www.Atlantiskayaks.com
Touring Kayaks that Arouses Enthusiasm
By Jan Fjelde, for the magazin “Padling”
Translation Marianne Kristensen.
The Canadian firm of Atlantis Kayaks Inc. was established as late as 2002. The company has extensive production technical competence, and when they decided to start production of kayaks they already had a lot of experience with composite materials. By working hard and having the right strategy Atlantis has found a way into the largest dealerships in Canada. There is a great demand for all of the producer’s four models – Titan, Titan VI, Wav and Mist. The latter model is especially designed for ladies and lightweight persons.
The Atlantis boats were unknown in Norway until Scandic Kajakk AS started to import them in 2006. The market is filled with kayaks of all imaginable designs and shapes. If new boats are to arouse more than an average amount of interest, they should in my opinion be able to show both special and useful features in order to compete. Titan VI and Wav fight for customer’s favour in a tough price range. It is not easy to find one’s way around in the jungle of good boats. The more boats there are to choose from, the more difficult it gets.
Heavy and Solid
Both boats in this test, and especially Titan VI, are large volume boats. They are of a design and shape, which cannot be misunderstood. There is room for whatever you need on trips lasting several days. The lines are very harmonious and have been drawn with a sure hand. A trained eye will see that the boats have been built to endure hard weather and wind. They are very robust, something that impacts on the weight. Titan VI is stated to weigh 26,3 kg. We choose to trust in the company’s data, but it does not feel one gram lighter. Wav weighs two kilos less, but is not experienced as a kayak in the flyweight class. In the Kevlar version both boats weigh two kilos less. If you are looking for a lighter boat it is arguable whether such a minor weight reduction is worth the extra cost. If on the other hand the kayaks are being exposed to extra hard handling, it might be an idea to go for the Kevlar. The weaving is stronger than fibreglass and can stand more jolting.
At first glance some might think the Atlantis models look like most sea kayaks. But small, discrete details become apparent after inspecting both kayaks. The hatches have really good closing mechanisms and the cords are especially designed to ensure an even pressure. The hatch openings have good dimensions. Large pieces of luggage go down without too many swearwords. The bow and stern are elegantly designed. The trick of shadow lacquering along the deck is a good way of making the kayaks look slimmer. All in all I think that Atlantis Kayaks have managed to design two boats with good volume for long trips without them appearing big and vulgar.
Fine Cockpit
The cockpits are identical in both kayaks. The opening is 79 x 43 cm. Many details become obvious when the paddler has been seated in the low mounted seat. One immediately gets the sensation that much is in the right place. The seat is big and good and with a shape that should suit most. Ladies with broad hips are going to love the shape of the seat. All the factory’s boats have identical seats. The back support can be adjusted as you go. The fit and right placement in relation to the back is also far superior compared to many other kayaks.
The pedals have generous dimensions. They are the gliding sort, mounted along the sides of the hull. In the sittebrønnen itself the end part of the steering wire is replaced with solid straps with quick locks (?). It is possible to adjust the distance to the pedals variably as you go. Paddlers who have been on longer trips know how important it is that the functions can be handled while on board. You can avoid having to have assistance from others if adjustments have to be performed while on the water. The solo paddler will also not have to go ashore to fine-tune the pedal distance.
Fully-grown adults would appreciate a somewhat larger cockpit. Yours truly suffer from long legs, something the readers benefit from when we assess the space of cockpits. The knees are uncomfortably in contact with the front edge of the well cockpit when going on board and ashore. Otherwise there is generous space when first you are seated. The front decks on both boats are suitably arched so the comfort is good. Ergonomics and comfort is really good, and only the long-legged among us miss the last couple of centimetres when entering the cockpit.
Hatches with Vacuum
Both boats have hatches with neoprene caps around the opening. The fibreglass covers are secured with a short cord on the underside to prevent them from falling into the water. The securing clips are of a good quality. The front covers on the Titan VI are secured with four clips, while Wav has two. Many producers have not considered how good and WATER TIGHT hatches can be made. Atlantis shows that a combination of good looks and practicality is not impossible at all. The neoprene caps make the cargo space so tight that a vacuum may be formed when it is warm outside and cold on board. The problem is fixed by drilling a tiny hole in the wall of the hull. The cargo space was completely dry even after the tough handling we subjected the kayaks to.
