KAYAK ACADEMY

Impex Sea Kayaks

SUSQUEHANNA

The Susquehanna is best suited for paddlers 5' 8" to 6' 2" (long legged folks with a size 12 or larger shoe may need a roomier kayak such as the Impex Serenity Sport or the Assateague), 170-220 lbs who want a kayak with average stability but above average performance. The lines of the Susquehanna make it an highly maneuverable, efficent sea kayak with plenty of room for week-long expeditions.

The Susquehanna shares the same overall styling common to the entire line of Impex sea kayaks -- an "Americanized" variation on the smart looks and proven seaworthiness of the Greenland/British look, without the back breaking weight or tippyness usually associated with kayaks of this genre. As with all the Impex sea kayaks we sell, the Susquehanna is built from composite materials (i.e. fiberglass or carbon/Kevlar lay-up) with a moderately chined hull that carves turns quickly and handles well in rough seas without the added drag of a harder chine. The Susquehanna comes standard with all the usual Impex features: a retractable skeg* with state-of-the-art precise, smooth slider bar/cable control for the skeg,

Until 2005, Susquehannas had only two hatches, but the current version has front, rear and day hatches, all hatches are VCP brand rubber hatches that seal like food containers, three curved fiberglass bulkheads, fiberglass seams inside and out, recessed deck fittings for safety lines, and chart holder bungies, 16" X 30" keyhole shaped cockpit with good hip and knee braces, and a comfortable back band with snowboard binding style ratcheting buckles that allow you to adjust the back support while seated in the kayak -- even on the water.

Plus we outfit all sea kayaks we sell with a custom pump and sponge holder below the front deck and SOLAS reflective tape.

*A skeg looks like the fin on the bottom of a surf board except on sea kayaks this skeg is designed to retract into a trunk on the bottom of the hull. With the skeg up, the Susquehanna is a highly maneuverable sea kayak. Put the skeg down and the Susquehanna tracks straight even in side wind conditions where most kayaks without rudders weathercock (turn up wind). This combination of good hull design and a retractable skeg are fast making rudders (and all their problems and limitations) obsolete on sea kayaks (at least for people who know how to paddle).

If you like the features of this kayak but want something a little sportier (smaller and less stable), try the Impex Montauk or Currituck. For a bigger, roomier, more stable kayak, try the Impex Assategue (big brother to the Currituck) or for an even more stable and roomier kayak than the Assategue, try the Impex Serenity Sport (big brother to the Susquehanna).

Call the Kayak Academy to arrange a demo.
206 527-1825

© George Gronseth 2003-2005, all rights reserved.