The Elements of Kayak Design

with Nick Schade of Guillemot Kayaks

Kayak vendors use shortcuts to describe how a particular kayak design performs. They will say that their kayak “has a hard chine” so you should expect it to have a certain stability, or they might say it “is 17 feet long” therefore it should have a certain speed. Are these performance characteristics real or marketing hype?

Nick will delve into the science of kayak design to decode the marketing terms so you can have a better understanding of what makes a kayak do what it does on the water. You will be learn to better understand how the waterline contributes to speed, how hull form effects wave handling and how flare influences stability.

Nick grew up paddling kayaks and canoes and has been designing small boats since 1986. With a background in engineering and countless hours spent out on the water, Nick combines an analytic approach to boat design with a deep appreciation of traditional watercraft in the service of designing small boats for DIY boat builders. Through his company Guillemot Kayaks he sells plans to people who want to build their own boat and makes custom wooden boats for those who would rather not.

Learn more about Guillemot Kayaks here.

About this meeting...

During the COVID pandemic, OOPS continues to hold online general membership meetings. The URL and password are provided in an email to all registered members 24 hours prior to the meeting. For this meeting, OOPS members may include guests in their registration.

Lifejackets and drysuits are not required at online general membership meetings.