Choosing a Skin-on-Frame Kayak

Traditional Kayaks

Traditional Greenland hunting kayaks are fascinating and beautiful, but don’t always meet the needs of the modern sea kayaker. Their low volume restricts their use to day trips only, and for most people the sitting position (legs almost flat, straight out in front of you) is difficult to maintain for more than a few hours. They don’t handle rough water as well as a well-designed modern shape, and self-rescue is generally impossible in the event of a wet exit, meaning that you should either have a solid roll, stay close to shore, or paddle with people trained in low volume kayak rescue. I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t like Greenland kayaks, I just think it’s important to acknowledge the limitations so the results meet your expectations.

West or East Greenland?

West Greenland Replica Kayak

Of the two, the West Greenland is more comfortable and versatile. We recently redesigned this kayak from the ground up to increase stability, speed, and maneuverability, without sacrificing its authentic shaping details. This kayak is also now available in 12 different sizes so you can experience the proper feel of a traditional hunting kayak even if you are larger or smaller than the original Arctic paddlers.

East Greenland Replica Kayak

Our East Greenland kayak replica is much less versatile. Slender, low slung, and sleek, this kayak is gorgeous but also a very tight fit. For those who fit this kayak it is swift and surprisingly maneuverable for its length. We recommend watching the East Greenland design video before committing to this build.

Modern Kayaks

For people who want the lightness of skin-on-frame but need a more versatile craft, I have two modern designs to choose from: the F1 and the LPB.

Ridged or Flat Deck?

We offer both these kayaks in our standard “ridged” front deck and a flat front deck version. The flat front deck provides a useful flat spot in front of the paddler but it is also heavier, less comfortable, much harder to pack, and weathercocks a bit (something our ridged deck kayaks never do). For these reasons, we discourage building the flat front deck versions unless you absolutely NEED that deck for a specific reason.

The F1

The F1 is the “do everything” kayak that I designed for myself after a lifetime of frustration in modern touring kayaks. It’s equally at home on a week long ocean tour, playing in fierce surf and winds, or just exploring the local river or estuary.

At 14′-3″ many people are worried the F1 won’t be fast enough to meet their needs, but keep in mind the F1 only has slightly less actual waterline length than most modern sea kayaks, while weighing less and boasting a more efficient hull shape. Less wetted surface means less drag, which results in a noticeable reduction of paddling effort compared to most modern commercial kayaks.

Easier paddling is just the beginning though. By reducing the overall length we’ve created a kayak that is better behaved in the wind, easier to maneuver, fits better into sea caves, tight channels, and your garage. The F1 is a design created not by fashion or dogma, but rather years and years of testing how we actually use our kayaks. It’s the kayak that I paddle more often than anything else.

The LPB

The LPB is our longer, “faster” design, which sacrifices some of the F1’s playfulness, surf performance, and stability for an increase in speed and optimal paddling ergonomics. The LPB is designed for the dedicated fitness paddler who is out there pushing hard. Want to know if that’s you? Grab a cheap GPS and a kayak and push that baby up to 4.5mph. If at the end of an hour you’re hungry and ready for more, you need an LPB. If you feel like you’re going to blow an artery, you want an F1.