Seayak

I got a good deal on a seayak classic in almost new condition and I have to say I am impressed. I am from Australia and also have a Natureline mermaid (17ft composite) and can say that the seayak is much more comfortable and at least as fast, if not faster than the mermaid. The comfort of the seayak cannot be understated, when you are in the yak for 5hrs+ you appreciate it! Primary stability is average and secondary stability is excellent given the chines on the hull (as you expect from any well designed sea kayak). The thigh braces make this boat amazing to edge and give superb control. I will sell the composite mermaid (or keep as a spare to lend) as I don't think it has any advantages over the seayak classic. Also the injection moulded plastic performs ridiculously well. It is rigid and durable. Forget rotomoulded! Enough storage room for longer trips. I like the neoprene hatch covers as they are properly watertight. Maybe I am spoilt as I didn't pay retail but knowing what I know now, if mine was stolen or broke (nigh impossible) I would go and buy a new one without hesitation. Also, I have a rudder. As has been said they have to be packed properly and the seat adjusted so they don't weathercock too much. That said, minor adjustments fix this.

All in all, it is a great boat that has lasted 20 years, and will probably outlast me.

I sail my Seayak all the time with a 1.5 meter Pacific Action sail and when sailing it is the only time I use the rudder. I have no trouble holding a course in the wind and actually sailing into light to medium winds is easy - no steering needed. Sometimes in a stiff downwind I will use the rudder as it is a bit easier than corrective strokes with the wind behind me...

PROS: Responsive handling, extremely durable.
CONS: Foot peg adjustment, sprayskirt grip, kicks up spray.

This is a fantastic boat. It handles very well, responding to edging nicely. It is perfect for day trips and rock gardens. The raised hatches do kick up some spray in the chop - especially since the boat tends to punch through waves more than go over them. The hatches are small pods so storage in them is a bit tight. They have neoprene covers with plastic lids - I have replaced them 2 times in 20 years. The foot pegs are a pain to adjust, so swapping paddlers is a hassle.

I began paddling doing quite a bit of "offroad" paddling. This boat has been over more rocks and mussel beds than I care to think about. It is very tough.
#1 drawback (besides that I'm now too fat for it's 225lbs limit) is the cockpit coaming has a hard time holding the skirt on.

Given how great this boat is, I'm surprised I don't see a ton of them on the water.

Whether on the open lake water or a slow moving creek, this has been a surprisingly versatile kayak and the right choice for me.

Her fore and aft compartments are quite roomy and I have no problem getting two weeks' worth of gear and (dehydrated) food inside. The hatches have plastic covers over neoprene seals, which are quite secure. Once you master the technique of sealing them -- similar to getting a sprayskirt adjusted -- you'll never have to worry about wet gear.

The cockpit is fine for a 6'1"/185 cm guy who weighs 190 lbs/87kg, which I am. As others have mentioned, the seat is not the greatest piece of engineering on the boat, as its backrest tends to pop out when entering and exiting the boat, but once you're settled in it's comfy. The dayhatch leaves a bit to be desired, as it's not super easy to open, but its neoprene-bag interior is about the size of your head and can hold your map, snacks, water bag and camera easily.

The construction overall feels very sturdy. It's easy to quibble over little details, but my bottom line is that I've trusted this boat with my life several times and she hasn't let me down. I expect there are faster and lighter boats on the market, but get me above the 50th parallel and this is the boat I want with me.

What do I love about the Seayak? A great boat for beginners or even intermediate paddlers. Very good levels of primary and secondary stability, so I often lend it out to friends who are novice paddlers. Handles rough water reasonably well, although doesn't surf as well some other sea kayaks I've paddled (maybe due to short length and lack of rocker?). It's almost indestructible - I'm sure the HTP plastic is the toughest on the market. The materials and finish are very high quality, better than most North American plastic boats. I find it very comfortable, seat and thigh braces provide lots of security (although might be too snug if you're >6 ft tall). Easy to roll, but the high seat back prevents laybacks. Deck rigging with the nets is quite functional too.

Bad points. Not the fastest boat around (actually, verging on slow), although probably similar to other boats this length and width. As many other reviewers have stated, it weathercocks to an unacceptable degree. With the rudder down its fine. It's heavy if a prolonged portage is required. On the bright side it does balance well.

Overall, I was very happy with the Seayak. A good beginners boat and great for weekend trips anywhere. A solid boat which will take a lot of abuse. However, it is an old design now and if I was considering a Prijon boat again I'd probably look at the Barracuda or Catalina.

