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Reviews
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Last updated: Monday, August 18, 2008
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Paddler's Gear
Canoes and kayaks
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Reviews
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Leading a merry dance
The Dagger Charleston
Touring kayak for estuaries and inshore paddling
 The Charleston has been around for a number of years now, however, good design lasts and it seemed the perfect kayak for a lazy touring day. The boat is stable, comfortable and easy to get in and out of, which is important when sliding in from two feet above.
The Charleston handles very well and you will find the acceleration is good with firm tracking without the skeg, and with the skeg should the wind start to pick up. The cockpit is both spacious and comfortable which is as it should be for an all-day cruiser. The cockpit offers a good paddling position with padded seat and supportive backrest that can be adjusted whilst seated in the kayak and adjustable thigh braces. Side lock foot braces complete the interior package
The Charleston has capacious storage areas both front and back for a serious weekends kayaking, which we didn’t really put to the test except for a pair of sandals. However, the rubberised dual density hatches were much simpler to use than some of the more elaborate systems out there and the storage areas remained dry.
On the same day, I allowed a couple of novices to have a paddle of the Charleston and they coped very well or maybe the boat coped with them. The large cockpit would give any beginner a lot of confidence should the paddler capsize and even for beginners they were able to paddle at a decent pace without zig-zagging.
The predictability and stability of the Charleston would make it ideal for those amongst you who are not too experienced and wishing to develop your paddling skills whilst retaining many qualities that would keep an experienced kayaker entertained for many weekends.
The Charleston comes in two sizes of 14 foot for small to medium paddlers and 15 foot for the larger ones amongst us and is a neat blend of performance and user friendliness.
Mark Anderson
Dagger Charleston 14 or 15 (with skeg) – RRP £549
Dagger Charleston 14
Length: 14.1' (4.29m)
Width: 24.75" (63cm)
Weight: 51lbs (23kg)
Max weight capacity: 285lbs (129kg)
Dagger Charleston 15
Length: 15' (4.57m)
Width: 24.75" (63cm)
Weight: 57lbs (26kg)
Max weight capacity: 320lbs (145kg)
Features:
Adjustable backrest and thigh braces, two hatches with dual density covers, deck elastics and security bar
www.daggereurope.com
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Reviews
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Prijon Viper
 Picture the scene, parents paddling their beautiful sleek touring kayaks on stunning waterways while their children, the next paddling generation struggle way behind in their small whitewater kayaks. After all, it is the only boat that fits them!
Finally a kayak designed for the new generation. The whole Viper concept has children, young people and small adults from 30 to 60kg and up to 165cm tall specifically in mind.
A smaller seat and narrow cockpit allow greater control, comfort and connection with the kayak, even on the longest of journeys. Featuring the Prijon signature Tri-hedral hull the Viper tracks beautifully, but remains highly maneuverable.
Red, Mango
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Reviews
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New kayak for women
 The new Necky Eliza sea kayak, from Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, has been designed specifically for women. In the past, women have had to compromise with some kayak models which did not ideally suit their weight or body shape. However, Necky designers have worked hard to come up with a new design which fits the shape of women’s bodies better and gives greater comfort, manoeuvrability and speed.
“Often the average female paddler is put in to a boat which is just too big for her,” commented Necky designer Spike Gladwin. “People think they will go faster in a longer boat but that’s only true if you’ve got the power and fitness to push it or are a trained Olympic athlete. We’ve designed this hull to offer maximum efficiency for the size of the person in the boat.” The Eliza is tailored for female paddlers of all abilities and a cross-section of women from complete novices to experienced paddlers were consulted on different prototypes until the Eliza design was just right.
Measuring 4.6m long and weighing 22.2kg, it is one of the lightest day-touring kayaks on the market. Although a priority has been to keep the weight down, the standard kayak is manufactured in polyethylene so it’s extremely tough. It can be loaded solo on to a car. Features include a lower deck height to give better stroke clearances for women with narrow shoulders. The deck profile minimises windage and quickly sheds water.
The cockpit is an ergonomic fit for a woman’s shape allowing better control. “We found that women felt the cockpit on most boats was way too long,” added Spike. “We’ve made it shorter so they can get a good grip and get hold of the boat much better.” A touring seat has a back band to offer greater support and foam thigh braces provide control without adding weight. The Eliza hull shape is stable and glides through the water offering little drag. It is easy to paddle and very efficient at touring speeds which are typically about four knots. Bow and stern hatches are included for storage, and a retractable rudder system makes the Eliza simple to steer.
