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Reviews and Testimonials
As we said, we love our kayaks, and we've been lucky enough to get some great feedback from our friends and customers..
- Trevor and Helen build an Islander Tour and love it
- Karen's "Notes from a beginner kayaker"
- David Whyte's Kayak Review - The Islander Enduro kit
- Matt Turner's First Impressions - Islander Tour kayak
- 'Living Legends' paddle the Islander Enduro kayak
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Trevor and Helen's story
The Builder – Trevor:
I would encourage anyone to build an Islander Sea Kayak. I undertook to
build the boat with next to no woodworking experience, basic wood working
tools and only a limited space (6 metre long garage) to build the boat
in. Sure, I bought some reference books on stitch and glue technique and
had to spend some extra dollars on buying some good tools, but this was
just part of the learning experience.
The marine grade plywood supplied in Mike’s kayak kits come from a sustainable source in Australia, plantation grown Hoop pine. This was a big consideration for me. Although I love the rich redness of hardwoods such as mahogany (Oakome or Gabon) which is the plywood offered by suppliers of most plywood composite kayak kits, in no way do I want to support the unsustainable logging of rainforests. But I do love wood and for me a kayak made from any type of timber should advertise this to the world, so pretty early on in the process I decided to aim for an end product without any painted surfaces. This increased the difficulty somewhat as it is harder to keep the plywood surface looking good throughout the building process.
To further enhance the golden glow of the Hoop pine, I added a red stain
to the epoxy. The red stain did as intended, instilling a warm lustre,
but also added extra complexity to the sequence of epoxy and glass laying.
I also went to the extra effort of incorporating veneer stripping to the
hull to deck join and an arrow shaped veneer panel as a bow decoration.
Again a lot of extra time and effort, but this added a touch of uniqueness
and had the practical benefit of hiding some less than perfect joins.
In the end the full ‘wooden look’ with highlights worked well
and despite the extra time required, the end result was well worth it
along with the lessons learnt.
But the big factor that got me through was Mike’s willingness to
lend a hand if needed, to be at the end of the line to give that all important
advice. With the extra effort I put in it took me six months of pretty
solid building to get my boat on the water. But I learnt so much, I reckon
I could half that time for the next one even with the customising.
I chose to build the Tour mode as it fitted nicely into our 6 metre long
garage. But despite the workshop limitations, after having the opportunity
to paddle both the Enduro and Tour models, I think I still would have
chosen the Tour. It was for us a more versatile design. Suited to the
style of paddling my wife Helen and I had already been doing for some
time. Mostly inshore paddling, occasional surf work and weekend or overnight
camping with some longer trips now and then. At just on 5 metres, it is
highly manoeuvrable, and its hard chined hull means it responds in a hip
flick to carve a sweet turn and a smaller person can handle it no worries.
The latter consideration wasn’t an issue so much in the original
choice, but as it turned out, Helen loved the paddling qualities of the
boat so much and got so much out of it, I ended up giving it to her. A
small payback for six months of essential moral support during the building
process.
To build the Islander kayak was a fantastic experience, but to have something
so sweet to paddle at the end was a real bonus. I do get to paddle it
occasionally but am now thinking of building another, for keepers this
time.
The Paddler – Helen
I had undertaken training in forward stroke technique, steering and bracing
during a three year period in my first boat, a soft chined plastic kayak.
I had reached a plateau in my skill development and was looking for more.
When Trevor wanted to try out one of Mike’s boats before deciding
to build, I thought I’d give to a go too. Well, … one paddle
and there was no going back for me. I found that I could apply all the
skills I’d learnt and get much more response in a lighter, hard
chined boat.
The tour model has helped me change my paddling style to what I had been
aiming to achieve. It has been a fantastic boat to graduate from a beginner
into that next level of enjoyment and confidence a paddler needs to get
more out of the sport. I can steer the kayak easily as I have an excellent
close and comfortable fit in the boat. Most of the time I don’t
need the rudder, the hard chined hull means that I only have to lean it
the right way and it turns beautifully.
I have developed a much more sustainable paddling stroke. I find the low
foredeck encourages forward reach, resulting in a great catch on every
paddle stroke. My posture has improved as I don’t need to raise
my shoulders for my arms to clear the cockpit1 I can concentrate my primary
muscle use to my core strength and get better power per stroke through
torso rotation.
The new paddling style I have been able to develop with the woody has
turned me from a ‘2 km screamer’ to a paddler who can confidently
take on extended paddling trips and keep up with the group. I even entered
a race recently and did very well over a 9 km course. I have confidently
paddled in much rougher conditions than ever before and this boat takes
it all in its stride, it never feels tippy even in rebound. It offers
a stable ride in a following sea and cuts nicely through the waves against
the wind, all the time keeping a low profile.
