Iqaluit Description

The Iqaluit is a kayak brought to you by Clearwater Design. Read Iqaluit reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

Clearwater Design
Iqaluit Reviews

Read reviews for the Iqaluit by Clearwater Design as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

We bought 2 and love them.…

Submitted by: paddler847899 on 8/10/2020
We bought 2 and love them. Mistakenly purchased the Nunavit first which we found those to be too large for what we wanted to do. As Beginners, the Iqaluit has been perfect. We are building confidence, exploring most water ways with ease and controllability. Only issue is that it does seem heavier then 46 pounds. I have used other recreational Kayaks and find them difficult to track and maneuver. Iqaluit allows for skill development, we may outgrow it and that will be a good thing! Clear Water Design has amazing customer service.
4

Terrific little kayak, lots…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/29/2020
Terrific little kayak, lots of fun paddling and fishing! Very comfy once you get seat adjustments correct.
4

We have 2 of these kayaks,…

Submitted by: paddler237029 on 8/12/2016
We have 2 of these kayaks, Iqaluit from Clearwater Design. Very pleased with the durability and design of these kayaks, comfortable and stable, yet easy to paddle and keep straight. I am most impressed by the company and their service to customers, I've ordered parts and called to ask questions on a couple of occasions and they are very helpful and friendly. I am rating it a 9/10, I only wish it had a locking point for security on roof racks. As for the customer service, I rate Clearwater Design a 10/10!
5

first Kayak purchase and it…

Submitted by: paddler235286 on 8/14/2013
first Kayak purchase and it has been GREAT for all at the cottage! The general use from all shapes and sizes of us vacationing, it suits us just fine. and I LOVE the blue "cloud-like" colour!
4

I can’t say enough about this…

Submitted by: Eriecanalboatcompany on 12/6/2008
I can’t say enough about this little kayak; it’s by far the favorite to paddle in our rental fleet. It’s fast, tracks strait, very maneuverable, and easy for beginners to hop in and start paddling. I consider it my SUV of kayaks, carrying extra camping equipment, a small child, or family pet (95lbs Lab-St. Bernard mix) is no trouble at all. Its large, open cockpit eliminates the fear some have of being stuck inside if they roll. Many of the people looking for sit-on-top kayaks have come back to me and said how much they enjoyed the ride and stability, much more than their previous SOT experience.

The only two drawbacks I see in this kayak are:
First, a lack of security lock point, second, its made to move, the faster you paddle the more comfortable it gets. Overall, the workmanship and quality are great.

If you are looking for perfectly smooth surface and perfect appearance, go spend 2500 to 4000 for a glass or Kevlar boat, but you won’t have nearly the fun in the water as with this kayak.

3

We bought the Iqaluit 2…

Submitted by: paddler232676 on 6/20/2008
We bought the Iqaluit 2 summers ago as a beginner boat. It seemed to have a decent amount of favorable reviews and a reasonable price. The overall workmanship of the kayak is good, and seems to be holding its shape well. My big issue is the weight, this thing definitely weighs much more than the 46 lbs listed. I don't have a scale to weigh it on, but I would guess it is in the neighborhood of 70 lbs. My wife can't lift it on to the roof racks at all, and shes quite strong for her size. Make sure you can lift this boat into the racks before you but it. Otherwise the it tracks and paddles fairly well.
3

I bought the Iqaluit as my…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 2/29/2008
I bought the Iqaluit as my first boat. I am 5'10" and 160lbs. I found this boat quite manageable for my first few trips and rather enjoyed its initial stability and speed. You will get very wet without a skirt when using this boat. However, due to the size of the cockpit, the skirt is also large and after paddling for about 15 minutes, you will lend up with a rather large puddle sloshing around on the skirt. I recommend the Seal Spray Deck if you are going to use this kayak.

Anyhow the seat is very comfortable but if you use the inflatable backrest, you will have to adjust it every so often. The rear storage compartment is mostly watertight but I would recommend you use dry bags for any gear.

Paddling in open water is risky business, this boat is suited for wet exits only and takes on a lot of water very quickly once tipped (poor secondary stability). If you plan on paddling on anything other than flatwater, bring a bilge pump and paddle float or you will have a long swim ahead of you.

