News for Summer

The Seawards are here!
We finally got our demo kayaks and they are awesome. Like little kids at Christmas, Todd and I bolted for the lake the minute we got them unwrapped and it was also the first really nice sunny day we've seen in a long time. So all in all we were in heaven and you can read below our observations. We're sure that those of you looking for composite kayaks, or wondering what it's like to paddle them, will be delighted with our Glass Classes.

Aurora
For not much more than some plastic kayaks, you can get a fully outfitted glass beauty from Seaward. There are two kayaks in the Discover series and the Aurora is the single for people wanting a spacious and stable composite boat. It is rock solid in tracking and turning and the seat backs are the best we've used. Todd had ample room and he is 225 and 6 foot 3. At 180 and 6 foot, I felt like I was in a luxury car. At $1965, the Aurora is the best price in the industry for the level of fit and finish. At 17'6", it will serve the day-paddler and long distance tourer well. With a 15" deck height, it solves the entry/exit problem many kayaks have for "full sized" paddlers. These kayaks are in very high demand and it will take about 6 weeks to get one, so hurry in and test paddle one and get your order in! We think this kayak is what many of you have in mind.

Vision
This might be the perfect kayak for the Great Lakes. At 17 feet, it will do all that's asked of it due to its high volume. We assumed it would be somewhat slow with a 24.5" beam and were astonished at her speed. In fact, we double checked the specs and measured her ourselves and it is in fact 24.5 wide but turns and accelerates like a narrower kayak. The details of the deck layout and cockpit are indicative of why Seaward has the reputation of only the highest level of engineering and workmanship. The rudder setup is absolutely slick and solves the problem of spongy foot pegs. A very roomy cockpit should appeal to medium and large paddlers alike.

Gemini Tandem
We'd never paddled a composite tandem before and took off so fast we left our solo paddler far behind in the first minute. Again, we are not small guys and both of us had plenty of room in either cockpit. At 18'3" we were surprised that we could easily sync our paddle strokes and the stability was so good one of us could stand in the cockpit. At 80 lbs, it's not a solo carry but not bad at all with two people. Those seats were wonderful and it's impossible to find a composite tandem this nice at $2600.

Luna
Smaller paddlers will never forget a ride in the Luna. At home in small kayak cockpits, I had plenty of room in the Luna except for the leg length. You need to have a 32" inseam or less and you are set. This boat handles like a dream and at 16 feet it will meet the needs of a wide range of paddlers. Most scaled down sea kayaks for smaller paddlers are too narrow to allow the beginner or intermediate paddler to relax and have fun when the wind kicks up. But the Luna at 23" beam, is very forgiving and will serve you like a champ as your skills increase.

Nigel Foster Legend
It really is a Legend! Ours is in Kevlar and weighs a scant 43 lbs. The chines allow you to crank turns with authority. And I've rarely used the skeg since it's so nice to edge with the chines and cheat the wind. The low deck heights allow for easy layback on rolls and re-enters with paddle float. At 21" wide, the Legend begs to be moving and the stability ramps up under way. Still the fastest boat in our fleet, the Legend has the stability we seek for rough waters.

Nigel Foster Shadow
The exact same lines as the Legend but in a cockpit size for the big boys and girls out there. Fits Todd like it was made for him but is too big for me. Nigel's boats are all 17'10" but feel shorter when turning and sculling due to the chines. The skeg coupled with the low deck (13.5") makes this a fast cruiser. But don't worry about foot room, there's plenty of space.

These are the kayaks that are in Jackson and can be paddled by signing up for Glass Class or making an appointment. South of the border, in southern Ohio, Ryan Clark has available the Seaward Chilco, Ascente, Aurora and Navigator to demo.