|
Sharpness Canal Nr Gloucester
|
| Canoe Shops UK Staff Testing our Canoes & Kayaks |
|
|
Another Canoe Shops UK Testing Day - February
We regularly test and review our most popular kayaks and canoes and test everything that is new to the market. All staff at Canoe Shops UK are keen paddlers and we like to know as much as we can about the products in our shops.
The best way to find out how a model performs is to get it on the water and put it through its paces. Make no mistake, we know the kayaks and canoes that we choose to stock are of the highest quality else they wouldn’t make it in to our range. The purpose of the test was to find out what makes them good boats and to pass as much knowledge on to our customers.
Location – An inland waterway.
Test Team
Andy Merchant – Manager of Cheltenham Canoes
Chris Clarke (Morag) – Sales advisor from Bournemouth Canoes
Steve Taylor – Manager of Brighton Canoes
Ed – Sales advisor from Brighton Canoes
Chris Dyer – Cornwall Canoes and Canoe Shops UK Group
Matt – Sales advisor from Kayaks and Paddles Plymouth.
Here’s what we thought …
|
|
Perception Scooter (Beach spec) – RRP £299
The scooter has a superb finish and benefits from Perception UK’s uncompromising build quality. Perception re-moulded the Scooter at the start of 2006 and we immediately noticed that they have given it more hull speed without compromising on its stability. A very stable kayak which is surprisingly quick through the water. Moulded carry handles make it much easier to car top and to carry down to the water. We found the back support adequate, in common with all Sit On Tops there is an optional backrest available. Accommodating for the 6-foot plus paddler, Ed from Brighton is 6' 4" tall.
|
|
Chris testing the Scooter |
Scooter can accomadate tall paddlers Ed (6'4" tall) |
|
|
Malibu Mini X (Fish and Dive Spec) – RRP £425
Another well built sit on top with carry handles to make car toping and transportation easier. This Kayak is not as fast as the Scooter or the Nomad but is probably the most stable sit on tops on the market. The hull design cuts through the water and tracks well, but the emphasis is on stability. The popular choice with touring paddlers and especially with anglers. The Mini X is packed with features for a sit on top of this size including 2 rod holders, a good sized rear storage bay, round stowage hatch, large rectangular hatch and a paddle/rod holder on the side. We all found it to be an incredibly stable platform.
|
|
Andy Paddling the Mini X |
The Mini X can also accomadate Ed comfortably |
|
|
Feel Free Nomad (Standard model) – RRP £299
We found a good balance of speed and stability. The Nomad also tracks well and is a user friendly Sit on Top Kayak. It is similar in stability to the Scooter but maybe a tiny fraction slower on the Nomad. The nomad is the same price as the Scooter Beach, but does benefit from having 2 round hatches. The Nomad has the best ever bow handle and can be towed behind a boat with ease. Lots of optional extras are available.
|
|
Morag and his pink Nomad |
Once again Ed can paddle the Nomad comfortably |
|
|
Perception Carolina 12 – RRP £499
New for 2007 the re vamped Carolina 12 and 14. Straight out of the Perception factory we were keen to see how these models paddled. The Carolina 12 looked great on the side of the canal. The new seat system looked good and was comfortable and spacious. The smaller paddlers did feel the thigh braces were possibly not in the best position for bracing. The Carolina 12 is quite wide in proportion to its length which meant it delivered a lot of stability but is slightly slower than its longer brother. The hull design is quite flat and roomy which gives lots of initial stability and comfort. It would best suit a paddler who likes a kayak for leisurely cruising with maximum stability and comfort. A full spec touring kayak with front and rear hatches in a 12' hull.
|
|
Chris from Bournemouth Canoes |
Steve from Brighton Canoes testing the Carolina 12 |
|
|
Venture Easky 13 (weekender with Skeg) – RRP £449
New one with Skeg coming out.
The Easky 13 again offers a shorter alternative to the normal 15-foot twin hatched touring kayaks. The Easky 13 cockpit looks more basic than the Carolina 12’s but is still a roomy comfortable kayak. The Easky felt faster and sleeker through the water and the hull cut through the water with less effort than the Carolina 12. It is very stable when upright, but the hull shape allows you to edge the Easky 13 with much more confidence, benefiting the paddler with secondary stability when manoeuvring the kayak. The Easky 13 and 15 also benefit from one of the most effective retractable skeg systems on the market which is easy to operate.
|
|
Andy finding the Easky 13 very stable |
Morag paddling the Easky 13 |
|
|
Robson Waikiki (expedition with skeg) – RRP £399
One of our top selling touring kayaks in the sub 11ft range. We know what made the Robson Waikiki such a popular touring kayak with our customers. Very comfortable paddling position with decent thigh braces and great back support so we paddled it again for fun. On the water it felt very stable and predictable which would give new paddlers a good level of confidence. The real surprise was when you did paddle a little harder it really does cut through the water smooth and fast for a kayak with this much stability. The Waikiki has a good-sized rear storage hatch and a retractable skeg that tracks nicely through the water. The upswept bow would also benefit the kayak in slightly choppier conditions.
|
|
Andy paddling the Waikiki |
Matt from Kayaks & Paddles |
|
|
Dagger Approach (expedition with Skeg) – RRP £449
The other of our sub 11ft touring kayaks that were tested on the canal. A smart looking kayak with a large sized cockpit for ease of entry and exit. The seat is comfortable and the thigh braces are particularly good with various points of adjustment to accommodate different sized paddlers. The boat felt stable on the water but not quite as predictable as the Robson Waikiki. It was quite manoeuvrable until you dropped down the retractable skeg. The skeg system on the Approach is very effective so paddlers struggling with tracking will have no problems. We found what separated the Approach from other touring kayaks, is how manoeuvrable it is. It responds well and you can manoeuvres with ease. We think it will suit the more adventurous paddler who wants to combine touring with moving water (small rapids).
