Thermoformed Kayaks Reviewed

Thermoformed Kayaks: The new material to revolutionize paddle sports, or just white noise?

While there are a number of kayaks made from thermoformed plastic (e.g, Perception/Dagger's Airalite and Eddyline's Carbonlite 2000) the overall popularity of the boats for performance use appears to be limited and I, being one to always want to test things for myself, recently had the chance to paddle a number of these boats and after a little research have come up with a sort of pros and cons view on these kayaks.

I recently put thermoformed kayaks from Eddyline and Hurricane Kayaks to the test.



The Product(s): The first kayak I paddled was the new Eddyline Fathom LVand while I had my doubts about the boat before taking it out I was thoroughly impressed with the boat from start to finish. The first thing I noticed when I picked it up was how light it was. At 15 and a half feet the boat weighs only about 45 pounds. Unlike some of the earlier thermoform boats I had paddled in the past the Fathom had remarkably little of the flex that is normally associated with thermoformed boats. The other boats I paddled were the Eddyline Falcon (18' 50lbs) and Nighthawk 16 (16", 49 lbs), both of which I was equally pleased with, and a Hurricane Kayaks Tracer 16.5 (16'6", 46 lbs ) and Tracer 15.5.

The Pros: Thermoformed plastic seems to have hit the proverbial nail on the head as far as quality in initial product goes. Along with my testing of these boats I questioned seasoned paddlers about their own views and skepticism's of thermoformed boats and while a number of concerns were brought up the predominant flag was excessive flex in the boats' hulls. While thermoform boats do have more flex then a fiberglass or composite boat their overall strength is quite formidable. As testimony to the strength and durability of the material you will find that most new cars no longer have heavy steel bumpers but a thermoformed piece of plastic instead and if that isn't enough proof then feel free to watch this video of blatant abuse to the hull of an Delta Kayak:



Thermoformed kayaks in addition to being lightweight have the added attraction of being considerably less expensive (between 2400 and 2800 dollars for touring boats) than the typical fiberglass or composite boat which runs between 3000 and 4500 dollars. Also unlike the typical rotomolded polyethylene plastic kayak the thermoformed plastic kayak is much easier to repair once some substantial damage such as an actual hole is inflicted. Yet another lesser, but still beneficial feature is the UV fade protection included in many thermoformed plastics.


The Cons:Now to the bad news... while the benefits of the thermoformed boat are numerous and impressive the boats as a collective group have some considerable downfalls, the most notable being not all thermoformed boats are created equal. While companies like Eddyline have worked out nearly all of the problems with the material more recreation oriented companies like Hurricane Kayaks have produced less than top notch products ie: the Tracer 16.5 & 15.5 which I also paddled and found to have an unacceptable amount of flex throughout the entire boat, effecting its performance. This flex was also present in the thigh braces, making edging uncomfortable and unstable. The next downfall comes in the event of damage resulting in a leak. While the boats are easy to repair you will need to have a rep. make the repair in most cases and the more significant problem arises when water gets between the different layers of plastic allowing liquid to work its way to all parts of the boat and cause future problems.

The Breakdown:The bottom line is that these kayaks--with continued improvement--might revolutionize the kayaking world...but not just yet. Sorry if you were looking for decisiveness. The fact of the matter is these boats need work (some more than others, * cough cough*) in certain areas. However for the most part thermoformed boats should appeal to a wide variety of people such as those who are worried about weight for solo loading but don't want to put out the dough for a kevlar boat, or for those who need a boat that has some of the performance characteristics of a fiberglass boat but don't need the price attached to them. Overall I think thermoformed boats will gain prevalance in the upcoming years but for many hardcore/old-school paddlers fiberglass will remain the standard.

