: I've seen a lot of black finished kayaks lately, Gentry Disko Bays
: and others. for summer use, do these get hot inside? I only
: paddle here in NC during times of the year when getting wet is
: not a safety hazard, unlike you hardcore guys. I like the look
: but don't want to cook my legs. It's got to be hot to grab off
: the cartop at least.

As the proud builder/owner of a brand new black Gentry Disko Bay, I can guarantee that overheating will not be problem for me as our water (The North Atlantic) never gets above 13 Celsius (55 Fahrenheit) even at the height of summer. The cool water will easily keep the inside of the boat nice and comfy!

There's a lot of debate about colour visibility and from what I understand black is not as bad as you may think. I can't explain why but I'm sure someone on here can!!

My DB is for rolling and playing about relatively close to shore. My "expedition" boat, on the other hand, has a white hull with a blue deck. But then again Freya Hoffmeister often paddles a black boat whilst wearing a black drysuit. Here's a gallery of pictures from her's and Greg Stamer's trip around the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland - which, incidentally is where I live and do almost all my paddling!! Note that Greg is all in black as well:

Here's the link: http://www.gregstamer.com/gallery?g2_itemId=20

Cheers,
Sean