Currituck

I have had an interesting history with this skegged kayak. I had owned one 7 years ago then sold it (without a lot of thought) to buy the ruddered Nimbus Telkwa Sport. After a couple years with the Telkwa Sport, I realized I missed the maneuverability and over all feel of the Currituck. I am not knocking the Telkwa because I had owned the regular Telkwa previous and thought that when I tested the Sport it was a lot livelier. Maybe it is just a bit more fun (sporty) & tighter fit for my size than the regular Telkwa but it is not really that much different. The Telkwa is still a great kayak but that is another story so now back to the kayak that I wished I hadn\\'t sold. I kept my eye open for a used one for a few years because I had heard that they were no longer manufacturing the Impex kayaks or Scott and Blue Water Canoes. I got lucky this winter and a used one came up at a decent price. I am only paddling the Currituck these days so now I am now selling my other two kayaks.

Any one want to buy two great & highly rated kayaks (the Telkwa Sport & a Valley Nordkapp). I just need to get down to one kayak because I have owned too many kayaks through the years. It is now 27 & of course paddled so many that I have almost forgotten some. I guess have finally found mecca. I have read the many reviews on this kayak but have only talked to few owners through the years. None the less we all seem to agree that this is a fantastic kayak to help your learning curve on the skills of the sport and it is such a good roller. Lets not forget the pleasures & thrills as well. There seem to be a few more Assateagues out there (which I have also paddled) which is the bigger brother of the Currituck. I prefer the Currituck for my 5 ft. 10 in., 165 lbs & size ten feet. I am a fit 54 years of age and at the advanced skill level. In other words I have done a lot of paddling but so have the many others I have paddled with and exchanged knowledge & opinions with. I do not need to repeat the many positive comments and technical specs already mentioned on the Currituck. There is always a trade off on the pros and cons of choosing one specific kayak over another for yourself. It has to work with your body type & size, skill level and your focus on the type of kayaking you are into. All I can say is that after the many paddlefests I have attended and the many kayaks I have owned, this is the perfect kayak for me. It is good to hear that these kayaks and canoes are back into production. You bet that this kayak deserves a nine. What the heck, I am biased so lets give it a ten.

I wouldn't call this a novice boat but it is very stable in it's secondary. I had the jitters the first time surfing it on the west coast but I was obviously not tuned in to the kayak and I am not a great surfer. I found I did better by putting a little weight behind me in the day hatch. No other complaints. It handles rough water from most angles & confused seas as well as any kayak I have owned. Most of those kayaks were one inch to three inches wider on the beam. Even though there is good rocker and maneuverability on this kayak it still carries good speed.

I did weigh the boat because I never trust the manufacturers specs. I like the 53 lb. weight of this boat. For that reason I think I will use it more than my other two boats because it is so easy to load and unload. I like the finish and details and it is very British with the Valley water tight hatches. There is good adjustment on the ratchet back band and mine does not seem to have the rust problems that were mentioned by others in the previous reviews. The skeg is easy to adjust and starts to function at under half the range of adjustment. I have no problem swinging around and accessing the day hatch. I have had a lot of positive comments on the aesthetics of this kayak which I can only agree to.

I will mention some of the boats I have owned or tested that are similar. I tested my neighbour's NDK Romany and he has tested my Currituck. We both agreed on the similarities. It is probably the closest comparison though the Currituck is slightly longer. The other two boats I tested that are also very close in handling and design are the Valley Advocet and P & H Capella. I owned a P&H Delphin that was over a foot shorter but some what similar and I also regretted selling.

I really believe the Currituck is a good kayak for an intermediate to advanced kayaker that want to improve their skill level. I give it top marks in all categories if you like the British style boats.

I have owned over twenty kayaks. The following kayaks mentioned are just a few I have owned. These are the rudder kayaks; Prijon Kodiak, Nimbus Telkwa, Seaward Quest & CD Extreme. These are the skeg kayaks; North Sea Shoreline, Valley Nordkapp, Valley Skerray, & Tahe Greenland T. I just need to list these because the others I owned are of similar design. This gives you an idea to what I am comparing this kayak to.

I had also tested the Currituck's big brother, the Assateague. The cockpit was a bit big for me. I am 5'11", 167 lbs. with size 11 feet. The Assateague is slower and not as lively but has a little more initial stability. It is also more susceptible to wind cocking than the Currituck. I found the Currituck more sporty and was up to speed faster with less effort.

The Currituck has a balance between maneuverability and speed in it's rocker. It is very close to the British/Greenland designed kayaks that I have owned. The lower back deck helps the back roll but that is not priority on the design. At 17 ft. by 21 in. it has sufficient cargo space with it's 'Valley' hatches to easily do a week of touring. The soft chine, shallow V hull likes to sit to one side or the other in calm water. Some people call this twitchy if they're used to a flatter hull design. I got used to it and don't notice it anymore. In rough water the twitch disappears.

The bow lifts nicely going into waves (dry ride) and also handles the ocean on the beam nicely. It handles going with the sea directly on the stern or slightly quartered but there is always an angle on the quarter you have to know about. Bracing and steering is always necessary when surfing waves which only improves your skill set which get's us to the next point. This is a kayak that will teach you skills. You have to pay attention to technique and shouldn't dose off like you can in some kayaks.

