SEABIRD DESIGNS KAYAKS
SeaBird Design Kayaks have arrived in Charleston
New Greenland-style boats from SeaBird Designs Kayaks at Sea Kayak Carolina, Charleston, SC: don't miss the Black Pearl and the Sea Pearl — Our kayaks have arrived and are selling fast!
Sea Kayak Carolina announces the introduction of a new line of sea kayaks by
Seabird Designs of Norway: the HV (high volume) Black Pearl, LV (low volume) Black Pearl,
and the Sea Pearl. They are composite interpretations of boat designer Björn Thomasson’s Black Pearl: a long,
low and narrow kayak of east Greenland ancestry. Join our mailing list for updates and stay tuned for more details...
›› LEARN MORE: the Black Pearl (HV and LV) | the Sea Pearl
›› LEARN MORE ABOUT Greenland Kayaking
What Björn Thompsons Says About His Original Black Pearl Design
Each kayaker needs to form their own impressions to know if a boat is right for them... however there is something to be learned from others who review a boat, or in this case, from the intentions of the boat’s designer. The SeaBird Designs Black Pearls and Sea Pearl are composite versions of Björn Thompson’s skin-on-frame design — here is what he says about that original design:
“Black Pearl is based on the east Greenland kayaks from the late 20th century - narrower, lower, with more overhangs and a straighter sheer, less deadrise and more flare than the western types. These were overall faster (particularly against the wind) and maneuvered better. With less initial stability it was a demanding craft.
“My take on this is a kayak lacking most characteristic qualities – meaning a kayak that is not stable nor unstable, not directionally stable nor maneuverable, not fast nor slow - but a kayak subtly following the paddlers intentions.
“Black Pearl maneuvers superbly. The almost flat bottom (5° deadrise), the hard chines and the short waterline length means that the kayak is easy to turn and reacts instantly to leans and weight shifts. The low deck takes some getting used to, but after a while there are some benefits – the comfort of needing no tight padding against the knees, hips, back etc and working with the knees as a additional power source for the strokes. The deck aft is very low and flat to fascilitate layback rolls...
“To chose Black Pearl you should be a reasonably experienced paddler and interested in developing skills in rolling, kayak acrobatics, exploring rock gardens, day touring etc. A novice with ambitions, patience and perseverance might use Black Pearl as a crash course to advanced paddling.”