Current Favorite Kayak

 

 

 

 

 

At this point I have 2 kayaks, a composite (maybe kevlar, maybe carbide) CD Squamish and a fiberglass Valley Avocet. I've had the Squamish for a few years whereas the Avocet was acquired in a recent trade. By now I've used the Avocet enough times to have an opinion.

The Avocet, at 16', is slightly longer and slightly narrower than the Squamish, but with a bit more rocker. I expected the Avocet to be the faster of the 2 kayaks, but could not really verify that. If anything, the Squamish seemed faster. 

The Avocet has a third hatch (a day hatch) which I like. It wants me to fuss with the skeg, which I don't like. The Avocet seems more nimble than the Squamish. It is in unusually good shape. The Valley hatch covers will eventually need replacement - as Valley hatch covers typically do.

The shorter Squamish, at 15' 8", is very light - just under 40 pounds. Unfortunately, it has no day hatch. Remarkably, it does not weathercock in the conditions I paddle (typically under 10 knot winds). So I rarely use the skeg and never need to fuss with it.

Because the Squamish does not require me to fuss with the skeg, it has become my current favorite. The fact that it is so light makes handling it easy while on shore. This preference could change.

Now, with 2 kayaks in my diminishing fleet, I would still like to sell one. I have the Avocet on Craigslist. However, sea kayaks are not selling well over the last two years, so I am not hopeful. I am not eager enough to sell, so that I am not offering it at a bargain basement price.

First Impressions of Avocet

I have now tried my Avocet twice. First it was a rolling session. Then the next day was a modest outing in slightly windy conditions.

Rolling Session

I had a decent roll several years ago - just a roll on my strong side, unwilling to expose my bad shoulder on my other side. I lost this roll and have been trying to get it back over the last few years. The Avocet has very good thigh/knee pads. so I was somewhat hopeful. I have a rolling partner (who has an excellent roll). This spares me the wet exits from failed rolls. So, how did it go?

My first rolling session went poorly i.e. no success. I am keeping my head down longer, but my torso rotation is tragic. Matt was quite successful, rolls on both sides and a reenter and roll. The only small failure was a failed off-side roll, but he recovered with a good side roll, not requiring a wet exit.

An Outing - from 3rd Avenue Pier to Rocky Point and Back

I won't get much information from this outing. Perhaps I'll find how significant the weathercocking is. Recall that my CD Squamish does not weathercock in the weather conditions I paddle. And, is the speed slightly better than the Squamish? The Avocet should be slower than the Valley Etain (gone, traded for the Avocet). Those speed differences may not even be noticeable. So, how did it go?

The day was windier than expected, but nothing above ~7 knots. The boat weathercocks slightly, easily tuned out with the skeg. The back band isn't quite right for my ailing back and calls for some adjustment. I shortened my outing because of this discomfort ... before it became painful. I was not yet able to get a good reading on the kayak speed.

I will revisit these topics as time goes on.

Other

I've made three minor modifications to the Avocet, after the first outing described above.

• installed a Keel Eazy keel strip ... these have worked well for me in the past, considering the gentle conditions in which I paddle
• stuffed some minicell foam behind the seat back to enhance support for my injured back ... we'll see how well this works next time I paddle
• installed some bungees under the deck fore the coaming, where the manual bilge pump is stored
  

Composite Valley Avocet

I have traded my Valley 17.3 Etain for a Valley Avocet, both composite kayaks. The Avocet will fit me better, but will be slower, even for slow me. The Avocet specs are:

 

• 3 Hatches
• Skeg
• Length 488 cm (16')
• Width 56 cm (22")
• Weight 24 kg (53 lbs)
• Load Suitability 46 - 82kg (101 - 181 lbs)
• Coaming: length 83.82 cm (33"), width 45.7 cm (18")
• Suggested Paddler Weight: 100 - 190 lbs 
• Serial #: DKJAV129K607
  

I want to check the actual weight at some point. Manufacturers sometimes report the weight of the kayak without hatch covers, seat, skeg, rigging, etc.

The Avocet should be slightly faster than my Squamish. The latter being both shorter and fatter. The speed difference is unlikely to be noticeable. Unlike the Squamish, the Avocet has a day hatch which I like. The 17.3 Etain had a removable pod fore the coaming, which I did not like.

The Etain back band was modified to better support my back injury. The Avocet has a different back band which may prove adequate, so we'll see. I plan to install a keel strip, a paddle park and likely make other minor modifications.

Avocet users claim that it is very maneuverable, albeit somewhat slow and with a tendency to weathercock. If it does weathercock, I will attempt to load the stern much heavier than the bow. It may be too difficult to move the seat more toward the stern.

My next blog will give a report on the Avocet's characteristics as I experience them.