Southern Skua and Euro-X Sea Kayaks

These are both highly-regarded New Zealand-made Sea Kayaks
From a country where kayaking is both hugely popular – and taken seriously.
They'll be available at the end of our trip – early October – for 495 $US each.

That's for the complete kayaks, including hatch covers, rudders, deck lines & hardware, compasses and a we'll throw in a neoprene spray-deck/skirt for each kayak. Does not include our paddles, PFD (buoyancy aids) or any other equipment.

Kayaks are both kevlar – 5.4 m (17.5') long. All the usual blarney about fast and stable applies - but these really are sea-kindly boats that we have loved and used for over 10 years. Many exciting and gnarly miles under these keels – but many thousand left in them – and very far from 'clapped out'.

We brought them over to the US becasue we know and love them – but it will cost more to ship them back to NZ than it's worth (in fact, we've already replaced them with identical kayaks back home - so these two must remain here).

Southern Skua has a beam of 600 mm (24") Manufacturer Specs here .
Euro-X has a beam of 570 mm (22.4") Manufacturer Specs here .

Actual weights are SS = 23.5 kg (52 lb) and EX = 22 kg (48 lb). This is pretty darn good for fully-equipped 5.4m touring boats. Light enough to single-hand, on the beach, without hurting yourself. They are suitcase weight.

Great all-round boats. Fast, stable, capacious and capable in rough weather and water.
Skua has more rocker and less water-line – so takes less concentration in really rough stuff.
Euro has a bit higher top speed and looks faster.

I am 1.85m (6' 1") and 100 Kg (220 lb) with size 12 (euro 47) feet. I easily fit into either kayak, wearing NRS booties. We have done 12-hour days in these boats – 80 km (50 miles). Of course, your mileage may vary.

Both kayaks excel for day use and for touring use. You can go away for 10 days or just an hour.

Both rudder systems are amazingly robust and well-engineered (better than any we've seen from anywhere else in the world – except Feathercraft). Kayaks work well with the rudders up - for rockgardening, shallow water, surf landings or just becasue you know how to rail. Rudders automatically rise over obstructions and drop back when clear. They also work very well when down – in clapotis or on long gusty cross-wind paddles. You have solid foot-bracing – rudders operate with toe control – and can be flipped up and down with dedicated deck lines just behind your hip. I'm not going to try and 'sell' rudders to anyone who doesn't like them - take them off if you wish. But know that these are rudders done really well.

Both kayaks have integral seat / rear bulkheads – for best storage, strength and easy cockpit draining. They also have good, grippy cockpit coamings.

Hatches: The Euro-X has good-sized fore & aft hatches with neoprene and fiberglass hatch covers. The Skua has a similar (but even larger) aft hatch opening and rubber-lid fore (250mm 10") and day (200mm 8") hatches. The Skua's rear hatch has been known to leak a cupful of water over a long & gnarly day. The others are dry.

Both have good deck-mounted compasses. Both are Southern Hemisphere compasses - so they tilt a little bit in the Northern Hemisphere. They both work just fine though, anywhere in the world - and it's a talking point for Phisics or Geography nerds.
The Skua has a cockpit foot-pump (which may need a new diaphram – available from West Marine & easily fitted).

Both have strong carry handles, full deck lines (that morph into mooring lines) and good deck-bungy layouts.

Note from August 2017 - the gelcoat colours have taken a bit of a hammering from the sun this summer. It's time to throw on a little wax and give them a polish. Last time that brought them back a lot.