Flat Earth Kayak Sails Footloose '80 test and review.

Introduction. 

I was in Glasgow getting a steroid injection into my right shoulder in clinic F then having a pint of blood drained from my left arm in clinic P when I heard the news that a parcel from Australia was waiting for me at my summer home on the Solway. Despite living 50m from the shore for 7 months of the year I have not been very active recently. I last managed a kayak camping trip in May 2017 and have had to give up windsurfing. Since January 2017 I have lost 27kg not to mention over 40 pints of blood and 1.5" in height, so I needed a bit of a boost to get me back on the water!

Well the parcel was, as expected, from Mark Sundin of Expedition Kayaks in Australia. They have taken over Flat Earth Kayak Sails following the sad and untimely death of Mick MacRobb who created Flat Earth. I was privileged to have tested prototypes of each of Mick's previous sails: the original all dacron, the dacron with mylar edges, the Code Zero and finally the Trade Wind.

Each of these designs allowed a lot of twist in the leach which meant the sails would automatically spill winds in the gusts. This made them extremely user friendly, especially for newcomers to paddle sailing. I have no doubt that the international success of Flat Earth Kayak Sails was built on the sails' degree of inbuilt twist.

This photo shows the twist in an early all Dacron Flat Earth sail. However, one disadvantage of twist is that paddling downwind in a loaded boat, when the windspeed is about 3 times or greater than the boat speed,  the leach twists open permanently. This spills wind that might otherwise drive the boat forward. Also when going upwind, the loose leech tends to "motor" when going upwind.

Even the most recent Trade Wind sail has considerable twist as you can see in this staged photo. The bow is directly downwind and there is about 90 degrees difference between the angle of the head of the sail and the boom. If there was zero twist, the head of the sail and the boom would be parallel. Each time I suggested to Mick that he should consider tightening the leach, just a little, he said that he was very reluctant to do that as he did not want to turn Flat Earth sails into "experts only" sails. Anyone who ever had any dealings with Mick would know that he was an egalitarian to the core of his soul. He wanted the Flat Earth Kayak Sail to be accessible to any reasonably competent sea kayaker. He would often give sails away to clubs or individuals who he knew could not afford them. So I was delighted to see that the Footloose sail's logo proudly proclaimed "Designed by Mick MacRobb". In truth many people have influenced the production of this new sail and modest as always, Mick was the always the first to acknowledge the input of others into his previous designs.

Back in May 2016 Tony and I were crossing from Rum to Eigg in the Scottish Hebrides. We were on a broad reach in a fresh wind and were fully loaded with camping gear. I found the degree of twist just a little frustrating as our sails were constantly spilling wind. So when I got back, I tried another tack with Mick.

I suggested that perhaps the time had come for Flat Earth to create an additional new sail for for more advanced users, which would be sold alongside the current Trade Wind sail. It could have a tighter leech, perhaps with an extra batten. I got a reply, almost immediately. In it Mick said he had been feeling a bit tired of late but he had already had talks about this with his mate Rob Mercer (a renowned Australian sea kayaker). They were already developing a design based on a sail Rob had had made for him some years before, by by another sailmaker, for some big expeditions and would I mind keeping it quiet until he (Mick) had some decent prototypes made? Unfortunately (and only a few weeks later) Mick circulated his friends with the news that his "bit tired" was actually a serious illness (from which he died only a few months later).

This new Footloose sail is undoubtedly the sail Mick was referring to and you can read what Rob Mercer says about its history and development here. Rob's expedition sail was a two batten, three panel sail that had been made for him by another Australian, Andrew Eddy, who sent Mick drawings of the original. Mick and Rob worked together tweaking the details. After Mick's death, Flat Earth's new sail maker, Neil Tasker, has done further work to put Mick's prototype into production. Rob has already used it with great success on a 2018 crossing of the Bass Straight. Well after that test, my few words will be pretty insignificant... but here goes!

Design and Construction.

As you can see the Footloose '80 sail has two battens and a relatively low aspect. It is constructed  with modern lightweight sail cloth laminates and uses a semi transparent bottom panel. Quality of construction is still as high as on previous Flat Earth sails. It has clearly been put together with care and craftsmanship.

You can see how it differs from the higher aspect older Trade Wind '80, which is overlaid in this photo and...

...underlaid in this photo. The Footloose sail is supplied with mainsheet, uphaul/forestay and enough non stretch line to have two side stays and two back stays.

Mast and fittings.

The quality fitting kit is up to Flat Earth's usual excellent standard and even comes with two extra surface deck fittings in case your existing deck fittings locations are not suitable for the fore stay/uphaul pulley or the main sheet deck pulley.

The supplied mast is slightly shorter than the one I have been using with my Trade Wind 80 sail. So it can obstruct the view of the horizon.

Here the Footloose '80 is set on my longer Trade Wind '80 mast.

 

 In this shot I am also using the longer Trade Wind '80 mast and have dropped the boom so that you can see clearly that the foot is truly loose. You can also see what a nice aerofoil curve the foot adopts when it is not attached to the boom along its length.

( I was also experimenting by tinkering with the boom height, lowering it to loosen the foot of the sail and raising it to tighten the foot of the sail, both actions achieved with a sharp knock of the paddle!)

My only very, very minor criticism about the fittings is that the plastic boom fitting for the sheet is perhaps a little over engineered.

Paddle sailing the Footloose.

