The 5 Best Duck Hunting Kayaks of 2020 [Reviewed]
How do you reach the best places on the water for duck hunting? With a kayak!
Unlike a boat with a motor, a kayak is silent and easy to position in the places you’ve always wanted to access.
Choosing the best duck hunting kayak for you is a simple process, when you know how. Depending on your preferences, an inexpensive fishing kayak might do or you can go all out with specifics made for your sport.
Let’s take a look at some of the top options on the market today.
Table of Contents
5 Top Kayaks for Duck Hunting
|
Image |
Product Name |
Kayak Weight |
Weight Capacity |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Vibe Kayaks Skipjack 90 | 46 Pounds | 300 pounds | Check Current Price |
 |
Beavertail 400238 Phantom Marsh | 55 Pounds | 360 pounds | Check Current Price |
|
Beavertail 400151 Final Attack Marsh | 75 Pounds | 420 Pounds | Check Current Price |
 |
Lifetime 10 Foot Sport Fisher | 65 Pounds | 500 Pounds | Check Current Price |
|
NuCanoe Frontier Kayak | 77 pounds | 650 pounds | Check Current Price |
The following list covers a range of prices and styles for suitable duck hunting kayaks.
Along with your specific needs, ensure your kayak allows proper stability, durability, camouflage capabilities, and ample storage.
Choose the Best Duck Hunting Kayak in 2019
1. Vibe Kayaks Skipjack 90
If a lightweight duck hunting kayak is at the top of your list, the Vibe Skipjack 90 is a great choice.
As it’s 9 feet long, just 46 pounds and has four carry handles, it’s a breeze to transport to the water.
This sit-on-top kayak offers loads of storage space. Two sealed hatches with bag inserts join a bungee system behind the seat. If you love fishing as well, you’ll find four capped flush mount rod holders.
Stability and maneuverability are important features and the Vibe Skipjack 90 offers both. Therefore, you’ll stand with ease with extra help from molded footrests and fit into tight waterways when you need to.
For seating comfort, this kayak comes with a built-in ergonomic backrest and cushion. Two paddle parks ensure you don’t lose them when it’s time for hunting.
To keep your drink within reach, there’s a molded-in cup holder in the center.
Other features include a mounting point, six scupper holes with plugs and a camouflage appearance. If you want to customize it further, there are plenty of accessories available, such as rudder systems.
Pros
- Lots of storage space
- Lightweight and easy to transport
- Stable
- Excellent maneuverability
- Camouflage appearance
- Mount for accessories
Cons
- Not great for speed
- Non-adjustable seat
2. Beavertail 400238 Phantom Marsh Brown Bird / Duck Hunting Kayak / Boat
The Beavertail Phantom March Brown is a kayak specifically designed for duck hunting, with excellent camouflage ability.
With a catamaran-style hull, it offers a very stable platform for the movements needed while duck hunting.
Given its 100% thick polyethylene construction and foam-filled inner structure, this is a durable choice for the best duck hunting kayak.
Fantastic features include sewn-on vegetation straps and a snow cover that slips over the top of the Predator blind.
A contoured seat provides comfort while out on the water, along with molded-in footrests and a non-skid floor.
To hold your gear, there’s a large rear, watertight compartment.
Accessories are available to further customize this yak for your duck hunting desires.
Pros
- Sit-on-top kayak
- Contoured seat
- Foot molds
- Large storage in the rear
- Can add a blind
- Can add a snow cover
- 5-year warranty
- Camouflaged
Cons
- Seat is not adjustable
3. Beavertail 400151 Final Attack Marsh Brown Bird Hunting Kayak
Another excellent hunting kayak made by Beavertail is the Final Attack kayak. This kayak is not strictly a hunting kayak, but is actually labeled as a sneak kayak.
Sneak boats are known for being able to slip silently through the water without alerting prey. They typically, however, include a motor.
With the Final Attack, you do have the option of including a motor, but one of the greatest advantages to using a kayak for hunting is the fact that it does not use a motor, as your motor must be off in order to shoot.
Another unique feature of this boat is that it has wheels. This means it’s incredibly easy to pull across land when you’re dragging it from one body of water to another.
This kayak looks very different from your typical kayak, as it has a hunting blind attached to the top of it.
The Final Attack also has a 420-pound weight capacity, which is decent for a hunting kayak. This allows for lots of extra gear to be carried safely in the boat.
This kayak, like the other Beavertail, comes with a 5-year warranty. Even though it is not expected to have damage, if it does, you’re covered.
Finally, in terms of stability, this boat is like a rock. With a beam of 44 inches wide, it’s simply not going to tip over easily.
Pros
- Huge cockpit
- Blind included
- Can attach a motor
- Wide beam
- Camouflaged
- 5-year warranty
- Wheels for transporting
Cons
- Can be difficult to get in and out of
4. Lifetime 10 Foot Sport Fisher Tandem Kayak
The Lifetime 10 Foot Sport Fisher was designed with hunters and fishermen in mind, so it has lots of features which are beneficial to you and your hunting buddy.
