Greenland Kayaks: How Well Are They Suited For Big Water?

And to narrow.

Guess video says it all. :laughing:

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Just got one of those! :grin: (used, of course!)

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Nice enjoy! Used is good more money to add another hull.

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No dry suit so it’s gonna have to wait a while. But I can admire it.

@PaddleDog52, oh too narrow isn’t a probem.
I dont fit in them.

I think that for those of us who like traditional kayaks and paddles, part of the attraction is a deep and abiding respect for the Inuit who designed these marvelous craft. While we may sometimes affectionately call our paddles “sticks”, there is no doubt in our minds that the design is hydrodynamically sophisticated. The Inuit had untold centuries to refine the design of their kayaks and paddles and we are fortunate to be beneficiaries of that heritage.

As for rough water, yes, they are very seaworthy craft in the hands of a skilled paddler. But I found it very interesting when someone at the Delmarva Paddlers Retreat asked Inuit paddler John Peterson what about hunting in rough weather. John said, in a very matter of fact voice, that they didn’t go out hunting in rough weather.

Of course, as hunters, they paddled for survival - to eat, whereas we paddle for recreation. Two entirely different things. Although he didn’t elaborate, reading between the lines you can figure that if were caught out, the boats were seaworthy and they had a lot of rolls under their belts. Even so, many failed to return.

I have two Greenland type kayaks and neither have the same dimensions as a real West Greenland SOF kayak. My 1984 Nordkapp HM which is loosely based on the West Greenland model, and a Tahe Greenland. The Tahe rolls and side sculls like an absolute dream, but the Nordkapp is more difficult and the higher deck behind the cockpit can cause the coaming to dig into my back.

That said, it’s a superb rough water kayak and “settles down” is snotty conditions. It’s excellent at holding a compass course on long crossings. However, the extended skeg makes it a bitch to turn without a bow rudder and as a consequence it’s not very nimble in the surf zone. Weaves through trees just fine though.

Used to hear a lot of condescending talk about how the Stick paddles were great for touring but not really suited for xyz conditions. I found that amusing, and you don’t hear much of it these days. Might have something to do with paddlers like Warren Williamson making his boat dance at Deception Pass or Skook with a GP - in case anyone missed it, here’s that epic video of him filmed at DP by Reg Lake: Deception Pass November 16, 2010 - YouTube. Note the sculling recoveries.

Rhetorical Question for western hubris to ponder: What did the foolish Inuit know about kayaking? Answer: Far more than most of us will ever know. They were master craftsmen and highly skilled hunters.

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And they take a pretty good proile shot. (south end of Jekyll I, a few years ago)
(note: this is the Greenland-T - larger cockpit, a little wider than the Tahe Greenland)

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Yes, but if we would foilow their lead, we would succumb to the use of a boat with an outboard motor right away?! :wink:

@MoultonAvery, thoughtful perspective. No matter what kayak a person selects, its a tradeoff of features.

I was told that If an Inuit paddler was lost at sea, it was blamed on their kayak design and build methods. I’m sure this opinion has merit. Paddlers that returned was attributed to having a good boat. I’m sure this was part of good boat designs when your life depending on it!

Three parts to survival, the right equipment fo conditions, sufficient skill, and good judgement. Always, and still there is the chance of failure if one element of the triangle fails. Prudence increases the odds.

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About sums up what they are.

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There you go!

The fore deck pod, if somewhat deep, would cause me problems for me - when I want to move my feet here and there on a longer trip. However, my current kayak has a fore deck pod that doesn’t have that problem … nice and shallow. I had an early Cetus with that difficulty.

I do have a problem with the model name, ‘Rebel’. If spelled backwards, it’s the German word for liver. Yet they look like really great kayaks, far from the wurst.

The fore deck pods look to be present on the Husky and Gnarly Dog, which are larger boats than the Ilaga and Greenland T.

Luckily kayak spelled backwards is still kayak!

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Palindrome.

Can’t help but think the more accurate question is really:

“Hey paddler: How well are you suited for big water?”

sing

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I’ve only paddled in ponds

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