|
|
Ed from Brighton again |
Cheltenham Canoes Manager Andy |
|
|
Perception Carolina 14 – RRP £549
New for 2007 the re vamped Carolina 14. Straight out of the Perception factory we were keen to see how these models paddled. The Carolina 14 shares the new cockpit outfitting as the 12. It is spacious and comfortable and will accommodate a larger paddler. On the water it feels very stable and comfortable. Like the 12 it has a wide flatish hull. The Carolina 14 is faster than its 12' brother but that is a function of wet hull length. Despite being rather wide the extra waterline length makes up for it, feeling more like a faster touring kayak like the Dagger Charleston or Easky. The Carolina's tracks well and by design do not really need a retractable skeg.
|
|
Matt testing the Carolina 14 |
Chris from Bournemouth |
|
|
Dagger Charleston 15 (with skeg) – RRP £549
The Dagger Charleston 15 has a solid build quality and has a lot of valuable features. The cockpit is spacious and will accommodate a larger paddler. The model is available in a 14ft lower volume option for the small to medium sized paddlers. The cockpit offers a great paddling position with a supportive backrest that can be adjusted whilst sat in the kayak. The thigh braces are in the right position but can also be adjusted if desired. The Charleston has a high storage capacity and spacious hatches so over night or weekend trips are possible. On the water it felt like the ideal blend between performance and user friendliness. We felt it was stable and predictable for less experienced kayakers but also had performance ready for the more adventurous paddler. It manoeuvres well and cuts through the water straight and fast. The Charlestons benefit from a drop down skeg for additional tracking aid.
|
|
Old Town Camper – Royalex – RRP £999
One of the UK’s top selling open canoes. Made of Royalex, being lightweight it was easy to lift on and off our company vans and to carry down to our launch spot. On the water the camper felt stable and manoeuvrable. The camper has a reasonably wide hull and is very flat which gives the boat a lot of initial stability. The less experienced canoeist will find it difficult to put the canoe onto its edge however. We found it surprisingly quick through the water for a canoe with a flatter hull. It has plenty of storage space for camping trips and enough room for an additional snap in seat. Mainly designed as a tandem it paddled well solo also. Aesthetically it looks fantastic with its traditional upswept bow/stern and its wooden and cane seats. Available in 15ft or 16ft.
|
|
Steve & Ed paddling the Camper |
Andy solo paddling the Old Town Camper |
|
|
Mad River 14 TT (Triple Tough) – RRP £650
The other open canoe that was tested on the canal was the Mad River 14TT. The TT stands for ‘Triple Tough’ which is the triple skin material that the canoe is made of. It is one of the toughest most abrasion resistant materials on the market. It is not as light as Royalex but is much tougher.
The Mad Rivers have very nice wood and webbing seats and benefits from Mad Rivers unique IQ2 gunwale system. This is a series of grooves and slots along the gunwales, designed for fitting extras such as buoyancy airbags. On the water the Canoe felt relatively stable and tracked through the water with ease. The hull shape has more of a V shape and flared design. The V shape helped the boat to track in a straight line and the flared shape allowed you to lean the boat over with more confidence when manoeuvring.
|
|
Morag & Matt |
Morag solo paddling the Explorer TT |
|
|
Perception Kiwi 2 and Kiwi 3 – RRP £420
Incredibly stable on the water with a very comfortable and supportive seating arrangement. Available in 2 sizes the Kiwi 2 is the smaller model but is still accommodating enough for 2 adults and a small amount of equipment. These kayaks are as user friendly as kayaking gets. Stable, easy to paddle and keep in a straight line. The Kiwi 2 has a large open cockpit that suits calmer conditions like the canal we tested it on, inland waterways and gentle coastal work. Perceptions build quality is second to none and a reasonable price for an introductory family kayak. It tracked quite well due to the length and hull design and was reasonably quick on the water. The Kiwi 3 does everything the Kiwi 2 can do but a little quicker. It also has room to take an additional child's seat or maybe room for the dog.
|
|
Ed & Steve paddling the Kiwi 2 |
|
|
Perception Vista (Standard model) – RRP £499
The bigger faster touring brother of the Kiwi 2 and Kiwi 3. The Vista is very stable and comfortable like the Kiwi 2 with a similar seating arrangement. The Vista is longer and has a much more upswept bow than the Kiwi range. It is noticeably quicker through the water and cuts through the water with ease. It tracks very well, but due to its size takes a little more effort to manoeuvre. The increased length means it is not only faster, but tracks very easily and will suit slightly longer distances. It also has a large open cockpit, but the increased size and space will accommodate 2 very large adults, or 2 adults and a small child and plenty of equipment. The upswept bow will cut through slightly more challenging conditions than the Kiwi range. It is a heavier model due to its size and does require more two people for car topping
|
|
Perception Scooter Gemini (Beach spec) - £375
This is the two seater version of the Perception Scooter sit on top kayak.
Again, Perceptions build quality is great and this is another solid well-made sit on top. Like the Scooter single, we were surprised by the hull speed again. It felt quick and cut through the water with little effort. The seating position is good, but like most sit on tops the optional backrest would be needed on a longer days paddling. Very stable and manoeuvred well for a boat of its size. It also has moulded handles on the sides which makes it much less of a drama when loading it on the roofrack. We tried paddling it solo and it handled fine from the rear position, but again only for short periods of time. We felt it handled well in all areas and is good value for a well built well designed tandem sit on top.
|
|
Chris & Ed paddling the Perception Scooter Gemini |
|
|
|
|
