SHOP: DIY back band

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Paddling comfort can make the kayaking experience great but an ill fitting cockpit keeps my mind away from truly enjoying my pursuit.
I have changed many seats in kayaks that did not fit me and often the back band is part of the equation.
In some kayaks the back band is directly attached to the back of the seat (Valley) while in others it is independently suspended by straps or webbing on the side cheek plates or coaming.

The seat of the Point65North XP was too narrow for my ass and too high up front; I replaced it by fabricating a new wider one out of carbon fiber.
The bulkhead on the XP is really close to the rear of the coaming offering just enough room for an electric bilge pump.



I did not like the original back band that came from factory; it was cutting into the carbon fiber laminate on the pivot points. I also did not like the large plastic tabs digging into my hips.
In some of my kayaks I have installed a Immersion Research backband with a ratchet buckle/strap system (similar to snowboard bindings): I love the support and the low profile it offers still allowing me to do laybacks.
In this kayak the bulkhead was so close to the seat that I could create a backband out of foam and have it resting directly against the bulkhead.



In some kayaks I have made a pillar from closed cell foam that is nested and jammed between seat and bulkhead; in the XP is wanted to try a floating foam block to be able to access the bilge pump.
As a prototype I wanted to use cheap foam and some discarded packaging from electronic goods was good enough for my first try. I laminated two pieces by gluing them together with contact cement.



This type of foam is very easy to carve with a sharp kitchen knife and in minutes I had a nicely contoured backrest shaped to allow layback rolls. My intention were to test the foam back first on a longer paddle and see if it fitted OK.
After some minor reshaping following my initial trial I was happy with the shape of it.

Initially I planned to use high quality closed cell foam for the final product but this cheap foam was working well enough to not bother with higher quality foam, like the one in a block used for yoga.
I just wanted to cover the rough surface with a bit of neoprene.
Again, I used contact cement to laminate the black neoprene.
I made a hole in the foam, the length of the block, to allow a bungee cord to secure it to the coaming of the kayak.



The bungee cord is attached to the underside of the coaming by little fiberglass saddles that I fabricated and bonded with epoxy glue. Alternatively small stainless steel saddles could be used instead.
I can tension the bungee with an olive cleat and while the backrest is firmly in place I can still access behind the seat to clear the pump from sand and debris.



The main advantage with this style of back band is that it does not end up under my butt when I enter the cockpit. I can slide from the back of the cockpit coaming rim and it will not get in the way, ever.
While some find the pod-style seats with no rear back band a great solution to this problem, I did not like that set up in one of my previous kayaks. I felt that I could not brace myself from sliding backwards when actively paddling and leg driving.




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REVIEW: SEA-LECT Designs footbraces

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I paddle kayaks without rudders that use skegs for directional stability.
Most of the kayaks I own came with footbraces that are mounted on rails attached to the hull.
The footbrace pegs have sliding adjustment fore and aft to allow different paddlers' leg lengths fit correctly.
I find most footbraces' surface rather small offering me limited support for my feet, often creating a pressure spot. In trying to maintain a good paddle stroke I tend to have a positive pressure against the pegs, that after an hour or so results in discomfort.
Wiggling my feet around and repositioning them frequently indicates that the footbraces are under engineered for my requirements. In some of my kayaks I have modified the pegs where I have added a bar spanning from side to side creating a much larger platform with infinite foot positions.
The bar works very well for me but when it comes to adjust it for a different paddler it is pretty tricky.
The bar needs to have some adjustment in the mounting holes since the hull of the kayak is tapered.
Pulling back the bar for a closer fit usually requires a bit wiggling, hard pulling and occasionally cursing to get the corroded mechanism (aluminium against stainless steel fastens)  to slide.
In my latest kayak I have not installed my modification since several people borrow that boat and adjustment of the brace would be a pain.

When SEA-LECT Designs offered me to test their footbraces I was very excited.
The design on their website looked good and I awaited the arrival of a set of replacement footbraces.



As described on their website the SEA-LECT Designs footbraces are a direct swap for most brands.
I removed my Yakima rails bolts and installed the new fasteners in the same existing holes, no modifications needed.
I was even very impressed with the detail of the fasteners; the bolt comes with a cupped washer that is backed by rubber to ensure a positive seal so no leaks will occur.



SEA-LECT Designs offers also footbraces that will mount on hull-bonded studs, not just through bolts.
There are a couple of fundamental differences with SEA-LECT Designs footbraces.
The adjusting mechanism is all corrosion free and is accessible from the cockpit, while seated in the kayak.



If I need adjustment (bring the pegs closer) I just grab the tab on the rotating rod, flick it 90 degrees upwards and relocate the peg, all on-the-fly, while on the water. I can do that with Yakima footpegs too, wiggling my foot behind the peg and hopefully finding the release tab, but only works when new. After a few months corrosion sets in and the adjusting mechanism becomes very sticky.
The surface area of the SEA-LECT Designs pegs is larger and gently curved to spread the load of the feet-pushing action.
Despite wearing paddling shoes I still find Yakima's sharp pegs edges dig into my feet a bit; SEA-LECT pegs are much nicer on my feet.


