Romany Classic

I'm advanced in years and was getting worried about continuing to lift my 18 foot expedition boats onto the on to the car roof in the wind - I'm not tall. I am much more interested in wave playing these days and Stirling boats don't yet have a dealer in the UK so I felt I would get more out of the Romany, It is has enough volume for an overnight trip and I am very happy with its stability and balance on the water. It will track well even in difficult wind circumstances and the skeg helps when necessary but the chined hull helps to compensate for the shorter hull - and it just fits into a standard UK garage. I was really impressed with the carrying balance with the centrally placed cockpit. A discussion with the dealer revealed that a careful choice of pigment could reduce the weight below the average quoted in the model stats. We were able to reduce the weight by a little more than a Kilo by sticking with black and grey but still using standard resin and f/b weaves. The standard seat is fine for me and actually very comfortable - even compared with my old microcell foam seats. The cockpits for the ND range are adjustable and very carefully thought out. The only neg I might have is that the material of the day hatch is [in my mind] inferior to the other 2 hatches, but it is easy to replace with a Karitek version specifically for the ND day hatch.

20 years old and still in VGC despite a long trail of owners. Living and teaching on the Gulf of Mexico I have paddled this boat in all types of seas and totaly love it. It's not perfect. No kayak is, but if you know how to use your body it responds great including rolling in the surf and bongo sliding. It and the smaller Impex Mystic are two of the best kayaks on the market for teaching rolling and as a result great confidence builders for newbies. My Romney was made in 1996. I was born in 1993...you do the math just keep your blade high and your skirt tight.

Great boat for a beginner. I used this boat to teach myself all the basics and then bought an Explorer. Recently gave it to my best friends granddaughters to start learning the ropes.

I love the Romany 16. I have two. One for instruction and one for personal use. These boats paddle great, are indestructible and are extremely versatile. They are heavy though! Last I knew they were still laying them up by hand and squeegeeing out the excess resin.

I've been paddling a Romany for the past 5 yrs; purchased one 2 years ago. Ordered mine with the bulkhead moved up to fit my legs so I could rest my feet on the bulkhead. footrest were not attached but sent with the Romany would like to attach footrest looking for proper placement instruction Love the boat take it out for 7 day trips loves the rougher water

I am: 6'2, 235 pound male with size 12 feet.
The Romany Surf is a boat marketed for surfing and day touring. The boat succeeds with both. It weighs in at 54 Lbs and is balanced nicely for carrying on your shoulder. SKUK has posted on its website the amount of fibreglass used on each section of the boat. This boat is solid.

The cockpit is large and makes entry and exit a breeze. I have no trouble getting in seat first. There is lots of room for my size 12 feet. I have the foot pegs adjusted two notches from the end. The bump outs on the top deck fit my knees comfortably giving me a good contact with the boat. I will be adding a thin layer of foam in this location to make it softer on the knees. The standard back band offers good support, but little padding. I usually replace all factory ones with an Immersion Research Reggie, which I have done with this boat. It has the usual bungees forward and aft with perimeter lines.

The primary stability is solid; it can move easily from edge to edge but doesn't feel tippy. The secondary is secure and very predictable. The boat tracks very straight and does not weathercock in the wind. The boat is very good in the surf. It catches waves and maintains speed on waves very easily. This is where the boat shines!

It accelerates moderately to a cruising speed of 5 km and this pace can be maintained with little effort in moderate waves.

I have to be honest my roll is not very good, but kayak friends have rolled it with little effort. The exit and re-entry is easy with the low back deck and lines. Draining the boat is easy with the angled bulk head behind the seat. There is very little water left to pump out.

The boat is suited as a day tripper, but packing would not be a problem for a couple of days. The hatch covers are very good and have a tight seal. No water has been found even after a day of rolling and water finding its way in the cockpit.

This boat is so much fun to paddle in challenging waters. It is stable and predictable enough for a novice, but it is sporty enough for an expert which I do not claim to be. This boat will be hanging in my garage for years to come.

I have owned several boats in the last 3 years. The Romany is by far the best of the lot for me. The others were longer than the Romany so I do give up some speed (but not much) but the trade off in boat handling is worth it. Great in the surf. I am 5'9", 170 lbs.