A wide variety of colours is available and the price is £899. One percent of Eliza sales will be donated to the Breast Cancer Fund in the fight against the disease. This also applies to the Venus 10 and Venus 11 from the Ocean Kayak range.
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Reviews
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Outdoor Active introduces the Wenonah Argosy
 Wenonah's solo canoe designed by Dave Kruger, the Argosy, focuses on river touring and feels right at home in rivers and streams.
Moderate bow rocker allows this nimble solo to cross eddylines with confidence, while extra volume in the sides (a Kruger trademark) allows the Argosy to be leaned predictably, further enhancing it's performance in rough water.
The new 14'6" Argosy joins the larger solo, the Rendezvous - as well as the tandem Rogue and Cascade - as a down-sized, yet river friendly solo.
Although it is the same length as the recreational solo the Vagabond, this canoe features more rocker (especially near the bow), more depth amidships, more bow flare and deeper ends to help keep the it dry in moderate whitewater. With slightly more rocker than many of Wenonah's models, the Argosy excels in paddling through moving water, yet still glides through calm water effortlessly.
The introduction follows a so far successful year for Wenonah whose canoes took six of the top seven places, including the first four, in this year’s Devizes to Westminster race. Canadians Fiona and Mike Vincent smashing the previous record, established in 1989, by 20 minutes to the second in a Wenonah Jenson.
For more information contact Richard Bennett at Outdoor Active, (01454) 261058 or sales@outdooractive.co.uk
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Reviews
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Avoncraft are overcome with Emotion
 Avoncraft have launched a new range of sit-on-top’s from Emotion Kayaks in the USA. With new designs and bold colours these sit-on-tops are tailored for all the family. Design features like an upturned bow for surfing waves and a defined keel which will keep you going in a straight line, the Emotion is at home from lakes and rivers to sea and surf.
For portaging the Emotion, Eckla have come up with a trolley for sit-on-top kayaks. Made from lightweight anodised aluminium so it won’t rust. With adjustable mounting arms that fit almost any brand of sit-on-top and 260mm pneumatic tyres the Eclatop 260 can take anything the beach can throw at you. The Ecklatop 260 retails at £60.
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Reviews
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New Perception Carolina 12 and 14 Expedition
The 2007 Carolinas are Perception’s all-new versions of their popular touring kayak
 These kayaks have many of the user-friendly characteristics of their predecessors with enhancements including a new v-shaped hull with soft chines works in combination with tracking channels to make the Carolinas easy to handle and true tracking for all abilities of paddler. The Carolina’s signature stability and versatile performance remain key benefits and have been tweaked.
Comfort is an important feature of the roomy cockpit. Both comfort and control on longer trips are enhanced by the supportive Zone backrest system which gives a personalised fit to all paddlers.
To complete the package a padded seat and padded thighbraces are fitted as standard.
Secure gear for overnight or extended trips in the front and rear stowage compartments which are accessed through dual density hatches.
For added response in all conditions you can add their unique rudder and ‘Tip Toes Footrest System’ combination as an optional extra.
Features
- Superlinear polyethylene shell.
- Tracking hull.
- Contour moulded seat with thermofoam pad.
- Zone adjustable backrest system.
- Padded thighbraces.
- Adjustable pedal footrests.
- Front and rear dual density hatches.
- Front and rear flotation bulkhead systems.
- Deck elastics.
- Deck lines.
- Rudder option.
Carolina 12 Expedition
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Carolina 14 Expedition
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Length: 366 cm
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Length: 427 cm
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Length: 366 cm
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Length: 427 cm
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Weight: 23 kg
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Weight: 25 kg
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Max load: 150 kg
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Max load: 170 kg
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Cockpit: 100 x 55 cm
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Cockpit: 100 x 55cm
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RRP: £499.99
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RRP: £550.00
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Reviews
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The Ojibway is back
 It has recently been announced by Johnson Outdoors Watercraft UK that, due to popular demand, the Ojibway open canoe is being re-introduced. This stable, all round family recreational canoe is now being offered at a price of £499.
“The Ojibway design is based on the Discovery 158 Old Town canoe which is the world’s best selling canoe. But now the Ojibway has a moulded in deck and three moulded in seats,” said Andrew Dron of Johnson Outdoors Watercraft UK.
