ELIZA

The new Necky Eliza sea kayak from Johnson Outdoors Watercraft has been designed specifically for women. In the past women have had to compromise with some kayak models which did not ideally suit their weight or body shape. However, Necky designers have worked hard to come up with an innovative new design which fits the shape of women’s bodies better and gives greater comfort, manoeuvrability and speed.

“Often the average female paddler is put in to a boat which is just too big for her,” commented Necky designer Spike Gladwin. “People think they will go faster in a longer boat but that’s only true if you’ve got the power and fitness to push it or are a trained Olympic athlete. We’ve designed this hull to offer maximum efficiency for the size of the person in the boat.” The Eliza is perfect for female paddlers of all abilities and a cross-section of women from complete novices to experienced paddlers were consulted on different prototypes until the Eliza design was just right.

Measuring 15ft 3 ½” (4.6m) long and weighing just 49 pounds (22.2kg), it is one of the lightest day-touring kayaks on the market. Although a priority has been to keep the weight down, the standard kayak is manufactured in polyethylene so it’s extremely tough. It can easily be loaded solo on to a car. Features include a lower deck height to give better stroke clearances for women with narrow shoulders. The deck profile minimises windage and quickly sheds water.

The cockpit is an ergonomic fit for a woman’s shape allowing better control. “We found that women felt the cockpit on most boats was way too long,” added Spike. “We’ve made it shorter so they can get a good grip and get hold of the boat much better.” A touring seat has a back band to offer greater support and foam thigh braces provide control without adding weight. The Eliza hull shape is stable and glides through the water offering little drag. It is exceptionally easy to paddle and very efficient at touring speeds which are typically about 4 knots. Bow and stern hatches are included for storage, and a retractable rudder system makes the Eliza simple to steer.