Nordkapp HS

There is a lot of confusing information in these reviews! Nordkapp is one legendary name that covers several quite different models of kayak. When reviews below are talking about Jubilee or H2O it is easy to see that they are not describing Nordkapp HS. Jubilee or H2O are quite different from the original HS!

Unfortunately, reader and potential buyer beware, even when a review is about Nordkapp HS, there are several different kayaks with this name in existence. I have no experience with the current "Nordkapp Classic" with 'HS' designation; however, based on some earlier reviews in this section, I strongly suspect that even the "Nordkapp Classic HS" handles quite differently from the original Nordkapp HS.

I have paddled my 1987 Nordkapp HS for the past 2 seasons. The way to recognize this older model and to differentiate it from the new "Classic HS" look for:
- round rather than oval stern hatch,
- absence of a day hatch,
- non-recessed cockpit coaming in the back,
- molded gelcoat rather than screw-in plastic recessed deck anchoring points,
- skeg control box in front of the cockpit rather than behind it, and
- skinny triangular plastic skeg. My HS has a thick long rectangular fiberglass skeg.
- the older HS also had a hand chimp pump behind the cockpit.

From what I understand, the hull shape of my 1987 Nordkapp HS is the same as the original Nordkapp but it has a skeg which the original lacked. I have seen HS applied to the original Nordkapp multiple places so, if you are looking to get one on-line, make sure it has a skeg at all. Look here (http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/nordkapp/art_nordkapp.htm) for an excellent coverage of the confusing Nordkapp family tree.

I hope this will clear some of the confusion about the model. That being said, I had a chance to compare my HS to a 2000 American model with Jubilee on the deck and H2O on the manufacturer sticker. From what I understand, the original Jubilee had a round front hatch and '2O' in H2O stands for two oval hatches. Story goes that American distributors applied Jubilee stickers to boats that should have been designated as H2O. In other words, the comparison boat is most likely H2O.

These two Nordkapps are very different boats. It is not easy to see the difference when they are on the ground or in the water. However, once hoisted on top of the car, the differences in hull are quite apparent. The newer boat has longer waterline, less overhang on both the bow and the stern, and considerably more volume toward the ends of the boat. The bow on the new boat does not rise up quite as much as on the old Nordy. Front deck in front of the cockpit is a bit higher and aft deck is lower on the H2O. H2O has less rocker—especially at the stern.

What is very hard if not impossible to see, is that the hull shape under the cockpit is also different—H2O is a bit wider and has a more pronounced chine, while HS is skinnier and rounder.

Not surprisingly, HS and H2O paddle and quite differently. Stability wise, HS is has substantially lower primary and virtually no secondary. Taking pictures in the HS in anything but flat water is tenuous. HS is very easy to put on edge; however, there does not seem to be any point at which the boat starts to resist the capsizing momentum and locks in that edge—it will just keep on going and capsize if you let it. I agree with previous posters who claim that HS has no surprises in rough water. Surprises from the boat come when you expect that the boat will keep you up and it fails. With HS you are always in charge of staying upright—the boat will not keep you up. Some may consider this as a negative; however, consider this—when broached sideways on when current hits from the beam, there is no chine to grab onto and trip you over. Stability profile of the HS is neither good nor bad—it’s just unique. Some people will like it some wont; some conditions will reward it while others will punish.

At nearly 18' Nordkapp is considered a fast boat. Unfortunately, with all the overhang and extremely low volume at the ends the effective waterline of HS is noticeably is shorter than H2O. HS has more rocker which further reduces its cruising speed. It gets worse, in waves, paddling side-by-side HS tends to bury the bow when going down wave much quicker and more frequently than H2O which translates into further loss of cruising speed. In calm conditions, I can cruise at 4 knots all day in my HS, maintain racing speed of 5 knots for a marathon distance, and push the boat to a maximum speed of about 7 knots for a couple of seconds.

I have not noticed much difference in tracking and turning performance of these two boats. Nordkapps in general are quite bad in beam winds and require skeg. I would not recommend the original Nordy without the skeg for paddling in any wind. Manufacturers quickly noticed the problem and produced HM with a molded skeg. HM is a beast that requires a lot of edge and effort to be turned and sacrifices all the benefits of Nordkapp’s rocker for maneuverability. I much prefer the original hull design with an optional skeg. You would think that HS would be easier to turn and more vulnerable to windcocking than H2O and it may well be that way. The reason for this difference between HS and H2O being small is, perhaps, in the fact that H2O is more comfortable on the edge and, due to its higher volume around the cockpit, may lift the ends out of the water more effectively when on edge.

