak Orchard only recommends canoe brands and models which are proven in real use.Examples of high-quality reliable kayaks include:Eddyline(carbonlite.)Bonafide(rotomolded polyethylene.)  Jackson Kayaks(rotomolded polyethylene.) Native Watercraft(rotomolded polyethylene.)  Old Town(polyethylene, rotomolded Polylink3.)  Wilderness Systems(rotomolded polyethylene.)  Hurricane Aquasports(trylon.)Liquid Logic(rotomolded polyethylene.)Nucanoe(rotomolded polyethylene.)Slipstream (Kevlar, Carbon, Innegra.) andWenonah (T-formex, Tuff-weave, Kevlar, Carbon, Innegra.)

PLASTIC (polyethylene): quality and reliability varies greatly from one brand to another depending on the grade of plastic used and the way it's formed and ranges from very poor to excellent.

Kayaks molded from a plastic sheet or blow molded dominate the box store scene since they are the lowest price of any option. Quality ranges from disposable trash can grade to a bit better.
Roto molded kayaks can be much thicker in wear or stress areas, so they are better able to provide durability over many years. Extra thickness results in much fewer catastrophic failures from cracks and voids which become leaks in a cheaper kayak. We see lots of cheaper kayaks that can't be repaired.  By that we mean they can't be repaired in a lasting or reliable way. We have sold and also used thousands of kayaks in our rental program for decades, most with great success, but we also know what to look out for. Examples of quality poly kayaks canoes are made by Bonafide, Crescent, Current Designs, Dagger, Hobie, Jackson, Liquid Logic, Native Watercraft, Old Town, Perception and Wilderness Systems.  Pelican straddles the line with some very low-end models and other Pelican Premium models that are quite a bit better.

Thermo-form:Thermo-form materials such as Carbonlite and Trylon are next generation ABS based plastics with lighter weight,improved stiffness, outstanding longevity and overall hull shape retention, while also being durable enough for most of our customers. 
Eddyline and Hurricane Aquasports both make high quality Thermo-formed kayaks. These models are much lighter in weight, and they tend to move much easier thru the water while providing better durability than a much more expensive composite materials.

Fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon (composite materials): quality and reliability varies greatly from one brand to another and ranges from very poor to outstanding. Reliability depends greatly on the grade of material or fabric used and especially the way it's formed and reinforced.  We call this selective reinforcing vs. what can we leave out to make this thing lighter.  Weight savings is often the lure of a composite kayak. Unlike a canoe which only has a hull, Kayaks also have a deck, so weight savings are much harder to come by, especially while maintaining decent durability.  The major limitation of composite kayaks is durability, especially with regard to the less flexible geloat (outer color layer.)

Do yourself a favor and consider buying a more comfortable kayak.  We talk to folks all year long that use their kayak less, simply because they don't enjoy sitting in it for very long, they also don't like how awkward it is getting in and out of it.  We've sold kayaks for decades in-spite of those two points.  With our long term view we see kayaks as an evolving thing. Today we have kayaks that are vastly improved in comfort and being easier to get on or off.  This is due to more ergonomic design and seating position.

TRY-BEFORE-YOU-BUY is a great way to test out a few models and see how much difference you can feel.  One person's light weight may be another's heavy.  One person's agile may be another's poor tracking.