I like three features common to most Prijon boats. The first appears in almost every review of Prijon Kayaks: the HTP plastic construction. Given the real and potential abuses I put my kayaks through (both on and off the water) I cannot bring myself to put money into a fiberglass boat. I would rather give up a little in weight savings and (supposed) top end performance to have a low maintenance boat that I can count on. The fact that the initial price of Prijon boats is lower than fiberglass is just a bonus. A second feature I like is the adjustable seating. I have paddle several excellent boats in which the fit just wasn't right for me. A third feature is the the hatch system. Whatever one thinks of the aesthetics (I kind of like them myself), the duel neoprene/hard plastic cover system has worked admirably. Granted, I do not paddle in ice cold salt water, so the slightly increased splash from the protruding hatch covers is not a consideration for me.

As for the Seayak in particular, I like the 2005 model's 34-inch key hole cockpit. That's a pretty generous cockpit by traditional standards, but the adjustable thigh braces keep the fit snug when in the boat, while the extra length down the middle aids exit and entry. It is still easy to reach gear in the deck netting and forward-mounted, "Deck Box" day hatch. This latter feature (which is really more of a neooprene sock), is far easier for someone of my limited flexibilty to reach than more conventional, rear mounted day hatches. At first I concerned that the day hatch would interfere with my legs while seated or during exits, but it is held in place by and internal hook,and it has not been a problem. I was also initally annoyed that the slight bulges created by the forward hatche and day hatch created a "saddle" where the deck netting lies. This interfered with my using that netting as a handy way to secure my paddle during rescues or at rest, but I created a quick fix by stringing a length of elastic chord between the D rings found at the base the hatch straps.

The Seayak has a high load capacity for its 16' length. I am 5' 8" tall and about 190 lbs., and most tour kayaks have to be in the 17 foot range to accomdate someone of my paddling weight I love the fact that I can comfortably load myself and my gear into such a compact hull. The Seayak achieves this bouyancy in part by being a bit wider than comparable boats (23" vs 21-22")but in part owing its trihedral hull. The only downside to this bouyancy that I have discoverd is when attempting such unnecessary manueveres as a "cowboy" re-entry. Out of the water, the Seayak's hull depth is comparable with that of other kayaks but unlike many touring kayaks, the depth of the Seayak remains pretty much the same along the length of the hull. This, combined with ample knee space may make the latest Seayak a bit too voluminous for paddlers at the smaller end of the spectrum, but it is more than fine for a broad range of medium size paddlers.

On the water, I found the initial stablilty to be comfortable. The lack of a pronounced keel and the angled panels of the trihedral hull make edging or leaning easy. At first, this also made the Seayak feel a little less stable than I was used to, but one quickly learns that the Seayak can be held at these angles relatively comfortably. Leaning beyond these angled panels (approximetely past the point where the deck perimeter lines meet the water line) is a bit trickier owing to the soft chine between the angled and vertical hull surfaces (and again the Seayak's bouyancy). In many recent kayak designs, it is not difficult to lean the kayak until the cockpit coaming is below the water line. However, while this may look impressive, it is worth pointing out that the Seayak carves sharp turn and performs other manuevers well without ever needing to submerge the cockpit coaming.

In beam seas, the Seayak's "rounded" cross section makes traversing beam seas relatively smooth. The Seayak's big ol' greenland-style bow slices through smaller waves with ease, while the hull widens sufficiently fast to keep it from "submarining" in larger waves (though admittedly, I have not been out in larger than 2'-3' waves). The Seayak both tracks and manuevers well enough in the following seas and mini-surf zones that I have been in, and I am looking forward to testing myself further in these conditions. I have yet to roll the Seayak, but other reviewers have, so I am confident that the Seayak will not be limiting in this area.

I find that the Seayak tracks well in both calm and wavy conditions. Weathercocking (which all kayaks do) is more noticeable when the winds are stong, but the waves relatively small. Edging or leaning on the angled panel is usually sufficient to take care of the problem, and though prolonged leaning can be uncomfortble, it has become much easier since I have learned to relax (think "reclining on a roman couch"). Once the waves have reached a certain height, I find that the Seayak tracks better again (perhaps the waves partially block the wind).

To keep my kayak as simple, clean, and maintainence free as possible, I opted for a rudderless Seayak. I intend to keep it that way, so I am not in a position to comment on the pros and cons of rudders vs. skegs (though I have heard good things about both the design and durablity of the Prijon's balanced wing rudder.)

After a season of use and abuse, both the hull and its fittings have held up well. I have had only one problem with a gasket that forms a water tight seal on the day hatch, and Prijon promptly sent me a free replacement part. Fixed the problem completely.

