Review of the Valley 17.3 Étaín

This is quite a nice boat, known for performing well. I am an intermediate paddler so cannot put this kayak "through its paces" like an advanced kayaker could. I certainly avoid rough water when possible. So, my review will focus on minor modifications to persuade the kayak to fit me comfortably as well as on basic performance.

For storage, the kayak has

• a bow hatch
• a stern hatch
• a day hatch just behind the cockpit
• a deck pod just fore the cockpit, easily reachable by the seated kayaker

Note that the deck pod is handy for a few very small items, but not so deep as to interfere with a kayaker's leg space. This is not true for many such deck pods.

Refurbishing

This used kayak was already in good shape, nevertheless it needed some initial refurbishment and improvements, even before floating the craft, so I:

• smoothed out a clumsy patch on the keel
• added a black keel strip, using the 'KeelEazy' product
• reattached the sleeve that fits the front end of the skeg wire, the sleeve was still there but had broken off from the skeg control knob
• added a pull-down line to the skeg blade
• made minor changes to the rigging

Some notes on this initial refurbishing:

• Adding a keel strip not only protects the keel but also covers the 'clumsy patch' area.
• The reattached sleeve over the front end of the skeg wire helps avoid wire kinks in that area. To reaffix the sleeve I put some super glue on the skeg wire and slid the sleeve back over that location. Is that sufficient?
• The pull-down line provides a way to help clear any little gravel/sand fragments jamming the deployment of the skeg blade. This is useful when you are underway and failed to check the skeg blade just before you launched. If far from shore with a jammed skeg blade, the pull-down line is to be pulled gently by a fellow kayaker while you jiggle the skeg control line at the cockpit. I marked the location of the pull-down line on the stern of the deck so my fellow kayaker can find it.

Now I was ready to try the kayak. Actually, I am assessing three things:

1. What do I think of the Valley 17.3 Étaín?
2. Have I been successful in strengthening the structure around my arthritic left shoulder?
3. Does that shoulder prefer one paddle over another?

Fit

The pedals fit correctly. The pod in front of the cockpit does not inhibit taking my feet off the pedals to stretch out my legs. This is unlike my Cetus, where the deeper and larger pod is in my way. It is easy to get into and out of the Étaín cockpit. I see no need to 'outfit' the kayak with further padding; especially if it rolls easily.

Kayak seat backs can present a problem for me. I have an old ski injury which has compromised my lower back. The seat backband needs to be quite stiff and vertical. It does not need to be high e.g. just up to coaming height is fine. I often must retrofit the backband on a newly adopted kayak, but have had good luck with P&H seat backs, such as in my Cetus. The Étaín seat seemed comfortable on first entry, but how is it after, say, 3 hours? I assessed fit as best I could when I puchased the kayak. I was hoping for the "Goldilocks" fit, once I did extensive paddling.

Performance

On my first outing with the Étaín, there was no wind and the water was dead calm. Hence, I could not assess the kayak's tendency to weathercock. The kayak was happy to track straight, but turned when encouraged. The skeg worked smoothly - even though not needed in these conditions. The Étaín performs well.

At first the seat seemed comfortable, but after about an hour I could tell I would need to adjust (or even retrofit) the seat back band - not a big deal and something I had done before for various other kayaks. I need more lower back support for my compromised lower back.

I had no left shoulder pain while paddling - good news. However, afterward my shoulder became angry - bad news. My quest to be able to paddle 10 nmi. trips day after day, remains elusive. Expedition paddlers can churn out 30 nmi. routinely and my first trip was only about 4 nmi. Hopefully this year will be similar to last year, when I was eventually able to achieve modest distances.

Before my next outing, I ensured that the back band was firmer and more vertical. This should help alleviate my back pain. Additionally, I moved the seat more toward the stern, so it would be somewhat easier to attach the sprayskirt. There are extra seat bolt holes so moving the seat backward or forward slightly is an intended possibility. Although it is feasible to move the seat, it is certainly a very awkward operation. The main problem is resecuring the seat bolts, best done by tiny elves who can crawl into small spaces. I run the risk of finding that the kayak now leecocks a bit, but this seems unlikely. Of course, if it does leecock, I would dread moving it back where it was.

On my next outing, there was sufficient breeze so I found that the kayak weathercocked slightly - easily corrected with appropriate skeg depth. I also found that configuring the seat back to be firmer and more vertical made my back happy enough. My final discovery was that it was very difficult to reach behind me to fasten the spray skirt properly. I'll work on curing this, one way or another. The kayak speed was OK, but unexciting. However, much of my (short) route was in shallow water, clearly impacting the kayak speed. As the lake deepens on summer refill, there will be routes where shallow water is not a major factor and I'll have a better idea of kayak speed.

My shoulder was rather pain free for my trip. But, like on the last jaunt, the pain merely deferred until evening. This could be a major issue for my kayaking!

Next a third outing with minor modifications:

• The seat pan cannot go back further without drilling more holes in the hull, but I can move the seat backband further astern by loosening the backband's restraining strap. Then, by adding some minicell foam to support the backband, seating can stay firm and vertical. The seat was comfortable enough on the prior trial, but it was nearly impossible to fasten the spray deck with my limited lower back mobility. Moving the backband to the rear may also help that.
• Refasten the sleeve over the front end of the skeg wire ... more super glue?

OK, now the backband has been moved further astern, reinforced by minicell foam to stay firm and vertical. The skeg wire sleeve has been reattached (will this problem reappear?).

So what were my impressions on this 3rd outing?

• it was much easier to attach the spray skirt - that seems minor, but really isn't
• seating remained comfortably supportive
• I can move my feet off the footrests easily to stretch out my legs - nice for lengthier trips
• the weathercocking is mild; the skeg works smoothly and effectively
• the kayak fits well and responds nicely to my input

Comparing the Étaín with my classic P&H Cetus

The Cetus is a little big on me, but maybe a pound or so lighter than the Étaín. I find each boat, modified as needed, quite comfortable. The Cetus might turn more easily, but it's no big deal. Both kayaks are maneuverable (or 'manoeuvrable' if you prefer). Although the Étaín is snugger, I can stretch out my legs in it - the larger deck pod in the Cetus makes it impossible to stretch out my legs ... unless I go barefoot. For me, that is a big deal. The skegs in both boats work smoothly. I can fasten a spray skirt easily in both kayaks. At this point, I vote for the Étaín as my preferred kayak. Actually, it comes down to the ability to easily stretch out my legs!

The Aleution Paddle

The paddle I used is a side issue in this review, but I do like the Aleut. The rib side of the blade seems to work better as the power face. There are opinions on both sides of which should be the power face. I found that, with the flat side as power face, the paddle gives a strange twist at the end of each stroke. My first two short trips using this paddle seemed pain-free, but then left my shoulder quite uncomfortable in the evening and into the night.

The Greenland Paddle

I used my GP on the third short trip with this kayak. This was again a relatively pain-free trip for my shoulder. However, this time the evening and night time discomfort was reasonable. Is it the GP? I am not ready to make a definitive statement. My GP technique is decent, the Aleut is heavier (just plain bigger), etc. I'll also switch to a Euro blade and then mix all three over future trips. At some future date I'll discuss my more definitive findings.

Rolling

I will later discuss how this kayak rolls. The local water hasn't even reached 50 °F (10 °C) yet, inhibiting my enthusiasm for rolling practice. If the Étaín rolls as easily as the Cetus, then the Étaín will remain as my preferred boat. I have not outfitted either kayak for rolling and will test them as they are. The rolling results will appear in a later article, when the weather warms up. That will be a post-review review.