Legend

After years of kayaking I got a used Walden Nigel Foster kayak and felt like a first time paddler. This is a demanding kayak requires many hours of practice and fun. It made me want to learn much more about rowing & rolling techniques. This kayak behaves well only if you are doing things right! This is an unforgiving kayak. Paradise for skilled paddlers

This is the first glass boat I've owned and so far I very pleased. The most striking feature of this boat, is probably its hard chine. I've found the hard chine helps this boat track very straight allowing you to torque out on the paddle for some amazing speed. My Legend is outfitted with a skeg which I don't anticipate using very often because of how well this boat tracks without it. At the same time, as long as you're not afraid to put it on edge, this nearly 18' boat manuvers very well. It's initial stability is a bit shakey, but as soon as you lean it onto the chine it's steady enough to stand up in, trust me I know. A nice feature I enjoy is the sloped rear bulkhead which allows the cockpit to be compleatly emptied in a rescue and after cleaning. The hatch covers fit very tight, I've had to 'burp' them to allow expanding air out. After hours of practicing rolls and rescues, the hatches remain totally dry. The only alterations I would make in the design would be to lower the rear deck behind the cockpit allowing the paddler to lean back further, when rolling. I'd also pull the front bulkhead back to the end of the foot brace track, thus enlarging the front hatch and reducing the floodable volume of the cockpit. The only reason I didn't give this boat a higher rating is because despite the fact that it's a high end custom built line of kayak, Walden only offers the Nigel Fosters in a few colors.

First real purchase of a new glass kayak. This boat is not for the faint of heart! The hard chines and narrow beam make it very quick and effortless to paddle, but as a result it's tippy at first. If you plan on long tours, fitness paddling, and the occaisional race, this boat will whip anyone out there. It's a boat you can most definitely grow with. I plan on keeping my Legend for as long as I can. I am saddened that the Walden Sports--Nigel Foster line of boats is not highlighted more in this buyers guide. But in a way it makes me feel good that I've got something unique. If you are thinking about a high end boat ($2500 +) do yourself a favor and paddle the Nigel Foster line from Walden Sports.