In Defense of the SKUK Romany Kayak – Review



Not that the Romany needs defending exactly, but it’s not a new design.  And I’ve written about other kayaks I’ve demoed on this blog, but not yet about the kayak I own. The two flagship kayaks of the SKUK (NDK) line remain the Romany and the Explorer – neither has changed much since their release in the early 1990’s. I’ve owned both and they are the only kayaks that I purchased new, custom ordered from the UK. Other boats I’ve owned have come and gone – good boats that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. But I’ve still kept the Romany and am unlikely to part with it.  Here's why:

The hull is a friendly design – comfortable for those new to the sport and one that increasingly shows its value as a paddler’s skills improve. The Romany has enough rocker to be fun and responsive in conditions, while also remaining straight-running even without using the skeg. It has a boxy chine to carve and maneuver in following seas or when surfing, but is more gentle than some of the recent kayak designs that respond sharply to edging. The boat is reassuring in big conditions – whether your energy is high and you’re attacking the surf, or at the end of a long day and your goal is to get home.  Other kayaks may excel at certain times because of the choices the boat's designer made – some are better at distance paddling, some are more sharply responsive in surf, some may handle beam waves with a bit more ease. But these same kayaks can also become a burden at times – those with too much rocker are hard to keep straight, those with fully rounded chines lack a responsive edge to support aggressive sweep strokes, those with an even flatter cross-section may suffer more leeway in high winds.  The Romany hull is a thoughtful compromise that solidly performs all that a skilled paddler can throw at it while not excelling in any one area to the detriment of another. For this reason, having such a boat is (in my opinion) a good decision for all sea kayakers. Whether it is the only boat you own, or the “workhorse” in your fleet to use when you need a reliable craft, the Romany is a great choice.

They’re also pretty bomb-proof.  Though heavy, I’ve bashed my SKUK boats around and they’re solidly built and largely maintenance free.  In my experience the round hatches are bone dry no matter how rough the conditions are.  The boat doesn’t have any fiddly parts or an odd layout – the skeg slider is where it should be; the deck lines are well arranged – they avoid the day hatch area so you can put the cover back on easily (for example); the thigh braces and seat are simple, functional, and ergonomic for an active paddler.  The thing just works well – Nigel Dennis got it right the first time and clearly sees no reason to make substantial changes to the boat. And of course with the popularity of the SKUK boats among seasoned paddlers, it seems every other manufacturer has incorporated some of the Romany/Explorer design elements into their own boats - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Despite a lot of imitators, no one has created anything that's quite as good as the original – the Romany and Explorer remain at the top of the short list of rough water sea kayaks.

There are tons of Romany’s out there among experienced sea kayakers, yet you don’t see too many for sale.  The reason for this is obvious I think – once you own one you don't want to part with it. In fact, Sea Kayaker Magazine voted the Romany the “Best Day/Weekend Kayak” and “Best Rough-Water Kayak” in their 2011 Readers Choice awards.  For a design that hasn’t changed in 20 years, that’s saying something.

RUNNING LIST of Top Tips & Handy Hints (observations gathered over the years)

Not My Kayak - but I did own a Pintail once...

·       If you're just going out for a short day paddle and don't want your water bottle, radio etc. banging around in your day hatch, put them in an old clear PVC drybag (clear, stiff, thick plastic ones) kept unclipped/open in the hatch. That old style of drybag provides good shock-absorption for stuff and you can still get at things easily while on the water.

·         When paddling in a group, consider the advantages of sharing large-size safety gear -  not everyone needs to bring spare paddles, a wind shelter, extra water/clothing, etc. - as long as there's enough to go around. Why weigh down everyone's boat unnecessarily. 

·         Waterproof nautical maps are worth the extra few bucks – and mostly can be used bare on your deck under the bungees.  But if in the surf zone, putting them away or in a map case secured to the deck is wise because they can wash off from under the bungees.

·         “Winds Come, Tides Go” – a north wind is coming from the north, a north tide/current is going to (flowing towards) north.

·         With wind at your back, the area of low pressure is to your left (in northern hemisphere). Helpful for tracking storms.

·         Keep a clear deck as much as possible in rough water. Paddles and pumps and water bottles on deck impede rescues (self and assisting) , can hamper low angle strokes, and often shift or break loose.  Under deck, in hatch, or on-person alternatives are preferred in most cases.

·         After a tow, if still in bumpy conditions, just stuff the line in a loose bundle down the front of your pfd.  Repack your tow line bag later in calm water.

·         Those 8x11 sheets of cheap plastic laminating film (from Office Max or Staples) work for sealing printed tide tables or charts you’ve gotten from the computer.  But after one or two uses, they leak. 

·         Bow Draw, Side-Slip, Hanging Draw, Draw on the Move, Stern Draw… are all the same thing just at different locations up and down the side of your boat.  You’re pulling water towards the boat by angling the blade – differs only in what part of the boat you want to draw.