Product Pics & Links:

Eddyline Fathom LV:



http://www.eddyline.com/eddyline-kayaks-legendary-design-fathom-lv.php


Eddyline Nighthawk 16:



http://www.eddyline.com/eddyline-kayaks-legendary-design-nighthawk-16.php


Eddyline Falcon S18:



http://www.eddyline.com/eddyline-kayaks-legendary-design-falcon-s18.php



Hurricane Kayaks Tracer 16.5:



http://www.hurricaneaquasports.com/tracer-165.html

Human-Powered Cities!

Too much carbon monoxide for me to bear.
Car after bus after car after bus
after this my lungs will be so f***ed up.

-- Cake, "Carbon Monoxide"

This has nothing to do with kayaking, except in the sense that all human-powered vehicles share a certain kinship. Check out this short film about Bogota, Columbia's "Ciclovia." Each Sunday, the city closes 90km of roads to cars, and opens them up to cyclists, skaters, and walkers. I was struck by the way communities are transformed (re-formed?) when their residents aren't simply speeding past each other at 40mph. Cleveland gets a mention here for its own small steps in this direction, the "Walk and Roll Cleveland" movement...but this film shows what could be possible.

MLK Boulevard will be closed for cars on August 24th. Now if we can only close our Lakeshore to jet-skis every Sunday, that'd be some progress!

P&H Scorpio...First Reviews

P&H's newest model, the Scorpio, has landed in the US and the first reviews are coming in. Check out this comprehensive review by the owner of The River Connection in New York. I had a chance to test paddle this kayak while conducting a short day trip during the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium. Having extensively paddled the Cetus--the composite kayak on which the Scorpio is based--I was in a position to compare it's plastic cousin. The Scorpio is slightly shorter 16'11, and a bit more svelte at 22" on the beam. I found the dimensions made the boat a bit more playful on the water...especially so, since at 150lbs and carrying no gear, I was a bit underweight for this kayak and it rode high in the water.

Specs:
* 22" wide
* Max deck height - 13.7"
* Cockpit dimensions: 31" x 16.5"
* 3-layer polyethylene foam core construction.
* Swede form (the widest portion is behind the seat...this makes for great primary stability, and also allows for a cleaner catch and higher angle on your forward stroke, as the boat narrows in front of you).
* 4 hatches.
* Skeg
* MSRP $1999.00

Click "read more" for the rest of my review.



Outfitting
* P&H does a great job of paying attention to detail, and the outfitting in the boat is well thought out. As with all P&H polyethylene boats, the deck fittings are recessed and molded in using brass inserts, rather than bolted through the boat. Thigh braces are whitewater style and can be moved forward or backward to provide a better fit. The boat has the standard P&H seat with a removable seat pad. The back-band wraps around and is tightened by means of a webbing strap with brass D-rings. The D-rings lock tight. This replaces the old ratchet system, which didn't hold up as well to salt water.

* The boat comes standard with P&H's new kink-free skeg system. This was first put into production on the Cetus and is now standard on all the polyethelene boats as well.

* Like the Cetus, the Scorpio 3 bulkheads and four hatches: large compartments in the bow and stern, a cavernous day hatch behind the seat, and a small deck hatch in front of the cockpit. The deck hatch is large enough to store flares, electronics, snacks, or extra water and is easy to access. All have Kajaksport hatch covers. The deck hatch compartment is molded ABS plastic, riveted to the underside of the deck. When the Cetus first came out, I wondered if the deck hatch was too gimmicky, but after taking it on a week-long trip in Canada, found it be a wise use of some underutilized storage space.

* My sole complaint on outfitting was the use of rivets to secure the deck hatch. While these are undoubtedly strong enough for their intended use, they just looked a little funny to me from an aesthetic standpoint. But, that's just my opinion.

Performance
I had the boat out on a windy day (winds 15-20kn), but, since I was guiding beginners, only in small waves.

Hopping in the boat, it was apparent that there's plenty of room in this kayak. My immediate thought was that this boat fills a void in our instructional fleet...a man with size 13 shoes could fit in this boat, whereas a Capella RM would be a tighter squeeze. Since I have size 8 shoes, the boat was extremely roomy, although I still maintained good contact with the thigh braces and at the hips.

