Canoe & Kayak Equipment Reviews

Here George covers the main models worth note from Aquaglide's inflatable kayak range. Including legendary names such as Chinook, Chelan and Navarro. Whether you need a boat for solo or tandem paddling, inland or coastal use, this well respected brand has you covered.

Pyranha have been doing a fantastic job to help their partner stores. Not only in creating epic boats and driving innovation through difficult times, but also in providing our staff with the right information to advise customers in the best way. As part of the Ripper 2 launch, I was able to access a Q&A session with Andy Butler, one of the Pyranha designers, with numerous international and domestic partner stores joining in to benefit from this inside information. So what was discussed and how can it be useful to anyone considering adding the latest home grown half slice to their quiver? Read on to find out.

Here George takes an initial look at the new Spinera Hybris inflatable kayak, the latest boat to the market using drop stitch technology for improved performance. We use our specialist knowledge of blow up kayaks in order to summarise this model's key features and why it has so many people excited to get on the water.

The second generation of arguably the most influential whitewater kayak of the last ten years. A difficult second album or another smash hit? Time will be the judge but based on Pyranha’s recent successes with 9R, Ozone and Scorch I’m confident enough to have a personal order in place already.

When a footwear giant makes a move into the watersports world you have to take note. La Sportiva's outdoor and mountaineering footwear is highly regarded and our staff massively excited to test their take on the perfect water boot. In choosing the new TX Canyon you're guaranteed a high quality, feature packed addition to your kit bag.

The world of canoes allows for creativity and absolute customisation.  While this is fantastic, our staff understand it can also be overwhelming and thus wanted to run through the most common bespoke options when deciding on the specification of your new Silverbirch Canoe.  Whether you choose Firefly or Broadland the decision around seats, lacing, freeboard height and other factors can have a material impact on function and overall enjoyment, as well as aesthetics!

Tootega kayaks is a small company based in Attleborough, Norfolk. We have known the owners, Steve & James, for many years and their passion for quality products and growing paddlesport participation is unrivalled. Our staff have been lucky to visit their factory and have always been blown away by their attention to detail, coming away with a desire to support both Tootega and UK manufacturing more generally. Prior to the formation of the brand, Steve and James designed and manufactured at many popular kayak brands and have taken the positives from each. It is therefore unsurprising that models like Kinetic, Pulse and Prophecy have become industry leaders. Tootega were the first brand to introduce a lifetime warranty on their products, just one example of how they are striving for perfection. Read on to find out more about their range and which kayak is correct for your circumstances and aspirations.

To say we’re fans of Aquaglide inflatable kayaks is something of an understatement. For several years they have been the mainstay of our range, with names such as Chinook and Chelan facilitating hundreds of enjoyable hours on the water. Aquaglide’s history is closely associated with the production of large scale inflatable water based playgrounds. Knowledge gained in this area, specifically the heavy wear and tear of commercial use, has certainly aided the evolution of their kayaks and resulted in excellent durability. With what was already an extensive range of boats our staff questioned what could come next. Not ones to rest on their laurels, we soon hard about the Deschutes. The crucial question….. is it any good?

The Aquaglide Chelan has been a popular choice in store for a number of years. While the remainder of Aquaglide’s range was revised for 2020, the brand chose to take its time with its most highly coveted touring kayak. The results are now in and it’s fair to say our staff are impressed. Read on to find out why.

Here we take our first look at the Ozone, the new river play model from Pyranha. This builds on the ever popular Ripper series and brings more fun factor to the party. Looking for more play performance and the ability to make use of every river feature but without restricting river running potential too much? The Ozone could be the one for you.