Greenlander Pro

After paddling a fiberglass Nordkapp HS for 32 years (ocean cockpit) I decided to look around for boat that a 65 year old, 6'4" paddler could get in and out of easier. I love my Nordkapp - it's fast, tough as nails, handles well in the surf empty or loaded and has great secondary stability. I was not so happy when a quarter wind kicked up and I was having to constantly provide a correcting stroke. I guess could have installed a skeg but didn't wish to mess around with a classic boat. And that still wouldn't have solved my cockpit problem.

Last year, after using SearchTempest to search CL for 3 months, I found and purchased a used fiberglass 2002 Greenlander Proi n pristine condition. The original owner paddled it 6 time before he was transferred to an area hundreds of miles from the Atlantic Ocean. He put it in his barn and forgot about it for 13 years - he sold it for one-third the cost of a new one and looked brand new.

I've been paddling it for a year now and it has become my primary boat. The keyhole cockpit allows me easy access getting in or out. The day hatch comes in handy when storing items you may need while on the water. The GP tracks well enough that I've only used the skeg half a dozen times. The hard chines are a nice change from the Nordkapp's round bottom. Perhaps a little slower but I'm not into racing. I've read some reviews that complain about the GP initial stability but, perhaps because I've paddled a Nordkapp so long, I felt it to be rock solid, in flat or rough water. I've only paddled it loaded with camping gear four or five times but found it handled well in rough conditions. The Nordkapp is a little easier to roll but a static brace is easier in the Greenlander Pro.

One of my favorite activities is surfing and I've found the GP to be a good surfing boat in waves under 3 feet. Larger than that it tends to pitch pull (but less than my Nordkapp due to the GP having a larger volume in the front). Both boats are 17""10' so neither are going to slice up the waves (I have a Perception Sabre for those days).

I've read some negative reviews of the Nigel Dennis workmanship but the quality of my GP is right up there with my Valley Nordkapp. No rough fiberglass edges, leaks, seat or gelcoat problems. Due to it's age it has a rope skeg but replacing the rope was a breeze and cost less than a couple dollars.

I'm puzzled as to why the Greenlander Pro isn't a more popular boat, like the NDK Explorer or the Romany. Except for my friend, Greg Stamer (who used his to circumnavigate New Foundland), I've never seen one on the water. I asked Nigel Dennis and he couldn't explain it, either.

I'm at a loss of anything negative to say about the Greenlander Pro - I'd give it an eleven if I could. It's upswept stern, hard chine and greenland design makes it a beauty to look at as well as paddle.

I'm 200 lbs, 6'1", and in pretty good shape. I'm a Maine guide and ACA instructor who uses the Greenlander Pro as my primary boat. My previous primary boat was a 1988 Nordkapp HS.

Greelander Pro is about as hard chined as a kayak can be. I find that it's made me a better paddler by demanding constant attention and quick adjustments. It's fast, strangely fast for a fish-form hard chined boat. The layup is strong, but not as strong as older Valley boats. Here on the Maine coast (with its abusive but fun rocks) I do minor fiberglass repairs every month or so. But it's well constructed. The only major modification I made was building a front day hatch with a 4 inch opening.

It thrives in the wind. I paddle it at any angle to a 0-20 knot wind with very little effort, and no use of the skeg. Even above 20 knots, the only times I use the skeg are when I come through following seas that have breaking wind waves at their crests.

It likes the surf zone, at any angle really. It comfortably bounces along parallel to a breaking wave with a lazy brace. With sculling and rolling, it has very pronounced points where it "sits" (more so than other hard chined boats). I don't do lay back rolls very often, but they're super easy with this boat. With a C to C or storm roll where I want to finish with my head down forward, it takes a more aggressive hip snap, possibly because it's a fish form boat. A standard sweep roll or scull-up brings the boat over pretty smoothly, although it can dump a paddler pretty abruptly if timing is or paddle position is off, more so than other narrow kayaks that have more forgiving lines (like the ol' Nordkapp). Re-entry and rolls are smooth with the keyhole cockpit.

Strong current will mess with the boat. Even crossing the center of a boat wake can suddenly shift the hull several degrees to one side. In a river or tidal current, it needs a lot of attention. Playing in eddies and strong current demand a lot of work, but it's doable.

As a guide/instructor boat, because the Greenlander Pro is not as maneuverable as other vessels, I spend a lot of time paddling backwards. I find it's a fast enough boat that I can keep a good pace, watch my group, and be in a position to get to a rescue right away.

The boat is sexy. The upswept stern gets a lot of compliments. It looks great on the water, both modern and classic in a sweet blend. They're also pretty rare, so the uniqueness adds to it's appeal. I've actually never seen another one on or off the water.

I have been paddling a Romany Explorer for almost four years. I bought the GP this spring and have paddled it 2/3's of the time logging hundreds of hours this season. The Romany is a benchmark boat that many people are familiar with and I will use it to compare the GP to during this review.

I have been racing the GP since the spring in all sorts of conditions. During races of one hour or less (3-6 miles) I have been able to maintain at least 6 mph average speed using a Werner Kuai or a Superior Carbon greenland paddle. I find the GP much easier to maintain a fast pace with than the Romany. The GP's hard chines resist weathercocking better than the Romany (I should mention that I weigh 220#) and I also find that the GP responds to 'hip steering' (lean initiated turns) which makes it a better boat in big water with one exception: The stern on the GP is finer than the Romany and I discovered the hard way that the GP does not back surf as well tending to pearl and ender, exciting but not something I consistently enjoy. The GP's speed, stability and ability to maneuver make it an excellent boat in big water. We are splitting hairs here comparing it to the Romany as both are just excellent in wind and waves.

There are not many boats out there that roll as easily as the Romany. The GP rolls very easily but resists slightly more than the Romany. I have begun paddling with a Greenland paddle this summer and learning all the different maneuvers that go with the paddle: behind the head rolls, one arm rolls, throwing stick rolls etc. I sometimes paddle the Romany and have discovered that everything is just ever so slightly easier with the Romany than the GP, subjective but true nonetheless.

The GP is almost as big inside as the Romany so with low volume gear and a spartan attitude trips of two weeks or less should not pose a problem with the GP.

The GP I own has no day hatch and subsequently the large flat rear deck deflects quite easily. Storing the boat on a rack or cartopping or doing rear deck rescue stuff the deck will easily dimple in flexing quite a bit. I would recommend installing a removable foam pillar (perhaps with velcro at the ends or some other fixing solution) this would prevent the boat from possibly cracking, or buy a GP with a day hatch and preclude the problem altogether.

The GP is a boat better suited to a paddler with some experience. The ability to consistently edge while paddling is essential. The GP comes very close to doing it all: it's fast, it is stable, it is good in rough water, it holds a lot, it turns well.

I would recommend it to any paddler looking for a very fast sea kayak. Anything faster would have to give away something important.