SEA-LECT Design on the left, Yakima on the right.
There is one thing I don't like about the SEA-LECT Designs pegs: the angle relative to my feet.
Maybe it's a personal taste but I found the pegs oriented too much forward: I kind of like them more square.
In the process to test them thoroughly and offer the manufacturer comparison feedback I added a little plate that I bolted onto the pegs surface, angling it backwards.
After an initial paddle of 10 miles I found the modified angle more to my liking.

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DIY: replacement carbon-fiber seat in Valley

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Seats in kayaks seem to be often a deal breaker: some folk won't buy a kayak if the seat is not comfortable for them. Some kayak seats seem to fit more paddlers than others but there are also some seats that cause a lot of grief and paddlers go to great lengths to fix them.
The most common complaint I hear and read about from sea kayakers is the dreaded dead leg syndrome; after a while on the water (sometimes as brief as half an hour) some paddlers start to feel pins and needles or loose the feel of the legs altogether.
I am one of them: I find a lot of sea kayak seats not suitable for me. Maybe is my chunky thighs that force me to extend my legs lower to make them fit or something but I find most seats too short and too "peaked" (high up front) for my anatomy.
One seat that I have removed from more kayaks than any other one is the Valley plastic seat and the current model seems to be just as aggravating as the previous one.
In Adventuretess' Nordkapp LV I removed the seat and replaced it with a DIY fibreglass one removing the back band and replacing it with a foam block.
Steavatron recently borrowed Adventuretess's Nordkapp LV (Sialuk) and was amazed by the difference in feel and stability of the kayak.
Within half an hour of paddling Sialuk, he politely asked me if a similar seat was possible to be had in his own Nordkapp LV.
I agreed that with his help we could fabricate one for this kayak too, and we might as well go "bling".



The plastic VCP seat is easy to remove: 4 bolts on the outside of the coaming hold the seat in place.
Once the fsteners were removed the seat came right out but revealed a little problem; the edge of the seat has been "shaving" the hull and a few layers of fibreglass have already been carved away by the motion of the seat slightly swinging when paddling. If not caught in time it would have holed the kayak from the inside out (the same problem occurred in Sialuk).
Patching that divot was dead easy and we restored the hull to full strength.



The new seat is made from a laminate of glass fibre, double bias carbon under the sitting area and a veneer of the oh-so-sexy twill carbon fibre on top, for looks of course :-)
The edges of the seat have been reinforced with Kevlar to prevent the typical cracking that I have experienced in other factory chopped-mat kayak seats.



The new seat does not hang on its own but I used "L" brackets to support it. The original VCP hardware was re-utilized and new stainless steel bolts are anchoring the carbon seat to the bracket.



Stevatron was happy to reuse the original back band and hip pads. The back bands sling is attached to the seat with a short piece of webbing and a "D" ring. Existing straps firmly secure the back band to the rear bulkhead to prevent dislodgment when entering the cockpit.
After the maiden voyage Stevatron was happy with the position and height of the new seat and it was then finally secured to his kayak with a few dobs of polyurethane (Sikaflex) sealant to prevent any swinging and deliver a solid feel. In the event the seat would have to be removed for any reason a spatula will be inserted under the seat to break away those few spots of sealant.
Stevatorn finds the new seat a vast improvement on the stock VCP plastic one. The centre of gravity has been lowered and he finds that the Nordkapp LV has changed personality.
He is more confident on putting his kayak on edge and has gained stabilty when in textured waters.
Since the change and after a few paddles of several hours he no longer experiences the dead legs.

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FAIL: a list of problems

After a few years of sea kayaking and having owned nothing less than 13 sea kayaks and personally worked on 10 belonging to other people I have seen a few weaknesses in design and manufacture.
The list that follows is my personal experience of actual fails that I have observed up close. Fortunately not all on my kayaks J 

1) The most common failure I had on my composite sea kayaks (I have never owned a plastic one) is cracking of the laminate.
Occasionally the hull of my kayak hit a rock and produced damages of various degrees: on one occasion holing a thin laminated hull with surprisingly very little impact force.
Some other cracks in the hull have occurred from stressing the boat in heavy seas. The cockpit area is particularly prone to stress since there is no deck to create a solid monocoque structure.
The hull under the seat is at its widest and flattest area: compression and flexing of the hull is common even on high-end kayaks. I have reinforced all of my current kayaks (apart from the hard chined Zegul) with a layer of carbon/Kevlar or double bias carbon to strengthen and stiffen a weak cockpit. 

additional layers of carbon/Kevlar in cockpit area
2) The cockpit coaming/deck joint has so far cracked in all my latest kayaks unless reinforced. These days I put a new boat on the “blocks” before it even hits the water. I remove any foam padding in the thigh braces and laminate the area with carbon.
In the boats I have not done so I have eventually stressed the deck enough to create hairline cracks in the deck. When rolling and edging in the surf, the kayak sees a lot of upward pressure from bracing with my thighs. Manufacturers rarely address/reinforce the coaming.  

layers of carbon reinforcing the coaming/deck junction in thigh brace area
3) Speaking of junctions, the other common failure is the seam of the hull/deck. So far none of my kayaks have suffered a leak there but I have seen numerous kayaks without external seams develop a hairline crack that inevitably results in water entering the hatches. Adding a cosmetically acceptable external seam to a friend’s cracking kayak has been very time consuming. I only use epoxy for my work and I finished the seam with a coat of UV resistant black resin. A flow coat would have been easier tho… 