So far I have only paddled the Flat Earth Footloose sail for three short paddles totalling 27km (the first was only a day after a steroid injection into my shoulder, which has a torn rotator cuff). The wind in each case was a steady 12 knots from the south and I used the sail on an unladen P&H Aries 155. I tried the sail on all points of sailing and I must say I liked it a very great deal. It has a very positive pull to it and...

 ...upwind it paddle sails pretty close to 45 degrees from the wind. In a southerly wind and a north going tide I even managed to beat SE round the outside of the islands with the sail up the whole way (see map above).

 Bearing off onto a beam reach then...

 ...a broad reach followed by a run...

 ...the sail continues to pull strongly and as you ease the sheet out...

 ...the top batten does not angle forward of the mast spilling wind which happens with the Trade Wind. This is especially noticeable when the boat slows down as you drop off a wave and the pressure of the following wind builds up. In the new Footloose, the leech remains tight and the increased wind pressure helps you pick up speed to catch the next wave. Note how my speed and distance covered increases on the broad reach on my trip back from the islands, as soon as I broke free of the lee of the islands, my speed increased by a factor of 3 as the sail helped me catch small swells. (The arrows are all the same time apart.) With the tight leech of the Footloose sail, I caught far more waves than I usually do with the Trade Wind sail, even allowing for my injured shoulder!

The sail gybes very predictably but there a more noticeable "whumph" as the sail fills on the new side. This also applies to launching the sail and it is probably easier to launch the sail on a broad reach so that the sail can spill wind as it is raised, before sheeting in. It is more difficult to spill wind when launching on a run.

 As Rob says on the Flat Earth web site, there is more heeling moment as a gust hits, both across the wind...

...and upwind with the Footloose sail than with the Trade Wind sail,  Experienced paddle sailors will love this direct, powerful feel though newcomers to paddle sailing would do better to look to the Trade Wind sail, which continues in production. I can't wait until I am fit enough to get the Footloose sail out on a camping expedition between the Hebridean Isles!

Conclusion.

In conclusion, the Footloose is a fantastic and welcome new addition to the Flat Earth Kayak Sails range. Experienced paddle sailors will love its more powerful and direct feel which really helps you catch more waves downwind. Quality of fittings and construction are to the same high standards as in the Mick MacRobb days. Previously I have tested prototype Flat Earth sails but this sail feels like the finished article. I can think of nothing to suggest that would improve its performance.

Conflict of interest.

I have had a long association with Flat Earth Kayak Sails and have now tested examples of all 5 generations of their sails. Previous minor suggestions of mine have been incorporated into production versions. I have not paid for this sail but I have been happy to pay retail price for my last two Flat Earth sails. However, Mark included a freebie Expedition Kayaks T shirt in the parcel. It is in a most fetching blue, which sets off my blue eyes very nicely. That might just have helped sway my judgement! :o) :o)

Pyranha Octane / Think Nitro PE surfski: a long term test and review.

This is the new Pyranha polyethylene surfski called the Octane it is also available as the Think Nitro. As various friends have gradually taken to surfskis my interest has grown. Back in January 2016 I was talking to Cam Allan in the GoKayaking store in Perth about surfskis. He showed me the Think range of composite surfskis and I carpet surfed in the EZE and ACE. Unfortunately I could not afford a composite surfski at that time but determined to start saving. Then a few weeks later Graham Mackereth from Pyranha got in contact to say that Pyranha and Think had been working on a new prototype PE surfski and would I be interested in testing it....? Having never paddled a surfski before this test I guess I am a good person to test a boat primarily designed to attract newcomers to the sport.

Introduction
The recent introduction of PE surfskis by manufacturers such as Pyranha/Think and Epic to the market is clearly aimed at attracting potential first time surfski users, who have perhaps been put off purchasing one due to the high cost of composite surfskis. The Octane is a collaboration between two highly respected companies: Pyranha and Think. My first impression was that the Octane is a fantastic blend of Pyranha's skills in making high performance PE boats and Think's design expertise in high performance surfskis. In dazzling white PE, the long, narrow test boat ,which was the Pyranha Octane version, gave no impression that this boat had been toned down to appeal to a mass market. It even looks fast at rest. Indeed at 539cm long but only 53cm wide, this is very much a surfski of contemporary performance orientated proportions and although primarily intended to attract those new to surfskis, it is marketed at intermediate to advanced paddlers from other kayak disciplines. Although I will be discussing the Pyranha Octane, all points also relate to the Think Nitro, which shares the same design and fittings and is made in the same mould in the same factory. I will not only report how I found paddling the Octane in particular but will make some general comments about how an experienced closed deck sea kayaker has found the transition to a surfski. I do hope that experienced surfski paddlers will bear with me on this, you after all are already converts!

