This is What a Luxury Kayak Looks Like! | P&H Volan 160 Review

feature Delta kayaks out of BC....and try the Greenland paddle by GearLab in the states. Amazing carbon paddles....takes half the energy to paddle for hours.

The Volin is a Hard Chined —not soft—design…similar to the CD Caribou kayak.

Hi! Nice review. 6'4" 185lbs here finding this boat pretty tippy and hot to handle. I come from a Stellar S14 G2 and wanted something a little bit faster because am very fit, train a lot and am maxing that boat out but didn't want to give up much stability. Surfski obviously off the table yikes tried it a couple times all I did was flip. As you can guess my balance is absolutely terrible despite doing a lot of core work and functional training. Been paddling 20 years and only flipped once (when I didn't paddle a ski) but I always veered to very stable boats and I don't want to start going for swims! I like the lower weight for carrying and before selling my Volan any suggestion to modify the boat maybe fashioning internal racks on the bottom to put extra weight to improve stability?

Just wondering, did this Kayak Company gift you with this for your raving review?

Watching this as a European: the only measurement I can make sense of is the money. So I just trust the rest of what you say

where do you keep all of your kayaks and paddleboards. i would have no clue where to put all of them.

Rudders are for posers. Real kayakers turn on edge.

Thanks for the Review! I'm considering the Volan 160 as one of my "lifetime kayaks" and am eager to try one. Sounds like it is a real blast! It is worth noting that if you custom order from P&H, in addition to picking the colours, then you can work with them to do things like a custom front bulkhead position (more gear space in front hatch!) and getting rid of the small day hatch (and maybe even the bigger rear one too?) if that is your preference. If it is going to be a lifetime kayak, choices like these are important and maybe worth spending a bit more...

I have paddled two outings now. The Volan is sweet. Very excited about this yak !

That is a sweet looking kayak

Would be nice to see boats like these tested in waters with a bit more fun and purpose

Just listened to the Paddling the Blue podcast featuring Douglas Wilcox of world fame to sea kayakers. His reviews helped with the development of the Volan and its his fav boat!!

FYI- I picked my Volan 160 up today. What a beautiful piece of art. I’m so stoked. Kevlar Carbon 42 lbs perfect for this 63 year old man. Keep an eye on my channel. I’ll be showing my Volan soon, madden voyage tomorrow.

I agree, it’s a lifetime kayak. Takes a lifetime to save the $6000.00 they cost !

It's certainly a very pretty boat. I think I'd have preferred a bluff stern for some extra water line and the option to very solidly mount a rudder box. Sure, you can do other rudder mount options with it, I just think it's extra strong & light weight if it supports a longer pin. If the pin is short, you need a thicker heavier mount, rather than 2mm sheet SS pintails.

I have a 70s built 17'6" Geoff Barker designed Sea Wasp (fibre glass), which is probably a bit too much volume for my smaller frame these days, it's more of a rounded hull but about the same beam over all. I can maintain 8 kmph for several hours, but have had it up to 10kmph in a sprint before I'm done. I am 65 though so can't expect too much these days. In some ways I think the Volan would suit me better, but the Sea Wasp was just much more affordable on the 2nd hand market.

I paddle a Current Designs Sisu with a small front hatch like the Volan. I call it the snack hatch. If you do want to fit a water bottle in there, I recommend a collapsable one. Vapur or HydraPack make great ones. I usually put a water bottle in there with some sort of electrolyte drink mix so I can stop and sip that while I'm on the water :).

I love my Virgo but I really want either the Aries 155 or the Volan 160. My dream boats. I may have to sell something first lol. Thanks for the great review Ken!

Bet thw Volan would be great on the Great Lakes.

Great review, Ken. I’m looking for a lightweight sea kayak in the 16 to 17 foot range. Best candidate so far is the Eddyline Fathom. How does the Volan compare with the Fathom?

Well, colour us flattered! Thanks for the review, Ken!

This one is on my list to try. Paddle an ndk romany at the moment. Great content, keep up the great work.

nice boat... Bot I like more vertical sterm and bow for expedition kayak

Love my Cetus. I am sure this one is great as well.

Great review Ken, that kayak to me looks very much worth its prize. I am struggling at the moment with inflatables where I used to love the hard shells so much. This video really inspired me to focus back on hard shells, the main reason is I hate the lack of speed in these inflatables. Portability is something I would give up in a split second for that. I love packrafts to bits, but after screwing around with so many different inflatable kayaks, I've come to the conclusion that this is my first love I will return to. Thanks and greetz from the Netherlands.

Take a course, or several! I learned more in my first 2 hour class than I did in the previous 2 years of "just paddling". And learn to roll early. You don't HAVE to learn to roll, but being able to saves so much trouble when you inevitably will capsize. Rolling is not black magic or the pinnacle of kayaking skills, but a basic skill IMO. It is also a gateway to improving other skills like edging because you know you can recover if you capsize. Nice looking kayak.

