Inside Out the Eliza BY NECKY
SPECS length:
width:
weight: cockpit: hatches: MSRP:
15 ft 3.5 in (4.6 m) 22 in (55.9 cm) 49 lb (22.2 kg)
28.25 x 16 in (72.4 x 40.6 cm) 13.25 x 7.5 in (33.7 x 19.1 cm)
$1,499 Cdn $1,299 US
www.necky.com
>> FEMALE PADDLERS should prepare for their next birth- day to go something like this. “I found this new kayak, the Eliza, made specifically for wom- en and I thought of you.” “That’s sweet, honey, but didn’t we just buy me a new kayak
last year.” “This one’s better.” “Isn’t this the one that’s available in pink?” “Sorry, baby, I didn’t think you liked pink.” “Pink is my favourite colour!” “No worries, next year we’ll upgrade you to fibreglass. Any-
way, surf’s up—how about I break this boat in for you?” Since the general demise of women’s bicycles with a step-
through frame for skirts, the outdoor industry has rediscovered that half their potential market has unique tastes and needs. Women on average are smaller than men, so it follows that a kayak for women should be smaller, lighter, shorter, easier to bring to cruising speed, and require less weight and power to edge and turn. The Eliza’s designer accomplished this and more, while
taking a stand against that distinctly male preoccupation with “longer is better.” Long kayaks are more efficient at rac- ing speeds than shorter kayaks, but a shorter boat is more efficient at the pace of ordinary mortals (3 to 4 knots). (As you’ve told him so many times, it’s not the size of the boat that counts, but what you do in the cockpit.) Ergo, smaller paddlers are likely to squeeze more miles out of an Eliza than an 18-foot expedition boat. The Eliza has nice, balanced performance to suit paddlers of
all abilities: moderate initial and high secondary stability that allows for confident edging with minimal effort. The shallow-V hull tracks straight and turns quickly on an outside edge. The small size and low decks make it easy to control in wind. The best thing about the Eliza is the fit. Female testers found this to be one of the most comfort-
able kayaks they’d tried. But be warned—lightweight men can squeeze in too. Perhaps the best reason to order it in pink is that he’s sure to like it less than you do. —T.S.
44 | | ADVENTURE KAYAK spring 2007 JUST RIGHT,
GOLDILOCKS The comfortable cockpit is wide enough for women’s hips, short enough for small paddlers to get a skirt on easily; narrow and low enough for a performance fit.
BEAT THAT, PRADA
For storage on the go, Necky applies the tried and true neoprene hatch seal with a plastic cover to shed waves. We submerged the deck and got only a splash of water inside.
Hurray, a boat that fits!
WAIT, IT GETS BETTER
The Eliza’s graceful hull tracks and turns fine without the rud-
der. High-end shoppers should check out the soon- to-be-released composite Eliza, which features a drop-down skeg instead of a rudder, rubber hatches by Valley, and a narrower hull.
PHOTOS: TIM SHUFF
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