RMXByker wrote:One that floats???? In all seriousness, I don't think it matters unless your trying to be ultra-competitive.
Actually, it matters a lot. Every boat, kayaks included, have a max hull speed - no matter how well/hard you paddle, the boat will only go so fast. Generally speaking the longer and narrower the boat, the faster the max hull speed. If I were doing kaya-tri's, I'd want at least a 17' kayak, preferably composite material like carbon or kevlar, with a beam (width) less than 23". If you have any experience as a paddler and can get your hands on a surf ski, something 20'-21' with a 17"-19" beam, you'll have the most speed. You sacrifice stability with narrow beam though, so you want to be comfortable with the boat before heading out into any kind of rough water. Don't even mess around with kayaks less than 15', you'll sacrifice a lot of speed.