You could spend your wet weekends in a shopping centre, but if you fancy working with Britain’s iffy weather rather than against it and long for a little extracurricular adventure, how about kayaking?

Derived from the traditional hunting craft of the Inuit, the kayak has evolved into a range of more specialised boats, aimed at particular challenges. White-water kayaking is the most spectacular of these – pitting kayaker against the rapids, standing waves and sudden eddies of mountain rivers. But there are also kayaks designed for exploring heaving coastal seas, surfing ocean waves and touring long distances over inland waters.

We have all these types of water on our doorstep. To get a taste of them, all you need to do is find a kayaking club or watersports centre through the British Canoe Union, or one of its affiliated associations, and get paddling.

Once you’re hooked, it’s time to buy a kayak, but don’t rush into a decision. Different types of kayak suit different kinds of conditions and you should have a crack at several before committing to a particular kind of boat.

For example, narrow, shapely sea kayaks are often twice the length of white-water boats and would prove unwieldy on the raging foam of a mountain rapid. Similarly, a short, easily tipped and ultra-manoeuvrable white-water kayak would be exhausting on a long-distance offshore trip.

Neither would suit a family that wants to mess about on rivers and lakes. Nor should they be confused with the open-topped canoe, powered by a single-bladed paddle, which was developed by Native Americans for long journeys on flat water.

The discipline you settle for may well boil down to what kind of water is nearby. You need to be sure which types of paddling suit you before you buy.

Here, to get you started, are six of the best new boats. The selection covers a range of the more specialised disciplines, such as sea kayaking, but also includes adaptable, beginner-oriented craft that can cope with several different types of water.

You’ll notice a wide variation in prices – a small, mass-produced, beginner’s boat is a different beast from a big sea kayak built in limited numbers. This is only a starting point, however, and should be used in conjunction with the demonstration boats on offer at many kayak shops.

A trip to Canoexpo, the UK’s largest canoe and kayak show, at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, on February 16 and 17, will also be useful. (Visit www.canoexpo.com for details.) Only when you’ve taken a boat out on the right kind of water, and paddled it for at least an hour, will you know whether it’s right for you.

British Canoe Union www.bcu.org.uk Welsh Canoeing Association www.welsh-canoeing.org.uk Scottish Canoe Association www.canoescotland.com Canoe Association of Northern Ireland www.cani.org.uk

JARGON BUSTER

Canoe Not to be confused with a kayak. An open-topped boat powered by a single-bladed paddle

Playboating A style of white-water kayaking that concentrates on tricky manoeuvres rather than getting from A to B

Rocker The amount of bow-to-stern curve on the kayak’s hull

Skeg A rear fin that stops the stern being pushed around by wind and provides directional stability

Research supplied by Canoe & Kayak UK magazine Reviews adapted by Jason Smith Prices include Vat

FIRST STROKES

Dagger Approach £449 www.daggereurope.com

Versatile design will take you from your first paddle to overnight expeditions

The Approach is a multi-purpose kayak aimed at newcomers and more experienced paddlers looking for a fun but stable craft to use on weekend trips. It has enough space to store camping gear, but is 6ft shorter than some touring craft, which makes it manoeuvrable enough to cope with white water (a skeg helps to compensate when the Approach is used on flat water). Once on the rough stuff, the boat’s stability is a key asset for beginners, and it can be rocked over at alarming angles without flipping. This isn’t a high-performance kayak: anyone pitting themselves against a fast river should aim for the Dagger Prescription RX.

WAVE SLAVE

Mega Surf Kayaks Neutron RV £424 www.surfkayaks.com

Ultra-forgiving wave rider for surfing specialists

The short, stiff and hardwearing Neutron is made with ocean-wave surfing in mind. It’s easy to paddle out through the rough, soupy water of an already-broken wave, while its razor-sharp edges and adjustable fins make it highly manoeuvrable once you’ve caught your wave. There were two other qualities that really impressed us when we tried it in 2-3ft of Cornish surf. First, its ability to take off late down a steep, green-faced wave without nose-diving. Second, the fact that almost any size of kayaker could have fun in it.

RAPID PROGRESS

Dagger Prescription RX £779 www.daggereurope.com

Short, ultra-manoeuvrable boat for all kinds of white-water paddling

High-performance white-water kayaks are increasingly specialised these days, so it’s a welcome surprise to find an all-rounder such as the RX. It’s designed to cope with most kinds of white-water paddling – from running rapids to focusing on one feature for a spot of playboating (see Jargon Buster). Short, wide and fairly flat-bottomed, it’s manoeuvrable, while plenty of rocker in the bow means it won’t nose-dive while shooting rapids. For those with a taste for white water who can afford only one boat, it’s a great choice. Pricey, though.

BEACH BOY

Perception Scooter Surf £365 www.perceptionkayaks.co.uk

Sit-on-top surfer for mellow waves and lazy days

Sit-on-top kayaks are not serious-minded craft – and the Scooter Surf is no exception. It’s aimed at families who want a safe and fun paddling platform for days at the beach or the lake, and provides just enough performance to keep everyone interested. Its wide berth makes it hard to flip, while well-defined rolled edges, known as rails, allow it to carve a sure path in small beach-breaking waves. There’s a hatch in the bow for stowing sun cream or energy bars and space in the stern for larger items, such as a dry bag or barrel.

PADDLE POWER

Pyranha Speeder £849 www.pyranha.com

Long-distance tourer that will cope with white water too

A long, elegant yet stable kayak, the Speeder is designed for sustained bursts of high-intensity, long-distance paddling – whether it’s on lakes, rivers or inshore seas. We found we could bring it to maximum speed in just 10 strokes, and keep it there with minimal effort, with no correction strokes required to hold its course. Its stability meant it performed well in the rapids, although it was nothing like as manoeuvrable as specialist white-water kayaks, which are about a third as long. One benefit of the length is the amount of stowage space – but this also makes it a bit of a handful on challenging sections of white water.

COASTING ALONG

P&H Capella 163 £1,729 www.phseakayaks.com

Stable and forgiving sea kayak for tourers and well-heeled first-timers

The first time you paddle out to sea in a kayak is a dazzling and liberating experience, but it can be pretty scary too. As a result, all that matters in a beginner’s sea kayak is stability and the ability to hold course in choppy water, providing the paddler with a reassuring and confidence-boosting platform. The Capella 163 scores well on both counts and its shorter-than-average length means it’s also manoeuvrable enough for unskilled paddlers to explore coves and sea caves. It makes a great kayak for one-day and overnight excursions but those planning longer trips will need a longer, roomier craft with more storage space.