Linda here was part of a crew that built three of my kayaks in Sweden this last winter. The kayak she chose is our F1 design.
Originally based on the Mariner Coaster and then continuously evolved over 14 years, dozens of prototypes, and thousands of miles in all types of conditions, the result is lightweight (27-32 lbs), comfortable, maneuverable, superb in rough water, and remarkably fast for being 14 feet long. Over 1000 have been built and used all over the world in conditions ranging from calm to extreme to 1200 mile expeditions.
The hull shape is designed to maximize the harvest of surf energy from the scariest coastal conditions to the smallest following wind waves. This isn’t just fun it’s also highly efficient.
Many years ago while out on a mellow evening paddle with 10 knots of breeze and 1 foot waves at my back, I found myself pacing a surf ski paddler who was trying very hard to look nonchalant, while obviously giving it some serious muscle to try to stay ahead of this offensive little 14 foot boat keeping up with him!
Equally as important as the shaping is the sizing. Due to the practical constraints of building kayak molds most kayaks come in a standard and a low volume size, and fitting beyond that generally involves either learning to live with a tight boat or gluing in a lot of foam so you don’t rattle around in there. You can imagine how much performance and comfort would suffer if bicycles only came in 53 to 55 inch frame sizes, and we sent larger people out of the bike shop with a shrug and shorter people with blocks to tape to their pedals.
Skin on frame definitely has its own set of limitations but sizing is not one of them. The F1 can be built in 12 pound increment sizes from a 100lb paddler up to a 260lb paddler. I can also modify the shape of an individual kayak to accommodate for injuries, unusual body sizes, and specific uses, which is pretty cool.
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