PADDLER 6
P & H Leo MV sea kayak https :// www . phseakayaks . com By Dimitri Vandepoele @ NORTHSEAKAYAK
Let us walk you through it !
PADDLER 6
REVIEWS
P & H Leo MV sea kayak https :// www . phseakayaks . com By Dimitri Vandepoele @ NORTHSEAKAYAK
We must say it like it is : we found that Leo was the underdog in the P & H range . Pictures or videos of Leo were almost non-existent on social media , let alone some decent reviews . I honestly have a soft spot for the underdog . It is the best position one can find himself in . Nobody cares nor expects something from you . So , it was time to get the Leo under our wings , or was it the reverse in the end ?
We laid our hands on the Leo for the first time in March 2023 , so we certainly took our time with this model . I have now paddled a CoreLite X early production model , a single-layer MZ3 boat , and the definitive CoreLite X Leo . I paddled for over a year and did more than 1200 kilometres with it . I went coaching , rock-hopping , tide-race paddling , touring , downwinding , and surfing . It was used extensively during rescue exercises . And all of this in a wide range of conditions ! I tested the Leo in MV size .
Let us walk you through it !
PERFORMANCE / BEHAVIOUR
The Leo is a short sea kayak , measuring only 4.87 metres . This cuts away a bit of weight and improves handling when loading and unloading it from your car . Looking at the hull , we immediately notice a fair amount of rocker . The hull has soft chines and an overall elegant look . We cannot avoid comparing it with the Venture Jura ( an older model ).
People tend to speak of both models as if they were identical . Trust me , they are not . There are similarities , but the hull of the Leo has more rocker and is more manoeuvrable and the deck has also been upgraded strongly . We tested both models at the same time for about a week . So , back to the Leo . When paddling on calm water , the Leo feels nimble .
It manoeuvres effortlessly between obstacles and almost begs to be steered anywhere around . Whether you are in a group and need to manoeuvre yourself between other paddlers or you ’ re rock hopping , the boat responds immediately . It reacts instantly to any steering strokes , as well as it reacts to edging . It is remarkable for a polyethylene boat . With that comes , of course , a slightly slower overall speed . It is , therefore , not the fastest nor the slowest sea kayak on the market . I have paddled a surf sea kayak ( P & H Delphin ) for a long time , and the Leo is faster . It is , however , slower than the P & H Scorpio .
So , it is safe to say that the Leo finds itself balancing somewhere in between . The Leo seems to go left or right on flat , calm water without using the skeg . This is not surprising considering the hull shape . A little skeg or a little edging anticipates this effect . Now , here comes the interesting part . When you put it in conditions with waves , the bow and stern will lock , and the Leo will track way better , even without using the skeg . In any conditions , it has formidable stability despite not being too wide . You can easily reach for your camera in chop or perform a solid self-rescue without fuss .
Edging can be done to the limit without feeling that it will tip you over unexpectedly . Did I mention chop and waves ? Of course , it ’ s here where we tested a lot : how does the Leo perform in the surf or impact zone ? I still remember the first clean , almost twometre-high wave I grabbed in Brittany last year . What a thrill ! If one wants to know the true performance