Delphin 150 Surf Test

William and I took the chance to test two new P&H Delphin 150s that arrived in the shop this week. We headed to the south end of Folly and beach launched in ~5-10 knots of wind with 3-4 foot surf rolling in: Overall, optimal conditions for us to see what this kayak could do.

We shot some photos which may not be the greatest action shots...but should give a sense of the day and the conditions.

First William’s impressions —

“I found that the Delphin 150 performed nearly identically to its bigger sibling, the Delphin 155. For me at 5' 9'' and 155 pounds, it fit — I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a “Sherman tank.”as I have in the larger boat. I have loved paddling the 155 and feel it is an awesome rough water play boat. My problem has been that it has just a little too much volume for me. I sit too low in the cockpit and feel somewhat swallowed-up by it.

“The new Delphin 150 has a significantly tighter cockpit, lower front deck, and less volume. It feels much livelier to me. I was stable in the waves and really felt one with the kayak. It still had the classic edging, planning, maneuverability and stability of the larger boat. But I felt much more comfortable sitting in it.

“I was also impressed with how well it punched through the waves and the way its high rockered, high volume nose split the water and basically refused to nose dive. I came straight off the edge of several 4-footers and the nose hit the bottom and simply planed out instead of burying. The maneuverability it provides on the wave is unmatched in any other long boat I have been in before.

“I rolled it several times both on purpose and after being knocked over. It comes right over and was much easier for me to roll than the bigger boat.  I really can’t say enough good things about it and if  I decide to add a rough water play boat to my kayak stable this would hands down be the one. Great job P&H!!”

For myself, I generally agree with all that William had to say. I've also enjoyed the larger Delphin 155, and found it to be a great boat to surf, and develop surf skills in. But I've always preferred lower volume and tighter fitting kayaks — and the Delphin 150 delivers. P&H brought their white-water seat and cockpit outfitting into the Delphins, and it gives the boats great comfort, a secure feel, and surprising versatility when it comes to paddler size — we've had shop folk 5' 8'' to 6' 2'' in the original Delphin and I won't be surprised if a similarly wide range of smaller folks can make good use of the Delphin 150.

I spent less time in the boat and more time with a camera pointed at William, but my most notable impressions were of liveliness, of confident maneuverability and responsive edging on and off the face of the waves, and supremely buoyant action when punching out thru the surf, or when you felt another boat might have buried itself. This will be a great confidence builder for students (or anyone) developing their surf skills, and William won't be the only skilled paddler who chooses a Delphin-that-fits as their first choice when they go out to chase the waves.

Stay tuned for impressions form more paddlers and in a wider variety of conditions.

Cheers!

Drysuits are the best!!

Matt Faust and I decided to head out on the water Sunday against the better advice of everyone. It was sunny but in the low 40s with at least a wind chill of 32 degrees. This might be a beautiful kayaking day in Maine but no one kayaks in this weather in Charleston, South Carolina.

However, Matt and I had just received our new Immersion Research Double D drysuits and were eager to operationally check them out.

It turned out to be a beautiful day and we had the Folly River to ourselves except for the dolphin strand feeding and our feathered friends enjoying the day. Please understand if we had not been wearing the drysuits with the water temp being in the upper 40s and the air temp what it was it would have been foolish to go.

Some thoughts on the drysuits: I have last year’s model and it is awesome without a doubt, however, Matt has the new 2010 model. For me the biggest improvement this year is the zipper system. It opens wider which makes it easier to get into and out of the suit plus it’s easier to open and close. They’ve also gone back to reinforced fabric booties which seemed work as advertized.

If you would like more information on the drysuits visit Immerion Research.

Sea Kayak Carolina will be happy to take your order for your very own drysuit today.

P&H Scorpio Low Volume

As Scott said, he and I went out in the ocean yesterday (October 7) to try out some new boats. I normally paddle an Impex Force 3. The Impex is a long, skinny, fast boat that is tough to turn unless I put it up on edge (but then it carves a nice turn!). The folks at P&H think that the Scorpio LV would be to my liking.

Immediately upon sitting in the boat I discovered one challenge - When I adjusted the footpegs as close to me as possible, they were not close enough. I know my legs are short... but this is something I think P&H needs to address. Otherwise, the cockpit fit me pretty well. I would need to pad out the sides a bit, but that is all. The knee braces were comfortable and allowed for a high knee position while paddling (see Ben Lowry's forward stroke technique!).

As we paddled (sustained wind of about 15 knots with gusts up to 20 knots; confused seas with waves between 2' and 4'; pretty strong current from the incoming tide) I couldn't help but compare it to my Force 3. I also tried to compare to the Capela 161 that I have paddled some recently. The Scorpio punched through the waves with gusto. It is a fast boat. It did weathercock a bit more than my Force 3 -- just about any boat would -- but it didn't take much effort to correct my direction and stay on course.

Before getting too far into the waves and wind I needed to see if I could roll the Scorpio LV. Halfway through my roll (while hanging upside down), I realized that the cockpit fit (both side to side and the footpegs not getting close enough) caused me to fall "down" out of the seat. Hhhmmmmmm this would be a challenge... After a few attempts, I was able to roll up, but I had to really focus on my lay back (which the boat does allow for). I think once fitted properly, it would roll easily.

