Kayaks and surfskis for the future

(and the longer you wait, the shorter the future will be....)

A kayak-surfski hybrid

Sea kayaks

A well-designed and well-built sea kayak is a formidable touring craft, with a good load capacity and a snug and comfortable cockpit, where you sit partly protected from the elements. It has calm and easy motions in waves, handling more like a family car than a racing car, giving you time to correct mistakes before anything happens.

It can hold camping gear, clothes, water and food for extended trips into the wilderness and is at home on inland lakes and rivers as well as in archipelagos and on unprotected coasts.

The covered cockpit, sealed with a tight sprayskirt or a tuiliq keeps you dry, and if it is well configured you will find that bracing and rolling is surprisingly easy to master – which is really fun and a boost for the confidence. A reliable roll is not primarily a rescue method. It is a simple paddle stroke that keeps you out of trouble. Rescue methods are what you need when things have gone seriously wrong – and of course, a roll is the best of these too.

In the covered cockpit it is easy to keep warm even under winter conditions. Two-thirds of the body are indoors, and the part that is outdoors is in motion most of the time.

Surfskis

A surfski is an exciting craft to use. On top of what every kayak can do, the surfski will surf at breathtaking speeds on large waves, and play in breakers as the board surfers do.

Reentry is easier in a surfski than in a kayak. Climbing up takes a couple of seconds and is done in the same way regardless of the conditions. Since it is quick there is less risk of getting tired or cold and you do not have to put a sprayskirt on or pump out large amounts of water – the cockpit drains as soon as you start paddling. A surfski is a light, simple craft with fewer components that can break or cause problems. It is controllable in conditions where a sea kayak may become hard to handle, due to maximal maneuverability and efficient steering.

A surfski is a craft with a built-in potential for minimalism – less gear to buy, pack and unpack during tours and to maintain means less weight, better performance and easier launchings.

A surfski is a formidable exercise machine – a light ski on the shoulder, paddle and pfd in your hand and away you go. The speed gives you a better range of action.

The intelligent hybrid

We believe there is more to be gained by combining the best qualities from sea kayaks and surfskis than has yet been utilized. The new line of kayaks and surfskis are fairly short and easily handled in all conditions and suitable for both beginners and more experienced paddlers. From sea kayaks, they have inherited the easy movements, the comfort and the load capacity, from surfskis the maneuverability in waves, the excitement and the speed. The new models are available with kayak deck or surfski cockpit – introducing convinced sea kayak paddlers to the exciting world of surfskis, and vice versa.

The surfski-inspired hull glides through the water with very little friction and wave-building resistance, making it fast and highly maneuverable compared to similarly sized kayaks. But the "nervousness" of the elite surfskis is tamed by the sea kayak influence, to produce watercraft well suited even for beginners – but of course, beginners that appreciate the fun and exciting paddling, not the boring standard belt-and-braces type of kayak often recommended to novices.

Here is a short video clip from the first test of the X3 and X4 at the factory.

To buy a kayak, visit Kajakk & Fritid webshop – or call (32 83 27 10) or mail us (info@kajakk-fritid.no).