Gearing up for surfskiing
Newcomers to surfski's will need to be aware that some general paddling gear is different to that needed when paddling a surfski. Whatever the weather, you will be running hotter if you paddle a surfski anywhere near its potential.  In the summer/ autumn conditions of the test, with sea temperatures of 19C falling to 15C and air temperatures from 22C down to 12C it is very easy to overheat. I wore either Polartec Aquashell shorts and T shirt or a shorty 3mm neoprene wetsuit later in the season. In the spring, when the water temperature was 9C with air temperature of 6C, I wore a full 3mm wetsuit when practicing remounting or a full Polartec Aquashell suit when paddling hard. You will need to use a leash round your leg. A capsized surfski floats high in the water and can blow away faster than you can swim. You might also want a paddle leash though I did not bother. My multi-pocketed sea kayaking BA proved to be too hot and too bulky for remounts. I tried my windsurfing impact/flotation vest but even it proved too hot and still made remounts more difficult. I ended up not wearing a BA in some of my sessions but made sure I was wearing the leash. There are surfski specific BA's (some of them inflatable) which you would be wise to invest in, especially if you want to race. Straight away I loved the simplicity of the surfski with only paddle, leash and paddler required to make it go. What a contrast to sea kayaking with spray decks, tow ropes, spare paddles, compass, pumps etc. etc. Having said that, I did not use the surfski for expeditions. All my trips on the Octane were no longer than half day trips and my usualk distance was only 12km.

The test environment
This test was carried out over a period of August to October 2016 and April 2017 in Fleet Bay on the Solway Firth which offers a very wide variety of paddling conditions. In the predominant S to W winds, swell from the Irish Sea enters the bay. In other directions it is more sheltered. It is possible to paddle on flat water for 2km up the River Fleet which enters the head of the bay. The bay is tidal (6.5m neaps - 9m springs tidal range) and empties completely at low tide. For three hours round low water there is an area of about 3 square kilometres where the water is no more than chest deep. This whole area can be filled with breaking waves when the ebb tide runs against an incoming swell: "the white steeds of the Solway". The waves travel at 15 to 25km/hr depending how deep the water is. In the upper half of the bay a south facing steep, sandy beach provides great surf at high tide when swell is coming up the Irish Sea. Tides across the mouth of the bay run at 4 knots springs. All in all it is a great venue to provide a variety of conditions in which to test a surfski. Sea state during the test ranged from the biggest summer swell that has hit the UK this year, to wind over tide conditions round the headlands, to flat calm. Wind during test sessions varied from F0 to F5. At the start of the test I was 90kg and so fitted in the middle of the manufacturer's guide weight range of 60 to 115kg. At the end of the test I was 78kg. Maybe there are hidden benefits in  surfski lark? I used a 210cm wing paddle.

Features and ergonomics
The Octane has a long, high bow which maximises waterline length and effectively sheds water and resists pearling. This sweeps back into a high sided cockpit (see later) with cutaway sides forward in the paddle catchment area. The bucket seat was deep and supportive and did not interfere with rotation. Slimmer paddlers might want to add a little padding, I certainly needed some as I lost weight. The cockpit is quite narrow towards the pedals. I have bulky leg muscles and I would not have wanted it to be much narrower. Lighter built paddlers should have no problem. The rudder pedals operate and slide easily and the cables self adjust. Despite the tracks being mounted on the plastic sides of the cockpit, the pedals are very firmly mounted with little give, even when pushing on and pressing hard with the feet during sprints. In the cockpit midline there is a combined fitting to hold a small water bottle and attach a leash. There is a small forward hatch cover giving access to the large volume of the front half of the boat. I couldn't reach it from the seat. I would not like to use this as a "day hatch" on the water anyway as it gives access to the whole front compartment, with a resultant flooding risk. Above the hatch there is a drain bung, which is very helpful in draining water out the front half of the Octane when it is upturned. There are quality alloy handles at the bow, stern and on either side of the cockpit. This was a prototype boat and the side handles had not been positioned quite right for balance, which made carrying awkward. On production versions the handles have been repositioned. The bow and stern handles might be OK on a light composite surfski but they are too small to get your whole hand in and this makes it awkward if two people are carrying the relatively heavy PE surfski. There is an effective self bailer in the cockpit floor but until you get the knack and give it some silicone spray it is quite stiff to operate with your heel. It starts working at about 8km/hr and really sucks the cockpit dry when you catch a wave. The rear deck is low with some deck elastics behind the seat which is the ideal place for a dry bag. There is a large oval Kayaksport rear hatch cover. Inside there is a water tight bulkhead of black foam between the rear compartment and the seat. To the rear of the opening, there is a vertical slab of black foam up the mid line of the rear compartment which is presumably to help stiffen this thin part of the surf ski. The removable deck cover for the rudder mechanism did not fit well but I understand this has been remedied in the production Octane.

On the underside of the Octane lateral chines or rails run almost the entire length of the boat. A slight V at the bow soon washes out into a gently rounded but predominantly flat section for most of the length to the stern between the chines. There is little rocker from the bow to the cockpit area but rocker then increases to the stern. This Octane was fitted with a carbon fibre under hull rudder which is ideal for use on open water but a retracting over stern rudder is available as an option for use in shallower water, which may be found in rivers etc. The axis of rotation of the under hull rudder is set back from its leading edge which gives very effective turning for a small blade area. The quality of moulding on this prototype boat was outstanding especially given the complex shape of a surf ski. I expected it to be quite flexible but it was remarkably stiff, especially from the bow to the cockpit. I suspect this is why the Octane has relatively high cockpit sides, otherwise a PE boat of this length and width might have been very flexible in the middle. There is more flex in the thin stern of the Octane and Pyranha/Think make a feature of this, claiming it helps to catch following seas. The test boat came with screw inserts for the mast foot and side stays for the P&H/Flat Earth sailing rig. I fitted my own rig to the boat using the afore mentioned bung to mount the back stay and sheet pulley and tying cleats to the side handles for the sheet and uphaul. Another demo Octane had the uphaul and sheet cleats mounted at the front of the cockpit but not being tall, I could not reach them there.

