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FOR PRICELIST PLEASE SEE OUR ENQUIRIES PAGE
PakBoat™ Kayaks come in two ranges, the Puffin Kayak™ and the XT-Kayak™. For more information, see below.
Please click on links below to go direct to more information on each of the
Puffin Kayak™ models;
Puffin Kayaks™ represent a new generation in folding boat design and draw on over 30 years of varied experience .
Three basic elements interact to form the Puffin's structure:
The skin is the outside cover that "keeps the water out". It is made of woven synthetic fabric coated with PVC. A heavy duty fabric forms the boat bottom, and lighter fabric is used for the sides. Stress points are reinforced for years of trouble free use.
The frame is made of anodized structural aluminium tubing with a combination of high strength and corrosion resistance.
Between skin and frame in the sides are inflatable tubes that act as flotation and give tension to the skin. These relatively large diameter tubes also help stiffen the boat. To tolerate the working pressure, the tubes have a strong fabric outer surface laminated to durable polyurethane film to form air holding cells on each side of the kayak. |
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SEATS
Puffin seats are inflatable and made of high-grade polyurethane coated material. The seats have adjustable back rests and built-in lumbar support, and are very comfortable.
FRAMES
Puffins have extremely simple frames . There are only three longitudinal rods - two gunwales and a keel, and a number of cross ribs that connect the longitudinal rods. To make this work PakBoat™ had to develop a new way to give the boat longitudinal tension. This was done by placing a "hinge" in the keel. When the keel and stems are installed in the boat, the "hinge" is at an angle. As the cross members are installed, the keel gradually becomes straight and tensions the skin. Side to side tension is produced by inflating the air tubes.
INFLATABLE TUBES
Placing inflatable tubes along the sides in a kayak does more than provide light-weight structure. Puffins have much more flotation than other kayaks. And placing the flotation along the sides makes Puffins incredibly stable after a capsize. Two separate air cells on each side of the hull provide security in case a cell is punctured. Note: Inflatable boats have even more flotation, but their paddling performance is poor, and a similar size inflatable weighs about 50% more than a Puffin.
DECKS
Puffin decks are attached with a strip of Velcro around the boat just below the gunwales. An aluminium cockpit rim provides support for a spray skirt. The separate deck makes it much easier to pack gear into the kayak. Simply remove the deck, load your gear into the boat, and reinstall the deck. If a piece of gear does not quite fit, let a little air our of the air tubes, stow the gear, and reinflate the tubes. (Make sure no sharp objects touch the inflatable parts.)
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The original Puffin was the 10.5 ft open "Sport" model. At only 17 pounds it is incredibly light. Because it has no deck, there is no cockpit to limit your space. The 28 inch beam gives it great stability and makes the Sport perfect for activities like fishing and wildlife viewing. The aluminium frame gives the Sport a sharp entry and clearly defined keel, so paddling efficiency is very good for such a small boat. Several deck options are available. |
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The shortest decked Puffin is stable enough to make almost anybody feel secure. The Kayak 12 tracks well and is easy to paddle. Inexperienced paddlers find the 12 perfect for exploring, and more experienced ones often prefer it because it makes a stable platform for activities like wildlife viewing and photography. With the optional spray skirt in place, you are well protected from the elements. |
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The Saco is a longer version of the Puffin Sport. A convenient open hull that will not get in the way of your fishing and an optional deck with a cockpit large enough to make it easy to get in and out of the kayak. The extra length makes the Puffin Saco both faster and better tracking than the Sport, yet it still retains incredible compactness and light weight (only 20 pounds). The Saco has been upgraded with new, very attractive fabrics and a unique self supporting deck. |
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The Swift is faster, sleeker and better tracking than the 12 ft model. It shares convenience features with its 12' sibling, but additional structure has been added to increase stiffness. We enjoy paddling the Swift because of its speed and tracking. For activities like fishing and bird watching, the solid stability of the beamier Sport or Kayak 12 may be a better alternative. |
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The II Double is the most versatile Puffin. It can handle two paddlers with gear for the day or one with enough gear for a week or two. As a solo it can also be rigged with a deck that will support a spray skirt. Or, a 3-piece deck offers two paddling positions, but does not support spray skirts. Like the other Puffins the Puffin II is a recreational boat and is not intended for very rough conditions although waves occasionally washing over the deck do not pose a problem. (Now available with 2 deck designs) |
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The Saranac offers the convenience features of the Puffin II, but in an even lighter package. And it even offers a deck option with two cockpits that can support spray skirts. The new Saranac hull and deck fabrics are very attractive and give the kayak a sporty new look. Optional Saranac decks offer one or two cockpits, making this kayak as versatile as it is good looking. Leave the decks behind for fishing convenience. Use the double deck for a day trip with a friend, or take the solo deck for a couple of weeks of camping. The Saranac will take it all in its stride. |
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The XTs are PakBoat's™ newest kayaks. The process took a couple of years - and countless sketches on napkins, with some computer simulation added for good measure. XT kayaks are very fast, and over-all paddling performance is exceptional. A new stiff frame structure lets PakBoat™ build longer efficient hulls with consistent rocker, and a multi-chine cross section further enhances performance. The moderate depth of the hulls minimizes wind effects and gets the gunwales out of the way of your hands for comfortable paddling. The 15-ft solo and 16 ft double may seem short for this class of kayak, but with their steep stems, the XTs have waterline lengths of kayaks that are at least a foot longer! After years of experience with removable decks, PakBoat™ know the system works, and have used it in the XTs. Because the deck support is built into the deck itself, the hull is completely open - making the XTs incredibly easy to load. The Velcro seal around the deck eases assembly greatly - and the water stays out of the boat!