·         As the boat slows during a hanging draw stroke (side slip), you must gradually move the position of the paddle forwards in response to the reduction in speed. Otherwise the hanging draw becomes a stern draw. (Friction of bow wave reduces as speed slows so bow gets looser).

·         If your stern rudder stroke is weak, try raising your offside hand – puts more blade in contact with moving water.

·         RV Roof Repair Tape (Eterna Bond) works well as an emergency patch – better than Duct tape or Denzo tape.

·         Check and Replace items in your First Aid kit on a regular basis – ibuprofen, band-aids, etc.

·         If you’re the tower in an assisted tow, hook your carabiner to the victim’s boat, but only under the front deck line of the assistant’s boat. This way the assistant can pull himself up along the victim's boat to unhook the tow if need be.

·         The victim has to lean hard onto the rescuer’s boat during a contact tow. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the rescuer to paddler straight.

·         For effective reverse paddling, slap the back face of the paddle onto the water behind you and push down, bringing the off-side hand up high (vertically) out over that side of the boat – this will help create a mirror image of a high-angle forward stroke, but in reverse. Otherwise, your reverse paddling will be a series of low angle reverse sweeps making it harder to go straight.

·         When surfing a wave, if your bow is headed to the right (boat is beginning to broach) your stern rudder (on left side) will be more effective if you edge on the side away from the paddle (edge to right).  Seems counterintuitive and is harder to do, but works better.  By contrast, if you edge on the same side as the stern rudder, i.e. edging on the paddle side (which feels more natural), the shape of kayak hull will reinforce the broach, not fight it.

·         A small monocular in your pfd is helpful to read buoy numbers for navigation.

·         A spare paddle should be easy to assemble quickly when you need it – otherwise it’s not an effective piece of safety equipment.

·         When forward paddling, it's OK to allow the top hand to cross the center line of the kayak – shows you’re rotating the torso. Keep that top hand high to avoid scooping up water with the active blade at the end of the stroke.

·         Ankle-high booties prevent submerged objects (rocks, etc.) from cutting your ankles.

·         Loosen the back band and push the footpegs forward for comfort on distance paddles.

·         Always talk (however briefly) before you leave the beach to discuss the float plan and agree on a VHF channel (if you’re using radios).

 ·         Never leave a group of paddlers without telling someone (preferably several people) that you're breaking off from the group and heading home (or wherever).

·         Kayak fishing is fun, but it’s not easy landing a fish from a closed cockpit boat and dealing with all the gear without something going amiss…Fishing kayaks are wide and have open cockpits for a reason.

·         Some strong paddlers with good stamina and endurance on flatwater are uncomfortable in even moderate sea conditions. (Sometimes surprisingly so.) And vice versa - some who are comfortable in larger sea conditions do not have the most stamina. Be mindful of the variable skills (and hidden weaknesses) of the group as sea conditions change … and be prepared to tow or be towed.

·         If you’re the lead paddler (or in the group at the front) and have stopped to wait for the slower paddlers to catch up, don’t immediately resume paddling when the slower people get there. Give them some time to rest first!

·         When exiting your boat in beach-breaking surf, make sure your kayak is landward of you and the waves. Do no stand with your boat seaward of you, otherwise you risk the boat smashing you in the legs when hit by a wave. MAJORLY important rule for surf landings.

·         Waterproof headlamps do not float – attach them somehow if dealing with waves/surf when night paddling.

·         Boats are heavy – ALWAYS offer to help other paddlers carry a kayak and NEVER feel embarrassed to ask for help lifting/carrying your boat.  Save your back and arms for the paddling.

·         Four (4) people carrying a loaded boat is best when carrying any distance – yes 4. No shame.

·         ALL OTHER watercraft have the right of way – kayaks come last.  Not a written rule necessarily, but essentially true. We are most vulnerable.  Be cautious and aware.

·         When on a crossing/meeting (or collision) course with a motor boat, stop paddling to let him pass in front of you but keep making the paddling motion (move the paddle up and down) simply so the boater is more likely to see you – paddle motion is what others see first, not you and your little boat.

·         Pay attention to fore/aft trim when packing your boat – e.g. put gear up in the bow hatch if your stern sits low to compensate for an off balance center of buoyancy. It noticeably helps handling.

·         Contrary to what some say, your seat position does affect boat handling. Sit a bit further forward (or lean your torso forward) to help turning and edging if your boat seems sluggish or if lee-cocking in big winds. Even an inch or two makes a difference.

·         Swap spare paddles or other deck-mounted gear from the front to the rear deck if your boat is lee-cocking in big winds.

·        To avoid motorboats in areas of marked buoyage, remember the "Red-Right-Returning” rule…BUT do not assume motor boats (planing craft) will stick to marked channels. They have very little draft and OFTEN do not follow the R-R-R rule.

·         Paddlers who bring treats for others at break time (candy?cookies?) are looked upon more favorably by others than those who don’t!

·         Give advice to others humbly. Some paddlers don’t want it. Some are having a perfectly fine time doing it their way. BUT it doesn’t hurt to offer helpful advice if someone is struggling.