4) And while I talk about cracks I should mention that most kayak manufacturers skip on the design and strength of the deck. The inexperienced might be fooled by a thick lay-up but rarely does he/she realize that glass-poor chopped strand (chopper gun lay-up) is suitable for very tick laminates like in a motorboat but are very poor executions for a sea kayak. Problems start to occur when a person needs to climb on the deck of a kayak in a recovery. So far I have repaired and reinforced half a dozen decks that failed under the weight of paddlers. On the other hand, my very light Chinese kayak has a core laminated deck making it extremely resilient. Other kayaks I now own have fabric instead of just chopped stand in the deck lay-up, and so far have held up very well.  

underdeck hatch cover coaming area reinforced with carbon cloth
5) Leaks to the hatches are often lamented by sea kayakers that paddle in conditions that will see water wash over the deck or proficient rollers that submerge the hatch covers.
I have had a few hatches leak. The most common problem has been water ingress from fittings on the deck.

deck fitting "well" where water pools
The little well where the hardware is bolted to the fiberglass holds water that slowly seeps through to the inside if there is no proper sealing under the nut against the deck. Kayaks that have recessed deck anchors don’t have that problem.
I had leaks coming from the junction of the hatch’s rim where the bonding sealant was not completely encompassing the rim. All it takes is a small section left out and water will seep in.
I have removed poorly fitted hatch rims and resealed them with polyurethane or epoxy glue. 

6) Hatch covers are also prone to leak. So far only Valley and Kajak-Sport hatches have proven to be leak proof in my fleet. All other have leaked, even if often just minimally. Mind you, the Valley hatch covers have a reputation of deteriorating sometimes prematurely. Replacement of those is not cheap. Luckily there seems to be improvements on the quality of the Valley hatches and there are less reports for the need to replace them too soon. Excellent alternative/replacement hatch covers are available from SEA-LECT Designs.

7) While most leaks occur from the top of the deck I have repaired 3 kayaks with leaking bulkheads. On one occasion the seal around the fiberglass bulkhead was not that great: a small amount of epoxy glue fixed the little hole. In two other instances I had to fabricate new bulkheads since the factory ones were made out of closed cell foam. It is just a matter of time before a foam bulkhead will leak. If a kayak is used in waves the hull/deck will flex enough to separate the weak glue that bonds foam to fiberglass (things get really ugly in plastic kayaks). Lifting the kayak by the rear of the cockpit coaming will separate the foam too. To date I have not met anybody with dry hatches in a kayak with foam bulkheads. I would only choose a plastic kayak that has welded plastic bulkheads.

8) Small leaks to the cockpit area usually go unnoticed since water entering through the tunnel of the spray deck is greater than around the coaming junction. There have been however a few cases (not mine) where the rim was so poorly bonded that a low-deck kayak was flooding every half an hour. A large section was left out and not bonded at the factory. I have also observed a brand new, very high-end British kayaks, that had a visibly separating rim. It pays to inspect the new kayak before purchase.

coaming separating from deck
9)  Last but not least leaks can occur from skeg cable housings or rudder lines. I had a badly glassed-in skeg box that leaked substantially. Gel coat concealed the cavity and only a small crack was visible inside the recess. Epoxy glue fixed the problem.
Rudder lines leaks can be a bit trickier. If the housing has worn out (result of constant abrasion of the stainless steel cable by operating the rudder) the water that enters the tube will leak into the hatch. Replacing the cable housing is often a pain. 

10) And while I am mentioning cables I also had a few rudder cables snap on me (that’s when I still used to paddle ruddered boats). The stainless steel wire fatigues and after a while (that depends on how often you paddle) it snaps. It was no fun trying to keep that kayak go where I wanted without a rudder. While I find skegs more reliable (never kinked one myself) I have seen several malfunction. Sloppy workmanship at the factory will create sticky cables. A skeg that has resistance can kink the cable when one forgets to retract it on landing. A smoothly operating skeg will usually just retract without the paddler even noticing. I find rudders on a kayak a weak tool to keep directional stability. While without doubt they are more efficient when one’s goal is to just eat miles, I had a few snap on me when in rough waters. Don’t try reversing in surf with one deployed. I also ruined one being retracted on deck since most retention systems for stowing it on deck are not secure enough for surf work. 

11)  An area of weakness and potential failure can be the carry-handle mounted to the deck. Some kayaks have simple bolt-on (in some cheap plastic kayaks it is just pop rivets) carry handles. Carry handles are not designed to pull a kayak loaded with heavy gear but some handles are secured to such thin laminates that struggle to lift the weight of the kayak alone. In one very bad case I have seen the whole handle rip out of the deck. Needless to say that reinforcing the deck so far in the bow or stern is really difficult. My preferred carry handles are positioned at the very ends of the kayak, with a line threaded through a hole at the seam of the hull/deck. More on grab handles safety issues here 

12)  Last but not least: the seat. I have cracked several seats in my kayaks. Incidentally the seats that failed were thick and heavy. So is there no seat strong enough for my paddling? Yes, there is: a decently laminated one!
I have noticed that most sea kayak seats are constructed with real cheap resin-rich chopped strand. As mentioned before this type of material is not suitable for light applications. The seats that have not failed on me are made from several layers of woven fiberglass, often reinforced in stress areas with Kevlar. Unless a weak hung seat is secured to the bottom of the hull to prevent it from swinging side to side the chopped strand will often not last too long before starting to crack in the corners. Repairing it involves removing the seat and reinforcing it with quality woven fabric. See this article for more info.

