Expediciones Chile takes gear selection very seriously. We select our sea kayaks for comfort, durability, gear storage space, and performance. Below you will find some frequently asked questions about our sea kayaking gear. If you have others please email us.
What brand of sea kayaks do you use on your trips?
We select a diverse range of kayaks from most
of the major manufactures. Our favorites
are Prijon, Dagger, Perception, Wilderness
Systems & Northwest Kayak.
How old are your sea kayaks?
All of our sea kayaks are between 1 and 4 years old. We are continuously adding new boats to our fleet all the time.
Do you provide plastic or composite sea kayaks? We use a combination of composite and durable roto-mold or blow molded, hard plastic kayaks and try to apply the best hull material for its intended purpose. Over the many years we have been running sea kayaking trips, we have come up with the following formula.
Waves: When wave action is a real possibility on a trip, like on our Andes to the Ocean Expedition, we prefer plastic over composite. Because plastics are heavier and they can plow through waves on rivers and large swells generated by windswept fjords. Composite boats, while faster, tend to get buffeted around in such conditions making them more fatiguing to paddle. The down river direction of our sea kayak trips makes up for the slower performance of the plastic hulls.
Rocks: We also prefer to use plastic boats when encounters with rocks and shallow river bottoms are a real possibility. On expeditions like our Palena River trips, composite hulls are just too fragile to risk ruining a trip by having one crack, wrap or develop a hole midway through. As stated before, the down river direction of our trips makes up for the slower performance of the plastic hulls.
Remote Locations: On remote trips, where repair or replacement of a composite kayak could not be performed in a timely manner, we prefer to use plastic hulls. On these trips dependability and durability is the crucial factor in boat selection. On trips where we are within easy reach of our base or mothership, composite hulls are our preferred hull material.
Inland Sea and Bays: For calm inland bays and seas, like those you will encounter in our Hornopiren and Chiloe Island sea kayak vacations, composite is the preferred hull material.
Do you provide solo or tandem sea kayaks? We have single kayaks available, but we recommend tandems to most of our guests on expedition trips for a number of reasons. If you have a desire to be in a single kayak, rather than a double, this can be arranged providing you have the experience and we consider it is safe to allow you to do so. We recommend tandem sea kayaks for the following reasons:
Tandem Kayaks allow you to share the work between two paddlers and are generally more energy efficient and less fatiguing in a headwind where there is twice the power and the same resistance.
Tandems are longer than doubles and therefore are faster than solo kayaks. With the speed difference, single kayaks can fall behind tandem kayaks, a real concern should a group encounter inclement weather and waves.
Tandem kayaks have a greater beam (width) and are therefore more stable than singles. Stability is a great asset when the waters turn choppy.
Tandem kayaks allow us the flexibility to pair paddlers with different physical abilities, if necessary, so that a group keeps a steady pace and no one gets separated - a big plus on a long expedition trip.
Do your sea kayaks have rudders? All of our double sea kayaks have rudders and half of our singles have rudders.
What kind of sea kayak paddles and spray skirts do you provide? We provide top of the line Werner sea kayak paddles and our spray skirts are from Prijon and Perception.
Chile Rafting
Whitewater rafting in Chile. Rafting from our weatherproof Futaleufu lodge.
Patagonia Seasons
Information about the Patagonia seasons in Chile & Argentina. Weather information.
Patagonia Sea Kayaking
Patagonia sea kayaking from the Andes to the Ocean on Lago Yelcho. Fjords, hotsprings, extinct volcanos, temperate rainforest.
Swiftwater Rescue Training Thinking about a rafting guide job on the Futaleufu? Check out our whitewater guide school & swiftwater rescue training course.
Chile Fly Fishing
From our fly fishing ranch or lodge in Chilean Patagonia. Chile fly fishing trips on Lago Yelcho.
EcoTours in Patagonia
Custom ecotours of the Futaleufu Valley that include bird watching and nature treks.
Kayak School , Roll a Kayak
Learn the eskimo kayak roll at our kayak school. Receive world class kayak instruction from our paddling school.
University of Futaleufu
Checkout the large group, instructional and corporate team building programs we offer.
Chilean Culture Immersion
Experience genuine Chilean Culture on our adventure travel horseback riding and trekking vacations.
Kayak Futaleufu Whitewater
Kayak in the spectacular Patagonia
Andes. Kayak Futaleufu Whitewater from our kayak eco camp.
Chile Mountain Biking
Experience a genuine Chile Mountain Biking tour through Chilean Patagonia and Argentina.
Rafting en el Río Futaleufú con las mejores aguas blancas de clase mundial (5,4,3,). Kayak de mar, mountain biking, cabalgatas, sit-on-top kayaking cayoning, caminatas, pesca con mosca y mucho más aventuras podrás encontrar en el corazón de la patagonia Chilena, y desde el comfort de nuestro nativo y caluroso Hotel. Rafting en lel Río Futaleufú en Español.
