What length is considered a short kayak?

My sister and I just purchased a future beach trophy 126 and fusion 124 to get into the sport. Will these kayaks work okay on coastal waters or should they stay in lakes? What is typically a decent length for a kayak? Thanks in advance!What length is considered a short kayak?
These are both 10 foot kayaks and are considered short recreational boats for fishing and flatwater paddling in protected waters like small lakes and slowmoving rivers. They are not safe for coastal waters for a number of reasons. One is they have yawning large cockpits that allow the boat to quickly fill with water. You really need a sprayskirt if you are going to be on the ocean in a sit-inside kayak. There are some available for boats like these but they don't work well because water pools on the large surface area and tends to collapse the deck and flood the kayak anyway. Second, they don't have sealed bow and stern bulkheads to keep the boats from swamping and sinking. Three, they are too short and wide to track well and paddle efficiently in wind, current and swells. You can easily be swept offshore in one of these things and be unable to make it back to land no matter how hard you paddle. Also, though most beginners think boats like this are great because their flat bottoms and wide width makes them feel more stable in calm water, the fact is that if they are hit with a large enough boat wake or wave broadside they will flip over in a heartbeat. Flipping back over and emptying such a boat with a hand pump and re-entering it is very difficult, if not impossible, in some conditions. Shorter kayaks also have a lower upper limit on the speed at which they can be paddled -- it is simple physics, a longer water waterline is a faster boat.



Ocean worthy sea touring kayaks typically are 14' to 18' long (surf skis are even longer) and less than 25" wide with small cockpits that fit a spray skirt and sealed bulkheads. Many also include a drop down skeg or rudder to improve tracking in following seas. They will cut through waves rather than get bounced around by them and can be rolled back up by the paddler while still in the boat if flipped (once you've learned that skill).



Also, these little boats are "one size fits all" which really means they don't really fit anyone well. To really paddle and control a kayak you more or less "wear" it -- performance kayaks are sized to the height and weight of the person. You use your hips, legs and torso to steer and paddle a kayak, even more so than your arms, if you know how to paddle correctly. Sure, your arms hold the paddle, but your body drives the power behind it -- not so easy to do in a sloppy fitting boat.





So, enjoy your new toys but be aware of their limitations. Get some paddling lessons if you can, it will greatly increase your enjoyment and skills for paddling and teach you important safety procedures, like adding flotation to the boats and self-rescue techniques.

If you really get into kayaking, and still think you want to try to ocean, see if you can rent or do a dealer demo with real sea kayaks and get a feel for the difference. Most people who get into kayaking trade up their boats after the first season or two once they understand what kind of performance improvements they want -- fortunately, most all kayaks have good resale on the used market so you could probably trade up to a sleeker, faster, more sea-worthy used boat for not a couple hundred more than you would get selling those ones you bought eventually.What length is considered a short kayak?
I'm not sure about those brands of kayaks but my 8 foot Calypso kayak is considered short, compared to all my family and friend's kayaks.