We try and make building one of our boats as easy as possible. People from all types of backgrounds build our boats. We provide an 108 page step-by-step instruction manual, 7 days a week telephone and on-line support. The main element needed for success is desire. You do not need to be an experienced wood worker to complete our boats; we’ve designed our wood kayak kits for amateurs. Give it a try you will be surprised.

How long will it take me to build a wood kayak kit?

Most are built with 100 to 200 hours of work including varnishing and sanding time. When we build our wooden kayaks we take 150 hours and more. It all depends on the level attention you want to give the building. You can sweat the small stuff or get it together to go paddle.

Our boats are “real” wood, not plywood.

Are your wood kayak kits “custom fit” to my body size?

Yes. All of our wooden kayak kits can be custom fit using our proprietary custom fit software. That means the boats are sized to fit your body.

Are wooden kayaks as rugged as plastic and fiberglass kayaks?

Yes. Our wooden kayaks are comparable to the durability of other fiberglass kayaks. The main difference in the construction of our boats to other fiberglass boats is that our “core” is hand crafted wood rather than no core or “foam” core boats. Some reports say wood and fiberglass boats such as ours are up to 30% stronger than fiberglass boats. Also, our boats are lighter, often 40% lighter, than plastic and fiberglass boats, and we think much prettier.

What other things do I need to build the wood kayak kit?

Our kits include the building parts necessary to complete the boat. The items not included in our wood kayak kits that you will need include: the finishing materials for the boat such as varnish, and sandpaper. You also will need some other simple hand tools such as a chisel, blockplane and a Japanese hand saw is helpful.

You can find comparison information about our what is included in out kits here.

Are your wooden kayaks as fast as other factory type kayaks?

Yes, though much of the speed of the kayak depends on the paddler. Every Action Fish wood kayak is designed for specific performance criteria. That means before you get your wooden kayak or wood kayak kit your specific design is checked for performance and custom fit for you. We deliver complete custom fit and optimized kayaks and kayak kits. By the way, our designers are the same people who design those factory fiberglass kayaks.

Do I need a fancy special shop?

No. Garages, kitchens, covered decks, living rooms, basements, hallways all work just fine. Though make sure you can get the boat out the door when you are done. It helps if you can control the temperature of where you are working or at least heat where you are working. This helps when you apply epoxy to your boat.

Let us know if you will be working in a cool location without heat. We then will customize your wooden kayak kit epoxy to work in lower temperatures.

How difficult is it to work with epoxy?

Action Fish epoxy is 100% solids and has low VOC’s. This means that it has a very low odor when wet, about the same as latex paint. Epoxy is a two component plastic, that when mixed together becomes hard. You do want to avoid getting it on your skin and as always you should follow the manufacturers safety recommendations.

Also, our boats are lighter often 40% lighter than other plastic and fiberglass boats. We feel this really creates an advantage on the water.

What kind of help do you provide when I’m building my wood kayak?

Any questions please ask us. We provide on-line technical information, 7 days a week e-mail support and 7 days a week telephone support. Give us a call and talk to one of our boat builders to get the answers you need to keep going. We want you to succeed; many of our sales come from referrals.

When do I get my wood kayak kit or wooden kayak?

Our wood kayak kits ship typically within 10 days of order. Some parts of our kayak kits due their size are shipped via common carrier within North America. Smaller supplies are shipped with USPS, UPS and Federal Express. Our current ship time, live from our shop, for kits can be seen here.

Our wooden kayaks typically have a wait list of 4 weeks before we can begin to build your wooden kayak. To see our delivery time today please click here.

Do you ship outside of North America?

Yes. If you wish to get shipping cost infromation just send us an email here. Customers are responsible for all foreign duties and taxes.

What is the size of your wood kayak kits?

Our standard kayak kits include full-length cedar strips, that means the main shipment is a 6” x 8” x 18’ long crate. Other parts of the kit ship in two to three small boxes, about 2’ x 2’ x 1’ in size.

Please note many kit companies do not supply or ship full-length strips. Full-length strips are more expensive material. We also deliver the building strongback.

Can I try out your boats?

Yes. We usually have demo models in stock that you can try out. We also offer demonstration wood kayaks at many kayak events every year. Give us a call to find the most convenient place to try our wooden kayaks.

Can I just stop by and pick up my wood kayak kit?

Give us some warning that you want to stop by and get a kit. We do need time to custom fit and pack your wood kayak kit. Though typically three or four days notice is enough for us to get things turned around for you.

Can I special order items?

Yes. We do custom features from simple things like adding hardwood knee braces to custom designing entirely new boats from scratch. Give us a call or e-mail.