Is anyone familar with the difference between 100% DuPont Kevlar (used by Current Designs), and “Carbon Kevlar” used by P&H?
P&H boats seem to be heaviaer, but that bould be attributed to several layup factors.
Any insight? Opinions?
Why would they use 100% Kevlar?
It is widely recognized that Kevlar does not make a good “outside” cloth, because of mediocre compression strength and its tendency to fuzz when abraded. Builders of whitewater boats very quickly learned not to build all Kevlar boats, but to use a couple of layers of glass on the outside of the boat. The result is often lighter than an all-Kevlar boat, for an equal degree of stiffness and resistance to breaking.
I think a boat with carbon outside and Kevlar inside would make a much better boat. I really wonder whether they MEAN 100% Kevlar, or if they are actually using glass for the outside.
Good question, I don’t know…
From the CD site…
"We offer three laminates – fiberglass, Kevlar® and composite hybrid for some models. Each material offers unique benefits to the discriminating paddler.
Fiberglass laminate
Our vacuum-bagged fiberglass laminate is a notch above most other fiberglass products on the market. Vacuum-bagging allows us to select and place reinforcing materials to provide the optimal strength and stiffness properties without adding unnecessary weight. The result is a superbly crafted composite kayak that’s impeccably finished inside and out.
Kevlar® laminate
We use only the best Kevlar® from Dupont, Kevlar® 49, to offer a kayak even lighter than fiberglass. You’ll notice the lightness of our Kevlar® kayaks the first time you pick one up Ð and appreciate its easy lift on and off the car and its nimble feel on the water.
Hybrid laminate
We offer several models in fiberglass/ Kevlar¨ hybrid laminate for reduced weight at a lower cost.
"
I would talk to them directly and ask
them specifically if you can get glass outside, Kevlar inside. It is possible that 100% stuff was an ad person’s puffery. Personally, if I HAD to have a certain hull, and the company offered only all Kevlar or all glass, I would take all glass. There are companies that use Kevlar for outside cloth and come up with an acceptable result, but it isn’t the BEST result compared to glass/Kevlar or carbon/Kevlar.
100% Kevlar to be avoided
Good responses here. Avoid a true 100% Kevlar boat if you have a choice. I had a similar option in the used market with a Necky boat. I called Necky directly and they were very frank about their results with 100% Kevlar. Bottomline, they don’t make 100% Kevlar boats anymore.
I would call CD directly and see what they say… can’t hurt.
They don’t use any Kevlar anymore…
Strictly glass or carbon glass with soric coring. Did place some custom kevlar skid layers in Bowermasters Antarctica doubles.
I spoke to CD today…
Their Kevlar is a composite weave of Kevlar, S-Glass, Polyester and is about 6-8 lbs lighter that the standard glass layup.
It is not 100% Kevlar, as so correctly stated by several in this thread.
Thanks. Still wondering what S-Glass is, but I’ll just Google it… 
They use plenty of Kevlar
But 100 percent Kevlar refers to all the Armid 49 fabric they are using is DuPont Kevlar, not that the boat is 100 percent made of Kevlar. The decks on these boats are never made of Kevlar. It is a pain to mold to all the recesses so they stick with glass (which is the combo fabric of S-glass and polyester, in canoes they call it Tuf-Weave). All the weight savings is coming directly from the hull. The only top and bottom Kevlar boat in their lineup if the Freedom and at slightly over 30lbs, you can see the weight savings.
S-glass is a formulation originally
developed for aerospace applications. It is somewhat tougher, stiffer, and more able to withstand impact than E-glass. Weighs a lot more than carbon, and does not provide near as high a degree of laminate stiffness, but S-glass is tougher than carbon. Often chosen for the outside layers of whitewater boats. I have patched with S-glass, and it is very hard, much more so than any other available cloth.