Riot Kayaks are a well-established Canadian brand, and have been on the scene for decades. Manufacturing is now completed in the Far East to bring affordability to the range. Initially bringing state of the art white-water kayaks to the market, they have since branched out into the recreational touring and sea kayaking side of the paddlesports industry. Bringing great designs and features to touring kayaks, the Edge 15 is one of their most recent kayaks and we decided to put one through its paces.
We’ve had one on demo this year, and I’ve been using it at a variety of locations to see how it performs under different conditions and water types. At 15ft in length, the Edge 15 is a touch shorter than most full-size sea kayaks, and a bit longer than short touring kayaks, meaning it is relatively quicker than most touring kayaks, but doesn’t have the top-end speed of a dedicated sea kayak. However, with the shorter waterline length does make it more manoeuvrable and lighter for carrying and car topping.
The Edge 15 has a wealth of features you would expect on any good 15ft touring kayak, and also a couple of nice additional bits such as the Security Loop.
- Drop-Down Skeg System.
- Padded Seating and Flex Backrest.
- Pedal Style Adjustable Footrests.
- Padded Thigh-Braces.
- Sealed Stern and Front Bulkheads with Watertight Hatch Covers.
- Front and Rear Carrying Handles.
- Deck Bungee Cargo Area.
- Self Recue Straps behind Cockpit.
- Stainless Security Loop on Back Deck.
The design is based on Riot’s extremely popular Edge 11, but extended by 4 feet to provide a faster hull shape and room for a watertight bow hatch to carry extra kit, and trim the kayak if loading it for overnight adventures. The arched hull shape is promoted by Riot to provide predictable paddling, and a strong secondary stability.
Here is what Riot has to say about the construction process behind the Edge 15:
“Using the best grade of rotomolding polyethylene, our Cross-Max process combines by-design reinforcement with the natural mechanical qualities of HDPE to provide the right balance between stiffness, weight, durability, and quality of finish.”
We would be inclined to agree with this statement, our demo Edge 15 is obviously well made and has stood up to the rigours of our test team with no issues every time it is out on the water.
Touring kayaks can be used on a variety of different water bodies, and during the year (in-between lockdowns and restrictions) we used it at the following locations:
Flat water cruising on the Weaver Navigation at Runcorn and Bala Lake.
Gently moving rivers, the Conwy near to Betws y Coed, and a high water River Dee at Sandy Lane in Chester.
Coastal paddling, and choppy conditions on the Mersey Estuary at Wallasey.
Surfing on the Dee bore at Saltney and the HMS Prince Charles’ wake.
Comfort wise, the outfitting was simple to adjust. The Flex backrest was easy to tighten up, even on the water. The seat has Riot’s Drytech material and is as described, and I found the kayak still to be comfortable after several hours out on the water.
After many trips outs we have given the Edge 15 the thumbs up of approval. Fast, stable and easy to paddle. Enjoyable for flat water training and cruising, yet also very capable of handing choppier conditions, and might I say- surfs like a dream!
We would recommend the Riot Edge 15 for beginner to intermediate kayakers who want to reach their destination quickly and efficiently, or cover more miles than those paddling shorter kayaks. More skilled paddlers looking for a playful sea/touring kayak for rock-hopping or playing in tide races should also appreciate this kayak.
Riot Kayaks state the maximum capacity of the kayak is 147kg. After paddling it extensively at Manchester Canoes, we would recommend the Edge 15 well suited to larger paddlers, with 80-110kg an ideal weight range. I’m 6ft 2”, 90kg with size 12 feet, and was pleasantly surprised by the space in and around the cockpit, and foot-room further down the boat.
Spec’s:
- Length: 457cm (15 ft)
- Width: 59cm
- Weight: 27.7kg
- Manufacturers Max. Weight Capacity: 147kg
- Cockpit size: 90x49 cm
- Spray-deck Size: Bigdeck / R5
Review written by Jim at Manchester Canoes 2020
For more info on the Riot Edge 15, with details on how to buy, please see our website here: Riot Edge 15 Touring Kayak
A few more photos of Canoe Shops staff paddling the Riot Edge 15:
