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Point 65 Kayak Review
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| Canoe Shops UK Staff Testing Point 65 Kayaks |
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Point 65 kayaks are the latest addition to the Canoe Shops UK range of Touring and Sea Kayaks. Point 65 kayaks benefit from a superior build quality and an awesome design team and produce kayaks in RM Plastic and composite. Our staff were sent some test kayaks from Sweden to try out and see what we thought. We have since ordered a 40ft container of kayaks for the UK market.................
Location – Sheltered Fowey Estuary Cornwall (F8 Wind on coastline)
Test Team
Andy Merchant – Cheltenham Canoes
Simon Rham – Bournemouth Canoes and Berkshire Canoes
Chris Dyer – Cornwall Canoes and Canoe Shops UK Group
Bruce Daykin - Kayaks & Paddles and Cornwall Canoes
Simon Longdon - Canoe Shops UK Group and Cornwall Canoes
(Click on any image to enlarge)
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Point 65 Nemo - RRP £499.00
The Nemo is the smallest, lightest touring kayak in the Point 65 range. It is very light weight and easy to car top and carry to the water. The build quality felt solid with a tough rigid hull that will last the test of time. The cockpit arrangement is spacious and comfortable. Bruce pictured below is 6'3'' tall and fitted comfortably in the Nemo. The Nemo was surprisingly sleek through the water for a short touring kayak, and was very maneuverable and felt light on the water. It felt very stable and will give the paddler much confidence on the water. The Nemo has a generous size rear storage hatch and deck elastics to hold kit that you need to reach. We felt it would make the perfect day touring kayak for lakes, estuary, and gentle coastal paddling.
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Bruce estuary paddling the Nemo . |
Chris testing the Point 65 Nemo |
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Point 65
Five O Five - RRP £699.00 (inc Rudder)
The UK market has been crying out for a 5 metre, fast and stable touring kayak, and Point 65 have the answer with the Five O Five. We were so impressed when we paddled this kayak. The Five O Five has the perfect balance between stability and performance. It us user friendly and stable enough for a beginner but also has enough performance to satisfy the improving paddler looking to develop their skills. It is perfect for day paddling or camping trips with loads of storage in the stern and bow. The Rudder system is superb, and easy to engage and control. The hull felt rigid through the water delivering great speed and durability. The cockpit is comfortable and will accommodate larger paddlers too. This kayak will be perfect for those looking to progress in their touring or those looking to progress into the world of Sea kayaking. This is truly a lot of kayak for the money, offering comfort, performance, stability and superior build quality. An incredible touring kayak!
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Bruce cruising in the Five O Five. |
Chris launching the Five O Five off slipway.... |
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Point 65 Crunch Rocket - RRP £999.00 (inc Rudder)
The Crunch Rocket is a very fast touring kayak/sea kayak. It's low profile sleek design really tracks through the water fast and tracks true. The Rudder system works well and allows the paddler to easily adjust direction whilst paddling. We found the Crunch Rocket not as stable as the other kayaks tested on the day, but is still reasonably stable for a confident Sea paddler. The triple skin RM technology gives the hull added stiffness and rigidity which again adds to the speed and performance of the Crunch Rocket. Two good sized hatches plus additional third 'day hatch' allow plenty of storage space for weekend and overnight trips. We would not recommend this to less experienced paddlers looking for stability, but the Crunch Rocket will appeal to those looking for a little more performance from a touring kayak. We feel the Rocket would suit a paddler looking to fitness paddle, or the paddler looking for a fast lively day tourer or weekend boat.
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Accelerating Crunch Rocket off the Slipway |
Simon testing Point 65 Crunch Rocket |
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Point 65 Sea Cruiser - RRP £999.00
The Point 65 Sea Cruiser has to be a contender for the best plastic Sea Kayak ever produced. Triple Skin technology gives the hull stiffness that will out perform other single skin plastic Sea kayaks. The Sea Cruiser has a sleek low profile, long waterline hull formation that delivers awesome speed and straight line tracking. The Sea Cruiser is capable of covering larger distances but is also fine for day tripping. Not ideal for a complete beginner but is ideal for improving paddlers right through to advanced Sea paddlers looking for performance, comfort and build quality. The Sea Cruiser is much faster than most plastic sea kayaks currently available in the UK and does not compromise on stability. The Sea Cruiser comes as standard with a superb drop down Skeg system to aid straight line tracking, and comes with four hatches, a large front and rear hatch with two additional day hatches. We felt this to be possibly the best plastic Sea kayak to date.
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Andy paddling hard in the Sea Cruiser |
Simon in the Point 65 Sea Cruiser |
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Point 65 Sea Cruiser V's P&H Capella 166 RM
All of our test team agreed that these two boats are leading models on todays market so how do the flag ship plastic Sea kayaks compare from P&H and Point 65.
Both triple skin designs, reduce flex in the hull and therefore increases hull speed. Both kayaks are well equipped with hatches and both have a similar skeg system. The Sea Cruiser has an extra day hatch yet the Capella has more adjustment in the cockpit area, so features wise they are evenly matched. The Capella is a little easier to maneuver due to a shorter waterline and increased rocker. The Sea Cruiser has a longer waterline and less rocker which does make it the faster sea boat. The Sea cruiser has a lower profile than the Capella's up swept bow and stern, which means the Capella does create more windage. The Sea Cruiser's low bow will mean that the paddler may get a bit wetter in rougher conditions and may require more skill in a following sea. Difficult to say which is the better boat, that really depends on the paddlers preference and what they require from a top of the range plastic sea kayak.
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The 2 best plastic Sea Kayaks in the world |
Simon and Andy testing the two Sea Kayaks |
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Point 65 kayaks can be purchased from the following stores -
(Please contact us for any further info or to arrange a demo)
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