I got mine about a month ago and admittedly I haven’t had it on a long trip or in very rough water. But, since this isn’t my first barn dance when it comes to paddling I think I can give you a fair picture. Yes, I am bias towards P&H kayaks. Yes, I work for the company? Yes, I am dangerously handsome and have a disarming boyish charm. So take all that in to consideration and let’s get after it!
Tracking and Speed- We are known for playful boats and we like it that way. Turning for us at P&H is pretty key and that normally lends to less tracking and more maneuverability. The Scorpio takes care of that impression. It’s straight and efficient with plenty of glide to get the job done. And it only gets better when loaded up with your kit for a trip. Funny; when we discussed this boat originally, speed was not an issue. This was allotted to be a boat for intermediate to advanced paddlers who were going to rely on good technique to get the boat moving. P&H’s owner and designer, Graham Mackereth, said, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” and made it fast anyway. Just one of the many reasons why he is in the big office and we work for him…turns out he’s right always and great at what he does. So what you get is a rock solid kayak with the nuts to keep up with anything out there and the ability to hold a line without too much effort.
Edging- If you don’t think edging is as important as speed and tracking then clearly you have a rudder on your boat and have stopped reading this by now. Have fun with that! For those of you who get it, read on. One of the elements essential in the Scorpio for us was the ability to edge. Edging for me is the number one most important thing in a rough water boat. You don’t edge, you don’t turn. You don’t turn, you end up in a world of hurt. Our benchmark for how a boat should edge was the Capella 163 and 161. And since those boats were already in our back shed, it was fairly easy to sort it out. The Scorpio heals up and turns on a dime when pushed to a moderate and “a bit past” edge. A big edge should come with a warning light because if you are not paying attention, you will turn too quickly and take a bath. In getting to those edges, it’s total cake… just a pleasure. It’s the type of ease in edging that makes you look and feel like a bad ass!
Initial Stability- It’s very nice with no surprises. Sure, its 22 inches wide and a Swede form boat but with the bottom of the boat flattened a bit more, it sits rock hard in flat of bumpy water. The one issue that I find is that the seat sits a bit too high for my tastes. The good news is that we put a small strip of neoprene under the front lip of the seat to raise it up. Take that out if you feel too high and you are styling. Also, the seat pad can be taken out and that will drop you down a bit. Do both and you might find yourself sitting too low.
Deck height- We kept things low-ish in back and pretty damn good in the front. Another point brought up during the design banter was keeping things low for windage. Done! The front deck has great height for knees and foot position. The back deck is perfect.
Rolling- If you can’t roll this boat (or have a problem rolling any other competent kayak) go work on your roll.
Hatches- One Oval in the back. One 10” in the front, one 7.5” for the day hatch, and one “Sneaky Pete” hatch on the deck. Tons of space in the rear of the boat with a day hatch that you could almost store your white water boat in…and I mean that in the best way! It’s easy to pack (if you paddle Brit boats) and can carry more than you would expect. The storage space in the back is like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going and going…
So, does it match the hype? Hellz yeah!
Does it deliver? Every penny and then some!
Will it change the face of history? Well, only time will tell but I can say that it will change the way we look at boats from here on in terms of functionality, usability, and amenities.
The Scorpio is on point! It’s fast, maneuverable, and totally reliable. But don’t take my word for it, go out and prove me right or wrong. It’s one thing to hit a home run. It’s another thing to stand bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and ding in the game winning grand slam. The Scorpio just put this game away for P&H.
2 comments:
My dear lad Kelly,
I think you need a history course! The Scorpio is totally inferior to the Orion or the Baidarka Explorer.
And about this young whippersnapper Graham...I was designing kayaks when he was in diapers.
And are your paddles are too short. 210 centimeters? 210 inches is more like it! I don't see how any self-respecting kayak could roll with one of those stubby little paddles!
D.H.
I compare any boat to the Orion or Baidarka is to slap God across the face. The Orion (a.k.a- the kayak Odin would paddle) and the Baidarka (a.k.a.- the "orgasma-darka") are clearly the best boats in history ever. The Scorpio is a great boat out of the boats that are made in this century. Just trying to keep it "real".
I think Graham wears diapers when he designs a boat. It's an age old British tradition. Pretty standard, really.
Normally I use a 19 foot paddle which allows me to do the majority of my bracing of the actual beach no matter how far off shore I am.
On another note I have designed a special hat tipping machine that doubles as a paddle float. I think that it's an idea that will really take off.
Thank you so much for your comments D.H. and I look forward to hearing more from you in the near future. Enjoy your remaining years!
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