Paddling the Octane on flat water.


On flat water the Octane was far more stable than I was expecting, especially when moving. The forward from the stern mounted under hull rudder is very effective at turning the Octane either at low speed or particularly at high speed. I found the Octane was much more manoeuvrable than a traditional touring sea kayak like the P&H Quest. Due to its length and relative narrowness, the Octane’s displacement speed on flat water is significantly greater than a conventional shorter sea kayak. I found my cruising speed was at least 3km/hr faster and my flat water burst speed was probably 5km/hr faster than my Cetus MV. It encourages you to paddle fast, over my first 3 outings I managed 375 minutes of having my heart rate above 85% of my age related maximum! I think a surfski on flat water would be great boat for the fitness paddlers out there. Indeed some casual observers (who had been watching the 2016 Olympics on TV) mistook it for a K1 racing kayak. However, the Octane and other surfskis are much more versatile than a K1, especially downwind on swell in open sea conditions. The Octane would also be great for those who want to try competitive paddling on open water without the full cost of a composite surfski. In the 2016 year's Oban sea kayak race, 16 out of 47 competitors were using surfskis and took the first 9 places.

While testing, I paddled with a friend who has an Epic V8. It was interesting talking to him as he had taken up surfskiing from sea kayaking because he had never managed to develop a reliable roll in a sea kayak. He could remount his V8 effortlessly in rough water. We swapped boats and straight away I found it easier to remount the V8 from port than the Octane. The V8 is a little longer and wider than the Octane but the real difference is that the V8 cockpit sides are lower with respect to the water and it is easier to lift/kick yourself out the water and across the cockpit. In the composite V8 blue tip, I was pleased to find that my maximum sprint speed was almost exactly the same as in the new PE Octane. Of course once the Octane hull has gathered scuffs it may be slower than a similar aged composite boat. On a later paddle I discovered that my maximum sprint speed in the Octane was 97.6% of my maximum speed in a friend’s Epic V8 Pro Black Tip. That is really quite remarkable. Obviously 2.4m in every hundred is a race winner or loser but for recreational use, it is hardly significant.

The vast majority of recreational paddlers in the Fleet Bay test area use recreational sit on tops, some of them are very experienced and several expressed an interest in and tried the Octane. None have ever expressed an interest in my traditional sea kayaks.

Angus who is a competent sit on top paddler...

..took to the Octane straight away (albeit on flat water) and as he disappeared towards the horizon shouted back "I am amazed at the speed!"

No one who tried it capsized, and all like Angus, were amazed at its speed. Two SoT paddlers are now considering purchasing one. Perhaps experienced sit on top kayakers like Angus are a potential market for PE surfskis?

The Octane in rough water

If you go surfskiing in rough water you need to be prepared to fall in and therefore need to practice deep water remounts. If you do a Google search for "surfski remount Oscar Chalupsky" you will find a great video of the technique by the master himself. I can manage pretty well remounting from the starboard side but initially had real problems on port. Three years ago I had an accident, which resulted in tearing several vital "components" off the bone in my left shoulder. When trying to remount on port I get a pain that feels like the surgical repair is going to give way. I have been working on this and have got better. I found a powerful breast stroke kick to get out the water and onto the surfski was more successful for me than the scissors type freestyle kick that Oscar uses in the video. During the early part of the test therefore, in conditions when I felt I needed to be able to remount on either side, I restricted myself to paddling at low tide in chest deep water in the locations mentioned above.

 At first I really missed a sea kayak's thigh braces and the control that they give in rough water. On my first day in the Octane I was paddling a fast Taran 16 sea kayak in rough water then went straight to the Octane. It took me some time to adjust. I found the best way to deal with rough water in the surfski is to paddle fast. I was using wings and possibly my paddles were spending a little more time in the water than when I am paddling a conventional sea kayak. I used a higher stroke rate than when I was paddling the Taran 16 (with the same paddle but with the shaft set 10cm longer at 220cm in the Taran). Basically when the paddle is in the water, it is not just providing forward drive it is also providing support. Once I had learned to lean on the paddle I enjoyed driving the Octane through the waves.

There is however, one situation in which I have not fully got to grips with surfski paddling. I regularly paddle out round some small islands a little offshore. On the way back in, the swell wraps round the islands and comes at you from both rear quarters. I am very used to these waters and this presents no problems in boats like my Aries 155. On the Octane I am afraid that on occasions I had to resort to dropping my lower legs over the side. Despite the Octane's speed potential in these conditions I found it frustrating to be dragging my legs in the water! Then I got into open, clear water with a following wind and swell. Well I have never caught so many waves in my life! It was a revelation. Unlike my Aries, in which I usually can't catch open water swell without a sail, I could paddle and accelerate the Octane fast enough to catch just about any swell I fancied. The Octane accelerates so rapidly that is sometimes too easy to out run the wave so (just like paddle sailing a conventional kayak in these conditions) you paddle hard to catch the wave then ease off a bit to stay on it. Once on a swell the rudder holds the line and I frequently recorded maximum burst speeds of near 25km/hr. Downwind in swell and waves is where the Octane and other surfskis really excel compared with conventional sea kayaks.

The Octane in the surf zone?