Ocean cockpit is a thing of the past, in my opinion. I am 6’ and under 180lbs and I used to have to wiggle quite a bit to get in. I added the recess to the back of the cockpit and lowered it by about an inch (see photo blog: http://picasaweb.google.com/Karovaldas/NordkappHSUpgradesJulyAugust2009#). Still, if I wear any boots, I need to wiggle to enter. Keyhole cockpits are much easier to enter and exit and, with modern materials for spray decks, they are just as watertight and reliable as the smaller and much less comfortable ocean cockpits. Ocean cockpit is a potential hazard when you need to get out of the boat fast. Capsizing is the only option. Re-entry repertoire is limited to re-enter-and-roll in all but the calmest conditions (unless you have a paddle float to stabilize yourself during a scramble). Efficient forward paddling is limited by the inability to bend the knees. Some people worry about getting stuck in the small cockpit after capsize. Fear not! Staying in is a much bigger problem :) I've been sucked clean out of the boat by waves as small as 4'.

It gets worse, the original HS cockpit is only 15" wide. For me this means that my edging ability is limited by the side of the cockpit hitting my ribcage on extreme edge. C2C and hand-rolling is similarly hampered by this lack of space around the hips. As far as rolling goes, the back of the cockpit is also too high for layback rolls. Even after I lowered it by 1", I still need to lift my butt of the seat for laybacks but I can now perform a hand roll. With narrowness limiting your ability to do C2C and high aft coaming interfering with laybacks, forward-finishing roll is your best option in this boat.

My HS did not have a day hatch or a third bulkhead behind the seat. It’s very convenient to have one for items you may need to access while on the water. Beyond comfort there’s a safety issue—since there is no bulkhead immediately behind the seat, in case of capsize the boat will take on an additional 5 gallons of water! Not helping is the fact that there is at least a foot of empty space between my footpegs (33" inseam) and the front bulkhead — that's another good 3 gallons of water and wasted gear storage space.

In place of the third hatch, Valley has installed an optional hand pump. Mine worked just fine even 20 years after the boat was manufactured. Unfortunately, its placement behind the seat made it quite useless in rough water. Balancing while pumping with my right hand behind my back is quite precarious in this tippy boat. It may be possible in the ocean where one has time between the waves; however, short wave periods of the Great Lakes' storms prevent it.

Skeg control box on my HS is behind the cockpit. Same issue as with the hand pump—in rough water, where you are more likely to need the skeg, balancing the boat becomes very interesting; especially if the skeg gets stuck. I have capsized once while trying to adjust the skeg and promptly moved the controls from the back to the front of the cockpit. The old-fashioned skeg is very nice, works well and does not vibrate at high speeds the way the skinny modern plastic skegs do; however, there is a price—the skeg box in the rear hatch is enormous and takes up quite a bit of storage space. Getting to the space behind the skeg box is difficult.

So there you have it, my honest assessment of the Nordkapp HS. It was my first real sea kayak and it was an excellent teacher. Before I knew better, I was an ardent advocate for this craft. My skills went up faster than they would have in a more stable boat, I am sure of that. The old HS is a great tripping boat with sufficient bracing recovery and balancing skills. It also gains substantial stability when fully loaded. You will need to pack everything in small dry bags to fit through the round 7.5" hatches but I don't really see that a drawback. HS is great training platform for rough water and behaves very well in it. It will teach you balance and self-reliance. It will amply reward skills and, when it does not, you will only have yourself to blame. It is considerably less stable than most other boats in this class as well as its younger Nordkapp brothers. HS is also slower and less convenient than the modern models. On the positive side, you can snatch one for under $1,000 on the used market which is hard to find for any other fiberglass kayak model. For that price, it’s a good deal as long as you realize what you are getting and are willing and able to put up with the requirements that this boat imposes. It's not the boat I would choose if finances were not an issue.

For the past year I have paddled a Nordkapp H2O, the current full-size Nordkapp. In a separate review, I have given top marks to the H2O for speed, seaworthiness and maneuverability.

Recently I also purchased a Nordkapp HS (hull standard). While my HS was made in 1994, it has the same hull shape as the original 1975 Nordkapp. There are a number of differences between the older HS and the current H2O versions of the Nordkapp, notably the HS has an ocean (round) cockpit, a lower front deck and a higher rear deck. These differences relate to what is above the waterline. While Valley says the hull shape (what's in the water) has changed with the H2O, I cannot see any difference when I do a side by side comparison of the HS and the H2O. As well, when I paddle the two kayaks I can detect no difference in their performance.

The HS is still available from Valley as the Nordkapp Classic, complete with ocean cockpit. While I prefer the conveniences of the H2O (notably the keyhole cockpit) the HS is a viable alternative, whether you get one as a used older kayak (as I got mine) or as a new Nordkapp Classic.

All the versions of the Nordkapp, the H2O, the HS or the LV (which I have also paddled) are outstanding sea kayaks. And,they all perform at their very best when paddled in rough conditions.

What an amazing boat! Sleek, versatile (it turns on a dime w/o skeg & tracks like a train in heavy quartering winds with skeg deployed), and I am able to fit my digital camera in the quite large PELIKAN waterproof case in the oval back hatch.

