“Rudders vs Skegs…”
     Ahhhh…. the timeless argument.  Which is better?  Rudder or skeg?  It’s always been my experience that most paddlers are fairly divided on this one.  Some skeg fans will tell you that rudders are unnecessary because you should always be able to control the kayak with your body and paddle.  While rudder fans will argue that on long trips and extended open water crossings they couldn’t imagine having made the trip without that little bit of extra control gained with their rudder.
     Rudders are primarily external and therefore some worry that they are more easily damaged.  They can catch on branches or cause drag from wind…  Skegs are all internal and therefore do not have those same drawbacks…. however, rudders being more of an external component are much easier to fix than skegs.  It’s simply easier to access the parts, and extremely easy to replace most rudders.  Coming from someone who’s worked on both… a troublesome skeg can be a nightmare. 
     Another big issue that skeg fans may have with rudders is that the push pull motion required to move a rudder back and forth with the feet means that you lose the more solid foothold.  This has always been one of the better arguments for skegs in my opinion.  Particularly in more extreme conditions and advanced leaning techniques, the better the brace, the better the control.  Some rudder fans simply deal with this because they appreciate the added control they get with the rudder in more extreme conditions.  This issue has also been addressed with much success by some rudder and kayak manufacturers by creating a rudder system that works with more of a “gas pedal” motion, rather than the older and more common “see-saw” rudder motion.  This allows the paddler to have a consistent firm brace on their pedals, even while the rudder is engaged.
     Another interesting point to note is that some hull shapes are more conducive to having a skeg or rudder.  More often than not, the harder the chine the less likely a rudder is needed.  Greenland style boats are almost always found with skegs instead of rudders (or even nothing at all.)  North American style boats, more often leaning towards softer chines (pun intended), are typically found with rudders.  This paragraph could go on and on, however, since I’ve now brought hull shape into the conversation, we’re reaching the part where I add my two cents:
    When a customer asks me what I recommend, skeg vs rudder, I have this to say:
Some prefer rudders, some prefer skegs, some use neither.  Either way, you’ll want to use them as little as possible since they both cause some drag.  The parts of the boat that you’ll use every time you paddle are the hull, the cockpit, the seat, the hull, the footbraces, hatches and bulkheads (if applicable) and the hull. Knowing that seats and outfitting can be retrofitted almost indefinitely, and foot-brace options are better now than ever….. wouldn’t it make sense to find the right hull shape for you and your needs above all else?  If you step over a boat because of it’s appendages, you might have just overlooked a boat (and hull shape) that would have shown you the best time you’d ever have on the water.

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