I am not so convinced about surf skis in the surf zone near the shore. First of all they are more difficult than a decked kayak to get out if a dumper lands and fills your cockpit. Secondly in conditions when paddling in and out through the surf in shorter conventional kayaks (like the Hammer, Delphin and Aries) is a great deal of fun, the length of the Octane proved much harder work. Following a capsize in the  breaking surf, in a decked kayak you have a good chance of rolling up but in the Octane I ended up washed up on the beach every time. Of course my inexperience of surfskis in the surf zone needs to be borne in mind.

Camping from the Octane?

You can camp from a surfski. Three people I know go camping trips in Epic V6 surf skis. Would I go camping in the Octane? Probably not. The rear compartment has a vertical slab of black foam up the mid line so it is not as spacious as it looks. Entry to the capacious bow is limited by a very small hatch so multiple small dry bags secured by a leash are the way to go. A small tent and sleeping bag fit easily in the rear compartment. My friends are masters of lightweight camping. I prefer my comforts and the space and easy loading of a conventional sea kayak. I also like easy access to things like cameras, snacks, GPS etc that a conventional decked kayak offers. If I did camp from the Octane I would fit the optional over stern rudder to make landing with a loaded boat easier.

The Octane in winter?

The West Coast of Scotland is not Australia so would I use the Octane in a Scottish winter? I am really not sure and did not do so during the recent winter. I suspect by the time I am adorned in a dry suit with insulation, my willingness to push myself would diminish and I would end up cold. I suspect if I wanted to paddle fast on a winter day trip I would choose a fast decked kayak like a Taran 16 instead. So I put the Octane away on 31/10/2016 and brought it out of hibernation on 1/4/2017. Of course if I was competing, winter training sessions might hold more appeal!

Paddle sailing the Octane? 

Regular readers of this blog will know of my keenness for paddle sailing so I was salivating with the prospect of giving it a go on the Octane. Setting off upwind with the sail folded, I found it tended to get in the way of the paddle cut outs on the forward cockpit sides so I ended up resting the folded sail between my toes. As I could not reach the folded boom I also found it more difficult to secure the folded sail than on my conventional sea kayak. On flat water in F3-F4 the Octane paddle sailed really well, especially on a broad reach. It was so easy to maintain maximum displacement speed that very little paddling effort was required. However, as a result I tended to get cold. When using the sail downwind in decent waves in F3-F5 there is a lot of excitement but actually I did not catch any more waves than when just paddling the Octane (albeit hard) without the sail. Once I caught a wave the speed increased and the apparent wind moved forward and back winded the sail. A complication of not paddling so hard when the sail is up is that you get less support from the paddle and this can lead to some hairy wobbles. However, just like on a conventional kayak, the sail seemed to steady the Octane on confused water. Where I found the Octane most fun with a sail was on choppy water with a cross off shore wind in about F4-F5. However, I also windsurf and I am afraid if I have to choose between a surfski (with or without a sail) or a windsurfer in a F4-F5 wind there is absolutely no contest...considering the correct tool for the job, it is the windsurfer every time! So while I am a great advocate of paddle sailing a conventional sea kayak, either to help catch waves down wind or to ease the load on a heavily laden camping trip, I am afraid I am less convinced by the need for a sail on a surfski. Of course if you do not also windsurf you are going to have a lot of excitement on an Octane with a sail and Pyranha are to be lauded for giving you the choice by having inserts for sail fittings moulded in as standard.

Problems/wear and tear?

Despite being a preproduction model, this has been one of the most trouble free kayaks I have used. Its PE construction has stood the rigours of been left on an open beach. The rudder and peddle operation has been faultless. The only problems have included a small leak of water into the rear compartment and a very small leak into the front. The source of the rear leak has been identified and production models modified. The front is almost certainly due to the breather tube (which is necessary on a surfski) being submerged during remounting practice. The Octane has of course spent considerable time on its side and upside down in the water as I and others have practiced remounts. Lastly the foot peddle rubbers both became detached after an extended wet session. These have been changed on production boats.

Conclusion

The Pyranha Octane/ Think Nitro is a stunning surfski that just happens to be made of PE. It is the synthesis of each company's expertise. Its robust PE construction opens up surfskiing to those whose budget cannot stretch to a composite surfski, those who paddle in shallow or rocky water or those who might have undercover storage problems for an expensive composite surfski of this length. Do not think that cheaper construction means a watered down shape. This is a true high performance design. It is not suitable for beginners to paddling but anyone who has spent time in a river, sea or sit on top kayak should not find it too big a step up. If you are into racing you will not be at the top of the leaderboard but if you are in a mixed field with conventional sea kayaks you won’t be at the bottom either.

The Octane must be the most accessible way into the exciting world of downwind and down-swell surfskiing but it will also be a great way into open or flat water racing or, if you are of solitary disposition, fitness paddling. You can also add a sail if you want even more excitement. All this fun will leave a huge smile on your face but will still leave a significant wodge of cash in your wallet. What's not to like? On a personal level, I have greatly enjoyed recreational fitness and fun paddling on the Octane/Nitro. It is not by coincidence that I have lost 19kg during the period of the test. Today,

I am really sad to see the Octane go back to P&H today. I understand it is now going to SeaKayakOban where it will be part of their demo fleet. So If you are in the area and fasncy a trial contact Stuart or Cathy. The only reason I would not now buy an Octane is due to spinal arthritis making it an awkward lift. So I am now half way to saving up to buy a composite surfski ….. but which one?