Because the woody is so light I can handle it on my own. Its nicely balanced
for a solo portage and for a smaller paddler like myself (5’3”)
this is a big consideration.
What can I say, it’s a great kayak to paddle and its nice to be
on the water in something different amongst the plastic and fibreglass
crowds. Creates plenty of attention wherever I go. It really is something
special.
Notes from a beginner kayaker
by Karen Fullard
Well, not quite a beginner! I have paddled a double with my illustrious partner, Gary Edmond, on many an expedition. These include a trip in the treacherous waters of Tasmania, and many weekend adventures along Murramarang, Jervis Bay, The Royal National Park and the Illawarra. However, paddling on my own was a step that I had been unwilling to take, given my intense fear of being trashed by enormous waves.
So it made complete sense that my first venture into paddling singledom was along the Nadgee wilderness coast, home of stories about monster mother-waves and inclement seas!
This was a last minute decision - the front cockpit of the double was already occupied by an interloper. I had to brave a single….Mike kindly volunteered the use of one of his Islander kit built kayaks. Thus far, it had been used by more experienced paddlers than I, and had no rudder attached. Turning and keeping straight in the wind would therefore depend on my ability to use compensating strokes, and leaning techniques that I was rather unfamiliar with.
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| Karen at Nagee, South Coast NSW |
However, trying not to think about my impending doom too deeply, I set out, carrying my fully laden kayak down the beach. There was no doubt about it, the much vaunted lightness of the craft was true! Compared to some of the beasts that we lugged to the water, the kit kayak was abreeze to carry. It was also extremely attractive. As a female, I have a tendency to fall in love with cars and kayaks based on their appearance - this kayak is a looker! It has a warm wooden finish, with lovely blue trimmings, a gently curving upper deck, and an elegant prow.
But, (I hear you cry), forget about the looks, how did it handle? Personally, I valued the stability of the craft. There was one area along the cliffs, when the wind and seas had come up, where I felt a little tippy, but for the remainder of the time, I had no concerns at all about ending up in the water. The craft was VERY fast. It glided through the water as though it were skating on ice. In this boat, even my atrophied muscles were adequate to keep up with the pace. With the wind behind us, I could have used a sail, as some of the others had, but as I didn't have this option I worked through the trip the honest way. The kit boat turned remarkably easily I never had any fear that I would be unable to turn into a wind. The surf was the scariest thing for me, even though (thankfully), on this trip the swell was small. I was able to keep the boat straight without straining, and during beach surf exits it never stopped dead after hitting wave-whitewater. On the one occasion that I ended up surfing in on a bit of a dumping wave, I could lean back and fall off the back of it. I was rather proud of this manoeuvre!
My only concern with the craft is quite possibly a failing of my own. Because there was no rudder, I found myself having to compensate quite a lot to keep the kayak straight in the prevailing conditions on the first day. These included quartering winds and swell. However, I think that the fact that I made it, unassisted, through a 35km stretch probably indicates that this tendency was not very pronounced. As I became more 'streetwise' in terms of leaning and other tricks, it also became easier. In other conditions, I had no problems at all in this regard. For all beginners out there though, my first single will undoubtedly have a rudder on it, until I become thoroughly conversant with paddling technique.
What can I say? If I had the skills and time to make one of these kayaks, I would. This is especially true, as I know the almost absurd care that Mike takes to make sure that each part of the kit is perfect before he sends them out. He also kayaks continuously, and has utilised all of his knowledge on what actually works on the ocean in the design of the boats. In terms of kits, I think it would be hard to beat this kind of level of perfectionism, and the excellent final product that you get.
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Kayak Review - The Islander kit
by David Whyte
(First published in NSW Sea Kayaker Issue 50 Spring - 2002)
As there appears to be quite a proliferation of plywood kayak/kits available now I thought it would be interesting to do a write up of one. Mike Snoad who manufacturers the Islander kits volunteered one of his demo kayaks for this review. This gave me the advantage of looking at the boat as it should be built – which may have been different if I had put it together. For this particular exercise I was looking at the boat as a finished product rather then the kit. Having seen many examples of Mike’s workmanship I know it is well put together. The model I tested was the Islander Enduro kit with no extras provided.
Before going into to the test I should give some of my background. I started sea kayaking about 8 years ago after many years of flat water touring. I have done many multi-day trips in all conditions and one 650Km expedition and I am comfortable in the surf. My first sea kayak was an Estuary but an unfortunate accident with the Bermugui breakwater ended its life prematurely. My next kayak was an Inuit Classic, which I still have, followed by a Nadgee Expedition in December 1999. In looking at Mike's boat I compared it mainly with the Nadgee and with some reference to the Inuit. And as these details may be important, I weigh 84Kg and am 1.75M high.