There are a couple of other  items that I have seen fail but they are accessories. I will write a separate article on those issues some other time.

SHOP: modifying a Tahe Greenland seat and cockpit

Tahe Marine Greenland is one of the few production kayaks specifically designed for Greenland style rolling.

Very low volume and low rear deck allow for advance moves that in most other kayaks are much harder to perform. A low rear deck promotes laybacks where the paddler can honestly lay with his/her back on the rear deck.

Some paddlers find that the position of the seat in the Greenland is a bit too close to the rear coaming and that the back band is a little bit uncomfortable. When laying back there can be localized pressure on the spine against the rim of the coaming.

Below is an example of a highly modified cockpit of a Tahe Greenland, customized to the needs and body shape of the owner of the kayak.

The seat has been moved forward and the fabric back band has been removed.

Thin closed cell foam (minicell) has been added to strategic points to alleviate pressure on the pelvis bone.

The back band has been replaced by a custom made contoured fibreglass extension of the existing seat that is hinged for behind-the-seat access.



Located behind the seat is an electric bilge pump that allows quick removal of water that might have entered during launch in rough waters. The Greenland has very little freeboard (that's the nature of low deck kayaks) and launching on shores with waves can be tricky trying to avoid flooding. The solid backrest pivots on stainless steel bolts anchored into the coaming. The flanges of the cockpit coaming have been extended to allow for the seat to be moved forward.

The owner of this Greenland found the stock Tahe seat a bit short and not supportive enough for long paddles. He wanted more support under his legs and modified the seat with fibreglass "wing" extensions, padded with closed cell foam. He also modified the underside of the deck to create "cradles" for his thighs and have a more positive area for boat control. Perfectly shaped closed cell foam now engages his thighs exactly the way he wants it.

Visible is also a custom made under deck "glove box".

View inside the kayak showing supports for the seat extensions.



UPDATE 13DEC12
After receiving numerous emails asking for details on the procedure for the above mods, here are some additional images of work in progress.

EPS foam plug in place of back band


lay-up with carbon/Kevlar and fibreglass

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SHOP: replacing the seat in Tahe Marine kayaks

Most hung seats in sea kayaks are manufactured using chopped strand fiberglass. And all hung seats made from chopped strand in my kayaks have cracked!
Incidentally I am not the only one with such problem.
Some manufacturers hang their seat from the cockpit coaming or the deck of the kayak.
This method allows for easy install and adjustment for fore and aft location with minimal modifications.

Valley sea kayaks have addressed the problem with a seat made of plastic that is much more resilient than chopped strand fiberglass.
I repaired my cracked seats by  removing them and adding several layers of quality fiberglass cloth and Kevlar in critical areas around the cheek plates. While not really difficult, it's annoying that seats are not structurally more sound.
I believe that the cracking problem is caused by the seat being able to swing side to side.
While foam packing under the seat does little to prevent them swinging, regular rolling and edging of the kayak induces the swinging. In reality all that is needed is to anchor the pan and prevent it from swinging.
A cheap retrofit solution to the problem is to use some sort of goop (I prefer the polyurethane type) to bond a small area of the seat to the hull. In the event of seat removal one needs to cut only the small section of goop with a kicthen knife.
However Tahe Marine kayaks has addressed this fundamental problem and prevented seats cracking.

Tahe Marine has anchored the seat with a factory stud set into the bottom of the hull and bolted the front of the seat securely. Tahe's seats don't swing and I assume don't brake (have not experienced or heard of it yet).

seat in Zegul_the center bolt is covered by foam pad
Tahe's method however complicates things if one finds the need to relocate the seat.
I found that on couple of my kayaks the seat was too close to the rear coaming. In my SeaBird North Sea the seat was really close to the back preventing any chance of laybacks.
The kayak also leecocked substantially and since the cockpit is very long I was able to push the seat forward and adjust the trim. SeaBird Designs seat allows fore and aft adjustment.

In my Zegul 520 the seat was again very close to the rear of the cockpit. Despite a low rear deck I could not perform easy laybacks and my back would hit the coaming. The seat was also close enough to prevent  the install of an electric bilge pump behind the seat.

no room for electric pump behind the seat
Unfortunately the seat is designed to sit in one location only. Moving it forward required modification to the seat.
I cut the seat's cheek plates and modified the front of the seat to align it with the floor stud but I still didn't like that version.
Since my butt is rather large (size 38 pants) I wanted something that would support my legs as well as and prevent the dead legs syndrome: the factory seat had to go.

I fabricated a new fiberglass seat taking the mould of my Impex kayaks. Those seats have proven to be of the perfect shape (even on long distance paddles) for myself and friends of mine.
I laid up a seat using tightly woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy, with Kevlar on the perimeter to prevent possible stress cracks. In the process of using less resin and stronger woven cloth (compared to chop strand)I saved a bit of weight. I had to create a little "well" where the stud is located so I could securely fasten the new seat to the hull.

front of new seat_depression for fastener
I also eliminated the backband to further enhance the kayak's comfort. I no longer catch myself on it when rolling or reentering the kayak.
I now have enough room to install an electric bilge pump too.

new seat with electric bilge pump behind it

Next article will be on customizing, not replacing a seat in a Tahe Greenland. Coming soon...