Specifications

Length: 539cm
Width: 53cm
Weight: 23.5kg claimed 24.1kg as tested with hatch covers
. Price: £1095 with under hull rudder. £1,150 with over stern rudder


Conflict of Interest.
I have had free use of the demo Octane from August 2016 until its return on 21st April 2017. I have had a long standing unpaid relationship with Pyranha/P&H in which they discuss ideas for new products then lend me prototypes, I report back identifing any problems and they fix them. I own several personal kayaks from Dagger, Pyranha, P&H, Rockpool and Valley, all bought retail, so I am not dependent on Pyranha/P&H to go paddling!

VE Voyager paddle, long term comparative test and review.

Our little group are great fans of VE Paddles Explorer sea kayaking paddles, David, Mike, Phil and myself all use them. I now want to feed back on an exciting new development: a high aspect touring blade from VE. The new VE Voyager AirCore is suitable for both high and low angle paddling and is designed to have a very gentle catch.

Due to my ill health and inclement weather this review has been much delayed but the paddle has now covered a total of 350km and been paddled by myself and 5 others on a number of day trips which have varied between F0 to F4. The locations have included the Solway Firth, the Firth of Clyde and the area round the Sound of Arisaig. On most trips, we alternated between the VE Voyager, the VE Explorer small, the Werner Cyprus and a Lettmann Blacklight Greenland paddle for 5km each. On other trips Tony who normally uses a Werner Cyprus used the VE Voyager for a 30km trip, and David used the Voyager on 70km in separate tripos. I covered the remainder of the distance alternating between the VE Voyager, the VE Explorer small and large, the Werner Cyprus and a Lettmann Blacklight GP.

Phil, above, took to the Voyager straight away. Though Phil is a natural high angle paddler, he liked it both for high angle and low angle paddling.

He loved the soft catch, the lack of flutter and the lack of wrist strain even under hard acceleration. He also praised its ability to maintain speed as he disappeared over the horizon. He particularly liked the easy and clean exit. He preferred to VE Voyager to his current favourite paddle the VE Explorer small.

Mike alternates between his Werner Cyprus cranks and his VE Explorer small on a straight shaft. Mike commented about how easy and relaxing it was to use the Voyager in low angle style. He particularly liked the gentle catch. He found it very effective for bow and stern rudder strokes. He only tried the paddle in calm conditions and would like to try it in rougher water and surf before giving up on his Explorer. He also noted a bit of give when pulling on the blade. This was almost certainly due to the glass fibre shaft compared with the carbon shaft in his own VE Explorer. Mike felt he preferred the carbon shaft.

Original VE two piece join, results in halves being different length.

Mike noticed that the split paddle has two different sized halves. This is because the shaft has been cut exactly in the middle so that the leverlock is in the middle when the shaft is at its shortest. (Of course when the shaft is extended, it is offset). He found that the longer half would not fit in his cockpit which has a custom bulkhead, neither would it fit in his Subaru Impreza boot. David also found the longer half would not fit in his BMW E46 3 series boot. This meant we could not put all our gear in the cockpit and get the cockpit cover on when we trolleyed the kayaks onto a ferry or put them onto the roofrack when running a shuttle.

Scottish Lendal join, results in two halves of equal length.

Scottish Lendal used to cut the shaft to one side of the midline and fit the joining spigot to the shorter half. (The Lendal shaft above is not adjustable in length but Lendal adjustable length shafts were also cut like this.) This results in the two halves being as short as possible, which is the whole point of having a two piece. It makes it easier to transport. I fed this back to Stu at VE paddles and he has taken the comments on board. He will now offer a further option to split the two piece shaft asymmetrically to make more equal halves to suit those customers who need their two pieces as short as possible. Well done Stu!

David normally paddles with a VE small blade paddle. He took to the Voyager straight away and particularly liked it for low angle paddling and the gentle catch.

He praised it for how light it felt and how little it stressed his arthritic joints giving an effortless feel to paddling.

He did wonder if it might feel too light in the water and initially like Mike wanted to reserve judgement until he had tried it in rougher water before deciding whether he preferred it to his Explorer.

He did not have long to wait. Just after this photo was taken, the west wind got up and blew straight into the south channel of Loch Moidart out of which the east going spring ebb was running. It got rather too rough to take out my Canon 5D Mk 3 but David tackled the rough stuff with gusto. He preferred the slightly bigger Voyager blade to his Explorer small. He also appreciated the softer glass shaft to his stiffer carbon Explorer shaft.

At the end of David's 70km with the VE Voyager he was extremely reluctant to hand it back. Indeed I had to wrest it back from his grip. He hung on fiercely despite the cold affecting his arthritic hands. (Note the Walker's crisp bag pogies (sea salt and vinegar of course).

When he first tried the VE Voyager, Maurice had had a long hard day's paddle the previous day and his wrists were aching from not having used his Werner Cyprus paddle for some months. (Both Tony and I also find this if we have not used the Cyprus for a while.) Maurice could not believe how light the Voyager felt when pulling in the water compared to his usual Cyprus paddle.

Mike on the left with the Explorer, Maurice on the left with the Voyager at the start of a 37km round of Loch Nevis and Loch Morar.

Maurice also commented how the Voyager had a more gentle catch and less flutter than the Cyprus even when accelerating hard. He was also surprised by the power of the Voyager blades. One unexpected result of this particular day was that both Mike and Maurice tried the GP after trying the Voyager. They had each tried the GP once before after using their Cyprus paddles. In those tests neither of them liked the GP. This time they both appreciated the GP more after having tried the Voyager first! Although Maurice preferred the VE Voyager to his own Werner Cyprus and is looking for a second paddle, he felt the Voyager was too close in style to his Werners and is thinking of buying a GP as a second paddle.

