More video of our new West Greenland Kayak design on the water. Based on the rifle hunting kayaks of the early 20th century, this kayak has classic lines and is a bit more user friendly than those from other times and places in Greenland.
The scalability on this new version is a game changer. 2% up from the museum kayak it’s based on sits me just a bit higher in the water which really wakes up the boat from a paddling perspective.
There’s a tendency these days for people to think of Greenland kayaks as ultra low volume rolling toys, but historically 2 or even 3 inches of freeboard wasn’t uncommon so that’s what I aim for, balancing the paddling and rolling performance, but still giving people the option to build smaller if they want a dedicated rolling machine.
Due to certain handling issues that are endemic to this hull type, I can’t say that a Greenland kayak makes a great primary use sea kayak, but for someone who already has a general purpose sea kayak they enjoy, Greenland kayaking can be a beautifully intimate way to connect more deeply to the sport. Like I’ve said before here, the time I’ve spent in a Greenland kayak has built skills that have literally saved my life in more aggressive surf and whitewater situations.
Although I wouldn’t do it on a cold water crossing, I also just really enjoy the simplicity of heading down to the river with just a paddle and a Tuilik (the jacket) pulled over my normal clothes. A few strokes, a few rolls, back to work…
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