Comparison: Tahe Marine Greenland T vs Sea Spirit

Only in recent years has Australia started to see an influx of imported kayaks.

In the past, they were the domain of keen individuals that went through the hassle and expense of shipping them personally.

Most local retailers would offer kayaks that were mainly designed for paddling long distances and/or were rudder dependent.

Honestly, there really was not much choice for somebody desiring a performance close-fitting boat.

Available kayaks had huge hulls, high decks and most times an ill fitting cockpit.

I used to envy paddlers in North America and Great Britain: they had a huge choice available to them.

A few years ago skegged boats started to gain popularity here and only very recently some paddlers desired kayaks that are body fitting.

While the majority of paddlers are seeking a kayak that gets them on the water and allows them to explore the sheltered shores, some kayakers are discovering the fun that rolling brings.

Yes, you read it right: rolling can be fun.

Most paddlers are content learning to roll as a mean to self rescue in an accidental capsize. My circle of friends of dedicated kayakers view rolling more than just a practical skill; they like rolling for the sake of rolling.
Once we learned the basic roll to right ourselves back up we started to explore the possibility of different rolls.

Introduced to traditional paddles, we were no longer satisfied with just a forced marginal “all paddle” powered roll; we sought variety.

It’s hard to explain to a non roller what it feels like to be confident underwater and enjoy the feeling of being immersed upside down to then gently rotate your body and rise to the surface with grace.

A lot of our rolls require a lay back position onto the rear deck of the kayak that lowers the centre of gravity.

Unfortunately not many kayaks are designed with a lower rear deck.

Most kayaks are bulky and offer maximum cargo space often sacrificing maneuverability.
For the last couple of years I have observed a growing trend towards a more graceful paddling style where control of the boat is performed by edging of the hull instead of just pressing on the rudder pedals.

The ultimate kayak for this type of paddling is a Greenland style kayak.
Typically recognized by a low profile with a low rear deck and hard chined hull.
Importer Craig McSween of Adventure Outlet now has 3 different kayaks in stock that follow this design philosophy, all from Tahe Marine.
Already familiar with the performance of the Tahe Greenland, I was interested in trying out the larger siblings: the Tahe Greenland T and the Sea Spirit.



Craig was generous to allow us to test paddle them one afternoon in the relatively sheltered water of the Gold Coast Broadwater.
Conditions were mild: wind gusts of max 15 knots with little or no waves with a max of 1 knot of current.
The Greenland T is regarded as true Greenland form while I think that the Sea Spirit is more an all round kayak of Greenland style.
The T is a bit larger than the classic Greenland, a bit beamier and a slightly higher deck: unfortunately still too small for my large thighs and big feet.
Vanilla fitted the T well and Adventuretess found it roomy enough for possible all day paddles with a bit of wiggle room.
(Vanilla’s personal kayak is an Impex Force5 and Tess’ preferred kayak is her Nordkapp LV).
The T and Sea Spirit have a keyhole cockpit making entry/exit a bit easier than the traditional “ocean style” cockpit on the Tahe Greenland.

We had no means for scientifically measure max speeds of these kayaks but I don’t think they are designed as sprinting vessels.
Having a shorter waterline they accelerated easily and to maintain a cruising speed of 6-7km/h required little effort. The kayaks will start to hit the “hull speed wall” sooner than a long kayak.
However, because of their reduced wetter surface they will be easier to paddle, at club paddling pace, than a longer kayak.

The finish and the attention to detail on Tahe kayaks are superb. The external seam is a narrow black Kevlar tape that has a clear textured finish. Extremely neat.
There were no visible print through areas in the gel coat. The inside of the cockpit is finished with flow coat to prevent any possible fiberglass rash where the body contacts the deck.
The hatch covers (Kajak Sport lids), while very easy to secure/remove, maintained a dry interior during our prolonged rolling session.


                                                                                    select 360p to view vidoe if you don't have a fast internet connection
I believe that Tahe kayaks are a very good value for money alternative to the well established brands offered locally.
They might not be the ultimate bombproof expedition hulls of some British kayaks but they weigh and cost substantially less.


A novice might find the T a bit on the “tippy” side while the wider hull Sea Spirit will instill more confidence, in a beginner.
The T was fitted with a skeg and the Sea Spirit had a rudder (skeg also available).
In beam winds the T weather cocked minimally (a bit of edging was necessary if no skeg deployed). The Sea Spirit displayed no tendency of turning into the wind. Tess didn’t use the rudder (a spring loaded over-stern design that retracts onto the deck when not deployed) while Vanilla used it.


I did not like the rather diminutive back band on the T: maybe it was not adjusted well but kept on sneaking too low on my butt. It would be a real challenge to find a back band that would be supportive enough but still out of the way when lying back over the low rear deck.



Greenland style kayaks have a hard chined hull that allow for fast maneuvering. Edging drastically changes the footprint of the submerged hull resulting in sharper handling than a round hull.

