PADDLER 11
PADDLER 11
REVIEWS
Steve and James were keen for me to push it with the boat and not limit it to flat water. It’ s been on numerous rivers, including two four-day expeditions of the River Spey. It carries an expedition load well. A few scratches have been made to the hull, but the material has worked. I can manoeuvre it well on rocky rapids. I have sideswiped the occasional boulder but to no ill effect. Kevlar is good.
LIMITATIONS
Are there limitations? Yep. Some of the places I paddle have really ledgy drops; on those, the stern can snap down on the lip. I found this out the hard way paddling Royalex boats, so it’ s not just Kevlar. But I am more than happy paddling rivers like the Spey in it.
Weight: Mine weighs 25kg but is a preproduction model and a try-out of ideas. The final version should weigh just over 20kg. Even with mine, the difference is staggering, with Polyethene canoes being 10 to 15 kilograms heavier. With a T-Formex canoe, it is closer, with a weight of around 30kg. Once the production weight is achieved, the savings are massive. I can now easily get the canoe from the ground to my shoulders.
So would I buy one? Oh yes. It has extended my paddling life and added further joy to it. The Kevlar Broadland moves beautifully and dances its way across the water. I feel privileged to have one.
PS The 20kg version with pink sparkles sounds good to me, guys.