What better way to spend your free time than kayaking? Not only is it a fun way of exercising your body, but it also allows you to bond with your loved ones. Further, kayaking will enable you to enjoy nature at its best.
Normally, before we embark on the adventure, we only consider the factors to look out for in the best kayak. Well, this article is going to jog your mind a bit by informing you about the best time to buy a kayak to get the best deal.
Sounds crazy, right? What you should know is that you can get the best vessel and save money at the same time.
We have explained everything in detail below.
The Ideal Time Of The Year to Buy a Kayak
So what time of the year is the best for buying a kayak? There are several factors that should influence your decision, but the ultimate goal would be saving money without sacrificing any of the outstanding qualities.
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The Off-Season
Basic knowledge of how the demand and supply mechanisms work should tell you that during the offseason, the price of that particular commodity is likely to drop very sharply.
For instance, winter boots’ prices are going to decline as the season approaches the end or during summer and spring.
In the same way, since kayaking is an activity mostly undertaken during the warmer periods of the year, the vessels are likely to be more affordable in the winter or the later stages of summer and spring.
What’s More…
One advantage of going kayak shopping during the off-season is that you have a narrower pool of options to choose from. This is because most of the other vessels have been bought during peak season, and the store-owner is waiting to stock up the items needed for the incoming season.
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Your Budget
If you want to get a vessel that would deliver the ultimate performance, you need to save a lot for it. We understand there are numerous cheaper options in the market that go for less than $100.
However, such cheap vessels tend to have a very short lifespan, plus they only possess the basic features.
Therefore, a pricier ‘yak that costs over $1000 is likely to have advanced features, and your safety would never be an issue.
Further, besides the kayak, there are also necessary kayaking equipment that you need to purchase, and they do not come cheap. A good example is a paddle.
Therefore, go for a vessel when you have saved enough money for the item and occasion at large.
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Buying an Old Kayak
If you are keen enough, you may notice that a new kayak has marginal improvements over the previous year’s model, but it would still cost you more. So here’s the trick, why don’t you go for the past year’s model since the difference between the two is not too large.
Many retailers sell the older stock at discounted rates, and if you take advantage of such offers, you may end up saving a lot of money.
However, the older model should give you the same satisfaction that you would have gotten from the newer one so that you do not feel any emptiness inside.
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The Holidays
There are certain holidays of the year when you are guaranteed to find great deals on kayaking gear. For instance, Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May and retailers entice kayakers to prepare for the coming summer season with discounted prices.
There is also Christmas holiday where retailers take advantage of the festive mood to clear out the remaining stock from the previous season. As such, there are likely to be great deals on kayaks.
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Consider the Kayaking Season
We may have mentioned that off-season is the best time to buy a kayak. However, that is only if you want to save money, plus at that time, you have fewer options to choose from.
In the peak season, the stores are likely to be filled with new kayaks, and you have many different models to choose from.
The price may be high at this time, but you are going to have a wider variety of kayaks with various exciting features onboard.
Related
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Final Thoughts
With all that, you can see that the best time to buy depends on your preferences. If you want to save money, go for the off-season whereas if you want a wider variety to choose from before and peak-season is the ideal period.
We hope that we have given you all the information you need to make an informed choice.