Profile

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.