Hard chines promote and “engaged” paddling style where the kayaker uses his/her body to direct the kayak instead of relying on the rudder.

Both kayaks are fitted with integrated thigh braces allowing a good contact with the body for a positive retention when rolling.

I see the Sea Spirit as a very good learning kayak that still rewards an intermediate paddler that is interested in advanced techniques.
As expected both kayaks were outstanding rollers, compared to a higher rear decked one.
Both Vanilla and Tess (not expert rollers) could perform moves that are challenging in their own kayaks.



I believe the Sea Spirit would also be an ideal kayak for the beginner aspiring to become a proficient paddler seeking control of the boat.


The seats in these kayaks are hung (bolted) from the deck and supported on the hull with a positive fastener that prevents them from swinging and potentially fail due to stress on the hanger (something that has happened on several kayaks of mine).
I found the Sea Spirit’s thigh braces too low and my legs would not fit comfortably under the deck. Unfortunately that is the case with the majority of performance kayaks: my legs are larger than average.
Adventuretess thought that the thigh braces were great. Vanilla would like to see them just a bit higher (or possibly modified by cutting away a small section of fiberglass).
Tahe offers solid foot pegs that are really easy to adjust, even while seated in the cockpit.
Swapping foot reach between Vanilla and Tess was a breeze: no need to undo any bolts or force a stubborn footpegs into the new position. On long paddles, if needed, one can simply reach below deck, twist a little shaft and reposition the pegs in a different location.

The Sea Spirit had only two hatches and lacked the typical day hatch behind the cockpit. Instead it had a nice low profile mesh bag in front of the cockpit.
I like Tahe’s philosophy on this one: to be able to offer a budget kayak (current retail of under $2600) they reduced the features instead of the quality.



So far I have only had the opportunity to trial just a few of the kayaks from the extensive range available at Adventure Outlet.
Maybe one day I might even try one of the ruddered kayaks  :-)

TEST: Zegul 520 LV

I had the opportunity to do a brief test paddle of a brand new kayak: the Zegul 520 LV (by Tahe Marine).
The local importer had several new (to Australia) sea kayaks available for testing but the Zegul 520 definitely caught my eye over the 530 and the 550 models aimed towards the "need for speed" crowd.
Its profile resembles a more traditional kayak (so called Greenland lines) with a healthy overhanging bow.
With possibly a more pronounced upturned ends than the typical skin on frame kayak that I have seen, the hull appeared to have a considerable rocker in its keel.
The bow and stern are not as fine as the Tahe Greenland (also on offer at the demo) as there is more volume in those areas.
Actually the whole kayak is more "chunky" than the super-sleek looking Greenland.
With its generously long keyhole cockpit I could seat "bum first, legs later", even with my rather long legs.
The coaming slopes aggressively from high up front to pretty low on the back (I had no chance to get those measurements...).
Compared to the Greenland T, the front was substantially higher and the rear probably an inch higher.
Looking at the profile of the cockpit it had good credentials to be a "comfortable" low rear-deck kayak.
My quick compression test (the good old fashioned: press with my hand on the deck and hull) revealed that this kayak's lay-up had a bit more substance than the alarmingly soft deck of some other "glitter finish" British offerings :-)
The hull is a very solid carbon/Kevlar weave that is vacuum infused .
The finish is superb, inside and out.
The rear deck has a very clever profile that despite looking flat gives the surface an very positive support for possible over the deck reentry (not that you would on such a narrow high end kayak) and did not flex when I sat on it.


Initially I was sceptical about the third hatch in front of the cockpit: my experience with another British boat with that design was not positive.
But, on the Zegul, it proved to be out of the way of my knees and just big enough to store small items (compact camera, snack, towrope etc.)
The seat was a bit on the narrow side (may I say that my ass ain't size 30....).
I didn't like the configuration of the backband anchor point inboard, on the seat pan.
I would move it to the exterior of the pan and have a smooth surface with no plastic protruding into my hips.
The Zegul 520 trialled was an LV (low volume) version.
My thighs were just getting pinched at the start of the thigh braces.
I think I would fit the HV version better.
Kudos to Zegul (Tahe) for identifying that one size does not fit all body types and having two deck versions of the same hull.

Greg balance bracing Zegul 520 LV
How did it behave on the water?
Better than expected.
Where you expecting it to behave bad?
Well, not really, but hopping in a new boat that is considerably narrower than my current kayaks, I was expecting the initial stability to be a bit more tender.
Interestingly enough Vanilla found the Zegul not as stable as I did.
Admittedly I thought it was a bit more tippy than the Tahe Greenland but I still felt confident to let go of the paddle and relax.
It will be interesting to see how the Zegul behaves in textured waters.

The low deck allowed me to lay on the back of the deck (with PFD) without lifting my bum out of the seat: great.
Finally a kayak that fits my legs and allows lay-backs.
The Zegul appeared to track straight (short test paddle with very little wind) and could be turned relatively sharp with a gentle sweep stroke and edging. The hard chined hull allows for precise maneuvering and correction of direction by dropping and edge, something that my round hulled kayak does not.
I felt a solid secondary stability and could drop the seam of the deck lower into the water than usual, without going over.