My gripes are confined to the metal posts that help keep the back rest in place (they pop out easily during entry, and are a bear to put back in place while sitting in the kayak), and the foot pedals that are only pegs when you don't install a rudder.

So far, I have taken my Seayak up and down narrow rivers with significant currents (though short of rapids); quiet backwater channels barely wide enough for the kayak; Lake Michigan, and a variety of different water bodies and conditions in between. While I may consider adding other kayaks to my fleet for running rapids or going on extended expeditions, I have no intention of giving up my Seayak.

I just had a six-hour sea trial, and concur with other reviewers that the unladen boat tends to round up to windward with the rudder up, and requires concentration to keep it on track. However these issues all disappear when the rudder is dropped, so my recommendation is to purchase the rudder if you purchase a Seayak. The Wildwasser rudder is a work of art, providing minimal drag and very low steering effort. Being of swede-form design, with the centre of buoyance aft of the cockpit, the boat trims up slightly bow-down with the hatches empty, which causes the boat to veer off course slightly on the glide. If you choose to paddle rudderless, the cure would be to move the seat well aft, and pack all of your gear well aft in the rear compartment. Fully laden for a camping trip, I expect the helm would be more neutral - I would think that the hull was designed with this in mind. In any case, I have no issues at all with the way the boat handles with the rudder deployed, and would encourage anyone looking for a superb multi-purpose kayak to seriously consider a Seayak. For the record, the folks at Wildwasser Sport, who handle Prijon boats for North America, have been more than helpful with shipping and with all of my questions - they are very receptive to customer input and constantly working to improve their products. .

There is a peculiar ethos out there that using a rudder is "cheating" or reflects poor paddling skills - in fact what works for best for the boat you have is the right way to paddle. With the wing rudder deployed on this boat, there is no noticeable drag, and edged turns can be done just a cleanly as without the rudder - in fact you can spin the boat even faster with a bit of rudder assist. In straight-ahead paddling the rudder acts like a skeg in the neutral position, and of course minor course corrections can be made either by adjusting your stroke or by subtle rudder input.

Overall this is a beautifully built and very seaworthy boat which handles well under a variety of sea conditions - just accept that it works best with a rudder, and plan to use it. Nothwithstanding the current popularity of british-style skeg boats, there are lot of very experienced sea kayakers out there who will not put to sea in a kayak that is not rudder-equipped. For me, the choice of a rudder boat was motivated by a desire to fit a sail of the folding Pacific Action type for downwind legs. A rudder provides hands-free directional control under sail, leaving the paddle available for bracing if necessary to balance the boat.

The HTP plastic is far more durable and stiffer than LP (linear polyethylene), and much easier to repair than composites. (All you need is a hot glue gun and some sandpaper) I've seen plenty of older LP boats with rippled bottoms and sides. They convinced me that it's either HTP or composite for sea kayaks. LP is fine for shorter boats with lots of contour, but the long, flat surfaces of a sea kayak require stiffer materials. I don't think there's a better boat for long, self-sustained trips - the combination of good speed/stability, big hatches, and high weight capacity is hard to match.

Seayak - My wife is 5'4" tall and is trim. The Seayak fits her although some purists would argue it is too big. The cockpit is big enough where she can lift both knees. Getting in bottom first is a snap. The Seayak is advertised at 24" beam, but hers measures about 22.75"

The boat weighs 55 lbs empty. I can pick it up and use the cockpit/shoulder carry method comfortably. The stern toggle is too close to the rudder to be comfortable. The hatches are watertight and well designed. The neoprene covers are difficult to get on and off.

The rudder mechanism works very well. The deployment line is a bit farther back toward the stern than I like and I have long arms. The gas pedal foot controls allow strong braces and sensitive trimming of the rudder. The boat edges nicely although the limit is elusive. It takes seas on the bow or stern well. It weather cocks enough that she would rather rely on the rudder than edging and correcting in most conditions.

The seat and backband are "okay." They adjust easily but aren't real comfortable. She uses one of the Voyageur inflatable seats and it works very nicely for her. The coaming lip is quite slippery and coupled with the long cockpit trying to stretch her neoprene skirt over it is a chore. We are thinking about roughing up the stern edge... we'll see.

The deck netting works pretty well. The forward net should extend back closer to the cockpit. The rear net is effective for carrying "stuff" but isn't great for holding a paddle blade during a self rescue. The cross straps on the hatches work well for holding spare paddles. The D-Rings are very useful. The boat accelerates and glides well making it relatively easy for her to keep up with my Kodiak.

I must admit this is one tough boat. It's plastic is much stiffer and stronger than other plactic boats I've seen. This boat would last a person for ever.