Sea Kayaking Articles from P&H Staff, Team Paddlers, and Friends

Tag: Sea Kayak for Day Trips

The P&H Volan; A Tale of Two Boats

The developmental road of the Volan has been a long one, and we thank the members of our global network of specialist dealers and P&H Pro Paddlers who packed generous amounts of energy and enthusiasm, and joined us for the journey…

We originally announced the concept, a complementary pairing of polyethylene and composite, lightweight sea kayaks focused on day and weekend trips, at PADDLEexpo in 2018. Whilst many have found their perfect, two-boat fleet in a combination of an Aries or Delphin, and a Cetus or Scorpio, we also recognised that not all had the necessary funds or storage space for two boats and that this new range also had the potential to fulfil the needs of those paddlers.

We soon reached a fork in the developmental road, though; one path led to a shorter design with a relatively straight keel, whilst the other’s destination was a 16’ sea kayak with pronounced rocker. We decided to explore both, with the former becoming the polyethylene Virgo (you can read more about the Virgo in its own blog post), and the latter becoming the composite Volan.

The Volan is 16’ in length with a pronounced rocker profile and subtle chines, which in combination, allow the boat to swing around nimbly in the surf, and keep the weight low, reducing the effort required to move the boat around both on and off the water.

Our 50+ years of cross-discipline design experience shine through once again, including the incorporation of the innovative wave deflectors seen in recent Pyranha models, deflecting spray outwards, away from the paddler when powering through chop, and creating dynamic bow lift without excessive volume or rocker.

The Volan’s combination of a planing, mid-section hull and finely tailored chines is enhanced by decades of experience with the performance characteristics of this type of hull in the Pyranha range of whitewater kayaks, ensuring the edges are tuned to engage when desired without hindering the paddler otherwise. The hull shape and dimensions promote planing performance and manoeuvrability at high speed on a wave yet retain tracking and efficiency at the lower speeds associated with normal paddling.

In that vein, the Volan eschews the school of thought which says a sea kayak must be unstable when motionless to perform in motion, and is exceptionally stable when flat, yet comes alive at the influence of your paddle strokes or the engagement of an edge.

The properties of the Volan’s hull are amplified by our advanced construction offerings; Lightweight Kevlar/Carbon Infusion offers incredible, industry-leading weight saving, hull stiffness, and durability, for higher performance, lower exertion, and increased longevity. Learn more on our constructions page.

In summary, the Volan’s features include:

  • The renowned comfort of our Connect outfitting
  • All the predictably smooth characteristics of the Cetus in a lighter, more compact format for shorter journeys and easier portaging, transport, and storage.
  • Influences from the Aries, such as a wave-piercing bow, to enhance the play potential of the responsive, compact design with lower swing weight.
  • A planing, mid-section hull with subtle chines, which can carve on a wave face and manoeuvred using traditional techniques during normal paddling.
  • A rocker profile tailored to partner with the intent of the hull design, whilst working with the bow wave deflectors to produce a dry ride in a wide variety of water conditions.
  • Exceptional stability, making a great platform for all abilities to take in the sights, whether that’s with your eyes or a camera.
  • Balanced sheerline and deck profile, allowing simple trimming with the skeg to neutralise the effect of wind and waves.
  • Low-profile back deck and cockpit rim for easier rolling and re-entry.
  • Bow, Stern, and Day Hatches as standard, with optional Pod Hatch, allowing paddlers to choose between the weight saving or additional storage.
  • The most comprehensive range of construction and custom options available. Create your own, bespoke P&H Sea Kayak on our customiser.

We’re proud to offer a performance, composite sea kayak which combines the essence of both the Aries and Cetus in a single, compact, lightweight design, making it equally competent from simple excursions over a long-weekend to a few hours of fun in the surf, and all the varied trips in between; the Volan.

The P&H Virgo: A Polyethylene Sea Kayak That Takes Day & Weekend Trips Seriously

How often do your sea kayak excursions extend beyond a long weekend?

If the answer is ‘rarely’, you’re not alone; in speaking to our customers, colleagues, and counterparts, it became clear to us that few sea kayak trips justify the length and storage capacity of expedition-ready models such as the Scorpio.

While we’re proud to say that the Scorpio’s meticulous design means that there’s little disadvantage in manoeuvrability, and that our advanced CoreLite X material helps keep weight to a minimum, it’s hard to bring the boat weight lower or make transport and storage any easier without losing some of that length.