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| David in his Inuit Classic, South Coast NSW |
The first test was an hour or so on a cold and windy day on Lake Burley Griffin. It was blowing around 20 knots giving me a good chance to test it on a choppy lake. I found it light and easy to lift off the car. The hoop pine deck with the clear finish looks great (and it's plantation pine too, not rainforest trees like that foreign stuff). Mike offers a choice of two cockpit coaming sizes and I had the large coaming on the demo model. I felt pretty loose in it and would prefer the smaller coaming like the Nadgee has (which is the same size as Mike's smaller one) though the large coaming does make it very easy for a cowboy entry.
With its hard chined hull it looked like a longer version of the Inuit Classic and my initial impression was it behaved like one, which from my perspective is a compliment. We paddled around the lake taking the wind on all different sections of the boat. I notice only a very small amount of weather cocking but I was easily able to adjust my weight to compensate. If you built one of these it would only take a small amount of tuning with the seat placement to get the weight location right. Despite the strong wind I found I could bring the boat around to face any direction without any problems. The Islander is not a wet boat and despite the wind and chop I got no water in the face.
This boat didn’t have a rudder (though that’s optional extra) and after paddling around the lake I decided it didn’t need one. At one stage we paddled at a sustained 11kph with the wind right on our backs and there was no tendency to wander. I found the boat comfortable in these conditions and very stable. At the end of a few hours paddling I was quite impressed with the boat except for one thing – The seat. I didn’t find the standard seat that Mike provides very comfortable. It was an almost flat piece of firm foam with minimal contour. Mike says its fine for the average paddler but I wouldn’t like to spend all day in it. I had only a thin pair of shorts on and it was noticeable. And for a bit of wisdom on seats, the secret is the contours. My other two boats (excluding the Nadgee) have hard plastic seats but I could sit in them all day. The big difference was that the seats were moulded with nice cheek inserts and it's this that makes them comfortable rather than the material. Mike does offer a fully contoured seat as an extra and my advice would be to have one. Plus a contoured seat takes away some of that loose fitting feeling.
The next trial was a day trip on the ocean. We left South Durras paddling down to North Head for a photo session stopping at Myrtle Beach on the way. There was a gentle SE wind blowing on a moderate swell. The wind picked up for a short while but didn’t last long. There were some choppy conditions near the rocks but nothing really substantial. I had about 4-5 kgs of gear in the boat. I missed not having a day hatch and these days would not consider having a boat without one. Again these are all extras you can order with the kit.
On the open ocean in the Enduro my overriding impression was that it is a well balanced stable sea kayak that would certainly suit anyone new to paddling. It took a bit of effort to lean it right over and I felt the Nadgee was better in terms of lean turning, especially if you wanted to do it quickly. Paddling on the sea it felt like a long Inuit and was easy to maintain a course and didn’t take much to bring it back if it did wander. The Nadgee probably held its track better but it has a much deeper keel. After taking off from Myrtle beach, which had a bit of a shore dump, I found it an easier boat to launch than the Nadgee. With a shallower keel you could start paddling sooner where as the Nadgee’s keel digs into the sand taking more effort to get into the water. The other thing I noticed was it doesn’t make that awful slap sound as you go out over a big wave which is a bit disconcerting in a fibreglass boat. This may be a product of plywood rather than the boat design.
We cruised along at 7kph and I found this a very comfortable pace in the boat. My gut feeling was the Nadgee was a bit quicker but I didn’t carry out any tests to prove it. And for a touring kayak a fraction of a knot is neither here nor there.
Once back at the launch site I tried it out in the small surf at Durras. It picked up the waves easily but I noticed the nose buried itself easier than the Nadgee and I had to make sure my weight was well back. The Nadgee probably has more volume up front. It recovered well from the nose plant and once used to the different weight shift found it handled the surf ok. I wore my wetsuit for this trip and didn’t find the seat as uncomfortable as before but would still recommend having a contoured one.
Before hopping out I tried a few rolls and although I was a very loose fit it was easy to bring it back up though with no padding under the deck it was a bit uncomfortable on the knees. It would need some padding inside and maybe get the smaller cockpit coaming. Though I did notice one advantage of this cockpit – out at sea I was able to take my shoe off, remove a stone and put it back on again. I certainly can’t do that in the Nadgee. The cockpit design allowed you to lean right back which is important for rolling. If you a keen supporter of the cowboy entry then the larger cockpit would suit you. The foot rests were comfortable and solid but I had trouble adjusting one after we got some sand in the boat – I believe this is common with adjustable footrests. If I was building one I would get the bulkhead in the right position and use that. Mike has a good setup with the backrest which gives good support while paddling. The elastic suspension system allows the seat to spring back to the right position if you sit on it when hopping into the boat bum first.
