NDK — SEA KAYAKING UK Kayaks
NDK Kayaks: Explorer | Explorer HV | Explorer LV | Pilgrim | Pilgrim Expedition
The Romany | Romany LV | Romany Surf
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Nigel Dennis Sea Kayaks from Sea Kayaking UK
Almost 20 years ago,
Nigel Dennis Kayaks (NDK) was formed with the design of
the Romany, since then a large range of kayaks have been
released and his boats are synonymous with British sea
kayak design. The company is now called Sea
Kayaking UK, (SKUK) but the Romanys, Explorers
and now Pilgrims remain the tried, tested and true
favorites of many paddlers worldwide.
Visit the shop — or give us a call at (843) 225-7969 if
you would like to schedule a test paddle or if you would
like to make an appointment to see any boats.
Sea Kayaker Magazine Reader's Choice
Awards for 2012 named the SKUK (NDK) Explorer as the "best
extended touring kayak" and the SKUK (NDK) Romany as the
"best day/weekend kayak" as well as the "best rough water
kayak." Come in and find out why!
The Explorer
The NDK EXPLORER may well be the most widely used
expedition kayak on the planet, with circumnavigations of
Britain, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand and South Georgia
Island and a number of the Aleutian islands to it’s credit.
It is what an amazingly high percentage of high level
coaches and expert paddlers choose to paddle, yet many
novices find it to be very comfortable, responsive and
forgiving.
The Explorer has a relatively high maximum hull speed and a
good anount of cargo room. Simply stated, the Romany
Explorer is a fun boat to paddle. It carves turns
gracefully, and responds to paddler input with consistency
and predictability. Its high volume bow stops the nose from
plunging into waves and together with its soft rails and
good maneuverability gives a paddler a geat deal of
confidence in surf. The keyhole cockpit with thigh braces
allows for good lower body contact and control. This is a
very well rounded, user-friendly boat. It has good speed
capability in all conditions, but is absolutely amazing in a
following sea.
Length: 17' 8" (5.40m )
Width: 21.5" ( 0.54m )
The Explorer was designed in 1993 with the following
features:
• A low rear deck for easy rolling.
• A white water cockpit. Gives excellent
grip, control and a quick exit if needed!
• Three compartments, including an offset
day hatch, allowing access at sea.
• Sloping rear bulkhead behind the seat,
allowing the kayak to be emptied by
lifting the bow (no X rescue
necessary).
• Polished deck recesses.
• Plenty of room for large feet or warm
winter footwear.
• Exceptional manoeuvrability, with
direction stability. Very fast in following seas.
• Large round hatches
• Minimum weather cocking in strong winds
Praise for the Explorer —
Named Sea Kayaker magazine's 2011
Readers Choice:
Best Extended Touring Kayak
In part Seakayaker reported — “ ...The kayak
that our readers chose for extended touring does not have
a huge cargo capacity, so for a long cruise you’ll have to
think like a back-packer when it comes to the gear you
carry. What was likely more important to those readers who
voted for the Explorer was its ability to handle the rough
conditions that you’re more exposed to the farther you
paddle. In our review of the Explorer, one of our test
paddlers took on 30-knot winds and 3-foot waves and
concluded: “The handling in stronger winds and the
behavior in confused seas are addressed admirably by this
kayak.” A second reviewer, after paddling the Explorer in
20-knot winds and 2-foot waves, wrote simply: “It makes
sloppy conditions uneventful.” You couldn’t ask for more.”
The Explorer HV
The EXPLORER HV is designed to suit the medium to large
sized paddler who wants or needs a roomier cockpit. The high
volume design features the same hull as the Explorer but
with a raised front deck.
The volume in the cockpit has been increased by adding 1.5"
(3,8 cm) of extra height between top of the seat and
underside of the deck. Also, a raised area either side of
the cockpit has been added to facilitate more leg room.
Dimensions: 17'6" x 22.5"
Weight: 56 lbs.
The Explorer LV
The NDK EXPLORER LV is designed to fill the demand for a
lower volume cockpit. The LV’s cockpit rim is 3.5" (87mm)
shorter than the standard and 1" (25mm) narrower with the
leg braces brought back towards the paddler. It has the same
hull as the Explorer but with a lower front deck.
The rim is 3.5" (87mm) shorter than the standard and 1"
(25mm) narrower with the leg braces brought back towards the
paddler.
Dimensions: 17'6" x 21.5"
Weight: 56 lbs.
The Pilgrim
A responsive kayak designed for the small or slim paddler.
The hull is narrow, offering speed and is very easily turned
and controlled in wind with minimum of weather cocking even
in strong winds. This kayak is as easy to roll as any
Greenland style kayak.The Pilgrim fits the small kayaker and
also the taller and slim kayaker who desires a responsive
high performance kayak which excels in the surf as well as
other conditions.
The Pilgrim has a low rear deck for easy rolling, a keyhole
cockpit that gives excellent grip, control and allows quick
exit if need be. The sloping bulkhead behind the seat allows
the kayak to be emptied by lifting only the bow, no x-rescue
is necessary.
Dimensions: 15' 9" x 19.6"
Weight: 49 lbs.