Tony was very surprised about how powerful the Voyager was despite the gentle catch. He could not wait to sprint ahead. He thought it worked very well when pushing on but without causing strain. He, like me, had only paddled once in four months and though his muscles were aching after the 30km crossing to Arran, he did not complain about sore joints, which he had noticed on the same crossing after a similar lay off. On that occasion he used his Werner Cyprus. He found the Voyager paddle to be a bit heavier in the hands than his Cyprus and said he would be keen to test the Voyager with cranks on a carbon shaft.

As far as my own impression is concerned, I echo the comments about clean entry and exit, the gentle catch, the surprising power with lack of flutter and the low strain on my joints when pushing on. Like Phil, I found the Voyager worked equally well in high or low paddling styles and it certainly is no slouch if you are paddling hard with a high angle stroke (which both Phil and Tony favoured when using the Voyager).  Due to the recent weather we have not yet tried paddling when loaded on a camping expedition but the ease of paddling on a day trip bodes well for their use when loaded on longer trips.

With regard to the Voyager shaft on test, it is made of glass fibre rather than the carbon in the Explorer shafts we were comparing it with. I am sure that this contributes to the lack of strain on the joints. It does not lead to a noticeably heavier paddle.  Tony did note a weight increase over his Cyprus paddle but it does not have spigot that allows extension by 10cm. Phil thought the Voyager was lighter than his Explorer with carbon shaft! (Maybe this was due to the lower swing weight due to the high aspect blade). The shaft was a two piece with the excellent lever-lok which gives infinite adjustment of feather and 10cm difference to length. It has also proved remarkably reliable. (In comparison, I like many people, have discovered that the Werner joint can wear to give play (four of us use Werner Cyprus paddles and two have developed play). SystemX the UK importer have been very supportive of affected customers and have arranged for a good number of replacement splines to be fitted though this means doing without your paddle for up to six weeks as it is sent to the USA.

Being able to shorten a paddle by 10cm makes a great difference at the end of a long hard day, especially if against wind or tide. In comparison, the fixed length of the Werner Cyprus can be tiring at the end of a long day. The Voyager paddle was supplied with optional indexing on both sides which suits those that like to paddle with a low feather angle. All of us who use Werner Cyprus paddles appreciated this as they are also indexed on both sides. The Voyager index was a comfortable  shape and had a nice smooth but matt finish which gave a very good grip. The indexing was perfect with the shaft set to the shortest length. However, at full 10cm extension only half of my hands' width were on the indexing and I think the indexing should come further in. At full 10cm extension the indexing is 55cm apart, which is great for the wider grip when high angle paddling. When using a low angle paddle style, I tend to keep the hands a bit narrower, about 50cm apart. This was the distance apart that Scottish Lendal used on cranked paddles for touring compared with 55cm for their performance cranks *. A narrower grip contributes to the relaxed nature of low angle paddling as you lift the hand less high on the forward stroke. On a long paddling day this saves your shoulders a lot of lifting.

I fed this information back to Stu at VE paddles and guess what? Flexible and obliging as always Stu now offers the paddle grip indexing on not just both shafts but it now extends further in to keep your hands on the indexing even when the paddle is fully extended.

Durability. The test paddle had already been used before we took delivery. At the end of this test the blade edges were pristine, despite several rocky encounters. This is a very hard wearing paddle design which is much more resistant to damage than foam core blades from other manufacturers. The joint mechanism operated faultlessly throughout the test.

In conclusion, the VE Voyager seems to have found a real sweet spot for sea touring blade shape. It is an outstanding touring paddle. Despite a gentle catch it has a powerful, flutter free blade that allows both low and high angle paddling styles. I think the degree of flex in the fiberglass shaft compliments its intended use as a touring paddle and personally I am willing to trade a little extra weight for the shaft's greater flexibility. The ability to shorten the shaft at the end of a tiring day, on the water and without tools adds to its suitability as a long distance touring paddle. Lastly the ability to customise and tailor the design to your exact requirements by talking directly with the manufacturer and designer sure beats buying an off the shelf, mass produced product.

Specifications of the Euro paddles used in this comparative test:

VE Voyager AirCore carbon fibre blades, two piece, glass fibre, straight shaft 2.15-2.25m, 860g, blade area 642cm2, price as tested £294.00.

Compared with:

VE Explorer AirCore carbon fibre AirCore blades two piece carbon fibre straight shaft 2.00-2.10m 810g, blade area 615cm2

Werner Cyprus carbon fibre foam core blades two piece carbon fibre crank shaft 2.10 fixed 710g, blade area 615cm2

The VE Voyager AirCore (and Explorer AirCore) blades are available in carbon and the shafts are available in a wide variety of specifications: straight or cranked, in glass or carbon and indexed on either or both sides.

Further information at http://vepaddles.com and from info@vepaddles.co.uk

* Leif commented about using a slightly narrower grip for a low angle paddling style.

I originally got the tip about low angle grip spacing from Alistair Wilson of Lendal paddles in Scotland. He had competed in 1000m K1 sprint in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics. After he retired from Lendal he continued to paddle recreationally, covering large distances rather quickly. He had also changed his paddling style to a much lower angle than his former racing stroke. (The kayak is a very light 1976 K1.)