The boat felt stable, and fits like a glove, and I just returned from a 3 week self sustained camping trip in Patagonia (with the 3-piece version), means yo can pack a lot of stuff in its slim hull design.

The only problem I have with the Nordkapp Jubilee is, that I do not turn completely 180 over after capsizing/set up for rolling, which makes me feel unsafe and less confident to paddle solo in bad conditions, since the set up, and the consequent roll (especially in heavy surf) are harder to perform. Or am I doing something wrong?

Well it is time to semi-retire my Jubilee...just did many paddles along the forgotten coast of Florida with the high-light being the rapid charge and advancement of an 8 foot gator toward me and my boat on the Suwanee River-this after paddling with Manatee on the Crystal River the day before. The Nordkapp Jubilee followed 2 years in a Sea Lion with followed many many years in a Chinook..the Nordkapp's successor is to be a Necky Looksha II I ordered last week-like the Sea Lion it is to be in Kevlar (and I have heard the warnings of the promised versus actual delivered weight from Necky)..if you know the Looksha II then you know it can't replace either the Sea Lion in abject carrying capacity and ease of loading nor can it replace the Nordkapp in stability, but I am excited about getting a light (hopefully) excercise boat that may be pushed into overnight paddle/camp service just to see how it does....expect further reviews on the Looksha II after I take delivery. After 2 years in the Nordkapp and too too many trips to count everywhere from the Everglades to Voyageurs I give it a 9+ and the only reason I give any deficit is the small hatch up front-I could fault the seat back having come from a cush American boat but I luckily discovered that when wearing a throw roap in the small of my back it fit perfectly well against the rear cockpit coming and provided surprising comfort on long paddle-in fact I never complained about back pain in the Nordapp. Wish me luck in the Looksha II!

Just passed the six month mark as a Jubilee owner. My red over white fiberglass/diolene model has been to the Everglades, the Tortugas, the Locahatchee River, Shell Key, Lignumvitae Key, and of course the lakes here at home..so much to love about this boat: Roll potential is wonderful. I use a Greenland paddle, which makes it too easy.

Turning...very good for a boat this long, just remember to pull the skeg up. Beam and quarter winds/waves. not a problem. From Flamingo to Middle Cape we paddles in 4-5 chop/20 knot winds with quartering waves, the Jubilee felt as stable as if it were on smooth water.Sculling...so easy to arch back in the water and stare at the sky, again greenland paddle makes this effortless.

Storage...skeg box takes up some room in the back hatch and the small round hatch up front is why it doesn't get a 10...my girlfriend has the Nigel Foster designed Silhouette and I am always last to get packed after a paddle-camp.

Fit: I am 6'1" and 185 pounds and fit is perfect, even the seemingly worthless backband is comfortable.

Speed: as advertised, very fast.

Weight: in the water like all boats weightless, on land it is heavy at 55 pounds stock, mine is a little heavier with the Henderson foot pump...I say that coming from a Kelvar Sea Lion but don't covet Kevlar, take it from someone who has both, Kevlar boats unless fully loaded will cork on the waves, the heavier FG/Diolene models actually have more directional control. Fiberglass is so easily field repaired....hard choice to make.

Beauty: To me the Nordkapp Jubilee is the sexiest boat on the water.

Day Hatch: don't buy a boat without it, get all the clutter off your deck! Improvements (modifications): added the Henderson Foot Pump....I try not to come out of my boat but it is nice to know it is there. Added a U cable behind the cockpit to ease locking to the vehicle (doesn't interfere with rolls).

Future boats: Plan to get an Avocet when the funds become available just to toy around in...still have a composite Sea Lion and 2 Chinooks, oldest daughter has as Viscaya and youngest is now in the Acadia (she outgrew the Umiak)..any questions about the Jubilee don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Well, I must laugh at the first reviewer's perception of this boat. It is definitely not a beginner's kayak and certainly isn't cheap... the truth is, I've never paddled a more seaworthy kayak than the Nordkapp. It performs better in rough water than still, and if you don't use skill, leaning and sweeping in particular; you'll have a difficult time having any fun. The bow punishes standing waves and the narrow beam allows you to position you paddle anywhere you might need to...you won't be banging the shaft against the deck coaming. Unfortunately, the skeg lever is an annoying obstacle when taking strokes along the side of the boat as I have scraped my knuckles on the lever far too often. An absolutely superb boat, none other its equal.

I would like to hear more from others, however, since I have owned it only a short while, it seems extremely fast and in fact it is only slight slower than my 19 foot plus Seda Glider. Secondary stability is excellent. It gets off the line like a dragster. It weathercocks a bit, but if you lean it and sweep, it responds immediately. At 6' 4" and 200 lbs. I have to squeeze into it, but once I am in, I've got plenty of room-it really must be form-fitted. The only draw back that I have witnessed so far is exiting the cockpit at the shoreline. I'm still looking for some hints on this aspect.