The Pilgrim Expedition
The Pilgrim Expedition is a slim, fast kayak with increased
carrying capacity (length) for camping expeditions. The
kayak is specifically designed the smaller paddler and the
taller and slimmer kayaker at the same time. This is
accomplished by use of the 'knee bumps' which allow
remarkable control and enable greater stability. The knee
bumps effectively enable a narrow beam kayak to experience
similar stability as a wider kayak while retaining all it's
high performance attributes.
The Pilgrim Expedition has a low, rear deck for easy
rolling, a key-hole cockpit that gives excellent grip,
control and allows quick exit if need be. The sloping
bulkhead behind the seat, allows the kayak to be emptied by
lifting only the bow. The kayak is fitted with an adjustable
high performance glass seat although a foam seat may be
installed as an additional option. Fitted hip pads with the
option of glass thigh braces help to customize the cockpit
area.
Dimensions: 17' 2" x 19.6"
Weight: 53 lbs.
Owner Review: Patty
The Pilgrim Expedition keeps the length of a long-trip kayak
while ditching the excess width and height in many boats
that are marketed to "small paddlers." Compared with the
Explorer LV, the primary feels slightly lower, probably
because it's narrower--still plenty stable for small
paddlers. Surprisingly, Pilgrim Expedition's secondary feels
stronger, as I found when edging hard over. The chunky knee
bump helps resist capsizing when the boat is not straight up
(or down!). And speaking of "down," the PEX is easy to roll
and the rear deck low enough for me to do a full layback,
using the stock glass seat in its factory position. It is
easier for me to handle in wind than any other kayak I've
tried. It needs little effort to edge, therefore little
effort to maneuver. It is noticeably quick to get moving
from a dead stop. While I have not checked with a GPS, it
also feels easy to hold at cruising speed. In total, I am
very glad I bought this kayak and look forward to
paddling it many years in a wide range of conditions. Thanks
to NDK/SKUK for thinking of us small paddlers!
Stats: I'm about 5'3", 105 lbs. Started sea kayaking in
2002, have done self-supported kayak-camping trips in WY,
AK, UT, and CO; day trips on West, East, and Gulf coasts as
well as the mountain west. Recently passed BCU 3* assessment
The Romany
The Romany is a maneuverable high performance model in the
NDK line. Designed to handle rough water with ease of
handling in the surf and following seas, it is the gold
standard choice of many. The kayak can be rolled easily and
is ideally suited for the small to medium-tall sized
kayaker. Its easy handling makes it the first choice for
many coaches.
Length: 16 feet ( 4.89m )
Width: 21.5 inches ( 0.54m )
The Romany was designed with the following features
• A low rear deck for easy rolling.
• A white water cockpit.
• This gives the kayaker excellent grip,
control and allows a quick exit if needed!
• Three compartments, including an offset
day hatch, allowing access at sea.
• Sloping rear bulkhead behind the seat,
allowing the kayak to be emptied
by lifting the bow (no X rescue necessary).
• Polished deck recesses.
• Plenty of room for large feet or warm
winter footwear.
• Exceptional maneuverability, with
directional stability. Very fast in following seas.
• Large round hatches
• Minimum weather cocking in strong winds.
Praise for the Romany —
Named Sea Kayaker magazine's 2011
Readers Choice:
Best Day/ Weekend Kayak and Best
Rough-Water Kayak
In part Seakayaker reported — “ ...the
Romany is a compact kayak designed for medium-sized
paddlers. Although it is relatively narrow, it has enough
initial stability to suit novice paddlers and enough
secondary stability to please advanced paddlers. It has a
combination of good tracking and high maneuverability, and
its low profile allows the paddler a wide range of motion
and is well suited for a variety of rolling techniques.
The keyhole cockpit provides a sure grip for boat control
and the sloped aft bulkhead helps drain the cockpit in
reentry techniques. All these characteristics make for a
kayak that is well suited to taking on dynamic conditions
that make for challenging and exciting outings.”
The Romany LV
The NDK Romany 16 LV is is designed to fill the demand for
smaller sea kayaks, especially as the number of female sea
kayakers have grown. "Instead of producing a new kayak I
have decided to modify the Romany, Explorer and Greenlander
Pro. For all of these models a LV (Low Volume) option is
available." All kayaks have modified cockpits and reduced
volume, while the hulls remain essentially the same. The LV
kayaks have been fitted with a new Keyhole cockpit rim
customized to fit smaller kayakers. The rim is 3.5" (87mm)
shorter than the standard and 1" (25mm) narrower with the
leg braces brought back towards the paddler. All kayaks have
lower volume and a redesigned front deck.
Dimensions: 16' x 21.5"
Weight: 54 lbs
Features:
Low rear deck for easy rolling
white water cockpit for easy
entry/exit
sloping rear bulkhead behind the
seat, for quick emptying of the cockpit
large round hatches
exceptional maneuverability
The Romany Surf
The Romany Surf, is designed as a day, play, short trip
kayak for the larger paddler that wants that Romany
performance. It has a wider keyhole cockpit than any other
British made fiberglass sea kayak and has more volume in the
rear to support the paddler’s extra weight and gear. The
Romany Surf has higher initial stability than the Romany,
and with its flatter hull and harder chines, it surfs even
better. The hull design offers maximum support and the
shaped foredeck allows for larger feet.
Dimensions: 16'2" x 21.75". Cockpit: 32"x 17.25"
Weight: 56 lbs