At 15’ 8” long with a beam of just under 3’ it can be paddled solo, in tandem or by three paddlers. The gunwhales are swept inboard which allows for easier paddling with no compromise on stability. The classic shape and styling is inspired by Old Town’s Native American heritage.
The canoe is manufactured from Polylink 3™ Polyethylene in a three-layer rotomoulded process which produces a strong, safe craft. The foam hull core provides stiffness and less material is needed which reduces the weight. The canoe weighs 80lbs (36kg) and has a carrying capacity of 980lbs (445kg).
Easily car-toppable, this is a recreational canoe which has to be the one of the most affordable and fun way for any family to get afloat. Colours available are green or red.
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Reviews
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Reval Viking Carbon
Shoreham Sea Kayaks are now importing Estonian-made EastPole Kayaks, including the new Reval Viking Carbon. This lightweight 5.8m kayak will appeal to experienced paddlers looking for a performance expedition boat. Prices are yet to be announced, but are expected to be competitive. Shoreham Sea Kayaks will be showing the boat at the Skye Symposium in May, where demos will be available (advance booking recommended).
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Reviews
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Guillemot
 When I first saw the guillemot I thought that it would look very nice hanging on my lounge wall and polished occasionally. Thankfully I was given one for a couple of weeks to try out and realised it also makes a damn fine sea kayak as well.
As a wooden sea kayak my first worry (like the majority of people) was the weight. It must be heavy – but no, at 18 kgs it was very light. Secondly how would it handle in open sea, again I was pleasantly surprised. The narrow bow cut through oncoming waves. The shape of the hull at the stern with its projected keel alleviating the need for any rudder. It also rolled well and was very responsive in turning.
It has two waterproof hatches with covers that are also cedar strip. I weigh 10.5 stone and the kayak was just as good as it was with the kayaks builder – Glyn Edwards, who is 16 stone. I paddled this kayak in the first north Kent sea kayak marathon over 15 miles and it won its class which says more than enough about its speed.
Now the technical bit, the kayaks are hand built using strips of cedar imported from North America and Canada. The kayak is then sheathed in tough clear glass fibre inside and out. Several coats of scratch resistant varnish are then applied to the skin, which gives it a deep smooth gloss bringing out the natural beauty of the wood. Fijian mahogany and ash hardwoods are used for the cockpit coaming and the underside of the bow and stern giving extra strength in these areas. The result is a strong, light and beautiful kayak.
Review by Mick Underhill-rose. Pictures by Glyn Edwards
Specifications: Length: 520cm; Width: 53.5cm; Weight: 18 kgs
Foam seat and adjustable backrest with adjustable footrest. Price £2,999
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Reviews
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Dagger G-Ride 6.5
 Whilst Dagger’s G-Ride, is radically short (6 ft 6 in) it still offers comfort for medium to large sized paddlers largely down to its foot and knee contours. The G-Ride is outfitted with Dagger’s familiar Clutch outfitting, whilst a separately supplied outfitting pack can also meet your custom requirements (hip pads, seat pad, bulkhead pads etc.) if needed.
A four hour paddle in a brand new boat gives very little information about the long term reliability and robustness of the system, but I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with both the fit and construction in the short term and found the seat and backband to be very comfortable
At six feet and 77 kilos the standard set-up suited me fine, as the boat has plenty of volume, though I personally would prefer a quick adjust foot rest system. The stern of the boat will accommodate airbags and you could carry enough gear for a day’s paddling.
If you want a boat that will allow you to paddle all grades of UK rivers then the G-Ride will suit those who after a boat that can do it all with good to excellent performance.
The primary function of the G-Ride is as a river-runner where it floats high enough to provide confidence in pushy water. It excels with great stability and holds its line down demanding rapids. The stability of the G-Ride is highlighted as I could lean at some tricky angles whilst holding the boat without tipping over. As you become more used to the the boat’s capabilities it begins to inspire the confidence to take harder lines on some of the rapids.
Though it is more of a river-runner than playboat, you are still able to play if you have the skills and shows itself to be similar to the Dagger G-Force in many respects. The boat spins and surfs well and you can with some effort even throw cartwheels on flat water.
However, flat water exposes the G-Rides achilles heel; as at being so short it is also quite slow as would be more or less expected.
That said, If I was limited to having just one boat, this would be a strong contender to be that one, it does everything you would expect and excels at its chosen speciality of river-running. This boat has it all the angles covered.
Steve Humphreys
www.daggereurope.com
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