Hull

The bottom half of the kayak. Its whats left if you were to remove the deck. It would look like a funny shallow canoe.

There are different shaped hulls that are designed for specific performance attributes. This makes choosing 1 design difficult since focusing on one desirable characteristic usually means compromise on another.

Some people prefer a kayak that is very difficult to tip over,stability so they will want a wide hull. Unfortunately a wide hull is typically slower in the water and will require more effort to paddle. It will also be heavier.

Some people want a very fast boat racing hull so they will want a long narrow hull and sacrifice stability and internal storage space.

Hull design is a very important part of choosing the boat that is right for your planned usage.