The boats are well rigged with solid lines and straps. All the fixtures are submerged into the deck and are amply dimensioned. There are unusually good handles both in the front and back. They are equipped with straps, which hold them in place when not in use. Annoying rattling and knocking against the kayak is eliminated in an elegant way. That’s the way it should be! The handles are anchored in solid eyelets of acid-resisting steel, something that makes it possible to lock the kayak to the car, in a garage or elsewhere. The rudder, delivered by Fethercraft, can be turned up on the aft deck. Together with the kayak’s good underwater hull the efficiency is irreproachable. Lines for hoisting and lowering are operated from the cockpit.
Very Safe and Stable
Stability pattern of both kayaks are of a sort, which especially beginners will applaud. Wav, the smaller of the two, has a high degree of primary and secondary stability. It is suited for medium sized persons. People of that build will not in any way miss a larger cockpit opening. It may easily become the ladies’ long distance favourite, as it does not feel as big as the other test boat. As already mentioned Atlantis has a kayak, Mist, which is especially suited for paddle enthusiastic girls and youths. Even Wav may feel too heavy for a light body.
On Titan VI both stability parameters are quite formidable. It must be a dream for a person who has never paddled before to be introduced to the sport in a Titan VI. The kayak is a bit sturdier than Wav. The boat has a lot of volume and should be perfectly suited for really heavy build people. It is important to differentiate between Titan and the tested Titan VI. They have identical hulls, but Titan, which we have not tested, has an even bigger internal volume, as both the fore and back deck is higher and more curved. The prejudice that kayaks generally are very unstable is put to shame with the Titan hulls. Even the most sceptic can safely have a test run.
13 Meters Per Second
On one of the testing days we were fortunate (!) and had the weather gods on your side. In Byfjorden between Askøy and Bergen there was a northwest wind (13 m/s). (The wind measurer at Helleneset/BT.no). We were two testers who took turns to paddle Titan VIU and Wav. To quote one of our paddle friends it became “very cold on the teeth”! We smiled from ear to ear in the cold wind as these delightful boats were put to the test. The sailing properties are really good. It hardly matters which course you choose with regard to waves and wind. A big wave from the side or on the skew from behind askew is tackled without problem for people with a little paddling experience. If you are paddling directly up against the wind it will not become more dramatic than the paddler getting sprinkled with a little water.
Titan VI is the drier of the two, but no matter what, the experience may resemble an autumn day in Bergen with scattered showers. We felt safe onboard the test boats although I must admit this is one of the freshest tests in bad weather I have done for PADLING. After nearly three hours we paddled ashore without seeing any signs of weaknesses in the kayaks construction or properties. The boats were driven to the limit in order to reveal any faults. Quality and safety are words we feel characterise our experiences. The sailing properties and stability are very convincing. A trip on the fjord can be recommended even when the meteorologists aren’t kidding!
To the most seasoned paddlers Titan VI may perhaps become too safe and stable on quiet days. In that case heavier sea kayaks are less challenging compared to a training racer. Those who do not paddle often will, however, love the properties of both Atlantis boats. To this group of paddlers it is liberating to be able to enjoy the trip itself without having to concentrate on balance all the time. It is good to be able to stop now and again to have a cup of coffee or to take pictures. Best of all, Titans enormous stability gives the extra feeling of safety wanted should the weather become downright terrible. Although most of my private paddle trips are in my 30-year-old training racer, I fell for the safe properties, which both boats possess. The thought of a really long trip with a full load is tempting. It feels almost unreal to handle a boat like the Titan VI in big waves and strong wind without having to have a lot of focus on stability.
Easy Paddling at Tour Speed ?