Onward into the clapotis! I felt very comfortable and stable in the Scorpio LV. The boat reacted predictably to the wave action and was lively in response to my strokes. I was pleased to feel safe and very sea-worthy in this plastic boat!

Overall, I like the Scorpio LV. It is fast, adequately maneuverable, and fun in the waves. It is definitely an option for medium-sized women and some smaller women (but unless the footpeg position is changed, not an option for most small women) who want a quick, ocean-worthy plastic boat.

There were lots of dolphin in the area this day. They were very active - tail slapping, circling. The dolphin must have been driving the fish to the surface because the pelicans were diving and taking advantage of the dolphins' work. I caught a couple of glimpses of a very small dolphin with its mother - the small ones are so cute! And one larger dolphin came up about 10 feet from me and gave me a really good lookover.

I hope to see you on the water soon. Paddling this time of year is quite comfortable in the cooler weather, but with the water still warm. - Sue

P&H Cetus versus...

Hello, Happy Paddlers! I paddled the P&H Cetus for a few minutes at the East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival in April 2008. On the lake at the James Island County Park. As you can imagine, I was a bit preoccupied as Sea Kayak Carolina was making its public debut that weekend. My initial reactions were "fast" and "maneuverable." That was all; I literally paddled the kayak for less than 15 minutes.

The first two Cetus arrived at the shop last week. From England, via Asheville, North Carolina, then on to Charleston, South Carolina delivered from our friend and P&H rep, Scott Sullivan. Scott and I unloaded a bunch of nice new kayaks, and put the shops new grey over white demo Cetus, and his plastic Scorpio, on my car. We went to Folly Beach for some surfing. The wind was onshore, 15 knots gusting to about 18 knots. Two foot waves, sloppy and choppy. An occasional 3 footer.

Well, I was in a pickle! Not the kayak, but an emotional dilemma. I have been paddling a NDK Explorer for a number of years, in all kinds of waters. I wanted to give the Cetus a fair shake; but all I could think of was how the boat compared to the Explorer. I had a long relationship with the Explorer, and felt a bit guilty about even paddling another boat. On the other hand, P&H has been supporting Sea Kayak Carolina tremendously; and we have been impressed with their line, especially the Capellas. I wanted to love the Cetus as part of our support for P&H. But again, I wanted to give the boat a fair evaluation.

The waves were choppy and sloppy. Scott Sullivan was having a blast in his Scorpio. At some point I decided to forget about the Cetus vs. Explorer dilemma; and enjoy being in a sea kayak on the ocean. I was, however, and bit loose in the cockpit. I need about an inch of foam on either side of my hips. This modification will be similar to how I have padded out my Explorer. So, not fitting too well in the cockpit, and being in an unfamiliar boat, my surfing was not up to par. My impressions from the day: "need to pad out the cockpit to fit me," "fast," "maneuverable."

The bow and stern compartments were bone dry after an hour of surfing, punching thru waves, and a few rolls. The fourth hatch was completely dry as well. There was a few tablespoons of water in the dayhatch. I will replace the "snap top" hatchcover with a standard hatchcover. While the snap top hatchcover is easy to put on and off, it is reported to leak a bit.

Sunday (October 5, 2008) I paddled the Cetus on Lake Moultrie, thru the locks, and in the tiderace canal. The shop led this trip as part of the Berkeley Blueways Paddlefest. 5 shop staff, 14 participants of various levels of experience. I was like a sheepdog herding sheep. I was able to race from the back of the Pod, to the front, circle it. Smiling a big smile, tongue lolling out occasionally like the aforementioned sheepdog. Fast! Maneuverable!

Today Sue Kershaw and I launched from Fort Moultrie into Charleston Harbor. Recorded wind speed was close to my approximation: 16 knots gusting to 19 knots. Winds were out of the east. This caused some whitewater over the breakwater, and some interesting clapotis on the way out to the breakwater. Sue was evaluating the P&H Scorpio LV. (Look for her review soon.) My impressions of the Cetus were the same. Fast, maneuverable and I need to pad out the sides of the seat to keep my skinny little behind from sliding side to side. Once I do that, I just may paddle the Cetus next week in Tybee. BCU Week. 4 star training with... you guessed it... Nigel Dennis! Stay tuned!

The P&H Scorpio

Before this summer, I'd never paddled any kayaks from the P&H line-up, but during the past few months I've enjoyed paddling one of the shop's Capella 161s on a few trips. So, when Scott asked me to track down whatever reviews I could find on the P&H Scorpio -- their plastic boat based on their Cetus design -- I was curious to find out how this model was being received.

A few hours and a dozen Google searches later, I was convinced: The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. From the innovative 4th hatch (forward of the cockpit and between the knees), to the well-balanced performance -- intermediate and advance paddlers have put the Scorpio thru its paces and found very little wanting.

I haven't had a chance to paddle one from the shop yet, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity. Curious what all those reviewers have to say? Don't miss our compilation page on the Scorpio, complete with all the manufacturer's specs and links to the best reviews and commentary we could track down.