Custom Features for NDK sea kayaks

Listed below are the custom specifications that are available on some of the NDK sea kayaks. Prices shown are in addition to the standard price  of the kayak shown on the product pages.

Elite lay up: £348.00

The Elite kayaks are made of fibre glass with a lighter overall lay up than the standard kayaks, making them approximately 3 kilos lighter. With reinforced keel and stress areas on deck and hull this is still a strong kayak, but not as strong as the standard kayak and requires more looking after. The laws of physics tells us that the stronger a sea kayak is the heavier she will be. The Elite lay up is far easier to repair than the carbon-kevlar construction. The kayaks come with internal and external glass seams. The approximate weight of an Elite Explorer is 22 kilo including hatches etc.

Carbon-kevlar lay up: £819.00

These kayaks are constructed out of venylester resin using a carbon-kevlar hybrid cloth to create a much lighter boat, and as a result they can be up to 3 kilos lighter than the Elite lay up.  The exact specification of the construction will depend on the intended use of the kayak. If the kayak is needed for flat water use, a very light construction can be appropriate but for more challenging conditions a higher specification of carbon-kevlar is needed.  The stronger a kayak is needed, the heavier it will have to be. The carbon-kevlar lay up is not as easily repaired as the Elite lay up. The kayak comes with internal and external seams. The approximate weight of a carbon-kevlar Explorer is 21 kilo, but could be as low as 18 kilo including hatches etc.

50/50 lay up: £427.00

This is a compromise offering a carbon-kevlar deck over a glass hull. The carbon-kevlar makes the kayak lighter while the glass hull ensures it is as robust as a standard glass kayak. The approximate weight of a carbon-kevlar deck over a standard glass hull is 23 kg including hatches etc.

Fleet/ heavy duty kayak lay up: £90.00

For centres and clubs that need even stronger kayaks than our standard lay up due to daily abuse year after year, we construct fibre glass kayaks on a heavier specification. This creates heavier and even stronger kayaks. The approximate weight of the fleet kayak is 27 kilo including hatch covers etc.

Small Day Hatch in front of Cockpit Area: £138.00

A small extra day hatch can be fitted directly in front of the cockpit within reach of the paddler.

Oval Shape Rear Hatch: £105.00

Can be fitted instead of the standard round hatch to all kayaks except Pilgrim, Pilgrim Expedition and Romany LV. Makes the rear compartment more accessible, and allows packing of larger items if required.

Skegs

The wire skeg is standard in the NDK Sea kayaks.

Rope skegs

This skeg is fitted with no additional cost, but must be stated at time of ordering. The front and rear rope skegs are very simple to repair and it is not a huge problem if you forget to pull it up. The down side is it takes a bit longer to get to grips with how far up or down your skeg is.

Skeg-rudder

This combined skeg-rudder system is a hydraulic system that does not get in the way of tow lines or during rescues. The skeg function is controlled by a deck mounted slider and the rudder is operated by an adjustable foot bar. The robust skeg-rudder system retracts undamaged if knocked, whatever the rudder setting. Just like a skeg, it mounts under the stern and so keeps the aesthetic lines of the kayak and doesn’t catch the wind. Using the same simple, reliable hydraulics as the hydraulic skeg, means it is also low maintenance. Please contact us to discuss this option.

Rudder

Normally we favour skeg over rudder, unless you are racing or paddling a double kayak in conditions above force 4. Should you need a rudder, we can provide your kayak with the C-Trim rudder or a combined skeg-rudder Please contact us to discuss options and prices.

Skeg or rudder

The skeg can be used to trim the kayak in wind, and it does not get in the way of tow lines or become a danger when undertaking rescues – which we often see with the traditional rudder. For single kayaks we normally favour skeg over rudders because they handle well enough in intermediate to advanced conditions not to require rudders. For the Triton double kayak or for racing, however, we recommend a rudder when kayaking in conditions above force 4. Please contact us to discuss.

Bulkhead: £90

When ordering a custom bulkhead, please provide the measurement from the front edge of the keyhole cockpit to the front bulkhead. The bulkhead will be fitted vertically unless otherwise stated upon ordering. Please note that the bulkhead is fibre glassed on one side only.

Foot pump: £192.00

When ordering a foot pump (Henderson) we will add 4 inches (10 cm) onto the inside leg measurements you supply.

Compasses: £105 including fitting

Sea Kayaking Scotland offers a fitting service for the Silva 70P compass into the recess provided.

Deck fittings

It is possible to add additional deck fittings, but these may be flush fittings instead of the standard recessed fittings. Please contact us for a price. If a deck pump (hand operated) is needed, then a recess will need to be fitted at the time of construction. Let us know when you order.

Colours

If you would like a custom colour you can get a rough indication of how your colour scheme will look like by using the Colour Chooser or the chart below. When you have chosen your colours from the colour chooser, please make a note of their RAL codes. As monitors may show colours differently, especially darker shades, you may want to check your choice on a printed RAL chart. It is possible to combine any of these colours for Deck, Hull and Trim on a custom kayak order.

The choice of colour will affect the kayak considerably. The yellows, whites, greys and other light colours  do not not show scratches badly, however darker colours like British Racing Green, black and dark blue are terrible for showing every scratch! Red based pigments are the most affected by UV exposure, and benefit the most from being stored out of direct sun when not in use. When in use deck temperatures can vary by as much as 20 degrees between light and dark colours.