Hi Ken, Did you find the contoured seat comfortable? Almost everyone I put in the Volan dislikes the seat as it is angled so aggressively forward at the back of the seat and it seems that particularly with the Volan as opposed to the other P and H kayaks (like the Virgo), I can't seem to crank the backband forward enough to not have the sloping seat really bother me at the tailbone. I know they have a (performance) flatter seat option, not sure what the purpose of the rise at the back of the standard seat is? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Nice choice. I have had a couple of used composite kayaks. My Current Designs Solstice GTS was a little too small for my body and a little to hard to turn so I sold it. My Current designs Kestral was just to fragile for the rocky rivers I paddle so I replaced it with an Epic V7. I've yet to replace the Current Designs Solstice but I'm looking a nice used Carbon Kevlar Capella 169. One thing about used composite boats is that they really hold their value. New composite boats hold there value to or even appreciate if you keep them long enough.

What a "Dream Boat"! Referring to the Volan of course 😁 I think I would be too stressed out landing that boat on those pink granite islands in Georgian Bay 😀

Watch Ken try to seriously review this without gushing. 😂😅😊 The crush is on!

Hi Ken, I bought the Virgo following your earlier review, just love it! Since then I went for the P&H Aries 150, a little more rocker than the Volan but lighter still at 19kgs, Being a small person and over 70 years of age this just works, carrying to the car is now not a problem. The P&H quality, design, and workmanship are amazing. I always enjoy your honest and valued reviews. David UK.

Very nice kayak !
I've seen your review of the Canadian made Swift cruiser canoe but have you ever tried any Swift kayaks ?!
I just put a hefty down-payment on a Swift Saranac I5 LC (large cockpit) with skeg that is supposed to ready by approximately mid to late July, it's not technically a "sea kayak" & I don't intend to use it as such (mostly paddling on my local lake, Lake Simcoe), but it is only 24inches wide with soft chines, very sublte rocker & kevlar fusion at only 40lbs, they are very beautifully well made boats as well & I can't wait to get it !

I could see how much you enjoyed it by your smile peddling it. :-)

Nice choice, P&H made good stable boats. Impressive weight for the dimensions, would be a treat to carry.

Awesome to see you in Knoxville!

Ok so get a prenuptial

Nice boat Ken. I juyt got my Virgo earlier this year and was surfing it 2-2.5m waves earlier this afternoon. P&H kayaks are amazing.

6k kayaks deserve at least a decent torso rotation 😅. It would be nice to see the kayak under the conditions for which it was developed 😉.

Wow! as always super realistic and cool, friendly.... Videos
Would it be completely wrong to compare this model with the P+H Dolphin?
Hmmmmmm...??? your opinion would much interested.
Thanks for your comments I love them and always look forward to new ones.
:-)
Greetings from Switzerland
Phil

Curious of what kayaks you have in your fleet ken

Hey Ken, how would you compare the Volan to the PH Ares?? Does the 1/2 - 1ft length make a difference??

This is a high rocker, HARD chine kayak almost the entire waterline length, for turning easily in rough water. Skeg or not, it is not a real touring kayak, but a play sea kayak designed for rough surf and rocky shorelines. For this style of kayak, it is quite wide, with most in class being 21.5 to 22.5 incher wide. It competes with Tiderace and Greenland designs from Current Designs, or from Valley. Your whitewater river background is showing here.

Guernsey UK. I have a Volan 16 top of the range 20kg, red deck with white hull. It is fantastic, and when I retract the skeg it turns amazingly. It is very stable, comfortable and reasonably fast. I do stay away from rocks however, I also have a P & H Virgo 14.5 ft which is fine for going close to rocks.

Man that is a gorgeous kayak, thats the dream right there.
It makes my plastic 16" Perception look clunky but I do love my old kayak.😅
It was what I could afford at the time, it's got great stability when loaded and despite its small size, has seen me through a few 2 week expeditions with some smart packing.

I've had my Volan for a little over a year and can confirm his praise of the boat. It does love a little wind and waves and is actually most fun in those conditions. Remarkably stable for a boat this narrow and maneuverable. Gulped hard at the price at the time but have never looked back with regret.

enjoying the series, your breakdown of the boat is well done

The people commenting on your kayak- yes that’s something they would do in my neck of the woods in the K-town area. I bet that was too much fun.

For those shocked by the price, you traditionally get most, or all of the purchase price back when you sell it. Use 404 or a similar religiously, do repairs on deep gouges. Store it out of the sun, etc.

Modern composites are wonderful.

Can tell by the lack of wake that it is slick in the water. Nice watercraft.

I hate a day hatch-- almost impossible to get anything out of it while you are on the water and it kills vital storage space right behind the seat. That's where I pack my sleeping bag!