ThePADDLER
6
REVIEWS
Rolling the boat goes swift ; the lower back deck allows for backwards rolling . There is good connectivity with the boat .
SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE This was the part that I was looking forward to the most ! How does the Volan holds itself in rough water , surf , downwind and close quarters ? How does it react during rescue training ?
Let ’ s start with deep water rescues ! We let the boat sink from the first day ! My team members couldn ’ t stop laughing ! “ You just got the boat , and you ’ re already looking how to break or lose it !” So , the Cleopatra ’ s needle rescue ( where the boat partially sinks due to a lost or broken hatch ) went well . It ’ s also an effective way to see if the compartments are sealed properly . The boat is light to handle , when lifting the bow from the water during a self-rescue . Same counts for an assisted rescue , and easy handling during rescues due to its lower weight and shorter length . Good stability is an advantage during self-rescues in rougher conditions .
Let ’ s move on to downwind and tide race paddling ! We primarily tested during downwinders since we frequently have those conditions in our area . We also went to France to paddle a tide race in mild conditions . For the rest , downwind conditions were between force 4 and 6 ( from small waves up to 1.5m average wave height ).
Now that is where the Volan comes alive and where I could feel for the first time what the boxy hull and the chines are for . The kayak is running like a train on rails when putting it on edge ! Steering on waves using edging ( outside the turn , instead of leaning / carving ) brings the boat exactly where you want it on the wave ! Even when picking up speed , the secondary stability on the edge is phenomenal . I usually carve
more on waves , but now I don ’ t . Downwind waves are longer than surf waves , and I could easily manoeuvre on the edge instead of leaning / carving . It takes every wave nice and clean , the boat doesn ’ t tend to broach , and you can bring it back from side to side when riding the waves . The cookie box I spoke of in the beginning acts like a V-shaped hull ( when on edge ), giving the boat a good direction when speeding up on waves .
According to the many questions I got from fellow paddlers , you want to know how the boat surfs ? For me , this was the biggest surprise ! I ’ m used to surfing the Delphin , and I love its characteristics . So , for surfing , I was biased towards the Delphin , and I had reservations for the Volan on that level . The Delphin / Aries still has the most rocker . I started with very mild surf and built up to the rough stuff ( from 0.5m to 2m average wave height ).
I must say a word about the surf in my area . We rarely have clean ocean swell ; the wave period is short . This means that in case of a capsize , you mostly have one shot of rolling back up before the next wave hits you . The wave pattern is irregular due to the many shallows ( sand banks ). Most big waves equal strong wind . We always say that you can surf anywhere if you can surf over here .
In the mild conditions , just like downwinding , the Volan allows for steering on the wave when edging outside the turn . Now here it comes , the bigger waves : the hard chines on the cockpit area ( I like to call it the cookie box ) are screaming for carving !
The Volan handles more directional than the Delphin / Aries due to the hard chines , leaving more time to consider your trajectory on that specific wave . To be honest , I was thinking about the lack of volume in the Volan ’ s bow compared to the Delphin . I thought it was going to nosedive the whole time , but it didn ’ t ! At least not more than the occasional nosedive with the Delphin . After much testing and observing the video footage , the nose doesn ’ t frequently dive because the whole boat is placed in a leaning or edging position . That way , the bow unlocks a bit more , preventing purling . I had a few pop-outs , but it would have been the same with the Delphin .