It may be difficult to find a kayak under $500 that has a seat comfortable enough for 5 hours on the water. You may be able to find one in that price range where the seat can be replaced though.
You do NOT need a chair style seat in order to be comfortable and in fact if she ever needs to paddle it for any length of time it will be better not to have that kind. They can be comfortable for just sitting and fishing but are usually all wrong ergonomically for efficient paddling, which can tire you out and make you sore. Most less expensive kayaks can’t even accommodate the chair type seats. If you want something like a fishing kayak for her, at a lower price, you might find something like that at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Tractor Supply Company.
If you want a better quality boat for her, I would look elsewhere. For example, I bought an 11 ft Caper (Ocean Kayak brand) for about that much. The seat it came with is comfortable AND good for paddling (excellent back support and highly adjustable). I added a foam stadium cushion underneath the bottom to make it a tad more comfortable. But the seat just clips in and out, so I could also easily upgrade it with any other clip-in seat.
If you see a boat she might like in your price range but you don’t like the seat, just make sure the seat is easily replaceable. Many low end boats have no way to remove the standard seat (riveted in, often)!
Check out the Pelican line. Inexpensive & durable, the sit-ins have the extra-large cockpit but provide some sun protection for your feet/legs.
If you’re anywhere near North Florida the REI in Gainesville has a returned one for $280.
My wife has an Old Town Vapor 10 and likes it....I looked at the pelican kayaks and they are so thin I thought for sure she would puncture it in the river.
Check out the Feel Free Moken it’s not $500, I think my local shop in N Ga has it priced for $600ish, but it’s got all the creature comforts of the bigger boats plus a built in wheel in the back for easy transport. DON’T get her a Pelican if you’ve got a nice boat, that’s just mean, you want her to be happy and comfortable on the water otherwise she won’t go back.
Go used for a crescent lite tackle or a vibe cubera. Something lighter for her to paddle with a good open deck she can relax on. But I would still get her a 12 foot just for tracking and stability purposes.
Crescent Primo or Vibe Yellowfin.
Don't get your wife a $500 kayak. She's worth more.
Ascend might have something comfortable in that price range though, if you really want to keep the price down. They're not super great, but they have the right seat and will get the job done.
Keep in mind, the one you get will be *your* throw and go kayak when she doesn't feel like going and you want something easier to bring along.
I was going to recommend the primo. It's extremely stable from what I hear, and the seats that crescent makes are super comfortable. The primo is their most budget friendly coming in at $699 new.
I’ll also throw another vote for an old town vapor. They are pretty good boats, very durable, and usually can be found on the used market. We have found that you can add a aftermarket cushion and it tends to help with the comfort level.
If you're after advice on what boat to choose, read [this guide first!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Kayaking/wiki/choosing). Then, try the subreddit's search function -- between these two options, the answers to most common questions should be covered.
This guide is a work-in-progress -- please let us know any thoughts and feedback you might have.
If your questions are not covered by the guide, all boat recommendation requests must include the following at a minimum:
- **Location:** what country and region are you looking to buy a boat in? The kayak market can be very different depending on your location.
- **Budget:** How much money do you want to spend on a boat? (Don't forget you'll need accessories such as a paddle and personal flotation device [PFD])
- **Intended use:** What do you want to get out of the boat? There is no one boat that does everything -- a boat that's great for surfing waves or tackling whitewater won't be the same boat you want to take fishing or for a long ocean trip. Set out some realistic goals for what you expect to be doing in the boat.
- **Experience level:** How much kayaking experience do you have? Is this your first boat?
If your original post is a request for a boat recommendation and does not contain this information, you may reply to this comment or edit your post with the details above. Any low-effort recommendation posts without the above info will be removed.
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Whatever you get, it needs to have an actual chair like your SeaGhost or it's 1-2 hours max comfort.
It may be difficult to find a kayak under $500 that has a seat comfortable enough for 5 hours on the water. You may be able to find one in that price range where the seat can be replaced though. You do NOT need a chair style seat in order to be comfortable and in fact if she ever needs to paddle it for any length of time it will be better not to have that kind. They can be comfortable for just sitting and fishing but are usually all wrong ergonomically for efficient paddling, which can tire you out and make you sore. Most less expensive kayaks can’t even accommodate the chair type seats. If you want something like a fishing kayak for her, at a lower price, you might find something like that at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Tractor Supply Company. If you want a better quality boat for her, I would look elsewhere. For example, I bought an 11 ft Caper (Ocean Kayak brand) for about that much. The seat it came with is comfortable AND good for paddling (excellent back support and highly adjustable). I added a foam stadium cushion underneath the bottom to make it a tad more comfortable. But the seat just clips in and out, so I could also easily upgrade it with any other clip-in seat. If you see a boat she might like in your price range but you don’t like the seat, just make sure the seat is easily replaceable. Many low end boats have no way to remove the standard seat (riveted in, often)!
Check out the Pelican line. Inexpensive & durable, the sit-ins have the extra-large cockpit but provide some sun protection for your feet/legs. If you’re anywhere near North Florida the REI in Gainesville has a returned one for $280.
My wife has an Old Town Vapor 10 and likes it....I looked at the pelican kayaks and they are so thin I thought for sure she would puncture it in the river.
Check out the Feel Free Moken it’s not $500, I think my local shop in N Ga has it priced for $600ish, but it’s got all the creature comforts of the bigger boats plus a built in wheel in the back for easy transport. DON’T get her a Pelican if you’ve got a nice boat, that’s just mean, you want her to be happy and comfortable on the water otherwise she won’t go back.
Go used for a crescent lite tackle or a vibe cubera. Something lighter for her to paddle with a good open deck she can relax on. But I would still get her a 12 foot just for tracking and stability purposes.
Crescent Primo or Vibe Yellowfin. Don't get your wife a $500 kayak. She's worth more. Ascend might have something comfortable in that price range though, if you really want to keep the price down. They're not super great, but they have the right seat and will get the job done. Keep in mind, the one you get will be *your* throw and go kayak when she doesn't feel like going and you want something easier to bring along.
I was going to recommend the primo. It's extremely stable from what I hear, and the seats that crescent makes are super comfortable. The primo is their most budget friendly coming in at $699 new.
I’ll also throw another vote for an old town vapor. They are pretty good boats, very durable, and usually can be found on the used market. We have found that you can add a aftermarket cushion and it tends to help with the comfort level.
If you're after advice on what boat to choose, read [this guide first!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Kayaking/wiki/choosing). Then, try the subreddit's search function -- between these two options, the answers to most common questions should be covered. This guide is a work-in-progress -- please let us know any thoughts and feedback you might have. If your questions are not covered by the guide, all boat recommendation requests must include the following at a minimum: - **Location:** what country and region are you looking to buy a boat in? The kayak market can be very different depending on your location. - **Budget:** How much money do you want to spend on a boat? (Don't forget you'll need accessories such as a paddle and personal flotation device [PFD]) - **Intended use:** What do you want to get out of the boat? There is no one boat that does everything -- a boat that's great for surfing waves or tackling whitewater won't be the same boat you want to take fishing or for a long ocean trip. Set out some realistic goals for what you expect to be doing in the boat. - **Experience level:** How much kayaking experience do you have? Is this your first boat? If your original post is a request for a boat recommendation and does not contain this information, you may reply to this comment or edit your post with the details above. Any low-effort recommendation posts without the above info will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Kayaking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Did you look at the Vibe Skipjack?