All the same this kayak is not overly nervous and is a very seaworthy design. The secondary stability is high and it was easy to learn where the line of no return is. This allows for good edging. It is a lower profile kayak and is not affected by wind as much as some other kayaks; in other words the wind cocking is slight but not an issue. As in most British/Greenland designs, the skeg will correct this in strong winds.

Contrary to other reviews I like the angled bulkhead behind the seat. I have found it so easy to dump water when self rescuing. I found a cowboy mount easier to do on this kayak. Seats & back bands have always been an issue with me. Before buying the kayak I read the mixed reviews. The back band is well padded and has an easy ratchet adjustment. All I have added is some dense foam against the back band, a personal issue for me on longer tours.

This kayak comes out very balanced in design as to versatility and behaviour. That is why I purchased it. I can say now 8 months later that it is exactly what I was looking for. That is why I give it a 10 (for whatever that is worth). I hope this review was helpful for those looking at purchasing an Impex Currituck.

Good points:
Great hull design. This boat has great tracking, yet very maneuverable since it has a generous amount of rocker. I think the design, volume-wise, is a nice balance for someone doing mostly daytrips with some multi-day. It has low secondary which doesn't give you much of a solid edge but it is nice when you are in rough seas or taking waves to the beam. I've paddled in some high winds and big waves and the feel of the boat gives me confidence. Weather cocking isn't as pronounced as some boats I've paddled and is easy to counter with the skeg. If you're looking to do some surfing or want more solid edging you might be disappointed but otherwise it is a very nice design.

Bad points:
I replaced the back band somewhere b/w 2.5 - 3 years. The plated steel buckles completely rusted thru. My feeling is that a SEA-kayak ought to be built to survive in salt water. I replaced the nylon straps in the handles after the front strap broke about at about 6 months. I also had a leaky bulkhead and some small leaks around the hatch rings. I fixed with some UV resistant marine grade caulking. I whittled and sanded my skeg to be a tad more streamlined which was basically just a shape cut 1/4" sheet. Not the best surfing kayak. Tendency to broach a little more than some I've paddled.

My rating is an 8. Although I feel they cut a few corners in the mfg., the design is a good one and they do have excellent customer service and respond quickly to problems.

The boat is well constructed and it is incredibly responsive and fast. I have no problem keeping up and actually staying ahead of more experienced and stronger paddlers. I hardly ever use the skeg anymore and have no problem keeping it on track. It handles on coming waves beautifully. And it loves following seas.

I have outfitted mine with a little extra rigging although the deck lines and rigging on the boat are very substantial.

This is the second of three Impex boats I own. The first is an Assateague, which is a little big for me, but I still like it and keep it (for now) for those friends of mine who are bigger.

The other Impex boat I own has not yet been delivered, and that is the Force IV.

The great thing about Impex, is that they stand by all their boats and their workmanship. Any problems? Just call or contact them and they will give you wonderful service.

The worst conditions that I have driven the boat in were confused 6'+ seas in and out of Port Everglades and Haulover Inlets - a real rough 1/4 mile or so. Both the Montauk and Currituck are great in that kind of mess. I don't have a great feel for its relative speed, but the Currituck has held its own against more experienced paddlers in the longest QCC (albeit with a Greenland paddle) and the NDK Explorer (6" longer). The relatively soft chine feels better to me than, say, a hard chine Nigel Dennis Legend, and I feel good secondary stability all the way over - a high brace recovery from a full 90 degree is quick and easy. All of this relates to a moderate gear load - 30-40 pounds and growing - that I take with me whenever I go out.

The only boat that I have seen, on the water or in a shop, that I might prefer to the Currituck is the Romany Explorer - and then only because of its incremental rolling ability and the advantage it appears to provide traditional skills. The two boats have relatively the same look and line, but there is no contest with respect to finish and overall quality. The Explorer is heavier and feels sturdier as a result, but that would not be an issue until (if) I find myself in a situation that I should not have gotten into in the first place. The Currituck also excells in storage with its large oval fore and aft VCP hatches. The day hatch is readily accessible and easy to use from the cockpit. Don't buy a sea kayak without one.

The only bad feature was also covered in an earlier comment - a lot of virtually unusable space between the seat and the bulkhead - a great place to store unneeded seawater and little else. As the Impex boats catch on and the word about its quality gets out, the price will probably continue to creep up but it is still a bargain, and it appears that the dealers have the ability to work off list. Good luck.

Primarily I needed a boat that tracked well in winds and required minimal effort to keep at cruising speed. I interpreted this to mean a longer, lower volume boat than what I had been paddling. I felt that the longest boat that I could store was 17', more or less.

I also wanted a boat with rubber hatch covers weighing no more than 50 lbs with a skeg. I paddled a few boats that seemed to fit these requirements.

The Currituck has not disappointed me. It has moderate primary and secondary stability. It tracks well enough without the skeg that I can devote most of my energy to forward motion, and with the skeg it tracks like a train. However, it is surprisingly maneuverable without having to put it very far up on edge.

It appears to cut through waves more easily than most other boats. When we hit rougher water, I quickly catch up to paddlers who were pulling away from me in the flatter stuff. The ride is smooth and feels secure.

The VCP hatches are dry, and I really appreciate the larger, oval front hatch. The seat is very comfortable for me, and the curved, padded thigh braces are properly located for someone my height (5'5" on the leggy side).

The only cons that I can find are: difficulty in paddling the boat backwards without turning, and a lot more wasted space between the seat and the bulkhead of the day hatch than I would like.