k a y a k e r
’
s
journal
Arctic Tern.
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Top Kit Kayak
in North
America.
Beautiful wooden boats, designed by experience,
built by you. Only 39 pounds & stronger than fiberglass!
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INSIDE OuT BY TiM SHUFF
top rated· ultra-light· rugged· high performance
Elite Series
N
ew!
Strait 120 XE
BY pELiCAn
THERE’S TRADITIONALLY been a divide between the recreation-
al kayaks that drive the growth of our sport and the high-end models
for enthusiasts, but now one of the biggest recreational kayak makers,
Pelican International, is leaping across the rec/touring chasm.
From the world’s largest thermoforming machine in the suburbs of
Montreal, it is producing the mischievously named “Elite Series,” a line
of affordable kayaks with premium touring features like adjustable foot
pegs, bow and stern bulkheads, waterproof hatches, deck bungies and
rudders.
Don’t underestimate four decades of plastic kayak moulding know-
how. I can’t think of another manufacturer that’s been in the biz since
1968 and it shows. Pelican kayaks are made of a unique triple-layer
thermomoulded plastic that the company says is 30 per cent stiffer than
conventional rotomoulded poly and also lighter and strong enough to be
driven over by a truck (and bounce back). We were surprised to find it
feels as rigid as composite, albeit with a much rougher finish than other
thermoform kayaks or gel coat.
The Strait 120 has a very comfortable, ergonomic padded seat, pad-
ded thigh braces and plenty of cockpit room for paddlers of all sizes.
All the kayaks in the Strait series, which includes 12- and 14-footers
with and without rudders, have very attractive lines. The aggressively
"ACK)SSUES/NLI
tap
N
ered b
E
ow and semi-hard chine give an edge-able, surf-worthy appear-
ance. Stability on the shallow-V hull is moderate, nudging the paddler
to try edging. It tracks very straight for such a short boat and also turns
ADVENTUREKAYAKMAGCOM
quickly, as you’d expect.
28 ADvENTuRE KAYAK | Spring 2010
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