This kayak is, first, a sit-on-top. This means that, should the kayak tip, you do not need to perform an eskimo roll to get out of it. This also provides you extra room when shooting and allows you to stand with ease.
The Sport Fisher is a tandem kayak, which typically means two people can ride in the cockpit. However, this kayak comfortably seats up to 3 people.
As far as storage goes, the Sport Fisher has a massive cockpit area. This means you have storage which is easy to access, which is ideal for hunting.
Additionally, the Sport Fisher has a 500-pound weight capacity, which is great for hauling heavy gear and your catch.
Paddles are included with the kayak, along with paddle clips to keep them secure when you need to be hands-free.
Like many sit on tops, the Sports Fisher has molded foot rests. There are also padded, adjustable backrests for seating comfort.
Finally, the kayak is a dark green which should do a decent job hiding of you from your prey.
Pros
- Can fit up to 3 people
- 500-pound weight capacity
- Molded foot braces
- Adjustable, padded seats
- Dark green for camouflage
- Paddle clips on side of the boat
- 36-inch beam
Cons
- May be difficult to steer
5. NuCanoe Frontier Kayak
The Frontier is easily the most unique kayak on this list. All the features you could ask for are already built into this yak.
One feature that makes this kayak unique is a removable seat which sits above the cockpit. For long days and staying still while hunting or fishing, this is a great feature which allows maximum comfort.
Another perk of the seat is that it allows you to turn 360 degrees without having to paddle the boat. Additionally, the Frontier comes with an anchor system, which helps you stay in one place should you choose to.
The Frontier is a camouflaged boat, which means you’ll be well concealed. This boat also comes with a tug cart and its own rack pads and tie downs. Ultimately, this means transportation to and from various bodies of water should go off without a hitch.
A fiberglass paddle is included with this kayak, and there are various length options, from 240 cm to 280 cm.
There is a small waterproof storage unit in the front and a day well in the stern. However, the entire cockpit of this sit-on-top kayak is open and available to be used for storage.
Additionally, this kayak has one of the largest weight capacities of any kayak, at a whopping 650 pounds. This is an excellent weight limit for any kayak, but especially for hunters bringing lots of gear, and hopefully hauling lots of birds back home.
Finally, stability is not a question for the Frontier. With a beam of 41”, this boat will definitely stay stable in the water.
Pros
- Lots of storage
- Removable seat that rotates
- Wide beam
- Good tracking
- Sit-on-top
- Comes with paddles
- Easy transportation
- Camouflaged
- Comfortable
Cons
- More expensive
How to Buy a Duck Hunting Kayak
When purchasing a duck hunting kayak, things to consider include durability, camouflage, stability and good storage. All of these details are absolute necessities when spending a day, or several days, duck hunting.
Durability
When choosing the best duck hunting kayak, it’s important to ensure it’s durable enough to handle difficult terrains. For example, when duck hunting, you often stick close to the shoreline. This means more debris in the water, such as logs, that your yak might run into.
Camouflage Ability
Your kayak simply must be able to keep you well hidden from your prey. If it doesn’t, you run the risk of spooking ducks before you even have a chance to shoot them.
Some kayaks designed for hunting are strictly camouflage colored. This means they are painted in browns, greens and blues.
Other kayaks have a full hunting blind, which means the kayaker is completely hidden from view. The blinds can make it difficult to kayak smoothly, however. These blinds can be purchased with the kayak as a unit or be purchased separately and placed on top.
Both of these kayak options perform well while hunting, and it is important to know which you prefer.
Storage
Storage is another must and you want your gear to be as accessible as possible. This means selecting a kayak with a large, preferably open cockpit so that you can keep your gear within arm’s reach.
Sit-on-top kayaks are the best option storage option for duck hunting, although there are some exceptions to the rule, such as the Final Attack.
That being said, it’s a good idea to choose a kayak with some waterproof storage. Remember, when kayaking, you’ll most likely have car keys and a cell phone with you. Should your kayak tip, you want to be able to keep those valuables safe and dry. Waterproof storage, even a small 6-inch compartment, is useful.
Beam Width and Tracking
Beam width can completely change the way a boat handles in the water. For kayakers who hope to race or take on the ocean, a narrow beam is very important as it allows for sharp turns and handling difficult waves.
However, for those who need stability in their kayak, a wide beam is a necessity. The width of the boat prevents it from tipping when sudden movements occur. This means wide beams are necessary when bringing small children or dogs, as well as when hunting from one!
That being said, some duck hunters prefer excellent tracking, which typically means a more narrow beam.
Our Final Review for the Best Duck Hunting Kayak
There are many options when purchasing the best duck hunting kayak. You can choose to purchase a base model and add to it as you need. You can also choose to purchase a kayak, like the Frontier, which has all of the bells and whistles.
Whichever kayak you choose, as long as you take all the tips into consideration you can look forward to enjoying your sport out on the water, in the best possible way!
