Video · Kayak Reviews
Best Budget Tandem Family Kayak: West Marine Abaco 13.5
I share the tandem sit on top kayak my family uses, the Abaco 13.5, and why I think it's the best budget family kayak.
What’s in this video
This is the tandem kayak my family uses, and in my opinion it’s the best one for a family for the money. It’s priced well below a lot of tandems and holds 550 pounds. The tri-hull gives great stability, and the high gunnels keep you pretty dry for a sit on top. We’ve done beach surf launches in street clothes without worrying about getting soaked.
The hull is solid and takes abuse, and the molded-in handles and hardware are well made. You get a deck hatch for dry storage and rear bungees for dry bags. It’s technically a 3 seater, and we’ve had 2 adults and 2 small kids on it. Move a seat to the center and it paddles well solo. The Abaco doesn’t come with seats, but the identical Perception Rambler 13.5 does.
Quick takeaways
- 550 lb capacity and technically a 3 seater: we've had 2 adults and 2 small kids on it.
- For solo paddling, move a clip-in seat to the center position and remove the extra seat.
- The Abaco 13.5 doesn't include seats, but the identical Perception Rambler 13.5 does.
- It was on sale for $423.99 (normally $530) at the time of the video.
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