In summary, it's a great, inexpensive, beginner boat but plan on trading it in if you decide to stick to paddling. That said, if you have the money to but a better boat, don't buy the Iqaluit. The plastics are inferior to what you will see in the bigger brands. I noticed some buckling and bulging in my hull in the first few months. The boat always tracked to the left regardless of who was paddling it due to a large divot which formed on the bottom of the hull. (My boat was stored properly indoors on kayak holders and transported car top on its side in a Yakima rack. - there was no reason for the defect to form.)

If you go to a store that carries Clearwater boats, take a moment to run your hand along the ridge of the cockpit. You will notice that it has a very rough finish. Now compare that to something by Riot, Wilderness Systems or Perception where you will find smooth finished plastics. For the extra $150, buy the better boat.

4

First kayak, intermediate…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/8/2006
First kayak, intermediate paddler (canoeing, overnights, whitewater) Bought w/out a demo (I know I know) based on specs, from Joe Signs Equipment on eBay, a great experience. Other kayaks demoed: Otter, Pungo 120, Perception Swifty, Wilderness Tsunami 140, Squamish 15,Hurrican Aqua Sports Tampico 135L and 135S. My next (dream kayak) will be the Tampico 135S but that's another review and an extra $1000 ;-)

Why I chose the Iqaluit: for small paddlers (I'm 5'4" 115 lbs, female size 6 shoe) not so wide or tubby as some of the other intro rec boats. At 46# I can cartop it myself. Five year warranty on a triple layer hull. At just under 12 feet it stores nicely in my small condo yard & can fit inside come winter. At this price the adjustable footpads, sealed rear bulkhead (still bone dry) & for and aft deck riggings cinched it, as did the remarkable amount of storage. Can easily overnight this w. a 2 person tent, bag, food, ministove, etc. I added front floatation just to be safe & still have plenty of room.

Now for the test - after 8 hours of actual paddling: the long bottlenosed dolphin prow cuts the water silently without splash over the bow, unlike, say, the Dagger Zydeco which I almost got. That with the extreme primary stability makes it great for photogs. From a dead stop to 8 strokes I can generate four wake lines at the prow. Moves much faster than I thought, other rec kayakers just stared and a few small engine boatowners out panfishing were intrigued what with the price of gas and all. The Iqaluit moves & tracks well owing to the widest part being behind the paddler, different shape entirely than the bigger Inuvik. Turns, backs up on a dime. At 11'8" you can explore well branched shorelines, narrow creeks and river channels. On a medium sized lake w. boats it handles chop very well using proper technique. Footpegs adjust very easily on land or out there which is important if you need to change position slightly. Coaming smooth topside & above, nice on the legs. And the adjustable seat w. the inflatable lumbar pad is *way* better than kayaks at twice the price! My back and butt thank Clearwater Design for this innovation!

This is not for whitewater, it'll not roll,too wide for that at 28 inches. It'll do anything else for a novice kayaker looking for a few features over basic & a little more zip than the pumpkinseeds. Plus, at $473 shipped I could get two excellent paddles,(Sawyer Orca & Bending Branches fiberglass Infusion) a removable cartop system, half skirt by Paddle Stuff,kayak cart for those long portages or when I am lazy, two NRS dry bags, a Pelican Box and a quality Class III PFD by Liquid Force (the Venus, which I highly recommend to kayaking women). I give it a 9 cuz I wish it were narrower so I could foam fill & brace it. But for what it is and what it's designed for,it's kickass. Vive les Canadiens!

5

Wow I can't belive what a…

Submitted by: paddler231498 on 3/27/2006
Wow I can't belive what a great boat the Iqaluit (cant pronounce it yet) is very fast for a 12 footer and tracks very straight. a total joy compared to the lousy boat I had.
4

My wife and I purchased two…

Submitted by: paddler231164 on 6/27/2005
My wife and I purchased two Iqaluits from the Clearwater factory in Northport, Ontario as our anniversary gifts to each other. Mine is deep green and hers is pink, both are non-standard colours. I also have the fishing package added to mine. Overall we are pleased with them. There has been some dimpling of the hulls, nothing out of the ordinary. There were some initial problems with the seal in the watertight bulkhead leaking, but the factory repaired this no questions asked. I recommend adding a flotation bag or some foam to the nose, as there is no watertight compartment forward.

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