I like this boat a great deal. I've had my Romany (no skeg) since Sept 1999. The short length makes it very manuevarable and I'll often turn it for the fun of it. I'm 5'9" and about 170lb. It seemed a bit tight a first (also being a new kayaker) but now, it feels comfortable and bigger boats seem way too loose. The fiberglas seat is comfortable for me but the backband can pinch along the top rear of the seat.

The boat is 16ft but, as the bow and stern are upswept, there is much less waterline. It also has a fair amount of rocker. This makes the boat manueverable but track less well than a boat with a longer waterline. The boat will run straighter with a more vertical paddle stroke and pulling the paddle out a bit earlier (i.e. don't run the stroke far back past your hips). A skeg would also help the tracking in some situations.

While this boat might be a bit slow for racing, a competent paddler should be able to keep to the front of a touring group. As far as I can tell, the initial stability is low to medium (as it should be, in my opinion) and the secondary stability is medium. You want "loose hips" in this boat but you probably won't be suprized as one might be in a narrower boat. I can manage to paddle the boat forward while looking backward.

I suspect that many people get longer boats because of the allure of week-long expeditions which they never attempt. With a bit of care, this boat is fine for multiday trips and you don't have to carry the extra wind-catching volume on day trips. Try a shorter boat.

I like having the day hatch because I can get to it on the water and can keep things off the deck. If you are a bit bigger, you might also look at the Vally Avocet, which is similar but with a bit more volume. The Dagger Meridian looks like it might be similar but with more volume. I have no complaints with regard to the construction (which, it appears, can be variable).

As an instructor, I needed a boat that was nimble enough for those quick rescues and for providing "poster-boy" demonstrations, fast enough for those impromptu teachable moments, and solid enough for landing in a variety of shorelines. Now, six years, nearly a hundred rescues, landings and many more miles later, it remains as my craft of choice. Skegless, it tracks adequately for an intermediate paddler and there's an ample amount of room for weeklong expeditions. Nigel really thought this boat through, with forward mounting for compass, recessed deck fittings, ample thigh braces, an angled rear cockpit bulkhead, and heavy lay-up. I've visited the "factory" and was somewhat surprised at how archaic their facilities were, but the end product is top notch. It wouldn't be my first choice in a race, but for most any other paddling pursuit, it's a great choice, beginner to pro.

I've had the Romany for 2 years now. I am a larger paddler at 215 lbs and had to modify the seat to fit when donning a dry or wet suit. In general, this design is pretty sweet for knarly conditions including reflecting waves, confused following seas, and especially in surf. Easy to roll also. It is surprisingly efficient at a moderate cruising speed but hits the wall when you push it. I guess that's the compromise for great handling. I rate it a 9 only because the seat and backband system are uncomfortable, however, realistically I am too big for the boat so it's partly my problem. In addition, it does not "carve a turn" the way some boats do (e.g. Skerrey and Capella), I have to coax it with a sweep and edge control. A lighter paddler may have better luck at this. That said, the fun is in the surf. You can maneuver down the face of a wave, lay out an extended low brace at a break line into a broach and side surf, then once on top of the crest, sweep it around and surf down the face. I'll have to say, that of the two boats I own and the three others available for me to paddle, I almost always choose the Romany. Bottom line... it is just plain fun to paddle.

I have owned the Romany 16 for several months and had it out in wind, chop, and strong currents. I am extremely pleased with its handling; very solid yet responsive , (I've never used the skeg)and easy to turn. Great stability; I'm looking forward to learning to roll it and getting it in the surf.Quality is topnotch and it looks as good as it performs. One small drawback is it's a bit heavy, but the tradeoff is a strong, durable kayak.

This is the best all around sea kayak. Goes fast, tracks straight, turns great, and its easy to roll. It just does everything well :)

Excellent boat. It's a tight fit (5'9''-170)a plus, which gives you a great amount of control. Performes beautifully in large waves, including following seas. It is realitively fast and I have never had trouble keeping up with longer boats or more experienced paddlers.