- Wind/waves running against current (opposite direction) heightens the waves.  So if you're looking to hit a tide race/overfall at a time most likely to have bigger conditions, get there at time of Max Current on a day when there's some good opposing swell.  (For the NE U.S. this is typically at Max Ebb Current with incoming swell from the east/southeast).

Sterling “Reflection” Kayak Review - Made for the Waves

Had the unique opportunity to paddle the "Reflection" by Sterling Kayaks last weekend. The attraction for me is its light weight – probably 10 lbs lighter than your typical British boat judging by its heft – and its maneuverability.  A boat for short local paddles that's easier to carry are key features for me these days. And something that puts a smile on my face if the waves/wind get big is good too.  After seeing a photo of the Reflection, the thing just looked like a radical departure in terms of shape as compared to other kayaks – so I wanted to try it out.

  

Sterling "Reflection" kayak - Groton, CT

Sterling Kayaks is a U.S. company out of Bellingham, Washington. Recent online videos of sea kayakers paddling the Skookumchuck tide race are well populated by this boat nowadays. Sterling is something of a custom shop, focused on specific designs and light construction. Lacking dealers on the east coast, I happened upon a local kayaker in Connecticut who may own the only Reflection east of the Mississippi!  I joined him and a few paddling friends of his – and he kindly let me paddle his boat while he paddled mine. 

Couple things about the Reflection – the boat is 16 feet long, has HUGE rocker and narrow/tapered ends. (Somewhat reminiscent of Derek Hutchinson's Gultstream/Slipstream kayaks if anyone remembers those, but with more rocker).  The bow and stern exhibit little volume below the waterline - their shape resembles narrow fins for gently engaging the water when the hull hits a wave or is surfing in the trough. To complement the fineness of the bow/stern, the volume of the hull is instead concentrated in the middle by the cockpit – at 23 inches with a rounded chine it pushes back forcefully when edged. A fun responsive feel.  The end result in calm water is a boat that is VERY maneuverable and fun to paddle along the shore, turning this way and that, edging around obstacles, etc.  In addition, the narrowness of the hull's bow/stern (low prismatic coefficient) allows this boat to get up to speed from a stand-still very quickly, which adds to the fun-factor when rock-gardening along the coast.  Of course there’s always a downside to every upside – the top end cruising speed in calm water seemed lower to me in the Reflection compared to more standard-shaped kayaks of similar length, boats which retain more hull volume below the waterline out toward the ends. This is an expected and reasonable trade-off in my opinion.

We had some following seas during my demo paddle – but nothing big to really show how the Reflection’s rocker and wide mid-section might dance and carve on a wave.  WAVES and SURF are certainly what the boat is made for.  I expect it would be exceptional as a park-and-play boat on a big standing wave or messing about in some long-wavelength shore break. Despite the narrowness of the ends below the waterline, the boat has a large amount of reserve buoyancy above the waterline. From the photos you can see the bulbous fore and aft decks that rise higher than the cockpit rim, somewhat like a whitewater creeking boat.  Am sure this buoyancy keeps it lively and maneuverable, resisting burying in a wave.  Unfortunately, most of these thoughts have to be conjecture since it was a mild November day in Connecticut when I tested the boat – but looking at west-coast videos of the boat in conditions gives you a sense how the fat mid-section, big rocker, and tapered hull make for a fun surfing machine. It seems to have a definite edge in the surfing department judging by this remarkable video of a coastal surfing competition showing the Reflection carving on wave faces (changing direction left and right like a surf kayak), spinning to paddle in reverse on the crests, even rising back up the wave to the sweet spot after it’s been down in the trough! All things that are tough to do in most sea kayaks in shore-breaking surf (paddler power and skill undoubtedly have a lot to do with the moves in this video, but you get the idea). See Video - note especially the guy in the lime green boat at 4:37 - wow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkO3Rsdi3dE

Fit/Finish:  The Reflection has a comfy keyhole cockpit, foam seat, and flat/lowish thigh braces – perfect for the snug responsiveness you’d want for a surf session.  This setup was OK for a regular day-trip (going from A to B), but I might prefer higher thigh braces for a somewhat looser cockpit feel if I was using the Reflection as my do-everything kayak. Distance paddling is not what this boat is made for so that trade-off is understood.  The skeg is located ODDLY directly behind the cockpit, taking up one side of the day-hatch compartment.  Deploying the skeg was smooth and flawless. The effect on the boat when fully deployed was quite mild – owing to its location. It did help some to fight weather cocking, but not nearly as much as a standard skeg.  Regardless, the boat’s maneuverability and stiff secondary stability makes edging the boat to fight weather cocking easy and effective. Am not entirely sure what affect the skeg would have on the face of a wave – certainly it would retain most of its turning ability.  The design, paint job, and finish on the boat are very cool – really looks like a custom kayak and not one off an assembly line as some boats do. 




Sterling Reflection cockpit

That’s it – something to consider if you’re in the market for a rough water kayak. Although more of a specialized craft than some, it was fun to paddle in mild conditions too.

Sterling Reflection kayak Groton CT