New Sea Kayaks and Gear for 2014

Lots of colours to choose from in 2014

At the Canoe Expo Trade show in Germany there is lots of new sea kayaks and gear for 2014 to admire and maybe buy!

What is new for for the sea kayaker in 2014?

For the Sit inside sea kayaker there is the new Rockpool Taran Concept kayak, P&H Hammer for sea kayakers wanting to play in rock gardens and also a new P&H sea kayak with a very clever combined rudder/skeg system. Tiderace continue to display a range of impressive sea kayaks. Keep an eye on Tahe sea kayaks who now own French paddle company Egalis.

Sit on Top sea kayakers see the ending of P&H’s relationship with Feelfree and the launch of their Islay Sit on Top sea kayak in early 2014. I might be able to get a demo of what looks like it may be a rather nice kayak which may be a suitable replacement for the Scupper Pro which is becoming harder to obtain.

New Islay sit on top kayak

There is also a few sit on top fishing kayaks such as the Old Town Predator which is very much designed for the angler to stand up and cast from. I’m not sure just how feasible this is going to be around Jersey but am sure it is only a matter of time before we see one being used. Just don’t try and lift it yourself as it is very heavy and expect to pay lots of £s. Apparently it is being sold under the Old Town label rather than Ocean Kayak because it is aimed at the hunting/shooting sector in the USA. I guess that explains the name…

Kayak sailing. Lots of sail rigs on kayaks to be seen.

Standup Paddleboards continue to be a big area of development and there are now many inflatable designs.

Kayak sailing rigs

The “Battle of the Paddle” SUP event in the USA attracted over 5000 spectators and loads of competitors. Large retailers are selling 10,000 SUP’s per year in the USA.

New Sea Kayaking Kit

For me the big surprise is to find more womans sized wetsuits available and some buoyancy aids for woman paddlers at a better price than some currently sold in the UK. The surprising thing is that in the case of two European ladies wetsuit manufacturers they have been making womans style wetsuits for over 5 years.

I’ve also been looking a some new kayak paddles. The Core Paddles brand are very impressive and I may be able to bring back a demo. One advantage of attending a show like this is that it gives me the opportunity to speak with the manufacturers. In the case of Molly at Robson it looks like we may have sorted out some nice paddles for our clients to use and with luck we will have a couple dealerships so you can try and buy.
Derek Hairon

About derek

Derek Hairon is a British Canoeing level 5 coach (sea) and sea kayak leader guide and assessor.
Derek is the first nationally endorsed British Canoeing accredited guide in Jersey. The British Canoeing kayak guide endorsement supports and recognises the additional skills required when fulfilling a guiding role on sea kayak tours and expeditions worldwide.
Over 49 years of sea kayaking experience. Expeditions to circumnavigate Ireland by kayak, Outer Hebrides, Aland Islands, Faeroe Islands and Alaska. Plus, lots of sea and surf kayaking in the UK. White water-kayaking expeditions in Nepal to paddle the Tamur and Marsyandi Rivers.
Derek wrote Sit-on-top Kayak. A Beginner’s Manual (Pesda Press). It is now in its second reprint and is also translated into French. He is the author of the Channel Island and South East Coast Sea Kayaking guidebook (Pesda Press).