After a quick seal launch off a 3 foot dock, I immediately recognized the stability that I associated with the Cetus. The boat has a great deal of primary stability, making it a reassuring boat to paddle for novices. At the same time, the boat responded immediately to edged turns. The boat sits comfortably when edged, and I was able to maintain aggressive edging to effect 180-degree carved turns with no problem. I tried a few rolls and found the boat rolled with little effort..the forgiving stability and higher knee position made it pop around easily.

The boat was more playful than the Cetus, yet still has plenty of room for packing for trips, and enough volume to keep support paddler and gear without riding low and slow. Thus, it fits the bill as a good all-arounder.

Our route included a two-mile crossing with a beam wind, which gave me a chance to see how the Scorpio responded. With a 15-20knot beam wind, the Scorpio weather cocked as designed, but not excessively. This tendency was easily corrected by deploying the skeg about 1/4 of the way down...a benefit of the P&H system which combines the maintenance benefits of the rope/bungee skeg with the fine-tuning ability of a skeg-slider. Keeping in mind that I am on the light end for this kayak and given its relatively higher front deck, it appears that it is very manageable in wind.

The other performance aspect that struck me was how fast the boat was for a plastic kayak.

I didn't have the opportunity to paddle the Scorpio in waves, but gained another perspective: observing it being paddled in waves by Ben Lawry. Earlier in the week, Ben, Kelly Blades, and I took the boat for a test run in Rowley's Bay, WI. We paddled into a 15+ knot headwind, with small waves running very close together. Watching the Scorpio it was apparent that the boat was a dry ride...the ample volume in the bow rising up and over the waves, as opposed to plowing through them (as I was in much lower volume Vela). Of course, Ben's a machine, so he had the boat cruising quite nicely, although I tend to think that even if he was paddling a folding lawn chair and using a 2x4 as a paddle, he'd probably still beat me. On the return trip, Ben was off to the races, the Scorpio cruising with the following sea quite predictably.

I look forward to the arrival of one here so I can test it in conditions.

Conclusion

The Scorpio is a fast, maneuverable, and stable kayak capable of carrying enough gear for extended trips, but fun enough for day paddling and playing in surf.

At $1999.00, it's on the high-end for plastic boats, but the 3-layer construction and outfitting are top notch. This boat fills the gap for someone looking for a performance boat but doesn't want to pay for the cost of a composite, or who prefers a plastic kayak because of the locations they paddle (e.g., rock gardens, rocky coasts, etc.).

The folks at P&H have told me that the mold for the Scorpio LV is done, so there should a model that's a better fit for guys like me coming down the production pike soon! But I liked the standard Scorpio enough to order a couple for our fleet already.

DISCLOSURE: I paddle for P&H. I encourage you to test paddle this boat; I'm sure you'll reach the same conclusions I did!

Door County Sea Kayak Symposium

Here's a little wrap up I posted to the P&H blog from my week of coaching fun up at the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium. The DCKS is a wonderful event...laid back in a wonderful venue with great accommodations, terrific food, and a real sense of community. Every year I look forward to heading up to the Door for what has become a kind of "kayak family" reunion. It's also a chance to see how other instructors teach, which has been a huge benefit to me in my own development as a coach.

Read more about it here.

Or, check out Kelly Blades' pensive post about his week at Rowley's Bay.

Or Derrick Mayoleth's view of the symposium from a coach and guides' perspective.

Five Fingers Footwear

No, this isn't a case of extreme frostbite. It's me in a pair of Five Fingers sandals-shoes-slippers-thingys. I had a chance to test these out recently and found them to be quite comfortable. The neoprene uppers prevented rocks and sand from entering the shoe, and the Vibram soles, while flexible, were tough enough to make the shoes comfortable in the boat and on land.