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Please click on either of the links above to go direct to more information on each of the Puffin XT Kayak™ models.
FRAME
To make a kayak like the XT, a completely new frame structure had to be invented. The challenge was to make a long and sleek folding kayak with excellent stiffness. In other folding kayaks, the designers often rely on a deck structure to give the hull enough depth to enhance stiffness. PakBoat™ wanted to be independent of the deck. The solution turned out to be 6" wide I-beams along each side of the hulls. Stainless steel pins fit into matching holes in the top and bottom joints of the I-beams and keep the joints solidly together. One pin is fixed to the top of each cross rib, and another to a lever that snaps into place against the cross rib. This locks I-beams and cross ribs together in a solid and lightweight frame. Unlike other PakBoats™ where longitudinal skin tension is built gradually as the frame is assembled in the skin, XT frames are built outside the skin, so a new tensioning lever system has been built into both stems. The levers transfer tension to the I-beams and push against the ends of the kayak skin. The levers transfer tension to the I-beams and push against the ends of the kayak skin. With the I-beam frame, instead of simple gunwales that can be inserted into channels, the top of each side of the skin is wrapped over the gunwale and secure the sides to the frame with cord loops.
INFLATABLE TUBES
The XTs have inflatable tubes like the other PakBoat™ - the slimmer style that is used in PakCanoes™. Inflating the tubes makes the skin nice and tight. The ends of the tubes are tapered to get the sharp entry lines of a high-performance touring kayak. XTs come with far more flotation built in than most other kayaks, and unlike almost all other kayaks, XTs have the flotation placed along the sides where it does most good. Typical flotation placement in kayaks is in the ends, which is helpful because it helps prevent the end from submerging. But flotation in the ends is by definition very close to the hull's centre line, and this does nothing for the hull's stability. Flotation placed evenly along the whole length on each side places enough lift in the ends, and it keeps the hull floating level and stable once it has taken on a few inches of water. This is very helpful in a self rescue situation. Are you worried about the reliability of inflatable flotation? The XTs have 3 separate inflatable air bladders on each side for a total of 6. You can puncture a couple and still have more flotation left than most other kayaks.
DECKS
The XT decks are very different from decks used to have on the Puffins (but a simplified version of the new XT deck has migrated back to the Puffins for 2009). PakBoat™ wanted to have the XT decks solidly supported and at the same time be able to change seat positions freely so an XT could be used both solo and double. The solution turned out to be a deck support structure built into the deck itself. No part of the frame is intended to support the deck, so the hull can be completely open. The cockpits and seats can be placed without regard to any part of the frame. The cockpits have been made longer to make it easy to get in and out of the XTs. To minimize assembly time, PakBoat™ decided to leave part of the support structure as well as the back band and (optional) thigh straps permanently attached to the deck. This required adding a flap on each side under the deck fabric to attach accessories to.
SEATING
XT seating was a challenge. PakBoat™ wanted a seat that would be suspended from the sides and not touch the bottom fabric. It should be very comfortable and easily packable - and not put undue stresses on the frame. The result is a sling type seat suspended front-to-back in a frame that rests on the chine rods. On top of the front support is an inflatable thigh support. The back band can be adjusted independent of the seat. PakBoat™ are very happy with the result, and so are we!
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The XT-15 Solo's 23 inch beam and moderate volume make this a great kayak for day tripping or a few days of camping. Its speed makes miles easy, and great stability lets you relax and enjoy the ride. This is a proven travel kayak. PakBoat™ paddled samples in Europe twice before XTs were even in production. That involved seven flights on several airlines, six train rides and an assortment of buses and subways. (PS The coast of Norway is a fantastic place for kayak touring!)
Length: 15 ft (455 cm),
Beam: 23 in (58 cm)
Depth: 10 in (25 cm)
Weight: 39 lbs (17.7 kg) |
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This kayak is great for day trips and a couple of nights of camping. Its stability makes almost anybody feel secure, and its performance makes miles easy. But the XT-16's most unique feature may be that you can replace the deck and turn it into a high-volume solo touring kayak. There is no need to compromise on trim and paddle from the stern cockpit. With the optional solo deck you have a perfectly balanced kayak every time.
Length: 16 ft (485 cm)
Beam: 26 in (66 cm)
Depth: 10 in (25 cm)
Weight: 46 lbs (20.9 kg) |
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