In summary I liked the boat. It was comfortable to paddle and had plenty of room for storage and was very stable, plus it looks good. It would suit novices and experienced paddlers. I would be inclined to buy it without the rudder and paddle for a year or two like that. You would probably only use the rudder for a long trip when its very heavily loaded and you have lots of miles to cover. But don’t take my word on this, contact Mike for a paddle yourself.
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First Impressions - Islander Tour
by Matt Turner
It was a wet miserable November day at Currowong where our club was holding it's annual three day meeting/expo. Just around the southern headland the towering cliffs of the Beecroft Peninsular were as usual being pounded by big swells creating chaotic rebound off the cliffs.
The thought a long carry with my ancient heavy weight Tasmanian Greenlander kayak from the car park to the beach was not very appealing, so I jumped at the chance of trying out an Islander Tour on loan from Advanced Kayak Kits.
The lightweight Tour (18kg) was a breeze to carry to the beach where I tried it out in the surf (my playground). The Tour performed nicely in the surf without the tendency that some kayaks have to catch an edge as they are coming off the side of a wave. It was very responsive and easy to lean turn. It surfed well and was a lot of fun.
The next day with some friends I paddled out around Beecroft Peninsular into strong winds and steep confused swells. One of my companions who is an experienced kayaker capsized several times in the confused rebound near the cliffs. I was impressed at how well the Islander Tour handled the rebound. It was surprisingly stable and because it was so responsive it was a lot of fun and easy to relax in. I always felt totally in control.
The Islander Tour I was paddling did not have a rudder fitted. On the way back to the beach in the big following seas I was expecting to have to work hard to keep it heading in the right direction. Again I was surprised as it responded very nicely and was easy to keep on line by body position 'edging' using the chines to keep it on track.
This is kayak is a lot of fun to paddle even in extreme conditions. I would recommend it to paddlers at all levels.
Matt Turner lives in 'The Gong' (Wollongong) on the S/E coast of Australia where he lives with his family. Originally from Tasmania (the Greenlander connection) these days Matt is best know by his fellow kayakers for never missing an opportunity to shoe horn himself into a play boat and spending hours in the surf.
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Arunas (crocodile bait) Pilka
Instructor, expeditioner, kayak wrecker and survivor. You can check out his credentials by following the links below to some of his adventures. Arunas currently paddles a Greenlander variously dubbed the 'Mother Ship' or 'Collins Class............'
Cape York to PNG (Torres Strait Islands) - 1996
Cairns to Thursday Island Expedition - 1999
Bass Strait Crossing - January 2000
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| Arunas Pilka on Lake Burly Griffin, Canberra |
"I like it Mike. Its very stable, it tracks really well and it is fast, and it doesn't weigh a ton like the Greenlander." The stability is important to me when it gets really rough out there and also for when I am sailing or fishing out of the kayak."
Note Arunas is currently building a Islander clone. Being the fiercely independent person that he is, he couldn't bring himself to build one from a kit.
John Wilde (The John Wilde)
Senior Instructor, expeditioner, represented UK and Australia at international level white water competitions. Recently placed second at the World Championships in the play boat class in Nepal. What he can't do with a kayak in the surf is not worth doing. John currently paddles a Nagee Expedition.
John has done some big trips including long open water crossings between the outer islands of Fiji. He has also kayaked across both Bass Strait and Torres Strait as well as done numerous trips around the coast of Tasmania including the south west. The links below represent only a small part John's adventurous life.
Blood on the rocks - Easter 2002
Cape York to PNG (Torres Strait Islands) - 1996
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| John Wilde checks out secondary stability! - Molonglo River. Canberra |
"Amazing secondary stability Mike. It' feels like it does not want to go over and it's easy enough to roll back up."
"It tracks well and it's fast as I know from trying to keep up with you in the time trials."
Stuart (Hans-Solo) Trueman
Experienced paddler and expeditioner best known for his long solo expeditions and wry sense of humour. A man of action who likes to get out there and do it rather than talk about it. Has been known to take on giant waves that cause us mere mortals to tremble with fear. Stuart recently graduated from a Greenlander to a Nagee Expedition.
Check out some of his trips.
Sydney to Queensland Solo- 1998
Solo Bass Strait Crossing December 1998
Sydney to Melbourne Solo Winter 2002
Devonport to Hobart Solo via the west coast January 2004
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| Stuart Trueman has a go at Kianinni Inlet - Far South Coast NSW |
"It's good Mike it goes well. I like it. Sharon would like on of these."