They may look a bit silly, but they are an alternative for kayaking footwear, especially for playboaters who have a hard time getting their feet into their boats.

41 North: Media Darlings?

41 North has had its share of press coverage. People like kayaking, and every summer we field requests for interviews and stories. Since 2003, our little company has been the cover story of Friday Magazine, got a passing mention in the New York Times travel section, has been featured in an Ohio Department of Tourism Ad in Real Simple Magazine, was highlighted in Paddle Dealer Magazine, and was given Cleveland Magazine's coveted "Best of Cleveland" nod in 2006.

41 North was in the news again this week. This time one of series in which Cleveland Plain Dealer health and fitness reporter Zach Lewis tries new sports and writes about their health benefits.

Zach came down to our rental facility a few weeks ago for a quick introduction to the sport. After going through the gear, filming a little video, and taking him through a truncated 1 hr lesson, we paddled out the Lake. The reporter, who had been cruising along just fine in flatwater was a little less comfortable in the 1ft swell rolling, but managed just fine.

Click here to read the full article about Zach's experience on the Cleveland.com website.

Low Dock Landings

Every so often, a paddler needs to enter or exit their kayak from a low dock. A few simple steps will have you entering and exiting smoothly. Here's a quick video...click "read more" for detailed explanation complete with photos.

1) Maneuver your kayak parallel to the dock and release your sprayskirt.

2) Place the paddle shaft behind the seat to form a brace.

3) Be sure to grip the paddle shaft securely to the cockpit with the outside hand. Place your fingers on the inside of the cockpit and thumb over the paddle shaft, as seen in the photo below. This "bolts" the paddle to the kayak. If you don't do so, the boat can rotate freely and the stabilizing benefit of the paddle is lost! The dockside hand is placed on the paddle shaft on or near the dock.















4) Keeping your weight on the dockside hand, sit up on your back deck. As long as you're keeping your weight towards the dock, your boat will remain completely stable. Sitting on the back deck makes the last step much easier!















5) Swing your legs, then rear, to the dock, and you're home free!
















Happy paddling!

STROKES DISCUSSION: Braces

MARK-HIGH BRACE

NICK- LOW BRACE

In the most basic sense of paddling one can break down strokes into component parts; forward, reverse, sweeps, draws, braces and etc. This is typically the way we teach these strokes as well. However, as you advance and begin to link strokes in real conditions the distinction between the component parts often becomes blurred, yet in each stroke there remains good fundamental skill. In these two images I aim to offer a quick critique on both the high brace and the low brace in real-time action as shown during a whitewater outing this past spring.


HIGH BRACE: When I teach the high brace I feel the most important part of the stroke is having your onwater elbow directly underneath the paddle shaft and having the hands in close to your body. Mark exemplifies this in the image. Although not completely clear because of some air in his drysuit, he has rotated from his waist towards the right side to extend the paddle out over the water. Knowing Mark is using a paddle set at 0 degree feather you can also see by the offwater blade that the onwater blade is placed flat on the surface of the water for maximum support.

LOW BRACE: Much like the high brace, hand/elbow positioning is very important. Nick is preparing his low brace on the right hand side as he works on keeping the right side of his boat edged up into the flow of a small rapid. You can see he has a strong paddlers box in position, that is to say the paddle shaft is parallel to his shoulders. He has brought the paddle in close to his body at the start of this brace so that by simply rotating his forearms down he can finish in a position where his onwater elbow is vertical above the shaft as he pushes off the water.

Recognizing that neither of these strokes are being used solely as braces, they have elements that do not quite look like the text book modeling you may be used to seeing. I have began a quick overview. I encourage you think about what you may have already learned or experienced in relation to these strokes. Please comment and critique on the elements that agree with the guidelines and also things that could be done differently.

For a reference to standards by which you can compare strokes you can see the ACA guideline (braces) or KAYAK PADDLING for some good illustrations.