Pepin Sea Kayak

December 2019. Production continues in Winton. Email Rikki Griffin – rikki@nautiquekayaks.co.nz – find out more.

WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE AND MADE THE ELIMINATOR INTO A SEA KAYAK THAT BLOWS THE SOCKS OFF OTHER BUDGET PRICED ‘SEA KAYAKS’.

When you take what is arguably one of the best sea kayak hulls, and make it into a competitive multisport racing kayak, you just happen to end up with a kayak that goes well in the sea! On land this kayak is light enough to carry your paddle in one hand and the kayak in the other – just try doing that with most similar priced ‘plastic’ sea kayaks!

• By adding bulkheads, the floodable floatation volume ends up about the same as our older (pre-1985) Nordkapps have.
• The fitting of two hatches to the decks allows for the placement of camping gear inside the floatation compartments. Should a larger hatch be required for the rear compartment, the optional large hatch upgrade can easily be fitted at the time we build the kayak to your order.
• The decklines are securely fastened in the same way they are on our top line sea kayaks.
• The overdeck rudder is fitted with a deeper draft rudder blade than that generally fitted to the Eliminator. This provides better directional control when on bigger swells in open water.
• The cockpit is a full size opening and the seat is of a design that has been proven to suit a wide range of bottoms.
• The footrest is the same as that fitted to the Eliminator and the rudder is activated and controlled by pushing the tillerbar with the toes.
• Pepin owners wishing to use their boats for multisport may be apprehensive about the boats ability to ‘crunch’ over rounded river boulders in dry rivers. The concept of a river kayak with bulkheads is like aiming an axe head at the inside of the hull! Recognising this fact, we increase the longitudinal stringers from one to THREE ! This ensures that the bottom through the bulkhead-cockpit area is very self-supporting. When a rock is run over the bottom flex is minimised and the load is concentrated longitudinally rather than laterally. This results in less ‘axe head damage’.
• Refer “Astrolab” page for more details on the features of the Pepin construction and fit-out.

The Pepin will be a good multisport kayak for events on the likes of the Wanganui River where in high river flows, long swims are possible. With a paddle float, deep-water self rescues are possible.

The PEPIN is a versatile boat!

Posted in: Sea Kayaks