Yeah it’s a slightly silly question, but I overheard a couple of older guys discussing it at length at the kayak shop not long ago, was curious as to what ppl here thought.
‘It’ boat simply means the generally-regarded creme de la creme (our Lexus or Porsche), though obviously it’s more about individual needs/preferences.
Their consensus seemed to be the Nordkapp was the ‘It’ boat ‘back in the day’, then the Explorer, then for a few years it was the Cetus, and now it’s either the Xplore (Tiderace) or the Nordlow.
I’ve only been in the sport a fairly short time, so I can’t comment on what paddlers thought ‘back in the day’. Any old farts wanna speak up? 
It Boat
In my mind the “it” kayak is the one that fits like a glove, does what you need it to do and just feels right. i do not think there is in reality an “it” boat which is universally appropriate for all paddlers.
Now OTOH if by “it” you mean the most expensive with the best of everything I’m not so sure.
My “it” vehicle is my 2006 F150 4x4. It works for me. Is it a Lexus, no. But try carrying a round roll of hay in a Lexus!
The “It” Boat…
…doesn’t exist - it so depends on the paddler and their waters, skill level, weather, and host of other factors.
For me, it’s the VOLKSKAYAK - 17’ LOA, 24" beam, stitch and glue ply/epoxy construction - a very stable, solid tracking hard-chined sea kayak. Suits me perfectly for the paddling I want to do - others will need boats with different characteristics for different purposes. And absolutely the last thing I look at is the price tag…all that tells you is how much money the owner used to have, or how much bigger the credit card balance is…
It=can have just one.
For me the “It” boat would be which kayak you would choose if you could only have one. That boat for me–without any reservations, or hesitation would be the Novus Composites (NC) Expedition. Another way to put it would be, if you could have any boat, what would it be? Again it is the NC Expedition.
The two I have for sale : )
I think people should fight to get them before someone else does.
Absolutely no doubt that it is …
the Pamlico 140 with the gray thing.
Nothing like aging out…
People coming into this sport now do realize that even a pretty darned old modern sea kayak is still younger than the house they may have grown up in… yes?
From Wikipedia - not a totally reliable source but close enough for a quick check - “The Nordkapp was originally designed by Frank Goodman for the British Norway expedition (the Nordkapp Expedition) in 1975.”
As to the “it” boat - personally I would prefer one that stashed itself in a box after use like itt from the Adams family. But I don’t think we have found a way to make fiberglass compress that small then blow up again to a 16 ft long boat. I’ll be first in line if they figure it out though - imagine being able to toss your boat onto the front seat beside you after a paddle!
awww… not a Pungo? =]
one you can stand up on.
Ryan L.
Their isn’t one
Romany, Nordcap, Capella all fought for attention.
Now it is XPlore, Cetus, Aries, Pilgrim.
In my opinion they are all junk. What you need is some good plastic that is durable and expedition ready. So for me it might be an Alchemy, Tempest, or Scorpio. But only the Alchemy is comfortable, so the rest are not really useful at all unless you take the seats out to get the deck height you need.
Sh…
…it’s on the tip of your tongue.
Gross posts…
are gross. 
Is the combination of tongue and that substance something you think about often?
Ew.
Hummm, I’ll play.
I get what you’re saying or trying to get at. Yeah, yeah, the perfect boat is the one that fits you, but the original poster tossed this out for discussion.
In my circles it seems like a lot of people are talking about the Tiderace line and it seems to be the hot boat line right now.
I think there are more companies playing with thermoform and that material is picking up speed.
I think companies are finally taking paddler feed back seriously and are putting more effort into multi-sized boats and producing HV and LV versions of classic designs. Along with kayak design you’re also seeing companies who are building on the success of the PH dolphin and you’re seeing medium length boats with rocker and more bow volume to surf and play in rocks and tideraces.
I think that Greenland paddles are hotter now, but overall interest in Greenland style, Tulik hard core paddling has peeked. I think people making their own Greenland paddles is picking up steam. It still has it’s hard core niche groups, but I see more people using modern boats and gear with Greenland paddles. Just my two cents.
Quite hot now
Sterling Reflection
Joking aside
I do know of a kayak I think is very innovative and that I would love to have. It is the Epic V6 Tourer. So far as I know there is nothing else like it. But I also know there would not be a ground swell of enthusiasm from Paddling.net’ers for my choice. At least not now. But I think that surf ski style touring kayaks and wing paddles are the future. Except, of course, for the Pamlico 140, which is now the Pungo 140.
Kayak in a box
Celia, ask and you shall receive. Not quite a box, but you could fold it in your trunk.
http://www.orukayak.com/products/oru
condolences on their recent fire =(
Cool box!
It even has a handle…
Origami kayak
– Last Updated: Dec-10-12 9:34 AM EST –
Been eyeing the Orukayak myself. Not that I don't love my Feathercraft Wisper (and consider it the "Ur" kayak, at least for my purposes), but the "kayak yoga" required to assemble it can be exasperating, especially on a hot day.
The major problem with the Orukayak is that for now it is a "pig in a poke". They have been raising capital for production by asking people to pre-pay for one (sort of buying "shares"), sight unseen for the most part. It is relatively cheap as folders go, even as kayaks go, at around $850, I think. It is obviously a clever design but only time will tell if it is durable and functional in a range of conditions.
Back to the question, there are any number of suberb boats out there with a high "I want one of those" factor. But in my mind the biggest obstacle makers need to tackle in building truly desirable boats is making the danged things lighter.
Yes, Lighter
Someone posed the question recently… What’s next for paddling?..Mr. Stamer replied ‘lighter’ for competitive reasons. I replied ‘lighter’ for just less hassle and misery reasons.
Yeah, the IT boat is going to be a light boat.