P&H Scorpio MK2 MV in CoreLite X: first impressions.

I have recently published a long term review of the Scorpio MK2 MV in the standard roto moulded plastic CoreLite. This proved to be the kayak I spent most time in last year, I liked it very much indeed. This new version in CoreLiteX promises to be both lighter and stiffer. Though I was away seakayaking for a week at the Glenuig Inn in NW Scotland at the time,  I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of the first boats off the production line. This was courtesy of Mathew Wilkinson of P&H, Cam Allan of Gokayaking Perth and my regular paddling buddy Phil Toman who between them got it transported for me. Thank you all.

Unwrapping the boat revealed a blemish free exterior in a very fetching turquoise, which I think is just a little more vivid than the turquoise of last year's model. I particularly liked the use of yellow for the deck lines and elastics. The boat was already all fitted up for paddle sailing and It is the first time I have every unwrapped a sea kayak and then got it set up for paddle sailing in less time than it took to cut the wrapper off!

Inside the cockpit and the hatches was not quite so smooth as normal P&H RM finish because P&H are still tweaking the RM process for the new materials, which have different flow rates as they cool.

The overall weight of the test boat fitted with a skudder was the same as a composite Quest with a keel strip. As the moulding process is refined it is likely that production kayaks will be even lighter than the test kayak,

When two people carry a normal RM kayak to the beach a "boing" sets up as the kayak flexes up and down between the bow and stern as they walk. This CoreLite X Scorpio kayak did not do this. Remarkably, it felt as stiff as a composite kayak.

This initial testing took place on waters that were flat calm with zero wind to rough with F4 wind over tide conditions. Phil agreed to give up his beloved Quest and act as photographic model. He could not help smiling as he settled into the comfortable ergonomic cockpit.

One thing I noticed with the standard CoreLite Scorpio Mk2 MV was that its maximum sprint speed was a bit down on my composite Cetus MV.  I think that as the boat flexed it absorbed some of my paddling energy that would otherwise have driven it forward. Phil is the fastest paddler in our group and he was keen to...

 ...give the CorteLite X Scorpio laldy. He agreed with me that the stiffness on the water was unparalleled in a RM boat and Phil had no difficulty reaching his normal sprint speed.

  Fortunately for us he was enjoying paddling the new boat so much that he turned and came back.

On our second island Phil and I swapped over and I put the CoreLite X Scorpio through its paces. Stiff, stiff, stiff was my overriding impression.

This boat came with skudder and the new P&H sail from Flat Earth, which appears to be identical to the FE TradeWind 80 design. (Previous P&H and FE designs in the UK have leapfrogged each other as new designs were introduced.) I will report back on this after further testing.

The large cockpit certainly makes it easy to get in and out of the Scorpio MK2 MV cockpit. Neither Phil nor I can do this in a Quest.

The clean lines and immaculate exterior of the Scorpio MK2 MV are not what you expect of an RM kayak. It looked just as good as the composite kayaks on the beach!

On a 3.5km paddle straight into a F3 wind, Phil in the CoreLite X Scorpio again shot ahead of the composite boats and...

 ...I had to persuade him to slow down for some more photos.

After a final stop on an island we agreed that Phil and Maurice would use sails on the final 3.5km crossing while the rest of the party would paddle across at a more leisurely pace.

This was Phil leaving the lee of the island. It was the last we saw of the paddle sailors till we arrived back at base. The wind increased to F4 against the spring ebb tide and it got rough. I have no photos of this as I was using my Canon 5d mk3 (which despite its price, is decidedly non waterproof). The paddlers found the conditions exhilarating but the paddle sailors had an absolute blast. Phil said he never once felt he was in a poly boat. Despite steep confused waves, he was aware of no flex in the CoreLite X Scorpio. All he could think about was that he was going faster, where he wanted to go and in more control than he could have managed paddle sailing his composite Quest.

 In short steep waves on the Solway...

 ...the stiffness of the CoreLite X really shone through and...

 ...the Scorpio gave nothing away to the composite boats.

The stiffness of the CoreLite X also benefited the Scorpio Mk2 MV's performance with a sail. Every gust drove it forward rather than wasting energy bending it. The CoreLite X and composite boats were paddle sailing neck and neck.

I have the demo boat for at least 3 months and will report back further at the end of the test period. One thing that Phil and I both noticed was that the seat did not seem as comfortable as that in the Scorpio Mk2 MV in standard CoreLite which I returned to P&H in January 2016. As the kayaks are supposedly identical, some further investigation was called for. It turns out that the seat had not been fitted square in the boat. The seat was one notch forward on one side. These adjustment notches are not designed for user adjustments. They are for the manufacturer to fit the same seat to different kayaks. It proved to be a real difficult, expletive laden job to straighten it out. This boat was one of the first batch to be sent out to coaches, testers and team paddlers and I have to admit I was guilty of badgering for early delivery. It is something P&H will need to watch out for once commercial production and deliveries start.

This is my first overall impression of CoreLite X construction:
I think that given the demo CoreLite X Scorpio's outstanding stiffness and resistance to flex that one of the traditional reasons for choosing a composite boat over an RM one has now gone. Indeed if P&H can reproduce the weight/stiffness ratio of this test boat into full scale production then I believe they will have achieved a major step forward in kayak construction. The main reason for choosing a composite boat over RM (CoreLite X) may become dependent on how badly you want a glitter finish!