Teresa Quintero, Capacity & transport editor

I'm the one with the calculator open. A listing says 450 pounds and that sounds like plenty, until you add yourself, a cooler, a crate of tackle, a pedal drive and maybe a second angler on a tandem. Some manufacturers publish a second, lower figure for comfortable use. Many don't, and I think that gap is worth knowing about before you order.

My work is mostly reading. Spec sheets for stated capacity, hull weight and length. Manuals for how a tandem converts to solo and what the seats really allow. Inflatable listings for the packed size, the packed weight and what's actually in the bag. Warranty terms for what they say about storage, sun and roof racks, which is often more than you'd expect.

Then come the owner reviews, sorted by the questions people ask once the kayak is home: can one person lift it onto the car, does the cart hold what it claims, does the inflatable dry out before the next trip.

I write the guides on weight capacity, tandems, inflatables for travel and transporting and storing a kayak. If a listing doesn't state something you need, the guide tells you it's missing.