Venus 11

I purchased the Venus 11 to have as an alternate sit on top complement to my Tsunami 120 sit in. My first ever kayak purchase was the original Venus 9 foot kayak in 2004 in Florida. I loved it, thought it tracked well and main downfall was the extra paddling effort to keep up with fellow paddlers in longer kayaks. Eventually i sold it. Years later, I decided I wanted a sit on top again for certain Florida paddles. I bought the Venus 11 solely based on my Venus 9 rememberances without a demo. I was surprised to find i hated it. It has very poor tracking. It came to be resigned as a spare kayak for friends to use as I never felt enthused about paddling it. After 2 years I sold it and now am looking for a better sit on top.

This kayak has been the perfect companion kayak for my wife while I am out on my Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro 15, It is just the right size and weight for maximum comfort and paddle-ability while still having room to carry all of our gear we need for a day or more out on the water.

I am 5'9" (1.75M) and 148 lbs (67kg) and the Venus is fine for me but would be too small for someone much bigger. The Venus is easily lifted and carried by one person. The kayak is well designed and comes with a good level of handles and storage. It rides well in a swell or chop and gives the paddler confidence. The seat height is good and it is comfortable to use.

NEGATIVES
The quality of the moulding was only OK (definitely not as good as our Ocean Kayak Mysto) with faults around the drain holes.
The Venus does not grip the water as well as the Mysto and it is susceptible to side-slip in cross-winds. This is due to the smooth underwater profile and lack of keel.
The smooth underwater profile also makes it less laterally stable and easier to capsize.
The bow handle is made of cord (there is no moulded hole as per Mysto) and this makes it difficult to moor safely and much harder to secure with a padlock and cable.

So, in summary, a good piece of kit but with flaws.

I am 60 and only 5'4" and not especially strong (yet - more paddling and I will be) and I can load the Venus on the top of my Subaru Forester and take it off without assistance (I load the Venus from the back of the car picking up the front of the kayak first and then sliding it on the roof - I would not be able to load it from the side without another person helping) I would not be able to load the much heavier Prowler 13 alone - even from the back of the car. Don't get me wrong, the Venus is heavy for me to move about, but it is manageable.

Anyway - I give the Venus a big thumbs up - I love being able to load it up and go out without needing help. The Venus is fun and maneuverable. It does not feel as stable as the Prowler 13 (which is like a rock), but I don't find it to be tippy.
ps - the Prowler 13 is also great

I visited my Ocean dealer about 9 months ago with a desire to buy a sit-on for paddling on the local canals and lakes but was unsure about which model to buy. I looked at the Frenzy, Scrambler, Caper, Scupper Pro and Prowler 13/15 but was not totally happy with any of them for various reasons. The dealer then, rather apologetically, suggested a women's kayak which he kept round the back of the shop. Visions of a girlie pink offering were unfounded and a blue Venus 11 appeared. Despite the 'Venus 11' logo (which still creates some adverse comment 12 months on) it was purchased.

What a brilliant little boat. VERY stable (but then anything is stable compared to a Nordkapp LV), very comfortable after a seat upgrade and very manouverable. Thigh straps were added more for reassurance than anything else together with scupper stoppers to reduce the water coming in but these are rarely used. The bow is fine with a little flare so it cuts through the waves in choppy water and there is enough stowage for day trips. The 28" beam provides more than enough stability to move around in the boat and the boat is better than expected when running across the waves.

Minor detrimental points are a tendancy for the hull to slap when side on to the waves and the bow tends to bury itself in deepish swells because of the relatively short length and send water into the footwells. The last point is not really a problem because it drains away and I tend to use a dry suit in anything other than summer. The alternative is a longer, less manouverable boat or a flared bow which will be uncomfortable in the same conditions. It would benefit from a skeg or rudder because it can wander and is difficult to paddle in a truely straight line. It is not as fast as my Nordkapp but it has handled 12/15 mile trips with no problems. It is also light enough to put on the car roof rack with ease (although not in a strong wind).

A bad point is the fittings for the paddle keeper which have skinned my knuckles on more than one occasion. Resessed fittings (like Valley) would be a great improvement. Replacing these would give it a ten point rating.

Overall a very nice little boat which does most things well. It is far too good to be restricted to use by women only(!). I am thinking of changing the Nordkapp but I have no plans to change this boat.

P.S. A great web site. I wish I had found it 12 months ago.

There is a rim that runs along the top of the boat that channels water away from the cockpit. Unfortunately, the handle wells on each side of the boat create a break. The result is that the water being channeled around the entire boat by the rim ultimately flows into the boat through the handle wells and into the seating area. The end result is that, even on the calmest days, there is a steady trickle of water soaking the seat.

When I purchased the boat, I upgraded to the Comfort Deluxe seating, only to find that it is virtually impossible to keep the seat dry. (I have no such problem with the Scrambler.) The seat that comes standard with the Venus 11 gets equally wet.

I believe that a waterproof, thermo-molded foam seat like the "Comfort Pro Backrest" would alleviate this problem. But certainly not the Comfort Deluxe, which is the suggested upgrade. I just ordered a new seat. I will report back on this issue once I have had a chance to test it.