Impex Kayaks: Hatteras
| MODEL | L E N G T H |
W I D T H |
H E I G H T |
V O L U M E |
FEATURES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatteras VCP | 16' | 22.5" | 13" | 65 | 3 bulkheads & 3 VCP rubber hatches, front & rear oval + round day |
The Hatteras is best suited for paddlers 5' 3" to 6'2" and 150 - 210 lbs who want a full featured sea kayak with good stability that is easy to maneuver and light to carry. The Hatteras comes with all the latest features of a top-of-the-line kayak (i.e. retractable skeg, day hatch, recessed deck fittings, VCP rubber hatches) except the price tag. The lines of the Hatteras make it an easy handling great all around sea kayak for stocky paddlers who need more room in the thighs than most kayaks of this length have. The Hatteras has enough storage space for multi-week expeditions as long as you aren't 6 foot tall. Contrary to the half-truth about long boats vs. short boats, many paddlers find it easier to keep up to their friends (let alone easier to handle in rough seas) in a kayak the size of the Hatteras than in a longer kayak.
The Hatteras 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, the Hatteras 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 Hatteras comes standard with all the usual Impex features: a retractable skeg* with smooth slider bar/cable control, front,rear, and day hatches, three curved fiberglass bulkheads, fiberglass seams inside and out, recessed deck fittings and reflective safety lines, and chart holder bungies, 16.5" X 30.5" (inside opening dimensions, making it easy to get in and out or bring your knees up while sitting in the kayak) keyhole shaped cockpit with good hip and knee braces, and a comfortable back band made special for Impex by IR (Immersion Research) with snowboard binding style ratcheting buckles that allow you to adjust the back support while seated in the kayak -- even on the water.
The Hatteras also features a day hatch to keep your lunch and other items close at hand.
*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 Hatteras is one of the most maneuverable sea kayaks on the market. Put the skeg down and the Hatteras 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).
Call the Kayak Academy to arrange a demo.
206 527-1825