The Zegul shined when rolled: really.
With my limited rolling skills I could perform very slow Greenland layback rolls, something that I can't do too well in my high decked kayaks.
Skulling was a breeze, to the point of falling into a static brace with little effort.
The cockpit is roomy enough to allow my body to twist and my legs to move and apply pressure onto the deck to rotate the hull.
When I asked Greg Schwarz to briefly test the Zegul I just watched in awe the beautiful moves he could perform.
Then again Greg looks good in just about any kayak.


select 360p (not 720p) if you have slow internet connection
The Zegul 520 is a strong contender in my search for that elusive "Greenland style" kayak that would fit my non slender figure.
The quality of construction is impeccable and with the considerable lower price than the British competitors Tahe has brought to the masses a fantastic line-up of new kayaks.

PS FEB2011: I have added a Zegul 520 HV to my fleet and after a few paddles I have modified the cockpit set up. Details of the new seating arrangement coming soon...

REVIEW: first impressions of Elverkayaks

In the quest to find a kayak that would fit me and have a low deck I considered a skin-on-frame.

On a recent visit to Australia Brian Schulz (http://www.capefalconkayak.com/index.html ) taught a kayak building class in Sydney and produced a fresh crop of SOF and sparked a new interest in these ancient crafts.
Tom Nicholson from Elverpaddles was the organizer of the class.
During the course he built a classic kayak: the 1931 Disco Bay.
That kayak appealed to me very much.

Tom paddling "Marzipan"
The classic lines, the low profile and the simplicity of the design intrigued me.
I wanted to paddle that kayak.
A meeting was arranged and I eagerly drove a few hours South to meet with Tom and paddle the “Marzipan” (his Disco Bay).
What first surprised me was that the kayak had a very tight skin and not the saggy affair that I have seen pictures of builds from others.
The kayak had a smooth finish and no urethane paint drips were visible.
Inside the kayak the typical skeleton made of wood was supporting the tight nylon skin. The ribs however appear to be stronger than usual with the use of bamboo.

The kayak is pretty true to form. It is however expanded in by 7% all over, which equates to about 30% increase in volume. It has historically correct lines, includes the historically correct deck fittings (including the two rifle attachment points on the bow), and is basically a ‘correct to form’ west Greenland boat for large paddlers – but it’s not a ‘replica’. Its based on documentation of KOG 67 in Harvey Goldens book ‘Kayaks of Greenland’.

Sliding into the ocean style cockpit is different than my large butt-in-first style cockpit of my composite kayaks.
Launching off the beach required getting into the kayak first and then beach launch.
Since the kayak is so incredibly light that was an easy task.

The very first paddle strokes were tentative while trying to understand the kayak’s initial and secondary stability.
A couple of sculling strokes gave me enough feedback to regard the kayak not any more “tippy” than my Mockpool.
The secondary stability was however way more solid.
Being a hard chine kayak it was a totally new style of maneuvering for me.
This kayak was responding to my lean turns.
The location provided ideal conditions for gentle surfing.
The swell was producing very soft and long waves that rarely crested and spilled.
While the waves were not steep, surfing them with “Marzipan” was a real joy.
I was using an Elverpaddle Tour carbon (balsa core) that was allowing me easy propulsion of this superlight kayak.
I was catching waves that I would not dream of in my Impex Assateague.
My paddling companions had all composite boats and while some of the waves were caught by all of us some other ones were clearly mine solely :-)
The kayak does not broach more then my hard tracking Mockpool. The biggest difference was edging the kayak: if I was misaligned on the wave and the kayak was starting to turn (broach) I could easily bring it back with a bit of a stern rudder and edging, something that my rounder hull Mockpool or Assateague don’t respond to as much.

Rolling the SOF however was a different story.
The traditional small cockpit did not allow me to do laybacks.
The kayak is only temporarily fitted with a bit of thin closed cell foam and no back band.
In my composite kayaks I am used to have a contoured seat and the back band to stop me sliding too close to the cockpit rim.
With those two items missing in the SOF I was hitting my back on the coaming.
Later on a talked to Tom and he said that he was not that happy with the cockpit set up.
I suggested a longer cockpit that by the aid of a back band would allow me to be further away from the hard edge of the coaming and let me bring my back closer to the deck when doing layback rolls.
Tom had only temporary arrangements on the Marzipan and was still working out a more secure and contoured seating position that would lift the body away from the keelson (yeah, kind of annoying to have that piece of would digging into my crack :-)

Paddling a skin of frame requires probably a higher degree of skill level since rescues from wet exits are not as easy as with a kayak with bulkheads.
Some skin on frame paddlers use sea socks to prevent the kayak getting flooded in the event of a capsize that could not be rolled back up but I envision a sea sock a little hot in a tropical climate.
Special large inflatable bags that fill the space inside of the kayak not occupied by the paddler’s body are the alternative.

I believe that a skin on frame would not totally replace any of my current kayaks but it would just add to the collection.
Specifically designed to my requirements an Elverkayak could be what I am longing for: a kayak that would fit me exactly.

Prototype Rockpool

This Greenland style kayak is apparently just a prototype at this stage.

In typical Rockpool fashion it features a high foredeck.
It looks like a kayak that I might be able to fit.
Full story here (if you read German).