It’s at this point that the Virgo was conceptualised; a compact, but uncompromising sea kayak for weekend warriors.

P&H Virgo CX with Bow Mini Hatch in Ocean Turquoise
P&H Virgo CX with Bow Mini Hatch in Ocean Turquoise

In many ways, the Virgo is a successor to the firmly-established Easky 15, but almost 20 years on, it’s safe to say boat design and features have come a long way!

Our focus was on retaining the familiar stability and hull speed, complimenting the surf potential that a boat of such manageable size and weight creates with a carving rail, and packing in all the essential features you’d expect of any other sea kayak in the P&H range, including a low-profile back deck for easy rolling and re-entry, and the option of a Bow Mini Hatch just in front of the paddler.

Here’s a summary of the Virgo’s key features:

  • The short, 14’6” length increases the play potential and keeps the overall boat weight at a minimum, meaning you can really throw the Virgo around on the water all day long, and still easily lift it on to the car afterwards.
  • A V-hull cuts cleanly through the water and tracks beautifully when you’re simply headed for the horizon but softens towards the centre of the boat for comfortable stability and easy release when you’re exploring what you find there.
  • Moderate rocker allows the Virgo to pick up and carry speed efficiently when flat but swing around effortlessly on edge, perfect for catching surges and weaving in and out of every nook and cranny when rock gardening.
  • As well as responding to traditional sea kayak edging techniques, the Virgo’s hard chines engage for carving performance when edging into the turn; highly intuitive for beginner/intermediates or those from a whitewater background, and exhilaratingly responsive on a wave.
  • A moderately steep bow ensures a high proportion of the length acts as effective waterline for hull speed and combines with flared bow edges to give a dry ride through choppy water and lift the boat over waves on the paddle out from the shore.
  • Carefully planned bow deck geometry provides stiffness and strength for deep water rescues, kayak sailing, and all the other demands of a varied, memorable trip.
  • The rear deck is ergonomically shaped and minimal in height to allow easy rolling and re-entry and features a paddle shaft recess for bracing during entry, giving you the confidence to try new and more adventurous things.
  • Bulkheaded bow and stern main hatches with market-leading KajakSport hatch covers, providing ample capacity for long weekend adventures and maximum safety when exploring remote coastlines.
  • Styling and functional details such as split paddle recesses, a drop-forged, anodised aluminium security point, a paddle park, a full complement of deck lines and bungees, and comfortable, highly-adjustable and reliable outfitting are in keeping with P&H Sea Kayak design heritage and round out the Virgo’s design to make it something that’ll be a pleasure both to own and paddle.

It’s nice to have options, and on the Virgo, they are:

  • A Silva 70P compass (northern or southern hemisphere variants are available) fitted to the moulded recess in front of the bow hatch.
  • The choice of CoreLite X for hull stiffness and minimal weight, or MZ3 for high impact resistance.
  • An optional Bow Mini Hatch for close-to-hand storage of on-the-water essentials like snacks and sun cream.
  • The ability to simply and securely install a P&H Sail System using the moulded-in inserts.
  • Skeg or Skudder options with the choice of a simple cleat & cord or advanced MKII Skeg Slider System control.
P&H Virgo MZ3 in Sunbeam
P&H Virgo MZ3 in Sunbeam

You can expect to see the Virgo arriving with dealers in the UK and Europe over the next few weeks, and the following dealers have confirmed the will have a demo available:

FRANCE
Passion Nature, Saint Jean d’Illac
SWITZERLAND
SeeKajak.ch, Illnau
Siesta Oppi, Neuenegg
GERMANY
Sport Schröer, Unna
Gadermann, Norderstedt
Paddelprofi, Konstanz
DENMARK
Kano & Kajak Butikken, Søborg
NORWAY
Padlespesialisten, Arendal
FINLAND
Welhonpesä, Klaukkala
Melontapiste, Turku
North-West Import, Espoo
NETHERLANDS
Kanocentrum Arjan Bloem, Wormer
SCOTLAND
Sea Kayak Oban, Oban
ENGLAND
AS Watersports, Exeter
Wild Things, Redruth
Kent Canoes, Wrotham
Whitewater the Canoe Centre, Shepperton
South Coast Canoes, Wimborne
WALES
Summit to Sea, Holyhead
Up and Under, Cardiff
IRELAND
I-Canoe, Dublin
Bantry Bay Canoes, Cork

North America will see the Virgo reach its shores later this season; contact your local dealer to let them know you’re interested!

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