With its length of five meters Wav is very responsive and playful. It is easy to paddle, and it is easy to keep a speed of four knots over a length of time. The sailing properties are very good. The sharp bow cleaves the waves softly and elegantly. The boat feels safe and stable even without ballast. A good hull and rudder make Wav very simple to handle. It has such safe properties that some of the surf properties have been sacrificed. The kayak is a little behind in this discipline. When the waves become big enough, the speed picks up and the boat surfs away. But other sea kayaks with a more playful bottom profile will overtake it. We are back at the question of which characteristics are prioritised. If you want to play you can surf in one of the better multichined boats, which will swing as soon as you lift up your body slightly.
Peddlers have to make a choice – fun or safety? This one is safe with a big S! The average speed has been measured at 4,4 knots on still water. We noted a top speed at 6,1 knots. These numbers places it in the middle of what the market can offer. The hydrodynamic of the hull is adjusted to average tour speed at between 3,5 and 4 knots. Under those conditions Wav is unusually easy to paddle and glides easier at this moderate speed than Titan VI. Titan VI is faster when the paddlers compete side by side and puts force behind the paddle strokes. This is because Titan VI’s construction has a better relation between the length and width of the hull. It can withstand higher speeds before the kayak becomes really heavy to press through the water. When the speed exceeds 4 knots out exact GPS measurements show that the curve of water resistance becomes steeper than is the case with Titan VI.
Titan VI vs. Saguenay
Titan VI is two feet longer than Wav and a little wider. As already stated its movements are even more steady and calm. Due to more weight and volume it feels heavier to accelerate and stop. The boat is wide and can carry a lot of cargo. It feels natural to compare it to the voluminous Boreal Design Saguenay, which we tested in PADLING no 4/07. Boreal, which is also a Canadian company, has impressed us with their kayaks of high quality and good features. Titan VI has a cockpit, which is three cm longer and two cm wider than Saguenay. This might seem like a minor detail, but the difference is noticeable when fully dressed for long trips.
Titan VI holds insignificant eight litres less in the cargo room in the front (72 vs. 80 litres). At the back the difference is 17 litres (Titan’s 120 vs. Saguenay’s 137 litres). The numbers for Titan (which we have not tested) is as follows: cargo room in front 90 litres. In the back 150 litres. It we compare the cargo capacity, Saguenay only holds 132 kilo. Wav holds 150 kilos and both Titan boats 175 kilos.
Titan and Titan VI are 10 cm longer than Saguenay, and they have a more harmonious hull with better bearing aft. Boreal has a lot of volume around the middle and less in the sterns. That results in Titan having higher benchmarks speeds. We have clocked average speeds of nearly 4,6 knots vs. Saguenay’s 4,2. The top speed was 6,5 knots vs. Boreal's 6,0. These two competitors are no “surf machines”.
Conclusion
Atlantis Wav and Titan VI are new on the Norwegian market. In this range where prices climb well over 20.000, Scandic Kajakk must be commended for importing the Atlantis boats. The producer has chosen the safe option and has done much right. The kayaks are so solid that it has had an impact on the weight. Both boats are unusually harmonious and it is easy to use. The stability and rudder response are ideal. The advantage consists in good sea worthiness and the enormous stability in bad weather. When paddling these boats you do not need Valium or other sedatives, neither before nor after the trip. Titan VI is so safe that is probably could be approved as a single person lifeboat on oil platforms.
Wav and Titan VI should be an obvious purchase for Mr and Mrs Affluent who wish to paddle together. The smaller of the two is a little easier to accelerate at a comfortable tour speed. That is why I think that these two test boats are an excellent choice for a two persons with different physique who are annoyed that one is always behind the other.
The Atlantis boats have not entered the Norwegian market to compete on price. The safe properties and lasting quality are the main advantages. In this price range there are many good boats, some with such specific features that they are not suited for ordinary paddlers. Only a few or no prior qualifications are need in order to have a good time on board the Atlantis boats. They are equally suited for the amateur and the ambitious touring paddler. If you are looking for kayaks with the properties of Wav or Titan, there is no risk involved if you send in your order without having tried them out in advance – it is nearly impossible to be disappointed.
