Tiderace Kayaks Xplore-S, Xplore, and Xplore-X by Tiderace Kayaks

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The Tiderace Xplore series (Xplore-S, Xplore, and Xplore-X) are the latest and hottest expedition Brit kayaks. Tiderace Xplores are faster and more maneuverable than the older comparable British kayak designs, and the Tiderace Xplore series have great cockpit ergonomics which make them both comfortable and easy to Eskimo roll (great for learning to roll). All three sizes of Xplore feel stable, extremely stiff, and strong.

Tiderace kayaks are the creation of Aled Williams -- an experienced British kayak designer who created the Rockpool and earlier British expedition sea kayaks. Tiderace Kayaks are the newest, most up to date of all the British style kayaks on the market, and their construction quality is superior because they are built by experienced craftsmen at the same factory as Kayaksport brand kayaks in Finland (Charger Composites, known world wide for their high quality kayak construction). The Tiderace kayaks are the result of much experience in designing and building high quality sea kayaks. Of all the British kayaks on the market, the Tiderace kayaks have the most comfortable seat, most agressive knee/thigh braces, most comfortable and durable back band, best skeg system, and the highest overall quality. Think of Tiderace as Brit kayaks Version 4.0

The Tiderace Xplore series kayaks have a combination of tracking, maneuverability, and cargo capacity that makes them the best long distance expedition sea kayaks. Every experienced paddler that we've seen try one is impressed by how much less drag the Xplores have compared to other Brit expedition kayaks and by how comfortable they are. Whether choosing your first sea kayak or upgrading from an older Brit boat, you can't go wrong with a Tiderace Kayak Xplore.

As a rough guide, we find:
The Xplore-S is best suited for paddlers 5' 4" to 5' 10", 130-180 lbs
The Xplore is best suited for paddlers 5' 8" to 6' 4", 170-230 lbs
The Xplore-X is best suited for paddlers 6'0" to 6'6", 220-270lbs

All three sizes of the Tiderace Kayaks Xplore have the looks and proven seaworthiness of the Greenland/British style sea kayak, but updated and without the quality problems that have plagued so many similar kayaks. The Tiderace Xplores have a moderately chined hull that carves turns and handles well in rough seas without the added drag or fragility of a harder chine. The Tiderace Xplores come standard with features such as: the forward day hatch in front of the cockpit (a hatch anyone can use while on the water!), a retractable skeg* with state-of-the-art precise, smooth slider cable control, Kayaksport hatches (oval front and rear hatches plus round front and rear day hatchs), front and rear fiberglass bulkheads (two rear bulkheads plus front bulhead), fiberglass seams inside and out, recessed deck fittings, reflective safety lines, chart holder bungees, keyhole cockpit with good hip and knee braces, and a comfortable adjustable back band.

*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, Xplores are very maneuverable; put the skeg down and an Xplore 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).

Some impressions from recent buyers:

"Paddling a Tiderace Xplore S is like discovering a new gear in a fast car. Just when you think it's reached its top speed, you shift into this faster gear. Then you grin like a little kid, as you realize you're moving through the water faster than ever before! :)" DH

"The Xplore is a truly exceptional kayak! I can't figure out why it's so much faster than my Explorer, it's magic." TF

Here's what Tiderace Kayaks says about their kayaks:

Our hulls are reinforced throughout. We pay particular attention to keel strength as this is the key factor in making the boats last many years. Repeated landings, especially on boulder strewn or rocky beaches can be damaging to a kayak, and we build into our kayaks a high degree of survivability. Our kayaks are slightly heavier than boats from other manufacturers due to the extra reinforcing we specify. All gelcoat is sprayed; this guarantees a consistent coverage to a correct thickness, not too thick as it risks cracking. Strength comes from a laminate high in fibre mixed with the appropriate amount of resin. We believe a kayak hull should not oil-can when sat under its own weight on a rocky shore, nor should it deform when held securely on a roof rack.

Give our kayaks “the squeeze and flex test”! Grab either bow or stern keel section just above the waterline, then squeeze and flex the boat. You’ll notice the difference compared with other manufacturers’, and feel the rigidity that we specify in our construction.

We also pay particular attention to the deck construction. Decks often receive localized stress over different areas. Our back deck easily supports the weight of the paddler, and is ready reinforced to take a towing system. A large pressure is exerted through the knees while paddling in rough water conditions, this area is made strong. The front deck is designed to take the weight during a rescue, and hatch recess areas are stiffened by shape and laminate to reduce flexing while fitting hatch covers.

All seams are Kevlar reinforced, inside and out as standard, as this is a key area in a boats’ overall stiffness. Recess deck fittings are bolted in place and then glassed over on the inside. This gives a smooth interior finish and a high degree of reserve strength to the fittings. The kayak tips are made solid, and the bulkheads are glassed into place for ultimate security. Our seats extend the rigidity of the kayak’s structure by closely conforming to the hull shape, and making contact over two large base flanges padded with high density foam. Bolts join the seat tops to the cockpit rim and also secure the backrest.

 

Deception Pass Dash Results (Dec. 12, 2009)

Kayaks sold by the Kayak Academy took four out of the first six places, including 1st and 2nd place, in the Men's Sea Kayak division! The SK-M's division had 70 competitors and is the largest class in the race. These four top finishing kayak models that we sell are all great expedition and rough water kayaks too -- not just single use kayaks built for speed.

First place in Men's Sea Kayak division was taken by Brandon Nelson in the new Grand Illusion by SKF (of course Brandon would be competitive paddling an inner tube, but his result shows the potential of what the Grand Illusion can do -- not bad for a kayak known for its maneuverability and rough water expeditioning qualities). Second place was K.A. Alumni John Thoreson in our demo TideRace Xplore S (for medium to small paddlers), 5th place was George "I'm Not A Racer" Gronseth in his TideRace Xplore (standard size model).

For those of you who are wondering how the NDK Explorer (which there were more of than any other sea kayak model in the race) stacked up against TideRace and other kayaks we sell, NDK Explorers were in 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th place. The fastest NDK Explorer was over a minute behind the 5th place TideRace Xplore and almost four minutes behind the 2nd place TideRace Xplore S.

To get the full results, and see pictures go to the Dash Blog, then click the link to "Preliminary DP Dash 2009 results".

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