We've been working on a new boat for parents who are (perhaps, over) eager to get their kids out on the water. Corran was putting his 2yr old son in the front of the cockpit of the Booty Call, and it worked, except for the fact that there's this toddlers helmet in your face, and so you're forced to paddle like a nitwit.
There are tandem kayaks on the market, but those are massively overkill for what we want to do - bridge the gap between first putting your kid into whitewater, and them being old enough to go it alone in their own kayak. This period is a common problem: we want to take our kids paddling, the kids want to go paddling, but they are simply too young to go it solo in a mini kayak.
This is our solution. A short, wide, high volume boat with the weight as centered as it can be, but still space for the parent to paddle (and roll) effectively. A forgiving planing hull increases both stability, and allows you to give your kid some early excitement as it will spin on even the smallest of waves.
The area around the child is reduced in size so they can actually start to paddle as well, and the seat is raised to get them up to a height that's comfortable for them to see (and can be lowered as they grow), paddle, and also be above the waves that come over the deck. Hang-tight handles are there for them to hang onto in lieu of a paddle if - that's what they prefer.
The focus is paddling easy rivers -class 2 or 3, and surfing small waves (spinning) - and above all, giving these small children an overwhelmingly positive experience in a kayak so they're asking you for more. Stability and forgiveness are key (you really don't want to be flipping with a 2 or 3 year old even if it is easy to roll), and of course, a positive attitude at all times. But you already knew that.
Your feet go each side of their sitting position (which is raised 6" off the hull) so it's still comfortable for even tall paddlers. The front paddler has a hung seat while the back seat has a large range of adjustment. Please read this important safety page.
Go do something with those Terrible Two's!
The Terrible Two is available in Two specifications.
At the request of smaller paddlers, we built the Pink, Sunrise Yellow boat to be as light as possible, making it easier to carry and load. But if you sit on it, tie boats together and cam strap them down, or in other ways are are abusive of it, it’s going to eventually deform, or possibly even break. Think about the light Terrible Two as an inexpensive alternative to carbon, that's much more resistant. Think of the heavier ones as being what you're accustomed to with plastic kayaks. If you look after your equipment, the light ones will last for years and years. If you're abusive, you're going to ruin it.
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Main technical Specifications |
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Kayak Name |
Terrible Two |
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Length |
9’5"| 287cm |
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Width |
27”| 68.5cm |
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Height (front) |
12.6” | 32cm |
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Height (Back) |
10.4” | 26.4cm |
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Nose Rocker |
11” | 28cm |
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Tail Rocker |
8.2” | 21.8cm |
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Rocker type |
Kick |
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Cockpit Size (Back) |
34.3” x 20" | 87cm x 51cm |
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Cockpit Size (Front) |
24” x 13” | 34cm x 60cm |
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Plastic Type |
Hilex 14 HDPE |
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Internal Outfitting |
Superlight |
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Boat Weight (Orange/Midnight) |
50.7lbs | 23kg |
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Boat Weight (Sunrise/Yellow/Pink) |
45lbs | 21kg |
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Max Combined Paddler Weight |
300lbs | 140kg |
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Max Front Paddler Weight |
110lbs | 50kg - (Under 55lbs | 25kg raise the front seat) |
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Windshield Included |
No |
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Grab Loops |
6 |
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Seat Adjustment |
Back Seat: forward/back | Front Seat: Up/down |
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Distance between cockpits |
36" | 91cm |
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Volume |
98 Gal | 371ltr |