Technique: low deck rolling

Finally I am moving forward with my technique.
I am not sure why my kayaking skills learning is rather slow: is it that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" or is it that my coordination is not that great (I still laugh at myself when I tried to dance, once :-).
Recently I have progressed from my basic sweep roll to a Greenland roll.
While I get the idea of that roll, I would not exactly call it performed flawlessly.
I watch Greg Schwarz dance in his Nordkapp LV; such grace.
I also know that Greg does a fair bit of yoga, something that I stay away from.
He is much more "bendy" that I am and it shows in his balanced brace.
While Adventuretess does not do much yoga she still rolls much nicer than me, any day.
Am I destined to be a klutz roller for the rest of my paddling life?
Maybe, but there could be a reason that Greg and Adventuretess can pull off some rolls with such finesse.

Greg performing an "elbow crook roll"
I can not lay on the back of my kayaks!
Since my legs are rather chunky I tend to fit production kayaks with higher decks.
Higher in the front for my legs and feet usually translates higher in the back.
Greg and Adventuretess mainly paddle lower rear deck kayaks: a Nordkapp LV.
While Adventuretess has so far rolled any kayak that she has sat in (including some real barges out there) she definitely prefers rolling her low volume Nordkapp.
I have recently removed the factory seat from her kayak and replaced it with a custom made one.
Yesterday, I tried her kayak again: I now can almost fit in it.
My legs can jam under the thigh braces very snugly.
While I would not want that fit for hours on end I thought I would try some rolls in her kayak.
Hello Dubside!
What a difference! No longer am I hitting my back square in the middle while trying to lay lower on the deck ( I still can't get out of the seat and totally lay low on the deck though).
My rolls were easy. Compared to my NorthSea, the Nordkapp LV just seems to roll by itself.
So while I was at it I wanted to try the elusive butterfly roll.
And after a few tries I understood the paddle position needed for that roll and pulled off a couple of decent ones (I know: more grunt than style, but hey, gotta start somewhere :-).

I am now looking for a low rear deck kayak.
I was hoping to fit in the Tahe Marine T but the importer assures me that it is smalled than other kayaks that I don't fit.
Would a custom skin on frame be my only solution?

SHOP: replacing a Valley seat

Valley has recently changed the seat in their sea kayaks (2010).

The previous kayaks were shipped with the above seat.
Some paddlers found a problem with the shape of the seat and the configuration of the back band.
The seat shape did not suit a lot of kayakers that would spend long time on the water and the backband would hinder some rescues.

As shipped from factory the back band would tend to fold down under the paddlers bottom when a rescue (assisted or self) is performed.
Some kayakers have modified the retention system to make the back band more secure and prevent dislogment and nuisance when reentering the cockpit.
But the more important concern is that the shape of the seat seems to cause severe rubbing with some users.
The "slope" of the pan on the rear is too gentle and when the kayak is paddled efficiently with pressure on the footpegs and consequently the body of the paddlers pushed back, the seat would rub the tail bone.
On long crossing some kayakers would rub all the skin off of the end of the spine area and consequently be in pain.
Comparing the Valley seat to other sea kayaks' seat I notice the pronounced difference and tried to rectify the problem.
The Valley seat seems to be made from polyethylene and I tried to use a heat gun and reshape some of the seat and create a better pan.
Unfortunately such solution only alleviated the problem but did not really fix it.
A new seat pan had to be made.

I was lucky to borrow Greg Schwarz's mold that he has made for replacing an ill shaped seat on a different kayak.
In a conventional lay up of double bias glass and 4oz cloth, I used epoxy as resin.
In some areas of high stress I used additional layers of carbon/Kevlar cloth to reinforce possible weak spots (something I have learned by repairing other manufacturer's seats).
A hung seat sees a lot of stress in the "bracket" area.
I did not want to carve a simple but effective closed cell (minicell) foam seat because it prevents the flow of water to the electric bilge pump located behind the seat.
Foam seats are great: easy to fabricate, very comfortable but don't allow water flow to the rear bulkhead.

Greg's mold allows for a channel to let water flow though the middle, under the seat.

Visible in the image above is the front of the new seat installed in a Norkdkapp LV. Expanding polyurethane foam was used for supporting the front of the pan.

The new seat has a much longer pan and offers outstanding thigh support.

This is the second seat that I have fabricate from that mold and to date is the best sea kayak seat for me. While some other seats would offer reasonable comfort others would give me the dreaded "dead legs" on long outings.

This seat however addresses the compression of the sciatica nerve problem and eliminates discomfort that some seats bring.

seat installed in Nordkapp LV, rear bulkhead with electric bilge pump

I decide to remove the back band all together and go for a foam block instead.

A well shaped foam block offers support where needed but eliminates the problem of back bands falling under the paddlers bum in a rescue.

Fabricating a foam back block required the lamination of 4 pieces of coarse closed cell foam (type of foam used for industrial packaging) and carving the centre section to allow for the bilge pump.

foam sections laminated with contact adhesive _ underside of foam back block

The back block is shaped to the contour of the rear bulkhead and fits snugly behind the seat.

To prevent accidental dislogment I used a bungee retention cord (with olive) threaded through the block.

The section of the back block that contacts the body has a softer last layer of quality minicell.

Shown here before final the layer of neoprene that will cover the block.

The new seat installed.

I used a simple anodized aluminium bracket fashioned from a 2" L section.

Stainless steel nuts and bolts to secure the seat to the bracket.