Our kayaks are designed and constructed to take on the sea at its harshest. From pounding out through heavy surf to crashing ashore on a remote coastline, our boats survive.
Our hulls are reinforced throughout. We pay particular attention to keel strength as this is the key factor in making the boats last many years. Repeated landings, especially on boulder strewn or rocky beaches can be damaging to a kayak, and we build into out kayaks a high degree of survivability. Our kayaks are slightly heavier than boats from other manufacturers due to the extra reinforcing we specify. All gelcoat is sprayed; this guarantees a consistent coverage to a correct thickness, not too thick as it risks cracking. Strength comes from a laminate high in fibre mixed with the appropriate amount of resin. We employ different laminate materials across our construction range, including: glass, polyester, Kevlar and carbon. We believe a kayak hull should not oil-can when sat under its own weight on a rocky shore, nor should it deform when held securely on a roof rack.
Give our kayaks “the squeeze and flex test”! Grab either bow or stern keel section just above the waterline, then squeeze and flex the boat. You’ll notice the difference compared with other manufacturers’, and feel the rigidity that we specify in our construction.
We also pay particular attention to the deck construction. Decks often receive localised stress over different areas. Our back deck easily supports the weight of the paddler, and is ready reinforced to take a towing system. A large pressure is exerted through the knees while paddling in rough water conditions, this area is made strong. The front deck is designed to take the weight during a rescue, and hatch recess areas are stiffened by shape and laminate to reduce flexing while fitting hatch covers.
All seams are Kevlar reinforced, inside and out as standard, as this is a key area in a boats’ overall stiffness. Recess deck fittings are bolted in place and then glassed over on the inside. This gives a smooth interior finish and a high degree of reserve strength to the fittings. The kayak tips are made solid, and the bulkheads are glassed into place for ultimate security. Our seats extend the rigidity of the kayak’s structure by closely conforming to the hull shape, and making contact over two large base flanges padded with high density foam. Bolts join the seat tops to the cockpit rim and also secure the backrest.
