Horses for courses. I have a Nordkapp LV, classic Romany, and a standard Aquanaut. Brit boats all. Each has proven especially well suited to some aspect of the paddling I do. As far as Brit style boats being obsolete, one may note that Justine Curvegan is using Nordkapps in her recent "This is the S...

Though I know you've bought a boat, I thought I'd weigh in as an owner of a number of Brit boats who has paddled both Tempest 165s and 170s. These boats feel more like NDK boats than any other. I've often recommended the T165 as a great all round boat. It is not as much fun as a Romany but is wholly...

The Etain has a little less rocker than previous models too

An Aquanaut already takes more edge to turn well than a Nordkapp LV etc... Does an Etain require more edge than an Aquanaut?

Douglas Wilcox's preview of the Etain: http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.com/2011/ ... eview.html

This incident horrified many of us who paddle Lake George frequently. The American Canoe Association (ACA) was founded at Lake George. Lake George Kayak Company has successfully rented and sold sea kayaks on the lake for years. People have been paddling Lake George long before power boats were inven...

I'd vote for the composite. The weight difference is something you will feel at the end of a paddle and appreciate. Composite boats are a lot tougher than is often thought. I spend a decent amount of time paddling on the coast of Maine, which is very rocky, and nearly everyone with whom I've paddled...

"There is nothing like a Valley."

There are a number of very good Valley models as well as a new one coming out the beginning of next year. As long as you are trying sea kayaks, you should really have some Valleys in the mix. At your weight an Aquanaut or Nordkapp LV are definitely worth demoing.

Would you consider a webcast or taping Stan's presentation and making it available on your website? I'm afraid I've got commitments here in Albany, NY on Thursday and can't make it.

The Tempest series is akin the the Romany and Explorer. The T165 approximating an Romany, the T170 an Explorer. I think the T165 is an excellent all round boat - though I don't find it as playful as a Romany. The Zephyr was designed starting from the Dagger Meridian which itself was inspired by the ...

"I'd asked if WW kayaking could count as alternative discipline (as we do a bit) and was told no - ones proficiency had to be both single and double bladed. " I am happy to defer to higher authority on this, but in all the discussions I have had with BCU people, they regard something as a different...

The 3* syllabus is clear on pre-requisites: "Provide evidence ...3 different journeys ... 3 hours" "Provide evidence of at least 1session of about 3 hours duration in an alternative discipline" There is NO requirement to have any other star tests. A different discipline means something for which th...

Interesting discussion. Over here in my part of the States the RCO insists on single blade canoe skills on the current 2* level before assessing for most anything. Folks who held the old 3* and had gone through an amount of old 4* training have had to go back an assess for the new 2*. This past week...

Tiff-- In what respects do you think that the Aquanaut HV (aka Argonaut) is a vast improvement over the standard Aquanaut? I'd be interested as well. I've had a standard Aquanaut for 7 years and find it the best all round hull of any boat especially in clapitos or lumpy seas. While there are times ...

"...they have managed maintaining the “Valley family feeling”. It is still undeniably a Valley" I'm glad it is still a Valley and not simply an imitation of a Cetus or some such. I've had some email exchange with Peter about this new boat. I happen to like the feel and look of Valley boats. I like b...

All things besides the boat being constant, I would hazard that a QCC Q700X maybe among the fastest sea kayaks with a skeg.
http://www.qcckayaks.com/kayaks/model.asp?model=q700x

Though the boat in the picture is ruddered it is available with a skeg and I've seen more skegged than ruddered.

Directional stability can also be a factor in speed. Corrective strokes slow down the forward movement of a kayak. I've found a boat that gets knocked around in confused seas is much slower moving forward.

Sorry for redundancy, but my precis from the original poster's question. Of course the 'motor' makes the biggest difference in speed in a kayak. A kayak has no speed of its own, only its movement as a result of the paddler. There are many factors and different kayaks seem speedier in different condi...

6'1", 200 pounds, is not a particularly "larger paddler" size. Most standard size sea kayaks should fit you such as a Valley Aquanaut, SKUK (NDK) Explorer, P&H Cetus MV, etc... All three of these models are extremely capable and reassuring. The Explorer probably has the personality closest to a Temp...

My experience of British built sea kayaks is not positive, I know they are hand built and not supposed to be perfect but I have been dissapointed with every kayak I've had from the likes of Valley/Northshore/P+H, I now just buy cheap plastic kayaks from the likes of Dagger. We've got 5 composite Br...

Are there any plans for Skim boats to cross the pond? It would be great to have a chance to play with a few on this side of the Atlantic ;-)

Dagger Alchemy is a very fun boat: http://www.dagger.com/product_subcatego ... ng/alchemy

As it is only 14' (427 cm) I would be concerned about using it as a journeying boat.

Same topic current thread on paddling.net: http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=1279214 Among my favorite comments was posted by Salty: "What many may not appreciate is that a guy like Nigel views the boats as simple tools. They are very easily fixed, simple, and relatively...

The best advice is always to try as many boats as possible. No sea kayak will fit like a new school ww boat. Each boat will fit and feel a bit different. With the amount you intend to spend, you might consider a used boat. One can sometimes pick-up a used fiberglass boat for the price of a new(er) p...

You're spoiled. On this side of the pond a 6 month wait is not unusual if ordering a Brit boat ;-) I hope the delay is because there is so much demand for North Shore and Valley boats -- that would be good news. My first Valley boat took nearly 6 months in 2004 (though some of the delay was it being...

The main reason I installed Paddle Britches on my Aquanaut is not to protect the deck (though they do that well) but to provide a secure manner of stowing my spare splits in a way that I can retrieve them and stow them quickly and easily from the cockpit. My Aquanaut has only 3 pair of RDFs between ...

I've employed various systems and have found that North Water Paddle Britches http://www.northwater.com/html/products/sea_kayak/SKsubdirectory/PaddleBritches.html work best for my uses. I was skeptical, but last year a friend arrived at a weekend surf session with them on his Xcite. John Carmody bor...

Might 303 http://www.303products.com/shop303/inde ... rglass.cfm be useful? I've used it for years on my hatch covers and on my plastic boats. I've occasionally used it on my glass boats as well.

I've removed the braces (suspenders on this side of the pond) from the spray skirts I purchased that came with them. They got in the way more than they helped. All the skirts I currently use have neoprene tunnels which I prefer.

I'm glad you've moved away from considering Tsunami. As you noted it is not exactly responsive to edging etc... As you have access to Wilderness Systems boats, you might try a Tempest 165. Much more responsive than a Tsunami and very confidence inspiring. The Zephyr is also fun and secure feeling. T...

Great! Good images and information for the new Valley site! Be sure to give Mike info for this site as well.