P&H Valkyrie - experience?

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3 years 6 months ago #37335 by mrcharly
P&H have a sea kayak model called the Valkyrie
Valkyrie

Hull is supposedly based on a surf ski

It is a poly decked boat. The few comments I've read about it suggest it is a fast (for a sea kayak) boat with limited storage.

It is hard to find a review.

I'm looking to get a robust sea kayak but don't want a slug. Used to paddling a racing K1, so most boats feel so 'dead' in comparison. 
The area I'd be paddling in is rocky, with rough water. Not really surf ski territory, a polyethylene boat would be better.

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3 years 6 months ago #37339 by TomVW
Replied by TomVW on topic P&H Valkyrie - experience?
Hi Charly,

Since the beginning of summer, I have a Think Nitro. Same boat as the P&H Octane, surfski version of the Valkyrie.
I bought it for exactly the same conditions you mentioned: rough water, shallower rivers, .. basically anywhere I wouldn't want to take my Nelo550.
The one I bought was an unsold surplus that required some work on rudder, ...since it had not been put together by the dealer yet.Long story short: it is really half-way between sea kayak and surfski in terms of performance.
Whereas I can maintain a cruising speed of about 8.5 km/h in my sea kayak and 10.5 km/h in the Nelo over an hour, I hit about 9.5 in the Think Nitro. The stability is very similar to the Epic V7 I used extensively a few years back.
I find it quite nimble and well-mannered in waves, but I have an understern rudder, whereas the Valkyrie comes with an overstern. One thing is that the rudder lines show quite a bit of flexibility. The line are the Nelo rudder lines and very stable, so the flexibility must be coming from the hull bending or something with the internal guides. I doesn't bother me much, but YMMV.
Being PE, it is obviously quite heavy, but that also makes it a perfect loaner boat for friends and family.

Since the Valkyrie shares the same hull, I would expect it to perform similarly w.r.t. speed and stability. The storage space of the Valkyrie, from what I saw at the dealer, is very similar to a more traditional sea kayak, but you are likely not going to fill it up to the brim with camping gear when going for a playful paddle in rough water...

If you want to see the Valkyrie in action, I would recommend the video's of NorthSeaKayak on youtube. Dimitri is a P&H team paddler and is using a Valkyrie since 2018 or so... He also wrote a review of it on P&H's blog, which I think is well-written.

So, all in all, I wouldn't call it a slug, especially in view of storage space and ample stability, but it is not a race boat either. Horses for courses.

Best regards,

Tom
The following user(s) said Thank You: mrcharly

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3 years 6 months ago #37340 by agooding2
Not much to add, a fellow paddler bought one this spring and likes it very much as a knockaround boat.
Not as fast as his Epic V8 Pro but more seaworthy and of course more dent resistant.

Nelo 550L, Streuer Fejna, Nelo Viper 55
Braca XI 705 EL blade, 17K shaft
Braca XI 675 marathon blade, 19K shaft
Braca IV 670 soft blade, 19K shaft

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3 years 6 months ago #37341 by zachhandler
TomVW - the problem might actually be the rudder lines. A friend bought the 560 the first year it was on the market. It came with stretchy lines that had to be replaced. I have seen some more recently produced nelos that do not have that problem. 

Current Skis: Epic v10 g3, NK 670 double, NK exrcize, Kai Wa’a Vega, Carbonology Feather, Think Jet, Knysna Sonic X
Former Skis: Epic V12 g2, Epic V12 g1, Epic v10 double, Nelo 550 g2, Fenn Elite S, Custom Kayaks Synergy

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3 years 6 months ago #37344 by TomVW
Replied by TomVW on topic P&H Valkyrie - experience?
Hi Zach - That's what I thought first, too.

The Nitro came with blue rudder lines that where already fading, but the dealer gave me stiffer yellow lines. I installed those: spongy steering, plus the knots in the yellow lines wouldn't stay on.
I bought a new set of Nelo rudder lines with the fancy tensioning devices (since I was treating my Nelo to a carbon footplate upgrade anyway...): works wonder for the quick setting of leg length. Alas, the spongy feeling of the Nitro remains. But like I said, I can live with it.
The Nelo 550 with the same rudder lines has no stretch in the rudder lines at all... 

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3 years 6 months ago #37345 by mrcharly
Replied by mrcharly on topic P&H Valkyrie - experience?
Thanks, that is exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for.

Having paddled a plastic sea kayak that is generally rated as 'medium' in the speed stakes, I realised that I'd really miss the lively responsiveness of a race boat. 

Needing to able to paddle on open, sometimes rough, waters suggests that something in-between the two would be good.

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